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Tashkent to the Visayas: Cebu and Bohol

Tashkent → Cebu → Bohol

Magellan's Cross
"Magellan's_Cross_2024-07-05.jpg" by LMP 2001, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Cebu city skyline 2025 (Cebu City)
Photo: DisRaptor18, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chocolate Hills, tarsiers & reefs Best season (general guide): Dec–May

Cebu and Bohol are islands in the central Philippines, with Spanish colonial history, unusual landscapes and coral reefs. This route spends two nights in Cebu and four on Bohol. From Tashkent you'll connect through the Gulf, Istanbul or an Asian hub to Cebu.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two on Cebu: day one, Magellan's Cross and the basilica; day two, old forts and markets. Then spend days three to six on Bohol: day three, fast ferry to Bohol; day four, Chocolate Hills and tarsiers; day five, Loboc River; day six, snorkel at Balicasag.

Cebu City is one of the oldest Spanish settlements in the Philippines. Magellan's Cross, planted when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521, stands in a small chapel. The Basilica del Santo Niño nearby houses a revered image of the child Jesus.

A fast ferry crosses to Bohol. The Chocolate Hills are more than a thousand rounded grassy hills that turn brown in the dry season. A viewing platform looks over them.

Bohol's forests are home to the Philippine tarsier, a tiny primate with enormous eyes. Visit a sanctuary that limits noise and contact, as the animals are easily stressed. Boats cruise the Loboc River, often with lunch and music on board.

Panglao, an island linked to Bohol by bridge, has white sand beaches, and boats go to Balicasag, a small island with reefs where turtles are common.

December to May is the drier time. Typhoons can strike from about June to November.

The Chocolate Hills look best in the dry season, when the grass turns brown. In Cebu, the old Spanish fort and the markets are a good half-day walk from the basilica. Bring cash for small islands and boat trips.

Good to know: Ferries between Cebu and Bohol run several times a day. Hire a driver or join a tour for the countryside sights. Use reef-safe sunscreen and choose operators that don't feed or chase marine life.

Carry water on long drives.

Suggested outline

  1. Tashkent

    Start

  2. Cebu

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    The Philippines' oldest city, with Magellan's Cross and the Basilica del Santo Niño.

  3. Bohol

    By ferry · 4 nights suggested

    The Chocolate Hills, tarsiers in the forest and Panglao's reefs.

    Chocolate Hills
    "Chocolate_Hills_Bohol.JPG" by P199, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Cebu — Arrive; Magellan's Cross and the basilica· Tashkent → Cebu (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Cebu — Old forts and markets
  3. Day 3 · Bohol — Fast ferry to Bohol· Cebu → Bohol (by ferry)
  4. Day 4 · Bohol — Chocolate Hills and tarsiers
  5. Day 5 · Bohol — Loboc River
  6. Day 6 · Bohol — Snorkel at Balicasag
  7. Day 7 · Bohol — Travel home from Bohol· Bohol → Tagbilaran (overland), then Tagbilaran → Tashkent (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Cebu

More about Cebu City →

Plan the trip: Cebu City

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Bohol

Nearest airport: Tagbilaran

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