Our second day in Bohol didn’t start out as planned. The Countryside Tour the day before was a little too tiring as we dropped by almost every possible tourist spots the province have to offer. Our Day 1 had been packed and we finally reached Bagobo Beach Resort at around 8pm. We were too exhausted and starved that we immediately dozed off right after.

And so, we woke up late that day.

The night before, Bagobo Beach Resort staff were clever enough to get our orders for the next morning so when we woke up, our breakfast was ready to be served. Good, because we were running short of time. Our boatmen were already at the resort waiting for us.

They insisted that we move fast because we might not be able to see the dolphins. The moment we heard the word “dolphins,” it was like we got energized instantly and finished eating.

We proceeded to the shore. The beach of Panglao Island was incredibly beautiful. The water was so shallow that our boatmen had to use a small boat to take us to the boat that we were gonna use that day.

Our first stop was not really an island. We just stopped in the middle of the sea and waited for the dolphins. Our boatmen were a little pessimistic because he said we came too late. But we stayed a little bit longer and then suddenly, they came.

Dolphins came passing by in groups. It was so exhilarating seeing them in the wild, just doing their thing — swimming great distances. Our energy suddenly surged upwards. Everyone was so thrilled. Several times, one or two dolphins would emerge from the water, making this move as if they were standing. They were so cute. Some of them even swam right beside our boat.

After a few minutes, we decided to move on and bid goodbye to the dolphins. We headed towards Balicasag Island. There are locals living on the island. You can have lunch here. However, because the island is far from major markets, food is a little too pricey.

One of my friends, trying to figure out what to do with her life. LOL

We learned about this while planning the trip so we came prepared. So here’s a tip! The night before your island hopping, drop by the Tagbilaran Market (if you’re coming from the airport or the countryside tour) and shop. Before we came to the resort we already bought the ingredients we would need for our lunch and asked the staff of Bagobo Beach Resort to place them in the refrigerator overnight. We brought the food with us when the boatmen fetched us.

When we hopped out of our boat, we immediately looked for the person to talk to for “paluto.” The fee was just P300. Although it sounded expensive, it was definitely cheaper than buying lunch from them. We asked them to prepare chicken tinola, grilled squid, and ensaladang mangga and reserved a hut for the group. We promised to return after snorkeling.

And now, the snorkeling.

Rocky shores of Balicasag island

IT WAS FANTASTIC. Bohol is brimming with diverse marine life. The moment you put your goggles on and dip, you’ll see a colorful world underwater. It was unbelievable. The only problem was that the water was too shallow in many parts that some just kept on stepping on the corals. (Or maybe they were just rocks? But I think they were corals!)

Our cute white boat!

We stayed there for a good hour. When we finally got tired, we returned to the shore. Unfortunately, our lunch was not ready yet. And waiting time means camwhoring time! We whipped out our cameras and snapped away.

Another tip, if you’re going to visit Balicasag Island, bring your own mask, snorkel and aqua shoes. Although boatmen rent these gears out for around P150 per item, it’s still best to bring your own. After all, you can find a cheap pair of aqua shoes at SM Department store for less than P200; and mask for less than P300.

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This is part of the Bohol Tour we availed of for only PhP3200 per person. (Note that we were a group of 8.) For more posts about the other places we have visited, check out our BOHOL GETAWAY series. If you want to take the same tour, please contact Tessa of Bagobo Beach Resort by sending her a private message on Facebook. Here's her Facebook profile.