Bohol Whale Shark Watching with Chocolate Hills and Tarsier tour
2.5

Bohol Whale Shark Watching with Chocolate Hills and Tarsier tour

By Experience Bohol by Betterman Tours
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Ages 6-59
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Private transportation
What's not included
  • all meals and drinks
  • Travel activity insurance
  • FINS or Swimming Fins
  • All Fees and Taxes


Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
    Pickup details
    • Guest will be provided with pick up details upon booking and prior to the tour date that includes Driver/guide name and contact number. A signage by pick up crew or representative bearing the guest name during pick up at the hotel lobby or at the airport seaport arrival area. Bohol Pick up and drop off locations are Tagbilaran city, Panglao, Dauis, Baclayon, Airport and Seaport.
    Hotel pickup offered
    During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
      Airport pickup offered
      During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included airports.
      • Panglao International Airport, Panglao, Bohol, Philippines
      Port pickup offered
      During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.
      • Tagbilaran City Sea Port, JRXW+M9C, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
      End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

        • Wheelchair accessible
        • Stroller accessible
        • Service animals allowed
        • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
        If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 206781P4

        • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
        • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
        • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
        • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
        • Most travelers can participate
        • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
        • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

        • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

        If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 206781P4

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        About the operator
        Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
        • Experience Bohol by Betterman Tours
          56
          Philippines
          Joined in October 2019
        • Jawili
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Tarsier Monkeys
          Never get tired of seeing the Tarsiers , chocolate hills and the loboc river cruise. The driver/ tour guide made us feel welcomed and helpful. We hope to be back again. Thanks
          Written February 10, 2025
        • johnhV4538FQ
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Paul was a great guide
          Paul was a good tour guide and was very knowledgeable and friendly. Paul got us to our destination safely and recommended activities that maximized our tour.
          Written February 6, 2025
        • Joshua I
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great trip!
          Loved our trip with Kuya Jovan. Recommended. The itinerary was clear and he was very helpful in showing us around the different attractions.
          Written February 6, 2025
        • AlyssaCaddick
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great experience!
          The tour covers all the main attractions of Bohol and is absolutely worth the money. Our tour guide Joemar was very knowledgable and funny which made took the tour to the next level, much better than renting a bike to do it ourselves. The dinner at the end was one of the highlights for us, the food is good and the singing and dancing made it very entertaining!
          Written January 28, 2025
        • 857tyy
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Wonderful tour of Bohol!
          Joemar was my tour guide and he took to many excellent places! On the itinerary was the chocolate hills, tasier conservation area, loboc river cruise and the man made forest. Tickets were all included with the tour which was lovely! For an additional cost, I rented an ATV to get a closer look at the hills. It was a little pricey, but worth the experience. Joemar also offered to take me to other monuments and areas and was flexible with our schedule. Joemar also helped me arrange a private island hopping tour for the next day which I was able to get for cheaper than what the locals were offering, I would definitely recommend him as a guide!
          Written January 26, 2025
        • G4297MHdougd
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          4 plus hours seeing little monkeys, chocolate hills, and a river cruise with meal
          On the hole it was great. Driver arrived on time. Pionted out thing we would be interested in. ( fruit trees, ect) We did wait for too long after the river cruise lunch.....
          Written January 23, 2025
        • Road00677948955
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing experience with your guide Silo.
          Absolutely incredible tour. As other reviews have stated Silo is an amazing tour guide. He is so knowledgeable, friendly and kind. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, showed us so many extra sites and shared a wealth of local knowledge with us. He is an amazing kind man and he made the day incredibly special, I highly recommend asking for him specifically if you want to experience the real bohol. The tour Is awesome value for what it is.
          Written January 22, 2025
        • 497ethano
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Tour Guide Silo was amazing!
          We did the half day tour with our guide Silo. He couldn’t have been a better tour guide or person! He was an excellent driver, punctual, informative, and went above and beyond for us. We booked a group tour but it ended up only being myself and my partner, and Silo made the experience very personal. He showed us several sites not on the agenda, as well as stopped at a few places we asked him to show us. We kept in contact our entire 5 days in Bohol, and ended up spending lots of additional time together. Silo went out of his way to personally transport us for other activities during when he wasn’t busy with other tours, including our departure flight. I couldn’t recommend Silo or his company enough! 10/5!
          Written November 28, 2024
        • lamkan_0316
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Bohol tour
          Great tour, our guide was a great driver and was good at navigating the road. The sites were also very beautiful. Great experience overall
          Written August 22, 2024
        • esmeraldap575
          0 contributions
          2.0 of 5 bubbles
          Decent event schedule, do not recommend for small groups of women.
          The trip began well with the tour guide being amicable and knowledgeable. However in the vehicle he was trying to really upsell services for the future as well as for the trip. We decided to go RVing and most went well up until the man doing the photography (which was part of the service we were told) said “don’t forget to give me a tip”. Both male tour guides also kept on giving way too many compliments about looks and when it came to describing the tangier mating season the methods seemed inappropriately described. The lunch on the tour was the best part. Delicious with great views. Tangier viewing isn’t really worth it. Chocolate mountains were amazing. Towards the end between the tour guides there seemed to some sort of cryptic sign language which did not make us feel safe at all, in fact making both of us feel in danger. When we asked to be taken back the tour guide insisted on taking us to a random back road which we did not get out on. When he took us to the port -after us insisting- it turns out, as suspected, we did not need to get out on that random road which later made us feel super uneasy. On the front cover it seems as if this tour would have been great for two female friends. It is not. I do not recommend it at all for solo female travelers or small groups or women. The trip happened 3 weeks ago. If it wasn’t for these events it would have made a decent trip but I feel it’s my obligation to mention how unsafe it made us feel.
          Written April 15, 2024
        • abbiedabbie0
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Excellent trip with wonderful lunch!
          4 adults did the private experience bohol trip with our driver/ guide Silo. He was contactable by text from the day before and arrived in a new van on time. Silo was fantastic, his English was excellent and he told us lots about the local area. We drove through (but didn't stop) in the bilar forest, but we made other stops at the rice Paddi fields and showed us how coconut wine was made. We saw 4 tarsiers, very close but the safety of the tarsiers was important to the guides. The views from the chocolate hills were fantastic (but you have to climb 200 steps) Lunch on the loboc River cruise was excellent- food was tasty and views and music were lovely. Your knees and shoulders must be covered if you want to go into the church, you can hire a shall but they'll film you putting it on. I was not happy about this but this was not Silo's fault. Overall an excellent trip which I would definately do again x
          Written March 4, 2024
        • kenjih770
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          I received many souvenirs from my sincere guide.
          When it comes to solo travel, no matter how great the scenery or experiences, nothing beats a sincere guide. The magnificent scenery of the Chocolate Hills and the adorable tarsier monkeys made me feel the wonders of nature to the fullest. Even more! ! , the topics that came up in our conversations - a family harvesting rice in a field, a small factory milling rice, the experience of feeding peanuts to a lot of monkeys, etc. - all come up along the way. Although it didn't take that long, I feel like I received a lot of souvenirs. Siro, I hope I hits you next time too!
          Written February 28, 2024
        • 497rorys
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing tour!
          Not much to say except amazing trip & experience start to finish my wife & I loved every aspect of the tour. The Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Sanctuary, Man-Made Forest & River Cruise with buffet were all amazing we loved the Bohol countryside and hope to visit again. Definitely recommend this trip!
          Written February 6, 2024
        • kramnevedl
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Lovely cute place
          The view is so amazing , thats my first time to see a real tarsier and the place is so cold nice and it really suit for familu vacation , the price is not that high so for sure u can really afford it ... The best part is seeing those mountains during sunrise its a picture perfect place that will surely capture tourist eye..
          Written January 24, 2024
        • Kate D
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          Good day out in Bohol
          Great seeing the Chocolate Hills although most were green due to the time of year. Quite amazing to see - there are hills as far as you can see. Then off to see the tarsiers - pretty sure they put them in the trees so visitors can see them quite easily but they would be almost impossible to see if they didn’t - so small and dark and they curl up under the leaves. Loboc River cruise was great - river is pretty and food was nice.
          Written January 14, 2024
        See all 56 reviews
        These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

        Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


        2.5
        2.5 of 5 bubbles12 reviews
        Excellent
        2
        Very good
        2
        Average
        2
        Poor
        2
        Terrible
        4

        Hp
        Glasgow, UK1 contribution
        2.0 of 5 bubbles
        May 2023 • Couples
        Seriously over crowded. This is not what you imagine when you think you will be swimming with whale sharks. Herded onto a small boat taken out about 30metres to watch a few folk in kayaks feeding the sharks. All the while the next boats are behind you filled with people waiting to go. The sharks have no interest in what is going on around about them. Just constantly mouth up at the kayak being fed while loads of people are all bashing into each other with flippers on and into the shark aswell. Magnificent creatures but the experience was not what we hoped for at all. Was really disappointed, and was not pleasant to see or be part of
        Written May 28, 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        The same with my previous response with other reviews, we do not have in anyway had a connection with the activity management. Nor has any agreements with them. We are simply a transportation provider for tours and activities. The management already knew these concerns however, due to other tour operator request to accommodate there group tours that made the activity crowded. Sorry to hear that you were not able to meet your expectations. Anyway, thank you for the opportunity for serving your activity requirements.
        Written May 29, 2023
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Roger Hardy
        Southampton, UK13 contributions
        3.0 of 5 bubbles
        Quite an enjoyable experience overall. I loved seeing the whale sharks, but it was quite crazy and there were too many people in the water, which didn't seem too appropriate for the fish. Basic awareness talk at the start and life vests and goggles/snorkels provided. The site itself resembles a building site as it appears to be being ramped up to more capacity.
        Written April 10, 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        I am sorry for the mistakes and shortcomings that has been done to the big animals by the activity crew. As a transportation operator only, we do not have influence on the management of the site or activity area. We do not have the direct hands on on the control of the activity. Our capacity only is to bring guest and travelers to the activity or site. Though your concern were already communicated to the activity management. Again, thank you for the opportunity of having you as our guest. All the best to your next travel.
        Written April 13, 2023
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Jamie R
        3 contributions
        3.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jan 2024 • Couples
        We anticipated we would be swimming with free whale sharks and experience the true beauty of them but this was not the case. In our particular day there were 6 whale sharks in the area so not as crowded as others have explained however it is true that you are pretty much just snorkelling and treading water whilst they get fed the most vile food, it's just fishy water and it gets poured into the area you're swimming and it completely murks the water also so you can barely see, not to mention you stink of it for hours after. We had around 15 minutes holding onto the side of the boat with our heads dipped under water watching the whale shark eat. Cool to see something of this size so close up however not something I'd recommend. Make the extra trip to Oslop for the real whale shark swimming experience!
        Written January 18, 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Again, i would like to clarify that we are only a transport service provider. We do not have a role on the management of whale shark activity. And due to negative reviews that affected us directly, we decided not to service this tour activity.
        Written January 25, 2024
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Adam G
        2 contributions
        1.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jan 2024 • Couples
        Where to start. If you're looking for advice, and have a moral compass/care for animals. DO NOT TAKE THIS TOUR.

        Picture the scene, a crowd of people wait in a shaded area with little organisation, in what appears to be a very hastily created space.

        You're given a short briefing, do no wear any sun cream/other lotions as the whale sharks are very sensitive. Cue left, immediately a woman applies sun cream. Do no swim above or below the whale sharks, stay 5m from the front/back and 2m from the sides with threats of 20,000php fines. Sounds good, sensible and should help protect these magnificent creatures.

        Next you're called up by number to form groups of about 10, packed into a small canoe and paddled out about 100ft where you join another 6-7 boats roped together and connected to a 'master' boat.

        So here you are with about 60 other people splashing around in a very compact semi 'pen'. It's chaos, people e everywhere swimming into you, bumping you and in my case physically pushing you out of the way to try and see a whale shark.

        There are 2/3 men in small kayaks paddling around, pouring food into the water to attract/keep the whale sharks close. On first site of this a splashing melee occurs as people battle to get as close as possible, all rules are off. It's a complete free for all. In the now very murky water from the commotion and food being poured in you will see a whale shark or two. But you shouldn't feel good about it, I certainly do not. I wish I hadn't gone.

        These people are doing this for one reason only, at 1500php per person, 60-70 people per half hour trip (running from 6am-noom) I'll let you do the maths on how much they're raking in exploiting these poor animals.

        These tours need much stricter regulations and heavily reduced numbers. It's an absolute disgrace.
        Written January 4, 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        We really appreciate your review. However, as what weve always said on previous reviews, we are only a transportation provider. we do not have influence on the management of this activity. We do not have direct involvement on this attraction. we only do the transfer of guest who wanted to do this activity. We even close this listing because the negative reviews we received before, however, there are many who reach out to us to open again this listing to serve the requirements and demand. Again, apologies for not being able to catc your expectations.
        Written January 10, 2024
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Andre Tee
        Rijswijk, The Netherlands37 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Mar 2023 • Couples
        The experience to snorkel with the whale shark was quite exciting. Because I did not succeed in photos or videoshots, I went back the next morning but from the shore it was difficult to make a clear photo or video. Mr Michael Bravo was so kind to sent me photos and a video and cause of his servicemibded personality I can recommend him to be your guide when you make a whale ahark tour in Taug/ Lila.
        Written March 19, 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        It was a pleasure of having you as our guest Sir, we understand there are limitations and some sort of issues of this activity but still find this activity fulfilling. It was a great serving you here in Bohol. Again thank you and heaven bless you...
        Written March 20, 2023
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        BushHiker
        Brisbane, Australia35 contributions
        1.0 of 5 bubbles
        Feb 2023
        I agree with a previous reviewer it was appalling that they treat them like this.
        Basically they feed the whale shark to attract them and all the tourists crowd around them.
        Yes I enjoyed taking the first video of the whale shark but then I realised what was happening and I wasn't upset.
        Written February 24, 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Hi, thank you for your review. Actually, there are already our guest from the past who made comments like you do. expressing disappointments. And we understand your concern. However, our business is only the transportation. To provide transportation service to and from the different destinations here in Bohol including the area of Taug where the activity is located. Thus, we have no control over the activity since we do not have any influence on the management of Whale shark watching activities. Though, the management of the whale shark watching activity already knew the real situation as we also forwarded to them the negative comments that we've received such as yours but at the end of the day, we do not have the power and authority to control over how they manage the activity. As I said earlier, our business is only to provide cars or vans to bring the guest and tourist like you to your desired destination. We do not own or any connection with the management of Whale Shark Activity. How I wish this comments and reviews of your would be directed to the activity entities as our services is only the car transport that is being utilized. Again, thank you for your comments and travel well on your next destination.
        Written February 27, 2023
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        WisconsinAnn
        Wisconsin17 contributions
        1.0 of 5 bubbles
        Feb 2023
        I cannot express how disappointed I was by this experience. I would give it zero stars if I could. We were there to scuba dive with the whale sharks. What we observed was a chaotic mess with no respect for the animals or rules. At one point we observed multiple snorkelers standing on the back of a whale shark. There was no distancing from the animals, rather, the boats pulled themselves right up to the feeding boat and the animals were touched and groped by the snorkelers while they were feeding. The experience left me feeling very sad. There was no rules being followed just complete exploitation of these majestic animals. I was appalled by the entire experience.
        Written February 21, 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Hi, thank you for having you as our Guest. Actually, there are already our guest from the past who made comments like you do. expressing disappointments. And we understand your concern. However, our business is only the transportation. To provide transportation service to and from the different destinations here in Bohol including the area of Taug where the activity is located. Thus, we have no control over the activity since we do not have any influence on the management of Whale shark watching activities. Though, the management of the whale shark watching activity already knew the real situation as we also forwarded to them the negative comments that we've received such as yours but at the end of the day, we do not have the power and authority to control over how they manage the activity. As I said earlier, our business is only to provide cars or vans to bring the guest and tourist like you to your desired destination. We do not own or any connection with the management of Whale Shark Activity. How I wish this comments and reviews of yours would be directed to the activity entities of Taug Whale Shark as our services is only the car transport that is being utilized. Again, thank you for your comments and keep safe on your next destination.
        Written February 27, 2023
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        ellireinikainen
        Tampere, Finland5 contributions
        2.0 of 5 bubbles
        May 2023 • Friends
        Way too over crowded and also over priced for the experience. I felt rushed in the snorkeling and the atmosphere was khaotic.
        Written July 7, 2023
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Again, i would like to emphasize that we are only a transportation service provider. We are not in anyway connected with the activity management. Nor has written agreement with the whale shark activity management. We only do transfers. According to the activity management, they just wanted to accommodate everyone and given that the activity is during morning only so as much as possible they have to let everyone do the experience particularly those with Group tours with big tour companies where time is essential part on their itinerary. Anyhow, thank you for having you as our guest.
        Written July 9, 2023
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Tore H
        2 contributions
        4.0 of 5 bubbles
        A great tour that offers whale-shark watching at a very reasonable price. We were lucky to see two whale-sharks while snorkeling at a very close range. Good value for money!
        Written July 10, 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Hi Sir Tore, It was a pleasure of having you both as our guest. Your visit here in our province of Bohol is so valuable not only for us but for the people in the province as well. In behalf of driver Jing thank you very much for the opportunity of serving your tour requirement here in Bohol. Keep safe and all the best to your future travel.
        Written July 11, 2022
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
        *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

        Bohol Whale Shark Watching with Chocolate Hills and Tarsier tour provided by Experience Bohol by Betterman Tours

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