Bohol: Panglao Island Tour

A day after our Bohol Countryside Tour, we excitedly prepared for another getaway at dawn. We had a good home-cooked breakfast (Thanks again to Tita Malou, our lovely host) then we hopped on the van for a trip to Panglao Island. It was the seventh day of our family flashpack trip. A week on the road but without any trace of exhaustion on our faces! I remember, my friends used to call me "the energizer bunny" when I was in college. So, you can imagine me still on the go while others are already resting their tired feet! It was just on this family trip that I have realized that my "gallivanting energy" runs in the blood! :) 

Panglao is a beautiful island located in the southwest of Bohol. Tourists flock in the island to have the ultimate vacation which includes spelunking, beach bumming and island hopping. 

As I have mentioned in my previous post, spelunking at Hinagdanan Cave was supposed to be a part of our Panglao Tour. But since we finish our Countryside tour early, we visited it on our first day in Bohol. Hinagdanan Cave is located in the town of Dauis. The cave is made of limestone with large stalactites and stalagmites on its ceiling and with a secretly hidden green lagoon.

The moment we passed the cave's entrance, we were greeted by JB, a local teenager who offered to be our tour guide. He spoke English in a very funny way and threw a couple of jokes. He was so entertaining that we all agreed to let him lead our way. JB is a natural born comedian, a great tour guide and a pro photographer. Yup, he even gave us photography lessons! 

Hinagdanan Cave is naturally lighted. There are holes on its ceiling where the sunlight passes. We have learned from JB that the cave was discovered when the land owner accidentally found a hole, in which he built a ladder to get inside. Thus, he named the cave "Hinagdanan" (in English: laddered).     

Our Panglao Island tour started with a visit to the Philippines' smallest man in the town of Dauis. At the age of 66, Bayoyoy is only 2.5 ft tall. His short stature is caused by a medical condition known as dwarfism. Bayoyoy is so famous; he was featured in TV shows and even Philippine celebrities came to Bohol just to see him.   

Flashpack trip day 7 was mainly for beach bumming in one of Panglao's white sand beaches. We had a day trip at Alona Tropical Beach Resort. 

After hours of rest and relaxation at Alona Tropical Beach Resort, we ended our Bohol Vacation at Bohol Bee Farm. Our first stop was at the farm's store known as The Buzzz Shop. They are selling native souvenirs and organic products such as pastries, breads and spreads. 

We tried the farm's delicious home made ice cream. I had two scoops; one avocado and one malunggay flavored! Malunggay is a green, leafy vegetable, so an ice cream in that flavor really sounds weird, but believe me it was so yummy. No wonder why Malunggay Ice Cream is Bohol Bee Farm's best seller! The ice creams were made of organic products, 100% natural, no preservative added! It's a guilt-free dessert!

We roamed around Bohol Bee Farm and learned that it's also a resort. There are accommodations starting at Php 2,500/ night. They have a restaurant at the cliff where we caught a glimpse of Bohol's perfect sunset. 

We had a great time at Bohol Bee Farm. The only thing that puzzled me was that there were no bees in sight! I asked a staff before we left, she said they used to have, but all the bees died because of the climate. That was so sad to hear! Anyhow, the atmosphere at Bohol Bee Farm is so relaxing. In fact, we might consider staying at the resort for a night or two when visit Bohol next time. 

Panglao Tour Expenses:

Hinagdanan Cave: Php 15/ person

Alona Tropical Beach Resort Day Trip: Php 300/ person

Bohol Bee Farm: No entrance fee!

Homemade Ice Cream: Php 80