Imagine a small island with white sandy beaches, warm turquoise water, fringed by lazy coconut palms swaying in the light tropical breeze. That pretty much sums up Panglao Island, an idyllic beach resort islands in the Philippines. Before you visit Panglao Bohol check out this Quick Travel Guide to Panglao Island.
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What to Do in Panglao Island
This is the place to go if you just want to chill out by a beautiful white sandy beach. Beaches in Panglao are world class… the best of the best.
Maybe you want to do some world class SCUBA diving in an amazingly accessible location. For SCUBA diving Panglao Island is amongst the best in the world.
Maybe you just want to chill out in your infinite pool at a classy Panglao Beach Resort. No Problem! Panglao Island ticks all the boxes. And here are some of our best things to do at Panglao Island.
Alona Beach: This is the most popular of all beaches in Panglao Island, and where most tourists end up at some stage. Alona Beach is a long white sandy beach, lined with cafes, resorts and SCUBA dive shops. And it’s a great place to take the kids for a safe swim.
SCUBA Diving: Balicasag Island is just a few minutes boat ride from Alona Beach. Balicasag is the best SCUBA diving Panglao Island has to offer. It is a marine sanctuary and full of huge turtles and diverse marine life. It is also quite shallow, with most dives around the 18m mark.
There are many other great dive sites all around Panglao Island, making it a SCUBA diving hotspot. There is also a great house reef, where you can do wall diving directly off Alona Beach.
Snorkelling Trip: You don’t need to be a SCUBA dive to enjoy the marine life at Panglao Island, the are countless opportunities to go snorkelling as well. Just ask you Panglao Island Resort to find you a boat, it’s very easy.
Alternatively just head to Alona beach, and ask any of the dozens of dive resorts what’s available. You will be able to book a boat, or get one virtually straight away if you want.
Hinagdanan Cave: Bohol and Panglao Island is full of caves, and Hinagdanan Cave on Panglao is open to the public. There is a large pool of water inside these caves where you are invited to have a swim. Amongst all the creepy crawlies also having a swim. It’s an easy spot to get to on your Panglao Island tour, just 20 minutes drive from Alona Beach.
Day Trips from Panglao Island
Panglao Island is connected to the much larger island of Bohol by 2 bridges, so a Bohol tour is quite easy to do. It’s quite easy to find a quality Bohol tour package at any of the tour outlets dotted along Alona Beach.
Bohol is full of some world class tourist attractions. It is also building a reputation for thrilling adventure parks for the thrill seekers. These days, Bohol is one of the premier tourist destinations in the Philippines, especially since the International Airport opened in November 2018.
Chocolate Hills: The number 1 tourist attraction in the province of Bohol is the Chocolate Hills. When you ask a Filipino if they know about Bohol they will always say “ah yes, the Chocolate Hills”. Virtually every Bohol tour package will bring you here.
Think of hundreds of peculiar symmetrical mountains which turn brown in the dry season, resembling a giant box of chocolate. And a memorable day tour from Panglao Island.
Tarsier Conservatory: The smallest primate on the planet are native to Bohol. And you can see these curious creatures at the Tarsier Conservatory. Most day tours in Bohol will include some Tarsier visit on the itinerary.
Loboc River: About 1 hour drive from Alona Beach on Panglao Island is the Loboc River. This is the biggest river on the island of Bohol, and has lots of different river tour options available. One of the most interesting is firefly spotting at night.
Where to Stay in Panglao Island
Alona Beach is the number one attraction on Panglao Island, and the place where most people choose to stay. For first timers we recommend you stay as closer to Alona Beach as you can.
Cheap Accommodation
Lost Horizon Dive Resort is right in the heart of Alona Beach. For absolute beachfront hotels in Panglao Bohol, this is the best you will find.
You will be treated to a relaxing live music in the beach front restaurant, and SCUBA diving available right there at the resort.
Mid Range
Alona Vida Beach Resort is located at the epicentre of Alona Beach awesomeness, the best beach in Panglao. It is surrounded by laid back beach bars and restaurants, and is on the best section of Alona Beach for swimming. The highest concentrations of SCUBA dive providers is also found along this section of the beach.
Affordable Luxury
If you’re after the number 1 (affordable) Panglao beachfront resort, this is it. It is the Henann Resort Alona Beach, with its incredible white sand beach and unbeatable swimming pools. Henann occasionally offer some heavily discounted promotional offers. This hotel is Paradise with a capital P.
Find a Great Deal
We recommend you shop around for a great deal on the best resort in Panglao Island to suit your budget. This Booking.com deals finder is a great place to start.
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Your Southeast Asia Itinerary
If you’d like some more help planning your Southeast Asia holiday itinerary then check out this blog post, with several different itineraries to choose from.
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