Bohol was one of the places in the Philippines I’ve always wanted to visit, but never got around to, primarily because of budget reasons. It’s not one of the cheaper places to visit, you see. So when we found ourselves in Cebu May of last year and discovered we had a couple of days free, we decided to sail to Bohol and check out what we could in the limited time we have. This was pre-Bohol earthquake and pre-Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), by the way.
There were a number of ferry companies plying the Cebu-Tagbilaran route, but the earlier trips were sold out (and there were, like, more than 10 of us in our group). Tip: try booking DAYS in advance, not the day before.
We boarded the 9:20am Oceanjet ferry from Cebu and arrived at 11:20am at the Port Tagbilaran. (Tagbilaran is the capital of Bohol). We were met by our guide for the trip, Cris, who was referred to us by colleagues who availed of his services when they visited Bohol previously.
Since it was almost lunchtime, our first stop was the Loboc Tourism Complex, where floating restaurants and motorized boats are located to give you the Loboc River Cruise experience, which is the town’s other claim to fame, aside from the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir. The Complex is situated right at the Loboc River.
Upon arrival, there is a row of tents/kiosks where tourists can reserve or book slots at a floating restaurant. We were already hungry at the time, so we picked the one with a shorter queue, the Long River Cruise Floating Resto. One person pays Php450 each, and they’re given a postcard as a ticket.
Once we were on the list, we proceeded to the resto’s designated waiting area, where we’ll wait for the barge that we’ll be taking. This is one of the barges belonging to another restaurant. The building right across the water is the Museo De Loboc (Museum of Loboc). Looking at photos of it online, I regret not having visited it. Time constraints, you see. And there was an unconscious decision that this Bohol trip will be purely tourist-y, instead of cultural. Bad, I know.
While waiting, we were entertained and “serenaded” by a group of elderly men playing traditional instruments. They were surprisingly delightful. And tolerant as we fooled around taking photos with them.
Then came our turn.
The barge had a long buffet table smack in the middle, where the spread will be laid out. Tables are placed around it, so guests can enjoy the view while eating. There is also live entertainment, which is mainly a guy with a guitar and a mic stand, and a repertoire of easy listening ballads.
Let’s talk about the food. It’s no gourmet meal, I tell you that, so if you’re expecting something fancy, you’ll be disappointed. It’s a mishmash of Filipino dishes, and it has meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables, so you get all the food groups. Even the dessert are Filipino delicacies.
For the Php450 price, though, you may think it’s a bit much, considering the menu. But then again, the entire amount does not go to the food. It’s also for the view.
Basically, the meal starts from the time you board the barge, then it will float down the River, then turn around once it reaches the end. It will end once you get back to your destination. My (often inaccurate) estimation clocks the whole cruise at 45 minutes to an hour.
So let’s settle back and enjoy the view, shall we?
There were floating “stations” we passed by along the way, where there were groups of dancers who are performing. Barges make an obligatory stop to watch the performances. Others see these as tourist traps, because they ask for donations. Some, especially those who are interested in native dances, will find them interesting. They also sell handmade crafts.
Now the question would be: is it worth it?
Personally, yes. The price was a bit steep, but it was all right, I guess. They could have done better with the food, but I supposed that boils down to the choice of floating restaurant that you booked. The view was not as spectacular as I expected, but it was beautiful nonetheless, and it was very relaxing. I found myself nodding off a couple of times during the cruise. I blame it to my full stomach, a long boat ride crossing the channel between Cebu and Bohol, and the serene atmosphere of the Loboc River.
