Tubigon, Bohol Tour Itinerary via Cebu

The other (less crowded) Chocolate Hills

Backpacking | Tubigon City Tour
Bohol Towns of Tubigon, Sagbayan and Pangangan Island
Specs: Travel from Cebu to Tubigon, Sightseeing, old houses, old churches, beach, Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers.
Duration: 1 day

NOTES
Tubigon is known to backpackers as the backdoor to Bohol (as opposed to Tagbilaran). It’s closer to Cebu City, therefore easier to reach (and cheaper, too). Here is a quick day tour itinerary of Tubigon and neighboring towns – great for those who want to escape Cebu City for a day.

Getting there:
Via Cebu City Pier 3

From Cebu City, take a fast craft ferry boat to Tubigon, Bohol (MV Starcraft/Lite Ferries). Travel time is 1
hour.

Ticketing booths are located outside Pier 3 in downtown Cebu City. They are open as early a 5:00AM. Ticket price is around P220.

You can also try RORO ferries from Pier 1 but travel time is 2 hours.

INDIE TIP: Check out Tubigon ferry ticket prices and schedules here.

A few notes about Tubigon
• Tubigon port is a busy business port that oversees transport of food, dry goods, copra and other cargo.
• As of June 2013, the port facility is undergoing a major facelift involving a new terminal building, among others.
• Advance booking of ferry tickets in Tubigon port is not entertained, so better be an hour early when you purchase your return ticket.
• There are no beach resorts in town, but you can visit nearby towns for resort-type accommodations.

Itinerary
• Arrival at Tubigon port: You can walk or take a tricycle to the town center (P10 per person).
• Get off at the bus station and catch the bus going to Sagbayan. Most buses headed Northeast will pass by Sagbayan Peak Park, make sure you tell the bus conductor to drop you off there. (P30 per person)
• Option: If the bus unavailable or is taking too long to take off, you can hire a tricycle for a round-trip service. (P500-P800). Private vans are also available (around P1500-P3000).
• Alight at Sagbayan Peak Park gate. The main entrance is about a kilometer into that and some people choose to ride a habal-habal (tandem motorbike) to go up there (P10-P20).

• You can view live Tarsiers located beside the entrance/ticket booth.
• Sagbayan Peak park features a view deck atop a ‘chocolate hill’, children’s playground and mini town, swimming pool/resort (different entrance fee - P50 per person), butterfly dome garden and restaurant.
• After lunch, walk back to the main road and wait for a bus headed to Tagbilaran and get off at Calape town.
• Pangangan (read: Pang-ga-ngan) is an island just off of Calape town and accessible via a man-made road the crosses through a mangrove forest.
• Option: Get off at Island’s entry point along highway or at Calape town. From there, hire a tricycle to take you around Pangangan Island (price negotiable).
• Option: Tricycles are also waiting at Sagbayan highway, and you can also negotiate your Pangangan tour from there (we did, for P500).
• There are a handful of beach resorts in Pangangan Island (link below). You can spend a couple of hours there (or spend overnight, rooms at P1500+), relax and take a dip in the sea. You can also spend your free time exploring Calape town.
• After that, take a trip back to Tubigon town (via the same hired tricycle or bus). On the highway, you can walk into town and see some old houses, town church, town hall and the market.
• Head to the ticketing offices located beside the gym to buy your ferry tickets back to Cebu.
• While waiting, browse souvenir items in the market. How about taking home some famous Bohol peanut kisses or tarsier pouch bags?
• Walk (or take a tricycle) to the port and pay for terminal fee (P10) before boarding your ferry. Travel time back to Cebu is 1 hour.

INDIE TIP: List of resorts in Pangangan Island here.

Food

• Food in pier 3 Cebu City is only limited to sari-sari stores, a burger joint, and small carinderias. I suggest you bring snacks and drinks to keep you busy on the ferry ride.
• In Tubigon, you can count on eateries and carinderias. No big food chains in this small town.
• Have your lunch at Sagbayan Peak park’s restaurant. Their silog-style meals come with rice and a drink (P85-P100 per order).
• You’ll have to bring food in Pangangan Island if you intend to stay long there. Some resorts might collect a corkage fee for food, but it might be a better option in case they don’t serve your preferred food.
• Back in Tubigon, there are fried chicken stands and grilled food stands where you can buy food to go (puso rice!).

Budget P1410 per person
Estimated expenses for 2 people:
P440 Ferry fare (P220 each tourist class)
P20 Cebu Pier 3 terminal fee
P20 Tricycle to bus terminal
P60 Bus fare to Sagbayan
P60 Sagbayan Peak entrance fee
P500 Food and snacks
P500 tricycle tour to Pangangan and back
min P500 beach resort (entrance fee/cottage/etc.)
P400 ferry fare (P200 each regular rate)
P20 Tubigon port terminal fee
P300 miscellaneous