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simpleminds
Joined: 04 May 2006
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 Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:33 pm Post subject: Phillipines-recommendations? |
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Hiya all,
I'll be landing in Bohol on Jan 22 from Shanghai, how long should I stay on Bohol before heading off to Cebu or Palawan? Haven't booked any hotel/hostel yet, not sure if I should. Don't want accomondation too rustic, but not too fancy, either. I'm not the drinking sort.
I wanna do a lot of day-trips; snorkelling, checking out the chocolate hills, tarsiers, and what-not. I also like surf beaches, but aren't sure if there are any.
I'll be returning to Shanghai from Bohol on Feb 11, so want to make good use of my time. I like to stay in one place for a few days or a week, and do day-trips.
Thanks! |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:45 am Post subject: |
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Since you want to do the touristy things, 1 day can be enough for land day-trips. Chocolate Hills and the like.
1 more day is enough for sea tours. Diving could be another day. 3 days would be a minimum. |
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simpleminds
Joined: 04 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:48 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, that's good to know. So I guess five days would be plenty enough for Bohol.  |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:14 am Post subject: |
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| simpleminds wrote: |
| Thanks, that's good to know. So I guess five days would be plenty enough for Bohol. |
5 days should be lots for simple tourist stuff (unless you want down time to watch the coconuts grow or something).
Diving can take from 3-7 days but you hit all the highlights in 3 days of diving. After that it is just more of the same.
Don't forget to add in 2 days for travel back and forth from Cebu if you have to make air connections. If you are flying into Tagbilaran then no worry.
There are lots of places to stay and the prices range from rustic (p500 per night for a rustic cabin by the beach to p1000 for a nice pension in town to
p1200 (Alona tropical or Alona Kew) -30,000 (not a typo - Alona Palm resort) for a resort room on the beach.
Resort rooms often include breakfast in the rate.
http://www.bohol.ph/ is a good place to get contact information.
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simpleminds
Joined: 04 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:33 am Post subject: |
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Thanks so much for the link!
I plan to draw, so watching the coconuts grow, no problemo. Do I need to fly to Cebu, or is a ferry possible? I'm thinking of spending a few days there, too.
So, Bohol is a good place for diving, not snorkelling? I've never done any diving before. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 5:03 am Post subject: |
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It would be awful far on a boat from anywhere except Cebu. If you are in Manila, you can fly into Tagbiliran directly.
If you are in Cebu, you can take a ferry to Tagbiliran.
Snorkelling is good too.
| simpleminds wrote: |
Thanks so much for the link!
I plan to draw, so watching the coconuts grow, no problemo. Do I need to fly to Cebu, or is a ferry possible? I'm thinking of spending a few days there, too.
So, Bohol is a good place for diving, not snorkelling? I've never done any diving before. |
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simpleminds
Joined: 04 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| BoholDiver wrote: |
It would be awful far on a boat from anywhere except Cebu. If you are in Manila, you can fly into Tagbiliran directly.
If you are in Cebu, you can take a ferry to Tagbiliran.
Snorkelling is good too.
| simpleminds wrote: |
Thanks so much for the link!
I plan to draw, so watching the coconuts grow, no problemo. Do I need to fly to Cebu, or is a ferry possible? I'm thinking of spending a few days there, too.
So, Bohol is a good place for diving, not snorkelling? I've never done any diving before. |
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Snorkelling, brilliant! I'm flying from Manila to Tag, and plan to ferry to Cebu to stay there for a few days. I'm not staying in Manila at all. Any recommendations for Cebu? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| simpleminds wrote: |
| BoholDiver wrote: |
It would be awful far on a boat from anywhere except Cebu. If you are in Manila, you can fly into Tagbiliran directly.
If you are in Cebu, you can take a ferry to Tagbiliran.
Snorkelling is good too.
| simpleminds wrote: |
Thanks so much for the link!
I plan to draw, so watching the coconuts grow, no problemo. Do I need to fly to Cebu, or is a ferry possible? I'm thinking of spending a few days there, too.
So, Bohol is a good place for diving, not snorkelling? I've never done any diving before. |
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Snorkelling, brilliant! I'm flying from Manila to Tag, and plan to ferry to Cebu to stay there for a few days. I'm not staying in Manila at all. Any recommendations for Cebu? |
The where in Cebu would depend on the what you plan to do.
If you are doing the beach thing, then something on Mactan or away from the city. If you plan on shopping and some night life then Castle Peak is nice (business type hotel), close to Ayalla and affordable (~p1400-p1600 per night).
There are cheaper places but I wouldn't stay in most of them.
If you just need to stay there to connect with a flight then one of the pensions on Mactan would be the thing to do. Ace penzionne is again about p1300 per night and has free airport transfers. It is right across the street from Mactan Gaisano mall for shopping and fast food. they have an OK japanese restaurant in the hotel as well as the roof-top bar/restaurant.
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laserprinter
Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:08 am Post subject: |
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| I'm heading to Donsol to see the whale sharks. I have 7 days total. Is there any good way of traveling from Manila to Donsol to Bohol? It seems like I'd have to go back to Manila to get to either Donsol or Bohol, nothing direct. |
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simpleminds
Joined: 04 May 2006
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| Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| simpleminds wrote: |
| BoholDiver wrote: |
It would be awful far on a boat from anywhere except Cebu. If you are in Manila, you can fly into Tagbiliran directly.
If you are in Cebu, you can take a ferry to Tagbiliran.
Snorkelling is good too.
| simpleminds wrote: |
Thanks so much for the link!
I plan to draw, so watching the coconuts grow, no problemo. Do I need to fly to Cebu, or is a ferry possible? I'm thinking of spending a few days there, too.
So, Bohol is a good place for diving, not snorkelling? I've never done any diving before. |
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Snorkelling, brilliant! I'm flying from Manila to Tag, and plan to ferry to Cebu to stay there for a few days. I'm not staying in Manila at all. Any recommendations for Cebu? |
The where in Cebu would depend on the what you plan to do.
If you are doing the beach thing, then something on Mactan or away from the city. If you plan on shopping and some night life then Castle Peak is nice (business type hotel), close to Ayalla and affordable (~p1400-p1600 per night).
There are cheaper places but I wouldn't stay in most of them.
If you just need to stay there to connect with a flight then one of the pensions on Mactan would be the thing to do. Ace penzionne is again about p1300 per night and has free airport transfers. It is right across the street from Mactan Gaisano mall for shopping and fast food. they have an OK japanese restaurant in the hotel as well as the roof-top bar/restaurant.
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Thanks again. I'd decided to go to Moalboal for the Kawasan Falls, it doesn't seem too touristy, might spend a week there, first at Backpacker's lodge, which seems to be very clean, and from where I can do day-trips, then a few days at Blue Orchard Resort at White Beach, which I cannot book online, which is annoying because it seems a real gem.
Then to Cebu at Castle Peak for a night or two, then back to Bohol, I heard you can swim with dolphins there. Thought about the whale shark in Dongol, maybe next time, though.
Hopefully I can catch a taxi at the ferry port arriving from Bohol, that would take me straight to Moalboal. A lot of travelling that day. |
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dantana
Joined: 01 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:15 am Post subject: |
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If you're into scuba diving or snorkeling, it's one of the cheapest and best places to go. (Moalboal). Other than that I found the food very good...especially fish. But that was back in 2001...
Just watch for the ladies with Adams Apple, one night one drunk American found out the hard way. |
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canale226
Joined: 23 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:50 am Post subject: |
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I've been to Philippines several times now, and for me Bohol/Panglao are both highly overrated, AND full of Korean tourists. I don't know about you, but when I holiday I want to be away from Koreans.....
Just north of Cebu is Malapascua (my personal choice for dive sites in Philippines... better than Moalboal, El Nido, Puerto Galera, etc). Its cheap, isolated, and the people there (both local and foreign) are fantastic. Just west of Malapascua is perhaps the best island in the entire country for relaxing and catching up on sleep - Bantayan. One of the top 3 beaches I've ever seen is on Bantayan. People are again, fantastic.
Maybe you'll like Bohol, but I planned on staying a few weeks there and bolted after 3 days.
Have fun! Philippines is a fantastic place, and I'm awfully jealous!
Have you given any thought to Palawan? I initially avoided it to see and spend time in the Visayas and Mindoro - but absolutely fell in love with Palawan, and its since become my favorite place in the entire world. Food for thought  |
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OculisOrbis
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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