The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands. In our research, we came across dozens of amazing islands that are “must-visit” places. We ended up choosing Panglao Island to spend a month. It is touted as Bohol’s best beach destination. The main deciding factor in choosing Panglao was Sierra Madre Dive Center. The dive center was open to creating a month-long dive program for Lucas, Henry, and their friend Jake including an opportunity to volunteer at the dive shop to learn about caring for scuba diving equipment and the logistics of running a dive shop.
In addition to diving, we rented a car for the month to explore Panglao and Bohol. We visited the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary. Tarsiers are fascinating creatures known for their large eyes and unique habitats. We learned about the importance of conservation efforts in preserving the tarsiers’ natural habitat and the delicate balance of biodiversity. We were able to see three of these elusive primates up close. They are tiny.
We also visited the Chocolate Hills and witnessed geology in action. Named for their chocolate-brown hue during the dry season, these cone-shaped hills offer a captivating sight to behold. We learned about the origins of these limestone formations, marveling at the forces of erosion and uplift that shaped the landscape over millions of years. We soaked up the panoramic vistas from the top of the viewing platform. Lucas, Henry, Michael, and Jake spotted ATV tours from the viewpoint, so we had to stop at one of the tour companies on the way out so they could go for a ride. They had a blast and came back exceptionally muddy. Henry was excited that he could drive an ATV.
On our way to Chocolate hills, we found a small illusion museum and had to check it out.
Michael is a racquet sport guy. Pickleball was not in the cards in Panglao, so he went out and found ping pong. He found a community center to play, and he met a woman who invited us to her home to play ping pong. Her sons and nephews play ping pong through school. Michael, Lucas, and Henry all had fun playing games with them.
We swam in Hinagdanan Cave. The cave is limestone, and the pool is fed by ground runoff. Many small birds live in the cave, but since sunlight enters the cave, it is not habitable for bats. The cave was discovered by a farmer who was clearing his land. He named it “the Laddered” cave because he built a ladder to enter the cave.
We found some beautiful waterfalls. Kawasan Falls is off the beaten path. There were only a few other people when we went. It appears that there used to be amenities at the waterfall. Several buildings are in disrepair near the falls. They may have been damaged in the typhoon that hit a few years ago. We swam in the falls and had lunch. We also visited Pangas Falls. These falls have a lifeguard and entrance fee. We arrived just as the falls were closing for the day, but they let us in. The lifeguard even showed Michael, Lucas, and Henry how to jump off the falls. Michael was terrified. It was good they let us in because the boys were covered in mud from the ATV ride they did earlier in the day. They had so much fun ATVing when we visited Chocolate Hills, that they went a second time. It was an even muddier experience than the first time. 
We also took a paddleboard tour along the Loboc River in search of fireflies. We started the journey at sunset. It was a clear night and dark on the river allowing us to see an extraordinarily starry sky. We even saw a shooting star. After about an hour we came upon a tree twinkling with thousands of fireflies. We laid on our paddleboards and let the currents gently bob us about under the fireflies and stars.
We also spent time at the beach. Panglao has beautiful white-sand beaches. Apart from Alona Beach, which we could walk to from our apartment, and Doljo Beach, which had some parking, it is not easy to access the beaches in Panglao. You can pay to go through resorts to gain access to beaches, but we had difficulty finding public parking lots, and we often found ourselves driving down dead ends. Water, water everywhere, but not easily accessible.
Our apartment in Panglao was close to Alona Beach but off the main road. It is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in a small 12-unit complex. It is a complex where expats live. It has a pool, but it was getting refurbished for most of our stay. Once it was open, we enjoyed using it. There was also other construction on the property during the day, which was annoying. The wifi was good, and it had air-conditioning in the bedrooms. Overall, we like our pick.
We have always found island living to be tough. In Panglao, the food choices were limited for my vegan diet. There were a handful of vegan restaurants, and we had a kitchen, so I cooked. The produce was not great. The grocery stores have rows and rows of canned meat and vegetables. Processed adn fried food are the main staple in Panglao and Bohol. Meat is the highlight of the menus in restaurants.
We look forward to returning to the Philippines someday and exploring other islands. We would not choose to return to Panglao, but we are thankful for our time here and Lucas and Henry’s opportunity to scuba dive.
