Bohol & Panglao Island

Bohol's chocolate hills attract even more tourists than the tarsiers do. They are limestone formations carpeted in lush green grass for most of the year. When the rains end, the mounds become arid, which transforms them into a delectable shade of brown. They create an eerie landscape because of their enormous size and unusual symmetry. The legend attached to them adds to their mystery: It is said that an infatuated giant lost his mortal beloved to death. When he wept, his tears solidified into the chocolate mounds that remain today. The science of the landscape is equally mysterious, since the limestone has marine origins, and still carries fossils of oceanic species such as coral, algae and molluscs.  Geologists have opinions about how the landscape formed, but they have yet to arrive at a consensus. There are two Bohol & Panglao Island hotels in the hills.

Pangloa's scuba diving is all the more startling because of its dramatic underwater geology. Its marine life is diverse and vibrant. Causeways of parrot fish, frogfish and flatworms weave towards Arco Point, where the ecosystem becomes more unusual. The vertical tunnel is home to morays and soft corals. Black The Black Forest near to Alona beach is carpeted in coral of ebony, which creates a hardy biome for tuna, batfish and barracuda. A seemingly endless coral garden slopes beyond the Puntud wall, which novices can spot by snorkelling the shallow waters. Here, the species are at their most breathtaking. Butterfly and angel fish, sea cucumbers, urchins and sea stars have all made a home for themselves in this technicolour seascape.

The Edenic tropical landscapes confronted on holiday in Bohol & Panglao Island form a startling backdrop for a glittering beach side night life. Fire dancers add a wild tribal atmosphere to beach side clubs in Bohol, where dress codes are slack enough to allow for beach wear and thongs. Live bands are irrepressible, playing nightly unless the rain chases them indoors. Pearl is the most celebrated restaurant in Bohol, serving freshly prepared seafood in a secluded environment that is far more serene than the ones that flank it. Panglao Island's Alona Beach is shrouded in powdery white sand and turquoise oceans. It best travelled by rented scooter, and one of the most celebrated pastimes in the region is meeting the locals. After sun sets, the beach erupts in a rowdy party atmosphere that is far more cutting edge than that of Bohol. When choosing a hotel, Bohol & Panglao Island offer their own unique brands of hospitality: Bohol is laid back and authentic, whilst Panglao is luxurious and lively.

The high season for your Bohol & Panglao Island, The Philippines holiday emerges in November and extends into April, when winter's monsoons are drawn in from the northeast.

Seasonal Contrasts

The high season for your Bohol & Panglao Island, The Philippines holiday emerges in November and extends into April, when winter's monsoons are drawn in from the northeast. Showers are scarce during this sedate time of year, with thermometers climbing to a moderate average of 28 degrees Celsius. Evenings allow night owls to enjoy their more active evenings at a cool 25 degrees. Bohol's summer season brings humid air and the occasional rains, but these are adequately broken by days dry enough for outdoor festivities. Between November and January, rains are at their heaviest and weather becomes erratic.

Dancing in the Streets

July is a premium month for a holiday Bohol & Panglao Island, The Philippines. The month may be intolerably hot but it is also bustling with the atmosphere of annual festivities. Locals cluster into the streets during the Sandugo Festival, which attracts visitors from across the Philippines. The festival amplifies Bohol's electrifying celebrations for a full month, offering tourists a wealth of culture and tradition. Filipino beauties wow the crowds in the Miss Bohol pageant, whilst the Tagbilaran port showcases prettiness of a different kind: Fireworks illuminate the sky. Concerts and tournaments captivate onlookers thoroughly enough to take all focus away from the heatwave. The days are relatively short at this time of year, bringing some much needed coolness to evening revelry. The festival celebrates the friendship treaty taken by a local chieftain and a Spanish conquistador. In keeping with its peaceful history, Boholanos from far afield congregate in their home town to pay tribute to the culture they grew up with. The festival was revolutionized in the Nineties, turning it into a tourist magnet that only serves to pay a more meaningful tribute to the meeting of cultures, languages and religions across international borders.

Monsoon Shelter

During the wet monsoon season, Pangloa's luxurious amenities are in high demand. Hotels in Bohol & Panglao Island, The Philippines are often tourist hotspots in and of themselves. Their sumptuous beach side spas and delectable dining spots are enhanced by the surrounding tropical landscapes and turquoise waters. Panglao is dotted with several ancient churches signifying the pinnacle of Spanish colonial architecture. Each building has its own tale to tell. Baclayon is entirely constructed from coral, which native workers cut into blocks and cemented with egg whites in the 1500s. A museum on site reveals a single perspective of 16th century through religious relics and statues taken from the era. Hinagdanan cave gives you a more naturalist shelter from the rain. Its fresh water lake is a favoured swimming spot and is ornately decorated by natural limestone structures and stalactites.

Floating and Fine-Dining

Panglao is famous for its floating restaurants, which take fine dining into tropical territory on a trip downstream. The Loboc river is sided by lush jungle habitats. Local delicacies are served on hour long trips to the entertaining performances of traditional dancers and musicians. Buffet meals offer Bohol's most delicious dishes, which can be followed by fresh river swims. Day trips into the countryside let you encounter the Bohol's tiniest creatures. Minute primates await your welcome at the Tarsier Foundation, whilst butterflies, pupa and caterpillars convert the Sagbayan Peak butterfly dome into a flutter of color and movement.

Weathering the Summer Heat

As the rainy season dies down, visibility improves beneath sea level, opening up the opportunity for the prime scuba diving Pangloa is known for.  Waterbabies are attracted to Pangloa's premium diving and snorkelling sites, and Bohol has its own brand of watery fun: Ecotours take visitors on cruises down the Daet River, which is lined by an impenetrable mangrove forest and winds its way towards the charming town of Dandijay.  Those staying at a Bohol & Panglao Island, The Philippines hotel will find the most spectacular marine sanctuaries off Alona Beach and its nearby islands. Sea snakes gather at the sunken island of Pamilican. Reef divers discover sea stars, fans and barracuda near Balicasad. Alona's chalky beaches are the ideal vantage point from which to spot long snouted spinner dolphins, whale sharks and whales.