Loboc River Cruise, Bohol

Loboc River Cruise is one of the should-not-be-missed destinations in Bohol, where the famed floating restaurants can be found. The boat ride starts from a point close to Loboc Church, and from there, it is an hour or so boat ride upstream that ends near a small waterfalls locally known as “Busay Falls.”

Since there are many floating restaurants, the choice comes down to the menu and your type of music. At the entrance of the boat we picked, the walls were pasted with photos of celebrities and well-known figures who have taken the cruise. For a price of P300, we were treated with an all-you-can-eat buffet of various seafood dishes, vegetables and desserts. While partaking of the delicious lunch, guests were serenaded by a guitar-strumming folk singer.

It was a unique experience for me eating lunch while cruising a river. The river and the surrounding area give off a kind a serenity and quiet that serve as a welcome respite for a city gal like me who have had it with pollution, swarm of people, heat and vehicles.

After lunch, it was time to get off the table and explore the boat and take pictures of people and scenery. I keep those pictures I took of Loboc and the river because they are good to view as many times as I like. They never fail to remind me of the good times I had there together with my friends.

As the boat cruised the river, we saw children swimming and men rowing their bangka – the typical daily life of the locals living in around and along the river. Another unexpected delight was the small children climbing the coconut trees overhanging the river and jumping into the water.

Before the boat returns to its starting point, there is a brief stop at Busai Falls to allow guests to take in more of the scenery and snap pictures. Busay Falls is really a “mini-me” falls because it is just one and a half meters tall at most.

Before or after taking the cruise, visitors can get a glimpse of history through Loboc Church and the Museo de Loboc. Loboc church is second to Baclayon Church as the oldest church in Bohol. The beautiful murals in the church’s ceiling is a must-see as well as the small museum located in the church’s old convent. If your visit is really a lucky day, you will get the hear the angelic voices of the award-winning, internationally known Luboc Children’s Choir as they practice and run through their music.

One attraction in Loboc that I advise you not to patronize is the tarsiers and flying lemurs that are locked in cages and available for viewing up close to the public. Hopefully, the tarsiers and flying lemurs have been confiscated and taken to the tarsier sanctuary in the town of Corella (read more about it here), the only place in Bohol where tarsier viewing is allowed per a decree passed by the municipal government.