its my first time

Hi everyone!!! Just want to ask would there be a lot of visitors in Bohol during holy week? My family and I is planning to have a vacation in your place this coming holy week. Is it also considered as peak season? Should we get package tours at the hotel or would it better to just have the arrangements upon arriving in BOhol? Need some advice; here%26#39;s my email add Iyha_m@yahoo.com. Thanks!!

its my first time

Hi lyha9,

Holy Week is definitely peak season travel for any destination. Book your hotel rooms in advance. As for the tours, I also suggest you make separate arrangements beforehand and do the countryside tour straight from the airport. Dont book the tours offered by the hotel. Hotels usually charge 1500+pesos per person and it will take alot out of your pocket.

To save money, make it a DIY (do-it-yourself) tour. Just hire a car/van service to show you the 7 usual tourist spots (Blood Compact Monument, Baclayon Church %26amp; Museum, Loboc River Cruise with buffet lunch, Hanging Bridge, Bilar Manmade Forest, Tarsier Encounter, Chocolate Hills). Consider these amounts: 1800pesos for a car hire, 25peso/pax for entrance to the museum, 300pesos/pax for the Loboc River Cruise buffet lunch, 25pesos/pax for Chocolate Hills entrance, 20peso ';donation'; for picture-taking with a tarsier. You may include in the itinerary (at additional cost) Hinagdanan Cave, Bohol Bee Farm (have a sunset dinner there, preferrably) and Mag-Aso Falls.

Note that the 1800pesos car hire rate was the quoted price when oil/gas prices were high, so the rate now could be much lower. To further save on money, do the countryside tour straight from the airport since airport transfer costs 400-500pesos.

Arrange a Dolphin %26amp; Whalewatching tour with Balicasag Island, with boatmen offering their services along the beach. Rates start at 1500pesos. Just haggle with them. I got my tour (for 4pax) at 1300pesos. If you plan on snorkling, bring your gear since they charge 150peso/mask. Another 150peso/pax is charged by separate boatman for snorkling along Balicasag Island Marine Sanctuary.

Hope this helps...

its my first time

Hi lyha9,

Sent you a private message. Please Check it for info about bohol.

Cheers

Hi hibj08,

I would like to correct you about the entrance fees that you posted here. My sister and her husband were there last week %26amp; the new rate for chocolate hills entrance fee is php 50 / person. Car rental is 2,000 for 8 hours tour. There are 9 tourist spots visited.

Just posting these to correct %26amp; update the people viewing this site.

Hope this helps...

My family are going to Bohol a week after the Holy Week (which is a peak season in almost all Philippine destination). When I was making hotel reservations last week (January) I was surprised that some days in April are already already fully booked. So better make reservations now.

As it is a peak season, I would recommend that you should make hotel and tour arrangements as early as now. You might end up with higher rates when the vehicles for hire, tour coordinators or travel agencies are fully booked by that time.

Hotel bookings and tour arrangements are quite expensive. If you have the budget then go. Travel agencies charge per head (quite a lot from the budget)... the only advantage is that they have accredited DOT tour guides.

If you%26#39;re going to have a countryside (land tour) only, then you can get a van or car for hire whose driver will serve as your tour guide. If you are planning to have dolphin watching and island hopping tours and would want someone to arrange your hotel accomodations, tours and other transport needs (for short, a stress free vacation)... then you can get a tour coordinator who will arrange your trip. Surprisingly, tour coordinators don%26#39;t charge extra for their services...esp. if the tour coordinators personally own the vehicles for hire.

I got a tour coordinator who was recommended in one of the forums. After a few emails..we were able to finalize our 4D/3N trip to Bohol...tailored to what we want. If you want, you can call her (Lilette Gacera) at 09173042385 or email her at lpgacera@yahoo.com.

Hope I%26#39;m able to help you. I was in the same predicament days ago as I was trying to arrange our trip to Bohol for 3rd week of April.

Hi Lyha9,

Holy week is considered as peak season but only start on April 9th, 10th. There are no packages being offered if you will try to inquire in most of the hotels/resorts. There are travel agencies that will make a package. You better look for room availability first and then for the Tour packages, you can arrange with that upon arrival.

You can reach my number 0920-746-8755 if you need more advise. I am in Panglao this time.Hope to see you around.

safetyme.

I am travelling 5th and 6th April. There is only 2 of us, so we prefer to use a group tour. Are there any group tours/coach tours that we could take for the countryside trip and also the Balicasag Island day trip.

Would transfers be hard to arrange during the Holy Week?

Probably,Transfer is very difficult to look for especially if you will only arrange that upon arrival. There are what we so -called ';colorum'; drivers who will approach you at the entrance of the seaport/airport but LTO and DOT are very strict to these drivers so far this days so I am not sure you can easily find them upon arrival.But for sure, you can ask the hotel/resort where you stay this coming holy week.Then, You can negotiate the price with them.

Mostly, Tours are exclusive. So, It is not that easy to look for other people.I may suggest you to take a van for the whole family with negotiated price from the driver.You will take care of your own time without any hurry.

I hope you wil enjoy your vacation.Keep me posted.