Almost always, the country side tour would bring you to Loboc to have buffet lunch on a floating restaurant while traversing the very pristine Loboc river. While enjoying your lunch onboard, you are usually serenaded by guitarists, singers, or sometimes a choir. This is also where my Last Song Syndrome started with the guitarist playing the song ‘Balik sa Bohol’ near the end of the river cruise.
Rio Verde Floating Restaurant at Loay Bridge
The first time I was at Bohol, the Loboc river cruise started from the Poblacion of Loboc near the Loboc church going north. This time around, there is another starting point for the Loboc river cruise, the new one starting from below the Loay Bridge which is nearer to Tagbilaran. The difference between the 2 river cruise is the scenic view along the way.
Floating Restaurant at Loay waiting to be filled-up with guests
Buffet table to fill your gas tanks
Menut for that day: crab, cray fish (I think?), fried chicken, sea weeds, seafood kare-kare and a lot more
The river cruise starting from the Loay bridge traverses the Loboc river where the nipa trees are abundant and less of manmade structures. It winds up its cruise with an ethnic village showcasing their village life. I’m just not sure if they are true Eskaya indigeneous tribe of Bohol or just some locals depicting the tribe.
River cruise from Loay bridge takes you to the green banks of loboc with nipa and coconut trees lined up
The cruise from Loay winds up with a visit to the ethnic tribe
The river cruise starting from the Poblacion traverses Loboc river where there are not much nipa trees, more of backyard home sceneries, more of the manmade structures such as the unfinished bridge near the Loboc church and it winds up at Busay falls (just a meter high falls), where a rondalla group is waiting to further serenade you.
Beyond the area of the ethnic tribe village are modern houses lined up and less nipa trees, the same scenery from the Loboc Poblacion river cruise
The question now is which of the two is better? Well it depends on what you like best. If you like tranquility and pureness of nature, take the Loay cruise. If you’d like to see what the local life is about in Loboc and if you’d like to see Busay falls, take the cruise from Loboc Poblacion.
Tip: Plan your visit to Bohol so that you would arrive at around 11AM at the floating restaurant. This way you’d be the first to thrash the buffet table while it’s still full to the brim. Also you’d have enough time to finish your meal before the cruise starts, so that you’d be able to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Trivia: The Loboc river near Loay bridge is the site of Cesar Montano’s film ‘Panaghoy sa Suba’ winner of several film awards in 2004 and 2005.
Trivia Again!: The town of Loboc is the home to the famous Loboc Children’s Choir, winner and proud representative of the Philippines to the Europe and its Songs Festival 2003.
Trivia The Repeat!: Eskaya is the only indigeneous tribe of Bohol. They are thought to have come from Sumatra during 7th century. The Eskaya descendants are also believed to have fought under the command of Francisco Dagohoy against the Spaniards. A local luxury resort in Panglao island is named after the tribe.
- Bohol Island Basics
- Chocolate Hills:Bohol’s Signature Must See
- Sandugo Shrine:Something to Skip or Stop to Appreciate More
- Loboc River Cruise: The Place Where You’d Like to Sleep After a Heavy Lunch
- Stop, Open Your Eyes and See the Tarsier
- Baclayon Church: A Long Walk Away
- The Hanging Bridge, Simple Yet Fun
- Alona Beach, Panglao Island: Teeming with Marine Life
- The Beach Area and Marine Life
- The Resorts
- Bohol Diver’s Club
- Dining at Alona Beach
- Going Around Panglao from Alona
- Reliving Francisco Dagohoy’s Legend at EAT Danao
- Extreme Road Trip to Extreme Activities
- Take The Danao Plunge
- SuiSlide, More of a SereneSlide
- The Most Important Adventure: Eating at EAT Danao
- Not Much Time? Stay at the Park!
Related Posts
- The Hanging Bridge, Simple Yet Fun
- Ba-lik sa Bohol, Ba-lik! (Ba-lik! Ba-lik!)
- Stop, Open Your Eyes and See the Tarsier
- Sandugo Shrine:Something to Skip or Stop to Appreciate More
- Chocolate Hills:Bohol’s Signature Must See
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[...] Loboc River Cruise: The Place Where You’d Like to Sleep After a Heavy Lunch [...]
[...] Loboc River Cruise: The Place Where You’d Like to Sleep After a Heavy Lunch [...]
[...] Loboc River Cruise: The Place Where You’d Like to Sleep After a Heavy Lunch [...]
@vicky: Probably it would take about an hour for the cruise. If you plan to go on tour after the loboc river cruise, it would definitely consume the remaining half of your day. Malalayo na kasi yun mga attraction, like chocolate hills, tarsier, and factor in the “kodakan” stops and souvenir shopping, aabutin kayo talaga ng gabi. Better tell your driver your plans, para atleast he could advise you on what time to leave
hi, gaano katagal yung cruise? mga 30 mins ba? we’re planning to have loboc river cruise as our first stop, mga 10:30 kasi ang dating namin from the airport. After loboc cruise we’ll proceed to the rest of the tour on a half day basis, ayoko naman na gabihin sa tour kasi madilim na.
@rose: Sorry no info on the price. Kasama kasi sa package tour yun bayad sa river cruise eh. Which serves better food, pareho lang, siguro depende na lang sa panlasa mo, mag kaiba sila kasi ng menu. Which cruise allows you to see a tarsier? None, before kasi meron tarsier sa river cruise near Loboc, pero ngayon wala na rin yata. You could stop by on the way to Carmen(Chocolate hills), may 3 stops ata dun on both sides of the road na may tarsier, free entrance, just a donation box where you could drop any amount. Does price include food and entrance, yes, the price you pay for the cruise already includes food and the boat ride. Sa loboc maraming river cruise operator, very crowded ng tourists, hassle ng kaunti kasi chaotic yun place,mahirap sa parking, try mo baka maka haggle ka ng good price kasi maraming operators. Pero sa Loay, isang operator lang yun, not crowded, easy parking, baka wala ka makuha discount.
Sir, how much is the river cruise in Loay (new) and in Loboc (old), which serves better food? and which cruise allows you to see a tarsier? also does the price includes the food and entrance fee? … thank you
ahmm jazt askin… kanu pu pa ba bayad jan..