As soon as we came back from La Union, we started planning where to head next, and Ran suggested Bohol. It would be my third time in Bohol, but it would be Ran’s first. This, however, will be another first in our list of renegade junctures: our first flight together.

The original plan was to spend three days and two nights in Bohol, but that changed as we went along the planning of the trip. The ending, we decided to spend three days and two nights in Bohol, and one day, one night in Cebu.

We were supposed to leave at 09:10 in the morning, but we experienced considerable delay. It turned out that a plane was blocking the path of the plane we would board, hence the late boarding.

Upon arriving in Panglao International Airport, we contacted the car rental service that we booked for our first day. The intention was to explore Bohol on our own as soon as we arrive, then be on an exclusive organized tour for our second day.

As soon as we got the car that we rented, we headed off to one of Bohol’s famous spots. We were already famished due to the flight delay, and where could we better grab lunch than the floating restaurant in Loboc River?

We bought our tickets and boarded one of the boats of Amore Cruises. As soon as we stepped in the floating restaurant, we were immediately welcomed by cheerful staff, beautiful music and a buffet table of mouth-watering delicacies.

Almost immediately, the guests onboard were told that they may get their food from the buffet already.

Starting the meal even before the boat leaves for the river cruise is a great strategy. Apart from the fact that the floating restaurant cruises at around lunch time and guests are most likely to be famished, it ensures that they would have all the time to themselves just appreciating the view of the Loboc River once the boat sails.

Towards the end of the river cruise, just before the vessel takes a U-turn, we saw another feature that the Loboc River Cruise is famous for: the riverside dancers. Located on a stage constructed on the riverside, the dancers await for the cruise to pass by, then they heartily welcome the tourists with folk dances that underscore the cultural heritage of the island of Bohol.

After the filling lunch while cruising Loboc River and enjoying the scenic views, we quickly dropped by the Loboc Church and had some photos. The church was closed, so we just made the most out of its beautiful façade, recently restored after the damages caused by the 2013 magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

Soon after, we found ourselves driving rather quickly along the streets of Bohol. Since our flight was delayed, all our scheduled activities for Day 1 were pushed back. We have to be fast however, as our final activity for the day requires starting while there is still daylight.