Writer: Helena Bergström
River cruise on the Loboc River! This is one of the activities you can enjoy on the island of Bohol in the Philippines. The cruise turned out to be a rather hectic lunch cruise - not quite as relaxing as we imagined - but still enjoyable.
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River cruise on the Loboc River
Already during the first days in Bohol, when we did mop trips to the Chocolate Hills and the ghost animals, we saw the cruise boats gliding by on the Loboc River. Then we decided that one day we would do a river cruise on the Loboc River.
The Loboc River flows from the town of Carmen, in the centre of Bohol, south towards the towns of Loboc and Loay.
Taking a river cruise on the Loboc River
So, what is it like to do a river cruise on the Loboc River? When we saw the cruise boats on that first day, we imagined a loose and relaxed glide on the beautiful river for a few hours, but it wasn't quite like that.
The cruise boats are floating restaurants, and there is about an hour spent on board, at least on the cruise we did, starting from Loay. The cruise boats we saw on that first day must have gone higher up the river, probably starting in Loboc.
We took a moped from Panglao, and arrived at the Floating Resto Rio Verde in Luay already at 10 o'clock in the morning. Here we were greeted by a large and well maintained tourist complex with ticket sales, toilets and souvenirs.
A detour to the site to see whale sharks
However, to get our money's worth, i.e. to eat properly at the buffet, we realised that we were a bit early. It was therefore another small trip on the moped ...
We had heard that you can see whale sharks on the coast of Lila, just east of Loay, so we took the mop here to see if it would be something for us. Here, too, we were greeted by a large tourist complex with ticket sales and souvenirs.
We asked about the tour and it turned out that it's a half-hour boat ride where you can both watch and snorkel with whale sharks, for 1500 peso per person (about 300 SEK). But how is it possible to do all this in just half an hour?
Well, our fears were realised. If we understand it correctly, the whale sharks are being fed so that they stay close to land, which disrupts their natural movement patterns in the sea. No, we did not want to contribute to this, so it was moped back to the cruise restaurant.
Time for river cruise on the Loboc River
It was eleven o'clock, we paid 85o peso per person (about 165 kronor) and went on board. Many cruise boats are in the harbour and we had to pass through two boats to get to the outermost, where we each got a seat at a long table. And soon it went away!
All the guests on board, apart from us, were Asian. It is reasonable to assume that many were South Koreans, as that is the largest tourist group here, but there may also have been some Chinese and Filipinos.
The mood was high, with chatter and laughter, lots of selfies and entertainment on the guitar.
Buffet
The buffet was large, with many Asian dishes, such as pancit (Filipino noodle dish), fried chicken, skewers, spring rolls, crab, rice, bananas, melon and many more.
While we were eating, we slipped on the beautiful river, which is surrounded by dense greenery, and it was almost a bit difficult to do everything you wanted - eat, take photos and enjoy the view.
River Loboc
The Loboc River is one of the major attractions on the island of Bohol, offering beautiful views of dense greenery. If you go further, you can also go past places like the town of Loboc, but the lunch cruise didn't let us go that far.
A stop at the Ati Tribe
Suddenly, however, we stopped at a small "stage" in the water, where a group of people came out wearing some kind of "tribal" clothing.
It all felt extremely touristy, and we were not at all comfortable walking across the small gangway to dance or take selfies, as pretty much all the other cruise passengers did.
Upon further reading, it seems that the Ati tribe is an ethnic minority from the islands of Boracay, Panay and Negros. Like many other minorities in the world, they have suffered discrimination and when Boracay became a popular tourist destination, they were expelled.
They don't usually go dressed like the pictures, but like many others they try to make a business out of tourism. There was no extra charge to see them dance, but there was a small box for donations.
Time to go back
After the visit to the Ati tribe, it was time to turn back. If you ask us, we would have liked the tour to be a bit longer, so we could have enjoyed the environment around the river more, but that was not the case.
It was still a nice trip, and we were of course full and satisfied.
More to see and do in the neighbourhood
There is more to see and experience in Bohol! If you make a visit here, you don't want to miss out on The chocolate hills and ghost animals. We can also recommend Panglao Island, where you can enjoy beaches and restaurants. Here you will find all our tips on what to do. What to see and do in Bohol.
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Facts about river cruise on the Loboc River
- Starting point: We started at Clarin Bridge in Loay. There is another river cruise, which starts higher up the river, in Loboc if we understand it correctly.
- Booking: There is no need to book in advance. You can just turn up. The river cruise is also included in various packages and tours that can be booked.
- Times: The boats run every day, between 10:00 and 14:30.
- Time consumption: Approximately one hour
- Price: 850 pesos per person (around £165) 2023
- Included in the price: Boat trip, buffet and entertainment. Drinks are not included and are paid separately.
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English (UK) 
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Anna Nilsson Spets says:
No but hey, feed the whale sharks so they stay, GOOD decision to refrain. Had a similar experience on Mafia island, where a number of boats ringed a poor whale shark, I asked my skipper to turn around, he did.
12 April 2023 - 6:30
Helena says:
Yes, I'm sure this happens in many places. There is so much money in tourism .... This is the downside, unfortunately, where people want change.
14 April 2023 - 1:13
Lena i Wales och lite överallt says:
A nice cruise with good food and lots to see.
Sometimes it can feel a bit touristy, but some people like it that way too.
Horrible displacement of people who don't fit in with tourism, but not entirely uncommon, unfortunately.
Take care!
12 April 2023 - 7:45
Helena says:
Of course it is! Sometimes you have to adjust to the fact that it's a bit touristy, and that can also be nice in its own way.
14 April 2023 - 1:18
BP says:
Reminds me of a "quick trip" with Birka Line to Åland. But the archipelago cannot be compared to the greenery around the river. And you got your money's worth - food, that is. You are really brave to eat buffet food in that heat. Guess your stomachs have "acclimatised" by now...?
12 April 2023 - 19:19
Helena says:
Haha yes, there may be some similarities, on another part of the planet only 😉 We have eaten buffet food a few times and it has gone well. Of course, the stomachs have been a little "worried" a few times in between during the trip, but no major danger.
14 April 2023 - 1:24
Aboro says:
Sometimes you just have to accept: I AM a tourist. We Scandinavians often want to believe that we are somehow above tourism... but the definition of a tourist is "a person who travels for pleasure". And that makes us tourists! Having said that, we may be a little further along in terms of reflecting on what we want to see and how we want to travel. We are able to identify tourist traps and seek something more unique (which can sometimes also be a drain on the earth's resources and on sustainability when it is full of people everywhere who seek "unique experiences" and want to "live like the population" and other things). I myself have a hard time seeing groups being pushed around to these traps that the travel agencies deal with. But for those who travel in the group, it is certainly above all safe, comfortable and for the participants a suitable level. Not everyone wants to go off the beaten track. It's hard to write down my thoughts here, but I made an attempt.
14 April 2023 - 5:35
Helena says:
Good and articulate thoughts! I understand exactly what you mean, and I agree. All this is always a balancing act. As you say, we who travel ARE tourists. Personally, I don't mind doing activities that are arranged just for tourists, as long as I don't think it's harmful to animals, nature, local people (not always easy to know). On this trip it was perhaps rather obvious that Asian tourists sometimes (a generalisation of course) appreciate a different type of activities (not better or worse, but different) than perhaps many Scandinavians would appreciate in the first place. The tour would probably have been just as touristy if we had moved at a slower pace and with less loud music, but that might have suited us better 😉 Anyway, good reflections!
14 April 2023 - 5:56