Okay…
I’m just going to be SUPER honest right from the get-go:
I personally found Bohol’s Balicasag Island Tour to be… meh… overrated.
However!
Just because I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean you won’t.
That’s why instead of being the judge for you and saying, “Don’t GO!”
I’m instead going to tell you my experience, what I did and didn’t like about the tour, and also what I would do differently if I came back.
So then you can read all of this and decide for yourself if it’s worth it.
Sound good?
Alright, let’s get right into it!
Balicasag Island Tour: How You’ll Spend the Day
The Balicasag Tour has 3 stops (4 if you count Balicasag Reef separately):
- The Dolphin Watching Area – Dolphins show up almost every morning in Bohol’s waters. The exact spot differs, but the boatmen here are experts at spotting them.
- Virgin Island – A sandbar that comes out during lowtide.
- Balicasag Island Mainland – A small-ish island with white sand and several establishments
- Balicasag Island Reef – A few meters offshore Balicasag is a steep drop that’s teeming with marine life!
I did the Balicasag Island Tour in June of 2024.
Because I wasn’t traveling in a big group, I decided to go on a joiner tour.
There were around 20 other people in the boat (seriously).
This is how the day went:
- 6 am to 7:30 am. Waiting with frustration for other “joiners” to arrive. The boat was supposed to leave at 6 am but since the last stragglers arrived at 7:30, that’s when we left.
- 8 am to 9 am. Dolphin watching (more like dolphin chasing!). Our boat, along with 20 (or 50???) others chased down a pod of dolphins. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. Maybe not the dolphins’ favorite, though.
- 9 am to 11 am. Long wait in Balicasag Island. There are limited guides to take people out to the reef, so you need to wait for your turn.
- 11 am to 1 pm. Freediving (or snorkeling) along Balicasag Reef.
- 1 pm to 2 pm. Visit to Virgin Island, a sandbar in the middle of the sea. When my brother did this tour, he visited Virgin Island before Balicasag. The exact schedule depends on when the tide is low enough to visit Virgin Island.
- 3 pm. Tour ends. Dropoff in Alona Beach.
I admit I’m a little biased.
The Balicasag Island Tour was one of my least favorite island hopping experiences.
But I don’t want to skew your judgment and decide for you.
So here are…
Balicasag Island Tour: The Pros and Cons of Doing It
Let’s give this section a positive start with the pros:
Pro #1: The Surreal Dolphin Watching Experience
I still remember clearly how this went.
We were sitting in the motorboat, faces turned to the dazzling blue horizon.
The water was dark – this was a deep part of the sea.
Sunlight glinted silver and gold on the waves.
Then suddenly, shouting.
People were gasping, turning, pointing, and pulling out their phones and cameras.
I looked.
A sleek dark silver nose was breaking out of one of the waves.
A dolphin!
The others followed in quick succession.
One…two…five…ten!
There were so many of them everywhere!
They were leaping, twisting, nose-diving, putting on a vibrant show for us.
It was almost like they were showing off!
They surrounded our boat and the others, riding along the waves with us.
It was majestic.
It took my breath away.
Honestly, this was my favorite experience of the whole tour.
I was so excited watching the dolphins, that I wasn’t able to get any pictures! (also, they would’ve been terrible pics because the dolphins are FAST!)
Pro #2: The Beauties of Balicasag Reef
Copyright Niel Montecino (@kaubanfreediving)
Balicasag Island is 600 meters in diameter and includes a long stretch of vibrant reef.
Along this coral-embraced sanctuary live schools of fish, from huge blue trevally to jackfish, snappers to the elusive barracuda.
The reef is alive and vibrant, teeming with life.
And of course, there are the turtles. 🐢
These giant creatures take you by surprise.
They can lie completely still within a coral bed, dark eyes watching you as you approach from above.
Then, just as you come close, they lift off and start to swim.
They are absolutely majestic.
Never in a hurry, gliding slowly through the water like they’re one with it.
So peaceful, gentle, and beautiful.
You almost want to remain with them forever, dancing silently through the blueness of their underwater home.
Pro #3: You Get to Go with the Flow
The entire Balicasag Island Tour is planned down to the minute.
If you’re not into DIY or worrying about what to do next, what boat to ride, what to eat, and so on…
…this may be the tour for you.
The moment you hop on the boat, you have nothing left to worry about.
Just follow the guides and go with the flow!
Now for the cons of the Balicasag Island Tour:
Con #1: The Forever Waiting
If you’re patient, this might not be a problem for you.
I mean, it’s not bad.
You’ll be waiting next to the ocean.
By the glimmer of the sunlight dancing on the waves.
The soft sea breeze all around you.
The tangy salt in the air.
The sound of water moving, which I hear is great for mental health.
If you’re getting away from a concrete jungle scenario, just sitting within the hush of nature might be an experience you enjoy.
For me, however…it was simply too much waiting.
First, the long wait from 6 am to 7:30 am, watching the slope of the beach impatiently for the last stragglers to arrive.
The incessant heat of the sun, the dizzying rock of the waves.
And this isn’t the only long wait of the trip.
There’s also a 2-hour wait (shorter or longer, depending on how many people there are), on Balicasag Island, before you can swim in the reef.
Sure, there’s food for sale and benches you can sit on.
But it can get long, hot, and boring if you’re the kind of person who wants constant action.
The last wait: the Virgin Island Sandbar.
Well, technically this isn’t a wait.
Depending on the tide, you can swim in waist-deep water, which is shockingly blue due to all that white sand.
But “joiners” like to stay forever on the sandbar taking a hundred pictures.
They took about an hour when I was there, and it was just too much.
Con #2: The Crowd
Here’s the thing about Panglao Island.
It’s packed with tourists.
So you can imagine what the Balicasag Island Tour is like.
Imagine going dolphin watching, your boat cutting through the crystalline waves…
…but it’s not quiet and peaceful.
Not at all.
Because racing on all sides of you are 20 – 50 other boats.
The noise, the pollution, the crowd.
It’s not for the faint of heart.
And when you get to Balicasag Island and Virgin Island, it’s more of the same.
Just a huge crowd milling about.
If crowds are not your thing, you’ll be happy I warned you to stay away. 😜
Con #3: The Pricing
There are tons of beautiful places you can go to in the Philippines that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
But Balicasag Island is not one of them.
Everything there is expensive, from the tour to the food to the canned drinks you can buy in one of the island’s “sari-sari” (mix-mix) stores.
Here’s an example: a Del Monte Pineapple juice can that costs PHP30 was sold for PHP100 there.
And the meals (hotdog or sausage + rice + one egg) cost PHP350 each. (I could cook myself a meal like that for way less than PHP100!)
If you’re on a budget?
Don’t buy anything on the island!
Decided to Do the Balicasag Island Tour? Here’s How
So, you read through the pros and cons.
And you decided the pros outweigh the cons.
You’re going to do the Balicasag Island Tour.
Here’s how:
- Find a tour agency. Trust me, this is easy. All you need to do is head to Alona Beach. Walk along the path to the beach and you’ll be hounded by agents trying to get you on their tour.
- Or…book online. Want to skip the randomness of finding a tour agency on the spot? You can book in advance. My brother Manoling did a joiner tour with GoPanglao, while I just signed up with an agency along Alona Beach.
- Head to Alona Beach for pickup. If you’re doing the whole-day tour, you’ll be given a meetup point. It’s usually Alona Beach at 6 am. Don’t be late! I know, I know. Other “joiners” will be late. But don’t be the reason the boat leaves at 8 instead of 6!
Note: If you do a “joiners” tour, you’ll spend around PHP999-1499 per head, depending on the tour agency you select.
If you do a private tour of Balicasag, the price depends on how many people are part of your tour. A solo private tour will cost you roughly PHP4,000.
But the cost per head will go down significantly if you’re in a big group. For example, a private tour for four people will cost you roughly php6,000 for the whole group.
Note: these prices are NOT fixed. If you’re into haggling, you can head to Alona Beach and look for a tour operator who will give you the lowest price.
Whatever the case, private tours are worth it. (I didn’t go on one, but I can imagine how nice it would be to leave when I want, go anywhere I want, and not wait in line for hours to get to the reef + sit in a boat with 20 other people.)
From there, you have nothing to worry about. Sit back, enjoy the ride, go with the flow!
The Best Way to Enjoy Balicasag Reef
Ok, so obviously I didn’t really enjoy the Balicsag Reef tour.
However, there is a better way to take in the sights without the long waiting, lines, and crowds:
When you do, you’ll be able to:
- Decide what time you leave and what time you go back to Panglao
- Decide where you go
- Decide how long you’ll stay on each island (or if you skip some islands)
- Skip the tedious waiting lines
- Avoid the crowd on the boat (you’ll have the boat all to yourself + your family and friends)
Sure, a private tour is more expensive than a joiner tour.
However, if you don’t mind spending a bit more (honestly, it’s even cheaper if you’re in a big group) I recommend this as the best way to enjoy Balicsag Reef.
You can book online through Klook, or you can look for an operator along Alona Beach. Keep in mind that this should cost only php4,000 – php6,000 (there are several scammers around so look out!)
Balicasag Island Tour: It’s Not for Everyone
Honestly, I didn’t love the Balicasag Island Tour.
I didn’t especially hate it, but it wasn’t my favorite experience.
It’s overly touristic, packed with people, long, tedious, and slightly exhausting.
But hey, not everyone thinks this way.
I mean, I know some people who were CRAZY about it.
So, make your decision, contact that tour agency, and get going!
Don’t think too hard.
You can always give this tour a try and come away with things to tell other people who want to try it. 😜
– Nikki
Note: visiting Bohol soon? Read my FULL Bohol travel guide here!