Dolphin Watching, Balicasag Island, Virgin Island & Tagbilaran City (Day 3)

I grew up with the sea just behind my house and with a grandfather who used to sail but for some reason (overprotective parents), I never once did venture out into the open waters.  Today was my chance, and a chance for my Lolo to return to the familiar environment  he used to tread.  

We were up early on a Tuesday for our Sea Tour costing P 1,800.  If you'll be arriving from Tagbilaran City, there is an additional P 1,000 round trip fee for land transfers because it's quite far.  We left the hotel around 5:00 am and were now headed to Panglao Island, this time for some sun, sand and splash!

After a long walk to the docks, we finally got to our motorized boat and on our way to the middle of the sea for Dolphin Watching near Pamilacan Island.  Dolphins are most commonly seen around 6:00 to 7:00 am which is the reason for the early start of the tour.  Despite being a weekday, there were a lot of bancas on dolphin watch, which according to our guide causes disturbance to dolphins and reduces the chances of seeing them.  After about 20 minutes of wait with no sighting, we decided to end the pursuit because my grandmother was feeling sea sick.  I was starting to feel bad and disappointed when two minutes into our retreat, we lucked out on seeing a gang of dolphins pop right across our boat!  They hoped, dived and dazzled in front of us for about a minute until  the other boats caught up and the dolphins disappeared for good.

Seeing the dolphins roam free in their natural habitat up close makes rising early worth it.  There is just more fun in seeing them unpredictable and in the wild compared to being in controlled environments like marine parks.

Early morning, lost at sea

After about 20 minutes of sailing, we reached our next stop, Balicasag Island.  It is a small island famous for its clear waters and is a marine sanctuary perfect both for snorkeling and diving.  To get to the snorkeling area, a local guide will paddle you in a small boat which will take 5 minutes.  There is a marine sanctuary fee of P 150 each.  As for what's underneath, we encountered a diverse array of coral reefs and thanks to our expert guide, got to see all sorts of marine life.  There were starfish, sea shells, blowfish (so cool), a school of tuna and an assortment of colored fish in different shapes and sizes.  I would say that the marine biodiversity found here is just as good as in Puerto Galera or Batangas (at least in shallow waters).

The waters around here are salty as expected but thankfully, doesn't irritate the skin.  Also, it is advisable that you bring fish feeds or small crumbs of bread with you and watch as a platoon of fish swarm instantly upon the sight of food.

There were a couple of things that irked me off though.  First is that they overcharge every tourist that's not from Bohol.  From the guy renting snorkel gear, the buko juice vendor, to the broken down pay restroom; it was all too much tourist exploitation.  The biggest culprit though are the "paluto" restaurants.  Imagine paying P 500 for a small can of Argentina corned beef which would only cost around P 50 in a typical store, yup, it's that bad. The second thing I didn't like  involved an incident where a stranger climbed on board our boat while my grandmother was there all alone.  He tried to convince her to trade her valuables for some of his stuff!  Good thing nothing bad happened, but still, yikes!

Balicasag Island

Trust me, it's a lot of fun!

Overpriced breakfast

The last stop of our sea tour, 30 minutes away from Balicasag is Virgin Island.  Well, it's actually a long stretch of sandbar that is uninhabited and sees relatively few visitors.  When the water is shallow, it appears as a strip of fine white sand  sandwiched by the seas as it's surrounded by water on both sides.  During high tide, the sandbar is barely visible, submerged in the water giving the illusion that you're walking above the sea  allowing for fantastic photo opportunities.   Swimming is not an option because it's rocky and surrounded by sea plants.

Despite being proliferated by vendors, I found the island relaxing, peaceful and pure.  Being able to do nothing but walk around the soft & powdery sands from end to end, I was forced into a state of blankness.  While watching my cousins play around, I just sat there in the sand, not a care in the world, not really wanting to do anything else.

Virgin Island

Parang may daanan sa gitna, astig!

Inviting

Before

After

After a fun but exhausting sea tour, my grandparents decided to rest for a while at the hotel, meantime, my cousins & I explored some of the nearby sights in Tagbilaran City.  The first place we went to, just a short walk from Darunday Manor, was the Bohol Museum.  It's a misleading name because most of the stuff found here belong to just one man.  Set in the house of former Philippine President Carlos Garcia, the museum mainly holds his personal memorabilia.  You will find antique household furniture and family heirloom and also get to know about the late president's life and career through manuscripts and other writings.  Entrance is free but donations are appreciated.

To get here, take a 5-minute tricycle ride to Bohol Museum which should only cost P 8 per person.  Alternatively, if you'll be walking from the city center, head to the end of Garcia Avenue at Plaza Rizal Park then turn left to JA Clarin Avenue then walk for 5 minutes until you reach the second corner.  Afterwards, turn left at Hontanosas street where it's found just along the intersection.

Bohol Museum

I like his thinking!

We met with our grandparents at the hotel then walked our way to the shopping options along the main commercial area in Garcia Avenue.  Smack right in the middle of the busy city center is a shopping mall named City Square.  It's a fairly basic mall with local food outlets & a couple of national food chains at the front and a plethora of kiosks and shops tightly packed inside.  The concentration of shops found on the ground floor are cellphone & repair shops, pirated CDs and software vendors and cheap clothing stores.  The second floor holds more of the same with significantly less tenants.

The mall feels outdated, lacking and bare compared to even the smallest malls in the Metro.  Think of it as a pint-sized version of Coastal Mall.  Not to be missed though, is a branch of siomai specialist Hoo Cha and a native restaurant offering delicious sweets and delicacies.

Getting here is easy as it's in the middle of Garcia Avenue either by walking or tricycle.  You won't miss it!

City Square

3 klase ng siomai, lahat masarap

Okoy

Sweet treats

Just across City Square, is an even bigger mall named Bohol Quality "BQ" Mall.  Comparable to Island City Mall in size and content, it consists of 5 (or 6?) floors of consumer madness.  Inside the mall, you will find a department store, a timezone amusement park, a supermarket, a cinema, a food court, several popular international food chains, local restaurants and countless retail shops.

I like to call this mall ICM Lite because the shopping experience is the same except that it's smaller.  Although the mall has been around for a while, I see continuous renovations being done like adding floors and various remodeling jobs which keeps the mall relevant and in way better condition compared to City Square.  Make sure you reach the top floor up to the parking as above it is a structure holding more restaurants.  I think it's actually kinda cool when you think of it as being a mall inside another mall, very Inception-like!

Bohol Quality Mall

For dinner, we ate at one of the restaurants inside BQ Mall, Payag restaurant.  It's another one of the province's many restaurants specializing in grilled chicken and Filipino food.  The pricing was reasonable but I wasn't satisfied with their food.  The chicken inasal was just average, while other traditional favorites like sisig also disappointed.  Although not necessarily a bad restaurant, Payag just wasn't as good as what majority of reviews were saying about it.

Sisig

After getting back to the hotel, my brother and I decided to make the most out of our remaining time by returning to Island City Mall for some last minute shopping.  We also had a parting bite at Frankie's which serve American food using only the freshest ingredients at mid-range prices.  The burger and strawberry shake I got were fantastic and a fitting last meal in Bohol!

Frankie's

Juicy burger & thick strawberry shake

The Day's Expenses: (P per person)

Car & Tricycle      200
Boat & Guide       300
Entrance Fees        50
Accommodation   520
Food                      ?
Shopping                ?
Total P 1,070

Looking back at our Bohol trip, I feel quite satisfied with what I've experienced and the memories that I've brought back.  I enjoyed my first hand view of the Chocolate Hills and the Tarsiers, firmly believing that these are must visits to anyone going to Bohol.  I am grateful to have experienced  the culture preserved in historical sights, museums, old churches and in traditional performances.  I am eager to explore the rich waters of Panglao again, hopefully, I'll get to scuba dive next time.  Most of all, I will remember the Boholanos who are simple, content, easy going, law abiding and proud of who they are.

This marks the ends my Bohol travel series.  As always, your comments and questions are appreciated and encouraged.  Salamat.

Helpful Links:

Wikitravel Bohol
Bohol Guide