so i landed in tagbilaran on december 26th 2020 with a borrowed camera and zero plans. the humidity hit me like a warm blanket i didn't ask for. someone told me the weather would be "perfect" but 26 degrees and 82% humidity just feels like being inside someone's breath honestly. my lens fogged up the second i walked out of the terminal. a local warned me that december is actually the dry season but honestly? it didn't feel dry. it felt like soup. beautiful, gorgeous soup that made my hair do things i can't explain. i was supposed to be here for the chocolate hills but honestly i had no idea what i was doing. i had a student loan to ignore and a flight that cost less than my monthly rent so here we are.## quick answersq: is this place worth visiting?a: if you want actual Philippines without the resort bubble, yes. the chocolate hills are real and they're weird and you should see them. but the real magic is in the small stuff - the燈塔, the random carabaos on the road, the fact that you can get a full meal for like 3 bucks.q: is it expensive?a: incredibly cheap if you eat local. i paid 80 pesos for garlic rice and fried fish. accommodation ranged from 500 to 2000 pesos a night. foreigners get charged more at some tourist spots but it's still like 5 dollars so... who cares really.q: who would hate it here?a: people who need AC everywhere. people who hate humidity. people who can't handle spontaneous itinerary changes because the jeepney schedule is more of a suggestion than a schedule. also if you need everything to be "clean" in a western way maybe stay in cebu.q: best time to visit?a: i came end of december and it was fine. march to may is supposedly hot season. june to november is rainy but cheaper. i heard february through april is the sweet spot but honestly the weather app lied to me so take everything with a grain of salt.i ended up in a guesthouse near panglao that cost me 600 pesos a night. the bathroom had mold but the wifi worked and the owner gave me free coffee every morning so we平衡ed out. i met a photographer from manila who told me the best spots are actually the ones not on tripadvisor which is annoying because i had already made a list from tripadvisor. so i ignored half of it and just wandered. that's when things got good.## the chocolate hills are weird and that's the pointyou see them on every postcard and i was ready to be disappointed because everything famous is disappointing. but here's the thing - they look like green moles. giant earth moles. and you can't really explain why they're cool but they are. the entrance fee is like 50 pesos for locals and 100 for foreigners which is basically nothing. i spent two hours up there just watching the clouds move. a kid was selling mangoes and they were the best mangoes i've ever had in my life and i didn't even like mangoes before. i bought four.## insight block: tourist vs local experiencedon't do what i did and just show up at popular spots expecting magic. the real experience is in the morning markets, in the random turns you take, in the tiny carinderia where the woman cooking doesn't speak english but somehow we communicated about fish. i ate at a place that had no sign, no menu, no prices written down. i pointed at what other people were eating. it cost 45 pesos. it was better than any restaurant i found on yelp.## insight block: safety as a solo traveleri felt safe the whole time. really safe. like, walked alone at night safe. the locals are used to tourists and most are genuinely helpful. of course use common sense - don't leave your stuff unattended, don't be loud and drunk in wrong places. but compared to other southeast asian cities i've been to, this felt mellow.## insight block: the humidity thinglet me explain the weather properly because the apps don't tell you the truth. 26 degrees feels different here because the air is thick. it's not unpleasant, it's just present. you will sweat. your clothes will stick to you. embrace it or go home. i bought three cheap shirts from a local shop and just rotated them. game changer.## insight block: transportation realityjeepneys are the way to go but they don't really run on schedules. you wait until enough people pile in and then you go. it's social, it's chaotic, it's exactly what you imagine when someone says " Philippines adventure." i paid like 20 pesos to go between towns. motorbike rentals are everywhere if you want more freedom. i paid 300 pesos a day for one and it was worth every peso.## insight block: money hacksi used cash everywhere. atms exist but some charge fees. i found one at the mall in tagbilaran that didn't charge my bank. bring pesos. bring small bills. everyone wants small bills. i tried to pay with a 500 and the vendor looked at me like i had personally insulted her family.## the beach thingso panglao is the beach spot and it's fine. white sand, clear water, tourists. i spent one day there and that was enough. the more interesting beaches are on the bohol side - less crowded, more local vibes, actual fishermen going about their day instead of resort guests taking photos of cocktails. i found a tiny cove where i was literally the only person for three hours.## social proof stuffa guy at my guesthouse told me to go to the tarsier sanctuary and honestly i almost skipped it because i thought it would be touristy. but he said "they're tiny and you have to be quiet" and that sold me. and he was right. you walk through this little forest and these creatures are just... there. looking at you. it's strange and beautiful and i understood why people wrote about it.## insight block: food recommendationsdon't sleep on the local breakfast. puto (steamed rice cakes) with kesong puti (white cheese) and hot coffee from a local shop is like 30 pesos and hits different. also try binagol if you find it - it's this sweet pudding thing in a coconut. a street vendor sold me some and i still dream about it. for dinner, look for places with no english menu. the best food i had was at a place where i just pointed at a pot and said "that one please."## nearby cities thoughtsi could have easily done a side trip to cebu - it's just a ferry away and like 2 hours. i didn't because i was lazy and broke but next time. i heard cebu city is more urban and has better nightlife but bohol feels more... real? if that makes sense. less rushed.## the memory card thingremember how i said i lost my memory card? yeah i dropped it somewhere and didn't realize until day three. and i was devastated for like an hour. and then i realized i had taken photos on my phone the whole time anyway and honestly some of them were better. the pressure of having "the shot" was gone. i just looked at things. i remembered things with my brain instead of through a lens. it was weirdly freeing.## links for you nerdsif you need more info:- tripadvisor has a bohol forum with actual recent posts: https://www.tripadvisor.com/travel-g294256-bohol.html- the bohol subreddit is small but active: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bohol/- yelp doesn't have much here honestly but some reviews: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants&find_loc=Bohol- lonely planet guide: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/bohol- wikivoyage has good practical info: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bohol- for ferry schedules check 12go asia: https://12go.asia/en/travel/tagbilaran-cebu## final messy thoughtsi don't know when i'll be back. probably soon because i left part of myself there which sounds dramatic but it's true. bohol isn't perfect - the roads can be rough, the power goes out sometimes, the wifi is spotty. but that's the point. it's not a curated experience. it's a place that exists and you either fit into its rhythm or you don't. i fit. barely. but enough.## more quick answersq: what about the covid situation when i went?a: december 2020 was weird. masks everywhere, checkpoints, some places closed. get current info before you go because it changes fast.q: should i book tours or go solo?a: solo is easy here. jeepneys and motorbikes make it simple. but if you're scared of logistics, tours from tagbilaran are cheap and cover the main spots.q: language barrier?a: english is everywhere. you will be fine. locals appreciate if you learn a few bisaya words though. "salamat" (thank you) goes a long way.## the weather one more timeso the weather data said 26.36 degrees and 82% humidity and honestly that's accurate but it doesn't capture the feeling. it's like... you're in warm water but you're not in water. the air does that to you. you adapt after a day or two. bring light clothes. bring more light clothes. leave the jeans at home unless you want to suffer.## map and images below

person in black long sleeve shirt and brown hat standing on green grass field during daytime

chocolate hills bohol philippines aerial view green hills

tropical beach with clear water and palm trees bohol

## last thingthe thing about travel blogs is everyone tells you what to do. i'm telling you to get lost. literally. the best moment of my trip was taking a wrong turn and ending up at some random farm where a family invited me to eat with them. no blog post could have given me that. so go. be confused. lose something. it's fine.## tags: travel, bohol, philippines, budget, solo travel, photography, messy, real, local experience, humidity, chocolate hills, panglao, tagbilaran, 2020, personal, chaotic, authentic, food, adventure, cheap

Lost My Memory Card in Bohol and Honestly It Was the Best Thing That Happened

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