HomeAsiaPhilippinesVisayasBoholDIY Panglao Itinerary – Dumaluan, Alona, Hinagdanan, Bohol Solo Tips By Marcos Detourist on December 15, 2010Tourists in Bohol typically have only two options when choosing where to spend the night. They can either sleep in one of the beach resorts in Panglao Island or rent a room in Tagbilaran City’s many hotels and pension houses. I decided to stay in Tagbilaran City since it’s cheaper and more convenient for my itinerary and just do a day tour of Panglao Island. It took a while to fish out tips online about public transportation in Bohol but I found out later on that exploring the island by commute is very doable. I recommend it to anyone who’s planning to go to Bohol and wants to save on travel costs.Starfish on the white sand coast of Dumaluan Beach in Panglao IslandI only spent half a day for my tour of Panglao Island by commute and was able to visit most of the islands’ major attractions. The afternoon was all the time I had since I went to the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella town in the morning. If you’re planning on spending a generous time on the beach I suggest spending the whole day on a tour of Panglao.My first destination in Panglao Island was Dumaluan Beach. To get there from Tagbilaran, I rode a Tawala bound jeep with a sign “Tagbilaran-Dauis-Panglao” at the Dao Integrated Terminal beside Island City Mall. It was around 11:40am when I went there. Be sure to ask the driver if the jeepney goes to Tawala and inform him to drop you off at the intersection going to Dumaluan (P25 jeepney fare, 30 minutes travel time). There were a few single motorcycle drivers or “habal-habal” parked at the intersection but I decided to walk the whole way to the beach, it took around 15 minutes.Intersection going to Dumaluan BeachCheck room rates on places to stay in Panglao, Bohol. Enter your travel details on the searchbox below:Dumaluan BeachEntrance to Dumaluan Beach ResortI didn’t find any open pathways to the beach from the main road so I had to pay a P25 entrance fee at Dumaluan Beach Resort just to pass through. It was a Sunday and the beach was a bit crowded. I have always thought highly about Panglao Island and imagined the beaches to be spectacular but it was just “OKAY” when I first set my eyes on it. Maybe it was because I expected too much or it was the weekend crowd that set me off, I’m not really sure. Not satisfied and wanting to see more, I followed the coast westwards and ended up at the beachfront property of the high-end “Bohol Beach Club.”Bohol Beach ClubI seemed to have crossed a barrier going into Bohol Beach Club Resort, because, on this side, the beach looks stellar! The sand was admirably white and fine, the beachfront was spacious, the waters were clear and inviting, and best of all, there weren’t many people around. It was good to finally see the Panglao Island I’ve always imagined.Alona BeachI went back to the entrance of Dumaluan Beach Resort and found a habal-habal driver parked outside. He took me to my second destination, Alona Beach, for P30. Both beaches were around 15 to 20 minutes from each other. Honestly, I was very disappointed with Alona Beach. The beachfront was very ordinary looking. I was baffled as to why it’s the most popular beach in Panglao and why it gets a lot of rave reviews online. Dumaluan was far more beautiful and Alona is overrated in my opinion. It’s perfectly okay to stay in Alona Beach but I hope tourists in Panglao don’t just get to see Alona only … they should also take the time to visit Dumaluan Beach.Check room rates on places to stay in Alona Beach. Enter your travel details:Panglao Church and WatchtowerFrom Alona Beach, it was another P30 habal-habal ride to Panglao Church in Panglao Town Centro. I was pleasantly surprised with Churches in Bohol, they’re quite huge and have interesting architectures. The Panglao Church is no exception, I really like the detailed ceiling paintings the most (probably because Iloilo Churches typically do not have those). The old stone watchtower at the side of the church was really interesting also. I liked how the old stones, clay roof tiles, and green outgrowth contrast with the blue sky in the photos I took.Hinagdangan CaveAfter taking photos of Panglao Church and Watchtower, I had to take a habal-habal ride (P25 fare) to the market terminal. There are two jeepney routes you can ride here. The first one passes by the central highway and goes directly to Tagbilaran City and the other passes by the coastal highway on the way back to Tagbilaran. It was already 3:40PM and no sign of the “coastal highway” jeep. I knew it was getting too late so I decided to hire a habal-habal driver to take me to Hinagdangan Cave (P50). He charged me P50 for the ride all the way to the entrance booth. I paid the P25 entrance fee and went inside the cave. It was very stuffy inside! Would’ve been nice to cool off in the cave’s refreshing underground pool. As to the cave itself as an attraction, It’s something you could do while in Panglao but it’s not that remarkable.Too bad I was running out of time … I wanted to visit Panglao Island Beach Resort, which was just along the way, and Dauis Church … maybe next time. At 4:45PM, I went out of Hinagdangan Cave. I had to walk to the highway intersection to ride a jeep/multicab back to Tagbilaran City. I dropped off at the Tagbilaran Cathedral (P7 fare) and went around the city before calling it a day.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!3 Days Bohol & Panglao Itinerary - DIY Solo Tips & GuideBohol Backpacking Tour via CebuCebu to Tubigon, Bohol via Starcraft Ferry5 Days Bohol Island Itinerary — Chocolate Hills, Can-Umantad…Bohol Tarsier Sanctuary: My Search for Tarsiers in BoholCebu, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz - DIY Travel Tips &…Comments Leo saysDecember 15, 2010 at 3:32 pmnice info marcos….. really got interested to go to Bohol very soon…. chymera00 saysDecember 19, 2010 at 11:25 pmThanks Leo marky saysDecember 15, 2010 at 4:14 pmthe ceiling of the church in Panglao is spectacular. The sand near Bohol beach club is blinding white especially during when the sun is at its highest. chymera00 saysDecember 19, 2010 at 11:25 pmI agree. The Panglao Church and Dumaluan Beach were the main highlight of my trip. czei saysDecember 15, 2010 at 9:41 pmvery very informative….nice pixs as well, na-feel ko tuloy ,I wanna go there next summer…..I must…..I must….. chymera00 saysDecember 19, 2010 at 11:26 pmThanks czei. Go na! fetus saysDecember 17, 2010 at 6:16 ami could have toured you in our place! :) chymera00 saysDecember 19, 2010 at 11:27 pmAhh… You’re from Bohol pala. Maybe next time ;) block_box saysJanuary 16, 2011 at 10:53 amHi, may I ask what slr did u use? Ganda ng shots! chymera00 saysFebruary 11, 2011 at 11:47 amD5000 with Sigma 18-250mm cheap flights philippines saysJanuary 20, 2011 at 3:02 pmthat was really on a budget. noted on alona beach… will not get hyped with all the overrated reviews. the other beach sounds better :) tj saysJune 5, 2011 at 12:23 amhindi ka ba sinita when you entered the beachfront of bohol beach club?balak ko rin kasi gawin yun,magstay lang somewhere sa alona then maglakadlakad sa bohol beach club kung pwede. chymera00 saysJune 23, 2011 at 4:27 pmyou can freely walk along the beachfront area, the beach is public propery naman … wag lang pasok sa resort mismo Panglao Beach saysJune 30, 2011 at 7:18 pmMy vacation to Panglao is one of the best vacation I had. We stayed at Dumaluan and had a 2 day land tour and 1 day sea tour, its the best! WOuld like to come back there again.. jam saysJuly 21, 2011 at 12:54 pmsir baka meron kayong pedeng irecommend na budget accomadation sa tagbilaran city? good for solo traveler.tnx. Marcos saysJuly 23, 2011 at 6:47 pmI stayed at Winward Pension House in Tagbilaran City. The rate was P200 for a single non-aircon room. Not the cleanest P200 room I ever stayed in pero mura siya compared to the other places I checked. Cha saysSeptember 9, 2012 at 10:49 pmHi sir .. Malapit lang po ba yung winward pension house sa tagbilaran airport? Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:35 pmNasa city center in Tagbilaran ang Winward. It should be around 15-minutes away from the airport. kim saysAugust 12, 2011 at 5:07 pmHi! Would you happen to know the cost of habal-habal ride in Panglao? We’re planning to go to Dauis church, Hinagdanan Cave and Bohol Bee Farm riding the vehicle but have no idea how much that ride cost. I hope you can help. Thanks. dexter saysOctober 9, 2011 at 10:17 amHello, Ask ko lang kung saan ka kumain during your stay in bohol? Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 8:07 amhehe … either carinderias or fast food chains. lakwatchera saysOctober 29, 2011 at 12:05 amhello I love reading your blog.its really helpful special to us who were budget conscious..I just wanna know where you stay in tagbilaran and how much per night? did you take also tubigon route going back to cebu?how much does it cost for a roundtrip fare cebu-tubigon-cebu..thanks..looking forward for your reply.. Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:27 pmHey lakwatchera… posted my Bohol Itinerary here: https://www.ambot-ah.com/bohol-itinerary-panglao/ Paula saysMarch 20, 2012 at 2:57 pmGreat blog very helpful thank you! rutz saysMay 27, 2012 at 2:39 pmhi there!! how many minutes if ul be heading to dumaluan resort from tubigon?.. tnx.. MJ saysJune 25, 2012 at 12:00 amSo far this is the only blog I read that’s very helpful for DIY travelers, thanks. Btw, by habal-habal, are these the motorcycles that carry about 4 passengers? I’m heading to Bohol soon and am traveling alone (am female). I am okay with riding motorcycles but it would be awkward if there were 3 guys behind me, lols. Marcos saysJuly 6, 2012 at 7:58 pmIt’s just as awkward with guys as well :p I didn’t share the habal-habal with other passengers when I was in Panglao. Ycor saysAugust 3, 2012 at 2:59 pmSir how to get to Tubigon from Panglao? Can you recommend the cheapest place to stay in Panglao?Thanks! Marcos saysAugust 19, 2012 at 7:45 pmeasy: Tubigon -> Tagbilaran -> Panglao. For a list of places to stay in Bohol, you can check here. Mailo saysAugust 11, 2012 at 12:46 pmHi there! We are off to Bohol this October but I haven’t finished my itinerary yet. Your blog is very helpful, thanks for that! :) Btw, is there any other means of transportation aside from habal-habal? I’ll be with my mom and I don’t think she can ride that vehicle. Also, you mentioned that your option from the intersection of Dumaluan is to either ride a habal-habal or walk for 15minutes. Don’t they have tricycles there that can bring us directly to Dumaluan? I’m on a tight budget but my mom can no longer walk that far. It will be greatly appreciated! :) Marcos saysAugust 19, 2012 at 8:17 pmI found the tricycles mostly around Panglao town proper (poblacion), particularly in the Public Market or around the Plaza. You could go there by jeep first, and then hire the tricycle for a day tour of Panglao. steph saysAugust 26, 2012 at 12:35 amHi, well it look like you are not a easy person to please? all i read there seam like you desapointed about everything in panglao and bohol..i read so many other forum and blog about this place and you the first one that seam so desapointed why?? what other place you seen in philippines? and what you thought about boracay then OR palawan? thanks Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:01 pmFirst off, I was disappointed on all places I visited in Panglao and Bohol. I enjoyed Bohol’s grand old churches and the tarsier sanctuary the most.Generally, I consider myself easy to please. I did find Alona Beach, in itself, naturally beautiful. In this post, I mentioned that I found it to be “very ordinary looking.” This is what happens when a place (our country, the Philippines) has so many beautiful beaches and island destinations. Beautiful can become ordinary. It might seem negative but that was not what I intended. I just wanted to share my perspective that I enjoyed Dumaluan more than Alona during my visit.I’ve been to many other beaches in the Philippines including Boracay and parts of Palawan. They are beautiful places as well. If I were to delve deeper, dissect my experiences and give my perspective on certain aspects of those places, that’s gonna need a longer reply :D Jay saysSeptember 5, 2012 at 12:10 amI agree that Dumaluan is better than Alona but Alona is spectacular at high tide on a flat day.. like most beaches on the island. Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:28 pmYeah, it also depends on the weather. That’s why, sometimes, I like to re-visit places so I see them in a different light. Shaun saysNovember 9, 2012 at 7:02 pmI’ll be traveling alone this 21-24Nov. Actually it’s a MNL-CEBU flight I have but I would try to include Bohol in my itinerary (hitting 2 birds with one stone). Thanks for the info and hope I’ll conquer my fear by traveling alone the first time. :) Rod saysJanuary 6, 2013 at 4:43 pmNice info about your travel adventure in Bohol. I’ve been in Dumaluan and it is a very nice beach to spend with. :) More updates! Thanks. Marcos saysJanuary 8, 2013 at 11:57 amThanks Rod. You can view my recent posts at the homepage. Ash saysFebruary 17, 2013 at 2:30 amLove the shots!! Seeing them makes me want to go to Bohol this summer but nahhh, if only I can afford after Boracay trip. Hahaha! But hopefully this year with my family. *crossed fingers* Rio saysMarch 16, 2013 at 11:48 amnice shots bro, where did you stay? we’re planning to stay in bbclub but sad to say, the rates suck! too expensive. Joice saysMarch 20, 2014 at 2:18 pmHey this is very helpful! Now I have an idea what to do on my second day in Bohol. Haha! Thanks! Would love to try commuting as well!xx Joice joicecarrido.com gmgmggm saysJuly 8, 2014 at 1:32 pmThank you Hi Marcos. I love your DIY tips. Your photos are awesome too! Thanks much! gara saysJuly 16, 2016 at 6:52 pmHi i would like to ask where is the exactocation in oanglao where we can ride a jeepney or bus going to tagbilaran?thanks Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Leo saysDecember 15, 2010 at 3:32 pmnice info marcos….. really got interested to go to Bohol very soon….
marky saysDecember 15, 2010 at 4:14 pmthe ceiling of the church in Panglao is spectacular. The sand near Bohol beach club is blinding white especially during when the sun is at its highest.
chymera00 saysDecember 19, 2010 at 11:25 pmI agree. The Panglao Church and Dumaluan Beach were the main highlight of my trip.
czei saysDecember 15, 2010 at 9:41 pmvery very informative….nice pixs as well, na-feel ko tuloy ,I wanna go there next summer…..I must…..I must…..
cheap flights philippines saysJanuary 20, 2011 at 3:02 pmthat was really on a budget. noted on alona beach… will not get hyped with all the overrated reviews. the other beach sounds better :)
tj saysJune 5, 2011 at 12:23 amhindi ka ba sinita when you entered the beachfront of bohol beach club?balak ko rin kasi gawin yun,magstay lang somewhere sa alona then maglakadlakad sa bohol beach club kung pwede.
chymera00 saysJune 23, 2011 at 4:27 pmyou can freely walk along the beachfront area, the beach is public propery naman … wag lang pasok sa resort mismo
Panglao Beach saysJune 30, 2011 at 7:18 pmMy vacation to Panglao is one of the best vacation I had. We stayed at Dumaluan and had a 2 day land tour and 1 day sea tour, its the best! WOuld like to come back there again..
jam saysJuly 21, 2011 at 12:54 pmsir baka meron kayong pedeng irecommend na budget accomadation sa tagbilaran city? good for solo traveler.tnx.
Marcos saysJuly 23, 2011 at 6:47 pmI stayed at Winward Pension House in Tagbilaran City. The rate was P200 for a single non-aircon room. Not the cleanest P200 room I ever stayed in pero mura siya compared to the other places I checked.
Cha saysSeptember 9, 2012 at 10:49 pmHi sir .. Malapit lang po ba yung winward pension house sa tagbilaran airport?
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:35 pmNasa city center in Tagbilaran ang Winward. It should be around 15-minutes away from the airport.
kim saysAugust 12, 2011 at 5:07 pmHi! Would you happen to know the cost of habal-habal ride in Panglao? We’re planning to go to Dauis church, Hinagdanan Cave and Bohol Bee Farm riding the vehicle but have no idea how much that ride cost. I hope you can help. Thanks.
dexter saysOctober 9, 2011 at 10:17 amHello, Ask ko lang kung saan ka kumain during your stay in bohol?
lakwatchera saysOctober 29, 2011 at 12:05 amhello I love reading your blog.its really helpful special to us who were budget conscious..I just wanna know where you stay in tagbilaran and how much per night? did you take also tubigon route going back to cebu?how much does it cost for a roundtrip fare cebu-tubigon-cebu..thanks..looking forward for your reply..
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2011 at 6:27 pmHey lakwatchera… posted my Bohol Itinerary here: https://www.ambot-ah.com/bohol-itinerary-panglao/
rutz saysMay 27, 2012 at 2:39 pmhi there!! how many minutes if ul be heading to dumaluan resort from tubigon?.. tnx..
MJ saysJune 25, 2012 at 12:00 amSo far this is the only blog I read that’s very helpful for DIY travelers, thanks. Btw, by habal-habal, are these the motorcycles that carry about 4 passengers? I’m heading to Bohol soon and am traveling alone (am female). I am okay with riding motorcycles but it would be awkward if there were 3 guys behind me, lols.
Marcos saysJuly 6, 2012 at 7:58 pmIt’s just as awkward with guys as well :p I didn’t share the habal-habal with other passengers when I was in Panglao.
Ycor saysAugust 3, 2012 at 2:59 pmSir how to get to Tubigon from Panglao? Can you recommend the cheapest place to stay in Panglao?Thanks!
Marcos saysAugust 19, 2012 at 7:45 pmeasy: Tubigon -> Tagbilaran -> Panglao. For a list of places to stay in Bohol, you can check here.
Mailo saysAugust 11, 2012 at 12:46 pmHi there! We are off to Bohol this October but I haven’t finished my itinerary yet. Your blog is very helpful, thanks for that! :) Btw, is there any other means of transportation aside from habal-habal? I’ll be with my mom and I don’t think she can ride that vehicle. Also, you mentioned that your option from the intersection of Dumaluan is to either ride a habal-habal or walk for 15minutes. Don’t they have tricycles there that can bring us directly to Dumaluan? I’m on a tight budget but my mom can no longer walk that far. It will be greatly appreciated! :)
Marcos saysAugust 19, 2012 at 8:17 pmI found the tricycles mostly around Panglao town proper (poblacion), particularly in the Public Market or around the Plaza. You could go there by jeep first, and then hire the tricycle for a day tour of Panglao.
steph saysAugust 26, 2012 at 12:35 amHi, well it look like you are not a easy person to please? all i read there seam like you desapointed about everything in panglao and bohol..i read so many other forum and blog about this place and you the first one that seam so desapointed why?? what other place you seen in philippines? and what you thought about boracay then OR palawan? thanks
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:01 pmFirst off, I was disappointed on all places I visited in Panglao and Bohol. I enjoyed Bohol’s grand old churches and the tarsier sanctuary the most.Generally, I consider myself easy to please. I did find Alona Beach, in itself, naturally beautiful. In this post, I mentioned that I found it to be “very ordinary looking.” This is what happens when a place (our country, the Philippines) has so many beautiful beaches and island destinations. Beautiful can become ordinary. It might seem negative but that was not what I intended. I just wanted to share my perspective that I enjoyed Dumaluan more than Alona during my visit.I’ve been to many other beaches in the Philippines including Boracay and parts of Palawan. They are beautiful places as well. If I were to delve deeper, dissect my experiences and give my perspective on certain aspects of those places, that’s gonna need a longer reply :D
Jay saysSeptember 5, 2012 at 12:10 amI agree that Dumaluan is better than Alona but Alona is spectacular at high tide on a flat day.. like most beaches on the island.
Marcos saysNovember 11, 2012 at 6:28 pmYeah, it also depends on the weather. That’s why, sometimes, I like to re-visit places so I see them in a different light.
Shaun saysNovember 9, 2012 at 7:02 pmI’ll be traveling alone this 21-24Nov. Actually it’s a MNL-CEBU flight I have but I would try to include Bohol in my itinerary (hitting 2 birds with one stone). Thanks for the info and hope I’ll conquer my fear by traveling alone the first time. :)
Rod saysJanuary 6, 2013 at 4:43 pmNice info about your travel adventure in Bohol. I’ve been in Dumaluan and it is a very nice beach to spend with. :) More updates! Thanks.
Ash saysFebruary 17, 2013 at 2:30 amLove the shots!! Seeing them makes me want to go to Bohol this summer but nahhh, if only I can afford after Boracay trip. Hahaha! But hopefully this year with my family. *crossed fingers*
Rio saysMarch 16, 2013 at 11:48 amnice shots bro, where did you stay? we’re planning to stay in bbclub but sad to say, the rates suck! too expensive.
Joice saysMarch 20, 2014 at 2:18 pmHey this is very helpful! Now I have an idea what to do on my second day in Bohol. Haha! Thanks! Would love to try commuting as well!xx Joice joicecarrido.com
gmgmggm saysJuly 8, 2014 at 1:32 pmThank you Hi Marcos. I love your DIY tips. Your photos are awesome too! Thanks much!
gara saysJuly 16, 2016 at 6:52 pmHi i would like to ask where is the exactocation in oanglao where we can ride a jeepney or bus going to tagbilaran?thanks