Bohol

On July 16, 2024, the Philippine government launched the “cruise visa waiver” to make entry easier and more seamless for visa-required foreigners vacationing on cruise ships. Eligible foreigners can apply through the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) e-services portal.

This tender port brings passengers to central Tagbilaran. The city is a starting point for Bohol province attractions including Chocolate Hills, Tarsier, white sandy beaches, dive spots, heritage sites and old stone churches.

Tarsiers lived in rainforests around the world for the past 45 million years, but now survive only on a few islands in the Philippines, Borneo and Indonesia. The Philippine Tarsier was once common in southern Bohol until the 1960’s. These mysterious primates, formerly protected by humid rainforest and mist-shrouded hills, now struggle as their habitat is cleared for crops and poaching.

Bohol’s best-known attraction is probably the Chocolate Hills, a remarkable geological formation resembling giant mole hills. At least 1,268 individual mounds spread across Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan. They are 30 to 50 metres high, green with grass in the wet season and brown in the dry season, when they resemble chocolate mounds.

Tagbilaran is compact enough to cover its city centre adequately on foot, although—as elsewhere in the Philippines—sidewalks are few and far between.

With more than 3,000 across the city, tricycles are Tagbilaran’s main public transport and can be hailed anywhere. They normally hold up to two people.

Tarsier Research and Development Center is open 9AM-4PM. The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta), one of the world’s smallest primates, is endemic to Bohol. A spacious net enclosure at the sanctuary holds several tarsiers for feeding, captive breeding and display, allowing visitors to observe them in their natural habitat.

There are plenty of shopping malls.

Bohol’s local currency is the Philippine peso.