Bohol is well known for the Chocolate Hills, which are 1,700+ hills that turn brown during the dry season and look like mounds of chocolate. It is also one of the only places in the world that you can see Tarsiers, which are a tiny leaping primate. I did not stay long in Bohol but felt like I adequately saw the main things Bohol had to offer. The tours were really good, and my hotel was beautiful. This is a list of the top things I found to do. Bohol is also a large island, however, and my stay did not take me very far off the beaten path, so I am sure there are other amazing opportunities the further inland you travel.

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Visit Bohol’s Chocolate Hills viewing area

One of the main tourist attractions in Bohol is the Chocolate Hills viewing area. From this viewpoint, you can see many of the over 1,700 hills that comprise the Chocolate Hills. During the dry season, the hills dry out and turn brown. This makes them look like lumps of chocolate dotting the landscape. When I visited, Bohol had been getting early rains, so most of the hills were actually green. They did not look like very much like chocolate. Many of the hills are also quite far away from the viewing area, so a camera with a zoom lens would have been nice to bring so I could adequately capture the other hills.

If you rent a motor scooter or line up a private tour super early, you are also allowed to use a drone to capture some of the distant hills. This is limited to between sunrise and 8:00am due to the large crowds that begin showing up after 8:00am. The tour companies give you about an hour to view the Chocolate Hills. This felt like more than adequate, before you leave to see the Tarsier Sanctuary. If you are travelling solo, you can find joiner tours here. If you are traveling with a group, you can find group tour options here.

Visit the Tarsier Sanctuary

A main tourist attraction in Bohol is the Tarsier Sanctuary where you can view the adorable little Tarsiers. These tiny primates have huge eyes that do not move, so the tarsier is able to rotate its head 180 degrees in each direction to view its surroundings. Tarsiers measure just between 3.5 and 6 inches long, but they are also able to leap an incredible 10-15+ feet from tree to tree.

They will mostly be sleeping during the day when you are allowed to visit the sanctuary. You are asked to remain completely silent so that you do not wake them. You get about 30 minutes to explore the parts of the sanctuary that tourists are allowed to visit, and you do not really need to worry about not seeing the tarsiers because the gathered crowd around each tarsier is a pretty decent giveaway as to where they are resting.

One of the little tarsiers napping under a leafy canopy

See the Man-made Forest

If you take one of the island hotspot tours, you will stop at the man-made forest in Bohol. This Mohagany Forest stretches nearly 2 kilometers and is part of a reforestation effort started over 50 years ago. You will briefly stop here to snap a couple of photos in the middle of the road. Then you continue on your way to the Loboc River lunch cruise. You do not get a lot of time at the man-made forest, but it is a neat peek into reforestation efforts in the Philippines. The change in temperature beneath the canopy is also quite noticeable.

Snapping a photo at the man-made forest in between all the tour vans and cars passing by

Take the Loboc River lunch cruise

If you take one of the Bohol highlight tours, you will likely take a lunch cruise up the Loboc River. This was possibly my favorite part of the tour, and I really was not expecting it to be. We had an amazing lunch and cruised up the river while listening to live music performed aboard our boat. The tour stops at a Catholic Mission where you are greeted by performers that do traditional Tinikling dances. These dances require participants to quickly step over rapidly clapping bamboo poles before getting their ankles crunched.

This tour was also super fun because there were local Filipino children swinging off rope swings or jumping off palm trees all along the river. It was really neat seeing kids being kids in their local environment. I would add the lunch cruise to my list of must dos in Bohol if you visit this island. Double check your tour details beforehand though. I thought the cruise was included with the tour I booked, but it was actually a separate 1,000 PHP ticket. Be sure you have enough for everyone in your group if your island highlights tour does not include the cruise.

Views of the Luboc River during the lunch cruise

Visit the Blood Compact Shrine

If you are taking the Bohol Island highlights tour, you will probably also stop at the Blood Compact Shrine. This shrine is a memorial to when the Spanish and Filipinos first entered into a truce signifying a peace between the two nations. You will probably spend around five minutes at this site. It is pretty neat to learn more about the blood compact taken between the Spanish and Filipinos.

The Blood Compact Shrine in Bohol signifying a truce between the Spanish and Filipinos

See the oldest church in Bohol

The Bohol Island highlights tour also stops at the Baclayon Church, which is the oldest Catholic church in Bohol. This church, known as the Immaculate Conception Parish Church, or La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church, was founded in 1596 and completed in 1727 and is quite beautiful and ornate. Regardless of your spiritual views, the church is definitely worth touring as the architecture, paintings, and sculptures are very impressive. You will not get to spend a lot of time at the church. It is worth going inside and viewing the interior of a church that has stood for over 400 years.

Looking down the pews towards the altar at the Baclayon Church

Visit Dumaluan Beach, White Beach, or both

One of the most popular beaches in Bohol is Alona Beach, but I kept reading numerous reviews that said it was very crowded and not worth the visit. I decided to check out Dumaluan Beach and White Beach instead. I read multiple reviews saying these shorelines were less crowded and equally as beautiful. The weather was threatening rain when I was there, so I did not spend much time at the beaches. They were quite beautiful even at low tide though. There are also amazing beachfront resorts here that would be worth staying at if you are not low-budget travelling. Take a look at Bohol Beach Club or Oceanica Resort Panglao if you are looking for a more upscale stay right off the beach.

Looking north at the beautiful resorts along Dumaluan beach and their curated palm trees

If you go to Bohol:

I stayed at Panglao Vista Suites by SMS Hospitality, and my hotel was welcoming (Click here to see rates and availability for Panglao Vista Suites). It had a beautiful swimming pool, a pool bar with a buy one-get one happy hour, and poolside dining delivered from the restaurant. There is also a breakfast buffet for a separate fee that I did not take advantage of since my tours began too early for breakfast, and I’m also just not a big breakfast person.

My room was super clean and very spacious for the low price I paid for it. I would certainly recommend staying here if you are looking for a beautiful hotel with all the amenities at a budget price. If you are looking for more luxury and a beachfront stay, take a look at Bohol Beach Club or Oceanica Resort Panglao. These resorts are right on Dumaluan Beach and have exquisitely maintained grounds and private lounge chairs reserved just for resort guests. To book an island highlights tour if you are travelling solo, you can find joiner tours here. If you are traveling with a group, you can find tour options here. To learn more about what to do in the Philippines, visit my 30-day itinerary here.