--- Bohol Philippines ---

Bohol is probably the island that has surprised me the most so far. Actually, I hadn't planned to visit Bohol on my trip, but after spending 6 days here, Bohol has climbed to the top of my list of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines.

We took the overnight ferry from Siquijor to Bohol and went directly to our hostel on Panglao, an island connected to Bohol by a bridge. While everyone else on the ferry had a bed, us poor backpackers had to share a bench with two others. (See pictures)

This time we chose the hostel "Alona Hammocks" and stayed there for our entire stay in Bohol and Panglao because we were so satisfied. There was a very familiar atmosphere and incredibly delicious vegan food every evening.

Bohol is especially known for the "Chocolate Hills", which we visited on the first day. It was a beautiful view, as you can see in the pictures, and the long scooter ride (about 2 hours from Panglao) was definitely worth it. We also visited the Tarsiers, which are small monkeys (or whatever they are) that can only be found on Bohol. On the way, we also visited a waterfall (as always) and although it was my first tropical waterfall without sky-blue water, the visit to the waterfall was almost the highlight of the day. However, it was only almost the highlight because we later found out that the first day in Bohol would become even better.

Unlike Siquijor, where we unfortunately didn't meet many people our age, we immediately found connection in Bohol. And not only that: On the first evening, we met up with a very good friend that we met in Moalboal and spent the evening together with a dinner on the beach. After that, we went to a reggae bar and then I spontaneously decided that it was the perfect time for my first tattoo. The tattoo is very, very small and hardly visible, but I will never forget the story behind my first tattoo and it will always remind me of this beautiful evening. Of course, the tattoo studios in the Philippines are not that professional, but we made sure that the needle was fresh and clean, so nothing should go wrong. The tattoo artist did it in a traditional way, which means not with a machine as usual, but with a bamboo stick. I don't regret getting my first tattoo that night at all, and it is a very great memory of my trip.

The next day, we were at the most beautiful beach I had ever seen. Sky-blue water and sparkling white sand as far as the eye could see. We made ourselves comfortable between the palm trees and enjoyed the day to the fullest. However, on a trip, everything doesn't always go smoothly, but usually, only the beautiful moments are talked about. So far, there have been quite a few things that went wrong on our trip, but at the end of the day, it's important to stay positive and not give up. From riding a scooter in pouring rain, not being able to open the gas cap and being stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere with almost no fuel, or a scooter accident because a giant spider flew into Scotti's face, everything has happened.

Another highlight in Bohol was definitely the sunset spot. We drove with the scooter to a cliff edge, which is also known as THE sunset spot of Bohol, and ended the evening with a cold beer. What could be better? The remaining evenings were similar: Watching the sunset, playing games, dancing in the club until sunrise, and of course, a late-night swim in the sea.

But then, in the midst of the good mood, came the shocking news: The Corona Virus drama took a surprising turn, and even people who had previously maybe laughed at the Corona Virus started to worry. The hostel informed us that we now have 48 hours to leave the island before the lockdown is implemented. This means that neither ferries nor planes will be operating, and we will be stuck on the island for an uncertain amount of time. Panic immediately broke out in our hostel, everyone started making phone calls, and many people booked a flight back home. However, that was not an option for us, so we decided together with six other people we met there to see it as an adventure. After all, not everyone can say that they were stuck on a deserted island, right? We thought about which island in the Philippines is the most beautiful and safest to get stuck on, and we chose Siargao. The next blog posts will be written from quarantine as we embark on our "survival adventure" in Siargao...

Hostel: Alona Hammocks