Philippines Cebu Bohol Island Free Travel, Five Days and Four Nights Travel Guide

In just five days, you can climb mountains and swim underwater. While getting close to nature, you can also feel the bustling atmosphere of the city. Cebu and Bohol are definitely the best places. But for travelers who have never been to Cebu and Bohol, how should they plan their itinerary? This article divides Cebu and Bohol into five days! We recommend a full and fun itinerary for each. In addition to watching whale sharks, what other moving and novel activities can you participate in? Let's go to Cebu and Bohol for five days and four nights!



Day 1: Cebu City Attractions

Fort San Pedro Santo Niño Basilica Magellan's Cross Carbon Market.

Transportation: Take a jeepney to Pier 1, start the visit from Fort San Pedro, walk about 15 minutes to Santo Niño Basilica and Magellan's Cross, and then walk 10 minutes to Carbon Market.

If you take an AirAsia flight to Cebu, you will usually arrive around 1pm. It is recommended that you go straight to the attractions in downtown Cebu after unloading your luggage at the hotel. The attractions are concentrated and each one is within walking distance.



Fort San Pedro

Because it is close to the harbor, it was used as a fortress to protect the city during the Spanish colonial occupation.

Magellan's Cross

This is one of the most memorable landmarks in Cebu City. It was erected by the Portuguese and Spanish expedition led by Magellan when they arrived in Cebu, Philippines in 1521. The cross also symbolizes one of the important milestones of the Great Geographical Discovery, opening up the secrets of Asia and Southeast Asia routes.



Church of the Holy Child

Next to the Magellan Cross is the Church of the Holy Child, which was also brought in by Magellan to represent the Catholic faith of the country. This is not only a tourist attraction for tourists, but also the center of faith for local residents. The church is very popular, which shows how important religious beliefs are to Filipinos. The Church of the Holy Child houses a wooden statue of the young Jesus, which is said to have been brought from the West by Magellan, commonly known as the "Holy Child".



Day 2: Transportation from Cebu to Bohol, Cebu Bohol Attractions

Lunch on a boat, Loboc River Tarsier Conservation, Chocolate Hill, Man Made Forest

Transportation:

Transportation from Cebu City to Bohol: Take Ocean Jet

If you are with a local tour guide, the driver basically has a fixed schedule of attractions, but if you find a travel agency locally, many tour guides or travel agencies will easily raise the price when they see tourists and start to drive up the price with you. If you don’t do your homework in advance or there are not enough people, they will usually ask you to join a group with others or let you go with a higher price. Instead of bargaining in the local language, it is recommended to buy a one-day tour itinerary for Cebu Bohol in China first, so that you don’t have to worry about asking for prices when you arrive, and you don’t have to worry about not finding a travel agency in time and delaying the next day’s itinerary.

But if you plan to travel by yourself, the following are the three must-see attractions that you can visit along the way (Chocolate Hill is the final stop)

It takes two hours to fly from Cebu to Bohol. Most tourists will take Ocean Jet round trip because it has the most flights. It is recommended to take the 7-8 am boat trip so that you can catch the boat lunch on the Loboc River before noon after arriving in Cebu.

Ocean Jet Ferry Departure Times:

Cebu - Bohol:

Everyday: 5:10 AM, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:20 AM, 9:20 AM, 10: 40 AM, 11:40 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:20 PM, 4:20 PM, 5:40 PM and 6:40 PM

Bohol - Cebu:

Everyday: 6 :00 AM, 7:05 AM, 8:20 AM, 9:20 AM, 10:40 AM, 11:40 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:20 PM, 4:00 PM, 4:20 PM, 5:00 PM, 5:40 PM and 6:30 PM

Lunch Cruise (Loboc River)

Take a small bamboo raft and sail on the Loboc River, enjoying the tropical jungle scenery along the way. The boat will provide a seafood buffet. Although there are not many styles, it is very comfortable and relaxing with the river view. When you arrive at a relay platform in the middle, local residents will sing and dance for tourists to enjoy, and sometimes they will invite tourists to sing and dance together.



Tarsier Conservation

The tarsier is the smallest monkey known in the world. It is about the size of a girl's palm. It is extremely small, has big eyes and a long tail, and its body proportions subvert the general imagination of monkeys. Tarsier gives birth to one baby a year, so the number is very rare. Tarsier is a nocturnal animal, so when tourists visit during the day, they basically only see them sleeping. The whole park is very small and can be visited in about half an hour!



Chocolate Hill

Located on Bohol Mountain, there is a natural landscape of small hills. During the rainy season or when there is abundant rainfall, the Chocolate Hills appear green. When the dry season comes, the hills turn brown (chocolate color), so they are famous for the Chocolate Hills.

The Chocolate Hills are made of limestone. There is a scientific explanation that the Chocolate Hills are the product of thousands of years of rainwater eroding the shells, coral rock layers and impermeable clay layers on the ground. When the land rises and the sea level drops, it is covered with weeds and becomes the small hills we see now.



Man Made Forest

This looks like a hillside road, but these trees are planted by local residents. If you take a car without air conditioning, you can clearly feel the outdoor temperature drop when passing that road. It really feels like a man-made forest. If you charter a car, you can ask the driver to let you off at this point to take photos.

After the land trip, you can ask the driver to take you to Alona Beach to connect with the next sea trip. If you don’t have a chartered car, you can also find a tricycle near ICM. The market price to ICM is about 300p.

Day 3: Island Hopping and Diving in Bohol, Cebu

Watching Dolphins and Turtles, Balicasag, Virgin Island

Transportation Methods:

1. Chartering a boat

2. Buying a local tour (chartering a boat is recommended for more than 3 people, and the snorkeling and stay time can be longer, and can also be adjusted flexibly according to your needs)

No matter which transportation method is used, in order to successfully see dolphins, it is usually necessary to set off at 6 o'clock in the morning, and then drive to the deeper waters, you will see some boats waiting on the sea. When the dolphins jump out of the water, the boatman will speed up to chase the dolphins.

After watching the dolphins, you will first go to Balicasag Island to change to a small boat, and breathing masks and life jackets will be distributed at that time. Then row the boat to the sea where turtles live (the boatman knows where it is), and ask everyone to jump off the boat quickly when they see turtles.

The most famous thing about Balicasag Island is the Great Fault. The boatman will first put everyone in a shallower area (deep enough to touch the corals with your feet), and then let everyone choose whether to swim to the Great Fault. However, there is an estimated height difference of more than 20 meters between the Great Fault and the area where you are put down on the boat. It looks pitch black from the bottom of the sea. However, as the current in that area is strong, it is recommended that people who have no deep diving experience or are not familiar with the water do not try it rashly. Stay in the shallow water to snorkel, and you can see many diverse fish species and marine creatures!



The last stop is Virgin Island. I thought you could snorkel there, but after going there I found out it was just an island for viewing and taking photos. The water is clear and the sand is clean and white. As its name suggests, it has not been over-cultivated or polluted. There are vendors selling abalone and sea urchins on the island. The seafood tastes very fresh, but you can try to bargain with the vendors because many friends who came to the island asked different prices.



The sand on Virgin Island is very fine, and starfish can be seen everywhere. After finishing the island hopping at these four attractions, the return trip was around lunch time, and we just returned to Alona Beach to enjoy lunch.



Special reminder:

1. There are many jellyfish in the waters of Balicasag Island. People with sensitive skin can wear jellyfish clothes

2. Try to avoid applying sunscreen, which is good for fish and the ocean (sunburn will be better, but it will not be better if the ocean is polluted!)

3. Your body will be wet after snorkeling, and the sea breeze on the way back will be quite cold. It is recommended to bring a large towel or jacket.

Day 4: Swim with whale sharks in Oslob

Transportation methods:

1. Charter a boat: If you take a boat from Bohol, it will take about 2-3 hours.

2. Bus: Take a bus from Cebu City, which takes about 3 hours.

3. Buy a local tour (no matter which method, you have to transfer from a small boat to a large boat, and wait for more people before setting off together) The difference between the two is that if you choose to charter a boat, the boatman will pick you up directly at the hotel, and you don’t need to gather at the tourist center yourself.

The whole process of the trip: After the boat and the boat land, take the tricycle shuttle bus (round trip 100p) to the whale shark visitor center in Oslob to choose whether to swim together (swimming together 1100p; staying on the boat to watch 500p) Safety regulations before the swim Go to the beach and wait for the number to go out to sea to find whale sharks.

The most time-consuming and key to seeing whale sharks is when the boat departs. It takes two hours to sail from Alona beach. After arriving, go to the visitor center to register and pay. There will also be safety explanations, among which the more important ones are not to get too close to the tail of the whale shark, do not use flash, and do not touch the whale shark. Basic common sense.

Since whale sharks are protected animals in the Philippines and have a little rough skin, if you touch a whale shark, you may be slightly injured. If you deliberately touch it and are found, you may be imprisoned in serious cases, so please don't test the law! In addition, the authorities will actually promote that in order to protect marine life, we hope that everyone will not apply chemical sunscreen or lotion on the day of watching whale sharks, so as not to pollute the marine environment and you will not be able to see such beautiful whale sharks in the future.

The time from going out to sea to swimming with whale sharks is only about 30 minutes to 1 hour. The boatman will sprinkle shrimps to lure whale sharks to swim on the surface. If you are more afraid, the boatman will also help you push you into the sea when the whale sharks swim close to you, reminding you to remember to take pictures.



Day 5: Massage, shopping, gift buying

SM city mall shopping, gift buying Ocean Spa Massage massage take my bus back to the airport

Transportation methods:

1. Alona beach back to the port: take a tricycle, the market price is about 450p, the journey is about 45 minutes

2. Bohol port back to Cebu: Ocean jet ferry return

3. Cebu port to the city: take a jeepney or taxi

4. Cebu city to the airport: my bus next to SM city mall

It is recommended to take the last day of the trip as a rest day. After all, you got up so early in the past few days, and your physical strength should be almost exhausted. You can go back to Cebu early to eat delicious food, massage, go shopping, etc. I sincerely recommend that whether it is massage, shopping or eating a big meal, it is better to do it in Cebu. Because Alona beach is a tourist area, the price is almost twice as high. For the same price, you will definitely have better quality and more luxurious enjoyment in Cebu.

If you want to go shopping, there are originally two malls to choose from in Cebu City, namely SM city mall and Ayala mall. There are also places to store luggage next to them, which is very suitable for shopping before taking a plane.



Swimming with whale sharks in Oslob, southern Cebu, is a must-do activity when visiting Cebu and Dumaguete. Although whale sharks are huge, they are really gentle and will not make people feel scared. To be honest, it is definitely a romantic and shocking thing to swim and dance with the gentle ocean giants – whale sharks that are nearly six meters long, and it will be unforgettable for a lifetime! Climbing Oslob Falls and Sampon Falls is also one of the necessary activities. The difficulty of each layer is different, and the higher you go, the harder it is to climb. Fun and safe outdoor adventures will definitely make you excited and return to the innocent days of childhood!