Jan 18, 2018

Mountain Bike Rides from Tagbilaran to Loboc

Location: Diversion Road from Tagbilaran to Loboc (municipality), Bohol (province), Philippines

Tagbilaran Bike Rides
When not doing yoga or rope skipping, I default to my epic 28km one-way ride from Tagbilaran for my cardio workout. I load up my bike on the Fox crew cab one way with my bike when they make a trip to the city and I bike it going back. Ideally, I should be leaving Tagbilaran at 4pm to arrive Loboc before it gets dark - but it never happened that way.

Night Riding
One time, I had to finish a movie and had to leave past 5pm. I was only halfway through in Corella when it got dark. The insects began to show up and kept hitting my eyes - I had no goggles. Without a strong light, I only see 10 feet ahead of me. At high speed, I would collide with an object before I even see it.

Ambulance Chaser
At another point, I followed an ambulance so I could benefit from its headlights. It was exhausting because I had to go as fast as the ambulance or I lose it - even on the hill climbs! By going fast, the insects hit my eyes harder...I had to squint the entire time.

finding shelter in Cancatac while the rain poured

Rain
Another ride, I got caught again in the dark. If that wasn't bad enough, it also rained. Riding at night with low light in the rain? I had to take shelter and flagged down jeeps to load my bike up but no takers. I had to ride in the rain. When I got fast on a downhill, my tires would kick road water to my eyes. I got cold and put my backpack in front to be my windbreaker.

waiting for a jeep to load my bike on a rain ride at night...no takers

Ending Thoughts
It all felt reckless, but at the end of it, I feel validation that I can still do crazy things (may asim pa rin...in my local parlance). I just call it my tapas (self-inflicted suffering, austerity and misery to fortify mental resolve).

--- TheLoneRider
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

Next stop: In-House Yoga Teacher at the Fox and Firefly Cottages

Loboc Map

Loboc, Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

Cruz Daku - 80-foot white cross erected in 1986 on top of Loboc's highest mountain
Virgen de Guadalupe - giant statue of the Black Madonna perched on a Loboc summit
River Cruise - river cruise on a floating restaurant serving lunch with cultural presentation
Busay Falls - accessible only through the river cruise
Loktob Spring - cold water spring, free admission, huts for rent
Zipline and Cable Car Ride - at the Eco-Tourism Adventure Park

hotel

Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Lyn's Backpackers Inn - family-run guesthouse in the heart of Loboc

Bohol Travel Info/Tips

Bohol FYI / Tips

the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located within the Alona Beach area
the tourist attractions in Bohol are far apart and spread-out. It would be difficult to visit them all using public mass transit. Better hire a van (P3500/day) if in a big group, or rent a motorcycle (P400/day + gas)
Bohol relies on its tourism for revenue. As expected, everything they can capitalize on from tourism is extensively used and developed

Tagbilaran Port to Panglao

You can charter any tricycle from the port all the way to Panglao (~P300), but if you want to do it on the cheap,

don't take the tricycles lined-up inside the port. Walk past the port gate and immediately outside, you'll see many tricycles. Take one to the bus terminal in Dao (~P15)
in Dao, take the jeep that plies the Panglao route (~P20)

Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu City by boat

** schedules and rates keep changing, call for latest schedule

Weesam Express - departs 6:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - departs 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-11:40AM, 1-2-3:30-4:20-5:30-6:30PM, 2 hours, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63(32)255 7560 / +63 (32) 255 0115 / 0917 638 0000
SuperCat (2GO) - departs 5:50-11AM, 3:45-5:25-8:15PM, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000

Things to do, Places to go in Bohol

Chocolate Hills - this is a clustering of more than 1200 hills within a 50km² area. They range in height from 30-50 meters. What's unusual is their near-perfect conical shape resembling an individual chocolate chip. No one knows how they were formed. Entrance is P50/pax.
Tarsier Conservation Area - located Upper Bonbon, Loboc. The tarsiers are no longer being played at by tourists as circus props, but instead, visitors now view them in cordoned-off areas in their natural 6ha habitat. As they are territorial and nocturnal, they are predictable on where they can be viewed. P50/pax.
Alona Beach (Panglao) - Alona Beach is the tourist hub of Bohol. It has 1.5 kms of white sand beach lined-up by bars, hotels and restos. Alona is also the jump-off point for Balicasag Island, a world class dive destination.
Danao Adventure Park - located in Barangay Magtangtang, 72 kms (2 hours ride) from Tagbilaran. Adventure activities include river trekking, tyrolean traverse, rappelling, bouldering, rock climbing and ziplining.