An island in the central Philippines: Alona Beach on Panglao, turtle-filled reefs off Balicasag, the Virgin Island sandbar and dawn dolphin-watching trips, plus — on the mainland — the famous Chocolate Hills, a sanctuary for the tarsier, one of the world's smallest primates, and lunch cruises on the Loboc River. Great for families and lovers of nature and the sea. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — the easiest way is via Seoul (Incheon) and Jeju Air or Jin Air's direct flights to Panglao (TAG); otherwise via Manila or Cebu. Mongolian citizens get 30 days visa-free.
🛂 Visa: Visa-free · 30 days✈ Flight: 11h☀ Best months: January, February, March, April
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: January, February, March, April, May.
Things to see (12)
📍🧸 for kids
Chocolate Hills (Carmen)★ 4.5 (10,421)
NatureForeign adults ₱150, ages 6–12 ₱75, under 5 free (cash)≈8:30–17:30
Hundreds of evenly shaped, cone-like limestone hills — in the dry season the grass turns brown and they look like chocolate. The viewing deck at the Carmen complex, up 200-plus steps, gives a view in every direction. About 2 hours by car from Panglao; usually combined with the tarsiers and the Loboc River on a day tour. The light is best early morning or late afternoon.
Nature≈₱150 (guided walk included)8:30–15:30 (Sunday until 15:00)
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goNo visa needed, but sort out eTravel, your connections and the season and getting to Bohol is easy.+
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30 days visa-free
Mongolian citizens may stay in the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days. Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months beyond departure, with a return or onward ticket. Mongolia's consular list still shows 21 days under the old agreement, so if you stay longer than 21 days be ready to show your ticket to immigration.
Everyone arriving in or leaving the Philippines completes the free eTravel at etravel.gov.ph and gets a QR code; submissions earlier than 72 hours are not accepted. Beware of 'agent' sites that charge a fee.
Tip: Fill in the departure eTravel within 72 hours of leaving too.
The easiest route is via Seoul (Incheon) on a Jeju Air or Jin Air direct flight to Panglao. If your tickets are not on one booking, leave time to collect bags and check in again at Incheon. The best time is the dry season (January–May); typhoons are possible October–December.
🛬Landing and getting to your hotelPanglao airport (TAG) is close to Alona Beach; coming via Cebu you land at Tagbilaran port.+
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Airport to Alona
Tricycle or Grab takes 15–20 minutes at ₱110–150 per vehicle. A shared van is about ₱100, the Southern Star bus ₱50–100 (40–50 minutes). Many hotels offer airport pick-up — book it ahead if you land on a night flight.
OceanJet fast ferries from Pier 1 in Cebu City reach Tagbilaran in about 2 hours; Tourist class ≈₱800, Business ₱1,200, with many sailings from 5:10 to 18:40. Check in 30 minutes before. From Tagbilaran port to Alona, Grab or a taxi costs ₱440–550 (20–30 minutes).
Tip: Fuel surcharges and holidays push fares up — buy online in advance.
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Philippines eSIM before you go. Otherwise buy a Globe or Smart SIM at the airport, in Tagbilaran or in shops around Alona — by law it must be registered with your passport.
Tip: Signal is weak on the roads to the Chocolate Hills and Anda and on boat trips — download the map in Google Maps for offline use.
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Wi-Fi
Hotels, cafés and restaurants have free Wi-Fi, but speeds are patchy. Keep flight tickets and your eTravel QR code saved on your phone, and carry a printed copy.
🚇Getting around the islandTricycles and Grab on Panglao; the mainland sights are far apart, so a car with a driver is easiest.+
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Tricycles and Grab
Tricycles are the most common transport on Panglao and in Tagbilaran — agree the fare before you get in. Grab also works and shows the fare upfront, which suits families.
The usual way to see the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, Loboc River and Bilar forest in one day is to hire a car or van with a driver, booked through your hotel or a licensed agency. Shared tours are cheaper; a private car is more comfortable for families. Leave early to beat the heat and crowds.
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Island-hopping boats
Balicasag, dolphin and Virgin Island trips leave Alona Beach at dawn; book through your hotel or a licensed agency. Shared boats are ₱800–1,500 per person, private boats ₱3,000–5,000 per group; the Balicasag fee is extra. The Coast Guard stops boats sailing when seas are rough.
The currency is the Philippine peso (₱, PHP). Cards work at hotels and larger restaurants; tricycles, small eateries and sight fees are cash. ATMs are plentiful around Alona and in Tagbilaran but scarce in mainland villages, so get cash before a day tour.
The Chocolate Hills charge foreign adults ₱150 and children 6–12 ₱75, under 5 free, cash only. Tarsier, cave and island fees are small, so carry small notes.
🍜FoodFresh seafood, and plenty of international restaurants around Alona.+
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Loboc River buffet and the Bee Farm
A Filipino buffet on a floating restaurant on the Loboc River is a Bohol classic; ₱1,200 per person (from 16 April 2026). At Bohol Bee Farm try the flower salad, honey bread and homemade ice cream.
Adobo, sinigang (sour soup), lechon, grilled seafood, Bohol's calamay (sticky coconut sweet), peanut kisses cookies and mango shakes. Alona also has plenty of pizza, burgers and Korean food, so children are easy to feed.
Tip: Drink only bottled water; get iced drinks from reliable places.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency number
Police, ambulance and fire share one number — 911, free and 24 hours. There is a tourist police post near Alona.
Wear reef shoes against coral and sea urchins, and a life jacket when snorkelling. In typhoon season follow PAGASA forecasts and wait it out if boat trips are cancelled. Drink plenty of water and use reef-safe sunscreen.
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Laws and clinics
Drug laws are extremely strict. Panglao's clinics handle minor problems; serious cases go to Tagbilaran or Cebu, so call your insurer's assistance line first.
🙏Manners+
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Friendly and polite
Filipinos are very friendly; saying 'salamat' (thank you) goes down well. Cover shoulders and knees in churches, and don't wear swimwear into town. Avoid loud arguments in public.
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Respect wildlife and nature
Don't touch tarsiers, don't use flash and keep quiet — visit only the ethical sanctuary. Don't chase or touch dolphins or turtles, and don't stand on coral. Tipping isn't required but a little is left for good service.
📱Useful apps+
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Official
eTravel — the digital border registration (arrival and departure). Your airline's app — schedules change often, so turn on notifications. Going via Cebu, buy OceanJet tickets online.
Grab — taxis and cars. Google Maps — beaches, restaurants, offline maps. GCash — QR payments (check whether you can top up with a foreign card). English gets you almost everywhere.
Panglao airport is close to Alona, but arrive in good time for an international flight — check-in and immigration queues build up. With a night flight, arrange a late check-out with your hotel in advance.
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eTravel and connections
Fill in the departure eTravel before leaving the Philippines. Connecting in Incheon or Manila, check whether your bags are checked through and leave plenty of time.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
The Philippine Tarsier Foundation's forest sanctuary, where a guide shows you the big-eyed, palm-sized primates in their natural habitat. Keep quiet, don't touch and don't use flash. Small roadside 'tarsier viewing' spots stress the animals, so choose this ethical sanctuary.
Food₱1,200 per person (buffet lunch included, from 16 April 2026)≈10:00–14:00 (Sat–Sun until 14:30)
About an hour on a floating restaurant along the jungle-lined Loboc River with a Filipino buffet, passing a small waterfall and local music. On the way to the Chocolate Hills the road runs through Bilar's 'Man-made Forest', a stretch of densely planted mahogany trees.
Panglao's main tourist beach: a strip of fine white sand, restaurants, bars, dive centres, and the departure point for island-hopping boats. At low tide the water is shallow and good for children; a coral wall close to shore is great for snorkelling. Seafood and fire shows in the evening.
NatureShared tours ≈₱800–1,500 per person; Balicasag fee ≈₱250–300Tours leave ≈6:00, back by midday
Leave Panglao by boat at dawn to look for dolphin pods around Pamilacan and Balicasag, then snorkel with turtles and coral in the Balicasag marine sanctuary. Visitor numbers are capped daily, so go early. Life jackets and masks are provided for children.
A long white sandbar that appears in the middle of the sea at low tide, with shallow clear water — lovely for photos and for children to play. Usually the last stop of a Balicasag tour; plenty of sea urchins, so wear shoes.
A limestone cave in Dauis on Panglao where sunlight falls through holes in the ceiling onto a clear freshwater pool among stalactites. The stairs down are narrow and slippery. Swimming is allowed, but the water is deep, so put children in life jackets.
CultureChurch free; museum has a separate feeMuseum ≈8:30–11:30, 13:30–16:30 (closed Tue, Sun)
One of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines, built of coral stone. The October 2013 earthquake collapsed its portico and bell tower; it was restored in 2014–2018 and reopened in February 2018. The convent houses a museum of old religious artefacts. Wear clothes that cover shoulders and knees.
A bronze monument by the sea to the 1565 blood compact of friendship between Spain's Legazpi and the Bohol chieftain Sikatuna. On the eastern edge of Tagbilaran, a short stop on the way to Baclayon.
An organic farm and restaurant on Panglao: flower salads, honey bread and homemade ice cream (malunggay, ube flavours). See the bee-keeping and vegetable gardens, then eat at the clifftop restaurant overlooking the sea. There is a souvenir shop.
Quiet Anda on Bohol's eastern tip: beaches whiter and emptier than Panglao's and underground freshwater cave pools. At Cabagnow Cave Pool climb down a ladder or jump from the rocks. About 3 hours by car from Panglao, so stay 1–2 nights.
KidsEntry ₱40; The Plunge ₱700, zipline ₱350, Sky Ride ₱2508:00–17:00
An adventure park above the Wahig River gorge: the 'Plunge' canyon swing, ziplines, the Sky Ride cable car, kayaking and rock climbing. About 40 minutes beyond the Chocolate Hills; for older children and teenagers.
