Getting to Bohol, Philippines

IJsselstein, Friday, 18 May 2001 (updated: Wednesday, 1 June 2011)

Domestic Flight Schedules | Fast Ferry Schedules | Regular Ferry Schedules

Bohol is located in the central Philippines, and can be conveniently reached by air and boat.

Coming from abroad, you have two options: you can fly to Manila or Cebu. Cebu is the most convenient, but only a limited number of international flights will arrive there. Coming from Europe, you'll need to have a stop-over in either Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong, however, it will save you the hassle of going through Manila (including a transfer from NAIA to the domestic airport, and dealing with stricter luggage-weight restrictions on domestic flights).

Among others, the following airlines fly international routes to Cebu: Silk Air, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.

Airplane

If you come via Manila, you'll probably want to take a connecting flight to Tagbilaran, which takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is also possible to take a boat to Bohol, but will take 25 hours, and is only advisable if you have plenty of time at hand and enjoy a trip on sea, or have to travel on a rock-bottom budget or with a lot of luggage. Currently, there are numerous daily flights from Manila to Tagbilaran.

If you fail to catch a direct flight, you can also fly from Manila to Cebu, and then continue by boat. The flying time is about 50 minutes. The transfer by taxi from the airport to the pier takes about 30 minutes in normal traffic conditions, and should cost 165 pesos (2007). The following airlines fly from Manila to Cebu: PAL, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Astro Air, and Grand Air.

It is always worthwhile to look for a promotional fare if you fly. You can save a considerable amount of money by asking around a little.

Ferry

If you come via Cebu, you can take the one and a half hour trip with a fast boat to Tagbilaran. The regular boat to Tagbilaran will take about four hours. It is also possible to take a boat to Tubigon and Talibon, and a number of other towns on Bohol, which may be more convenient if you want to be on the west or north coast of the island.

The most economical way to get from Cebu to Tagbilaran by boat is to catch a ferry to Tubigon, and continue by bus or V-hire from Tubigon to Tagbilaran. This is sometimes both faster and cheaper than taking a boat directly to Tagbilaran.

Note that security regulations on domestic flights in the Philippines no longer allow bringing liquids (such as perfumes and bottles of wine) as carry-on items into the cabin. Even if you had those liquids sealed by duty-free shops on the airport of origin, you may be forced to throw them away if you are not able to place them in your checked-in luggage.

See Domestic Flight Schedules, Fast Ferry Schedules, and Regular Ferry Schedules.

Jeroen Hellingman

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