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River cruise on the Loboc River in Bohol, Philippines

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.

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol

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.

Basketbollplan i Filippinerna

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.

Valhaj i Filippinerna

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!

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol

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.

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol

The mood was high, with chatter and laughter, lots of selfies and entertainment on the guitar.

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol

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.

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol

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.

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol

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.

Atri tribe

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.

stammen Ati Filippinerna

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.

Ati tribe

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.

Clarin bridge i Luay
Clarin Bridge in Loay, Bohol

It was still a nice trip, and we were of course full and satisfied.

Flodkryssning på Loboc River på Bohol
Two of the cruise boats - one in the shape of a turtle

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.

Our top tips for the Philippines. Click on the image!

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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