With only one quick ferry a day which starts early in the morning, I left with Nick, Sira, and Hana Siquijor to head further to the Island Bohol with its capital Tagbilaran. After we arrived there 3-4 hours later we directly met the twins again on Panglao, an island belonging to Bohol. Connor and Daniel already made their way two days earlier to the island. We got lunch at Cactus Cantina an American lead Mexican place on the street - which will later be a constant go-to place for us, because of its very affordable prices for good taste as well as - I don't wanna lie - margaritas and rum coke. The next place to visit was the well-known Alona Beach which with its beach restaurants and bars is a quite touristy but still nice beach to chill and jump into the clear blue ocean. After using the happy hours there extensively and further the one at my hostel after dinner at cactus cantine, we met some more friends in Alona for the evening.
In Panglao, I was staying in the newly opened Mad Monkey Hostel, which offers a clean pool, beds with curtains, sockets, lights and lockers, and clean bathrooms. The latter might most likely change as soon as the hostel is open for longer than one month. In addition, they have activities every evening as well as always a beer pong table, and 6 days a week a live DJ is mixing the music of the night. The dorms are around 8€/P450 a night, but you might not want to spend your money at the bar there, because it's very expensive.
After a long night, the next day started with a goodbye lunch for the Canadian twins and a longer walk for me around town for a tour operator for the next day. In the town I bumped into Rene and Bo again which just arrived and we went to the beach together to enjoy the sun after our more rainy time in Siquijor. Before I met them later at my hostel for drinks, I met for a later snack at a typical Filipino BBQ which they offer all around the country in small street kitchens. A tiny BBQ is used to grill the meat of the customer's choice which is usually next to it on a table in different plastic boxes. Everything is prepared on a stick - chicken pieces, pork chops, chicken wings or feet as well as intestine, but also always some type of hot dog.
In the evening we went to The Reef bar which is also American-run and offers amazing Chicken Wings, which were recommended to me by Mike, the owner of the cactus canteen from South Carolina.
The next day started early at 6 am with a trip to snorkel with the biggest fish on this planet - the whale shark. In the Visayas (the area around Cebu Island) there are two major spots to do that. The most well-known is Oslob, where it's rather cheap to do that for around P600/10€, but many people criticize the way the animals are treated there. In Lila/Bohol this is also possible for around 25€ (w/o transportation), which is where I went and was hoping for some better conditions. At least there were 'only' 4 boots at a time at the spot where the sharks appeared to be.
The experience itself was breathtaking. These animals with up to 18 meters in length and on average around 8 meters, float around you, eating their plankton and it feels like they're the calmest animals on earth, but still, surpass you with 5 times your size and a multiple of your weight. For me a 100% must-do experience, if you can handle the ethical matters.
After this incredible experience of snorkeling with the world's biggest fish, we went around noon for a quick lunch (rice and beef for 1€/P60) and afterwards to see one of the smallest primates in the world - the Tarsier. There are two spots on Bohol to see them. We went to the sanctuary. There you will be guided for P150 to some spots in their sanctuary where you can see them and ask questions. The Tarsier - often referred to as the world's smallest monkey, even though it is officially no monkey, but a primate - is a weird but cute animal. The animal, with its enormous eyes and its ability to turn its head 180 degrees around like an owl, is nocturnal, venomous and makes suicide by not eating anymore, if too stressed. Unfortunately, they are in danger.
Thereafter, we went one more hour on the scooter, passing rice terraces and people celebrating the Sinulog festival, to finally reach Chocolate Hills. After climbing up to the viewpoint you'll be able to see a part of the more than 1000 symmetrical shaped hills, which are covered only in grass, which turns brown in summer times - which could be interpreted as chocolate then.
After nearly 2 hours drive back to town and a shower, most of the restaurants were closed already. The place, Nick and Sira were staying still offered me one dish: Currywurst. Something I don't want to see or eat outside of Germany.
The next day, Nick and I decided to use it as a beach day. In the morning we went with two german girls from my hostel to Overgrown Café. The small and hip place, which is led by a young german couple offers bowls, pastries such as brownies and muffins, as well as a variety of coffees.
Next stop for us two guys was South Palm Resort, which opens its beach for public usage and you can just walk in. This might have been the most beautiful beach that I have seen in a long time. Wide, white, and 100% clean sand beach, with plenty of palm trees for some shadow and clear blue water. Definitely a perfect stop for a chill day.
After I returned my scooter and had a quick lunch we enjoyed the evening at Alona Beach and had dinner at the Cactus Canteen with five others. Later I headed with some other hostel guests to the local Irish Pub and said goodbye to the island with a karaoke performance of Frozen on the stage in the town center. Was worth listening to, but only because I got carried by my duet partner Moraigne, one of the hosts in the hostel. She is definitely a semi-professional singer and we ended the day with a drink in front of Alona Lounge.
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