The Best Tour in Bohol! 😍

There’s a moment I keep returning to from my trip to Bohol:

A wooden table of steamed ube and kamote in a bahay kubo. The Chocolate Hills sitting in the distance.

A cup of tsokolate, freshly brewed from local tablea (cacao), warm in my hands. Yassie’s family moving around us on their farm, relaxed and generous, as if we weren’t guests at all but people who’d simply turned up for lunch. No other tourists. No rush to be or go anywhere else.

A snippet of provincial farm life in Bohol, far away from the madding crowds.

Perfect.

I’m Mel – a British Filipino travel creator and photographer who has been exploring the Philippines for over two decades. I’ve done a LOT of tours across the islands. None of these tours have ever made me cancel my evening plans to stay longer (the evening plans being cocktails at a luxury resort).

This one, however, did.

So this is my Bohol Nature Tours review and my take on why their specialty Inland Tour is, in my experience, the best tour in Bohol for slow travellers, ethical adventurers, and anyone who wants to actually feel at home during their trip to Bohol.

Let’s get into the review!

Disclosure: This experience was in collaboration with Bohol Nature Tours. As always, all opinions, observations, and gushing about freshly brewed tsokolate are honest and entirely my own.

Who is Bohol Nature Tours?

Bohol Nature Tours is a DOT-accredited, Travelife Partner operator running private tours in Bohol since 2015. Their Inland Private Tour is their signature experience – a full private day built around local life, ethical wildlife encounters, and a genuinely unhurried pace. They run just two private tours per day. That alone tells you something about their priorities.

The itinerary adapts rather than rigidly follows. The guide chooses the local market based on what’s most interesting that day. The waterfall is selected according to conditions and crowd levels. Lunch is at a family home that doesn’t appear on any public map. The Chocolate Hills are experienced from a quiet community viewpoint, well away from the standard tourist platform.

We customised our day to focus purely on nature and culture, removing the zipline, the ATV, the man-made forest, the butterfly park and the firefly watching. Initially we thought we wouldn’t have time to go through all of it because of our evening plans, but in the end, turns out we were enjoying ourselves too much at a local provincial farm to rush back to our hotel!

Is Bohol Nature Tours An Ethical Tour Company?

This is the question worth asking before you book any tour in Bohol – and it’s where Bohol Nature Tours genuinely stands apart.

Firstly, they are DOT-accredited (Philippines Department of Tourism), which adds an extra layer of safety and security that they meet certain standards. Secondly, as I learned firsthand, what makes Bohol Nature Tours different to other tours is that their ethical approach shows up in specific, concrete ways.

They avoid over-visited and over-commercialised sites wherever possible, choosing instead to route guests through working local communities, family homes, and lesser-known natural spots. They actively support local livelihoods at every stop — the market vendor, the farming family, the community guide – rather than funnelling visitors through tourist infrastructure that bypasses local people entirely.

And importantly, they actually listen to what their guests want to do and experience. That, for me, is not just ethics, but true hospitality.

Bohol Nature Tours also asks guests not to geotag specific locations from the tour. They’ve watched special places change once they become public pins on a map, and they take active steps to prevent that. It’s a small ask that speaks to a much bigger commitment: protecting the places and communities that make Bohol worth visiting in the first place. I think that’s worth acknowledging.

So for travellers specifically looking for ethical tours in Bohol or sustainable tourism in the Philippines, Bohol Nature Tours is one of the operators I’d point to with complete confidence.

Bohol Nature Tours Review: The Private Inland Tour

Starting the day with a market visit

We started with a local market visit. Our guide Aida chose it based on what was happening that particular day – a genuine community market. It was huge.

This was an incredible market full of fresh fruit and vegetable produce, seafood and meats, even an ukay-ukay (thrift) section with stall after stall selling everything from slogan tees to vintage denim shorts. I loved browsing the Boholano weave crafts (and wished I had enough space to bring back a weave mat in my little suitcase!)

We picked up some mangos, some bananas, some tarsier keychains, and had a good wander before heading further inland on our next stop.

Seeing tarsiers ethically in Bohol at a sanctuary

The next stop was an ethical Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Bohol. The best thing about this sanctuary was that it features small groups, staggered entry, and complete silence throughout (because tarsiers are nocturnal and highly sensitive to noise and light). We had a guide called Kuya Dodoy, who clearly had a great relationship with Bohol Nature Tours, and he guided us through the forest with quiet signals, pointing out sleepy little tarsiers blinking from their branches, helping us take great photographs.

I hadn’t seen tarsiers up close and personal since I was about five years old, so this felt like a special moment.

Sweaty but buzzing after seeing so many tarsiers!

Seeing tarsiers at an ethical sanctuary was also one of the most moving wildlife encounters I’ve had anywhere in the Philippines. I really respected Kuya Dodoy, who communicated the conservation stakes very seriously, calmly, knowledgeably, without lecturing – and it made things feel even more special. We had a cheeky selfie before heading out and back to the tour van (we were grateful for the aircon)!

Chasing stunning waterfalls in Bohol

This waterfall was honestly breathtaking. So tall and powerful.

Our waterfall stop was chosen on the day based on conditions and access. In the spirit of Bohol Nature Tours’ geotagging policy, I won’t name it here.

But it was beautiful, uncrowded, and with that particular quality of being awed by nature. The falls were powerful!

I will say that this particular area felt a little bit chaotic after we finished swimming, simply because quite a few groups of people arrived just after we did, and there were stray dogs running around across the rocks, but we enjoyed it all the same.

Going for a dip at one of Bohol’s many beautiful waterfalls, enjoying the cold turquoise water!

Bring swimwear and a towel. You’ll want to get in. Do be aware that the water is nippy. Don’t forget your waterproof camera and some rock shoes!

Yassie’s father riding his carabao around the fields

Hanging with a local family in the province 

After lunch, Bohol Nature Tours took us to a quiet provincial farm at the foot of the legendary Chocolate Hills. Here was where we finally stopped and slowed down a little more before doing a hike. This was one of my favourite parts of the tour!

We were introduced to our hosts for the afternoon, a local family who ran the farm. They brought us to a classic kubo (nipa hut) where we sat down and whiled away the time.

I loved getting to eat indigenous fare, harvested locally. I grew up eating steamed kamote, cassava, ube, suman and saba. So it was a real joy to enjoy these with my friend V who had never tried them before. They also let us try the local tuba (coconut wine). It was delicious.

Locally-harvested indigenous Filipino fruits and root veg as merienda

They made us a hot cup of tsokolate, freshly brewed from local tablea (cacao), and Aida gave us some sweet flesh of the cacao fruit to taste. Yassie, the youngest daughter in the family, was such a joy to chat to. She taught us some TikTok dances (of course) that were popular at her school, and chatted a mile a minute about life in Bohol.

After our snack, Yassie and her father went to get us some tall bamboo sticks to use as walking poles for our hike, and then they led us to the foot of the hills…

A panoramic view of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Philippines, from a hidden local hiking spot away from the tourist crowds

Hiking to see the Chocolate Hills without any crowds

From the farm, Yassie and her father led us up a (pretty steep!) local trail up to a Chocolate Hills viewpoint from within the farming community itself.

What I LOVED about this part of the tour was that there were no tourists, no platforms, no crowds, no queuing for photos… Just a grassy hill, bamboo poles for support, and an extraordinary 360-degree view spreading out in every direction. Aida had already given us the context of real life around the Chocolate Hills – the cacao, the crops, the family we’d spent the afternoon with. Seeing the hills from that vantage point, after all of that, felt genuinely earned. It wasn’t easy to us, but Yassie hopped up ahead of us in flip-flops!

We spent a while up there, enjoying the view. I felt like I was getting to see the real Bohol in a way I probably wouldn’t have without going on the tour.

Post-hike in the Chocolate Hills of Bohol – no other tourists around!

We hiked back down eventually, and it was a little steep (I’d made the mistake of wearing a white skirt and sandals for the whole day) but we got down unscathed. There were no handrails or steps apart from natural rock in the hillface, as this is a local trail. Take extra care and go as slow as you need to if your hand-eye coordination is subpar!

Back at base, Yassie’s father chopped us some fresh buko which revived us from going up and down in the heat.

Fresh buko being chopped up with a bolo knife

I even had a go at chopping coconuts myself, and managed to get a clean slice with the bolo! It was very satisfying.

The afternoon dissolved as we hung out with Yassie’s family, her father riding the carabao across the fields, and we felt unbelievably relaxed. We were in no rush to go anywhere else. We actually spent so long at the farm that we were several hours behind for our lunch. At that point, we decided to cancel our evening plans and commit the whole day to the tour.

This was the part that, for me, made the Bohol Nature Tours’s Private Inland Tour the best tour in Bohol.

Home-cooked Filipino dinner in the Bohol rice paddies

Home-cooked Filipino lunch at a local family home with Bohol Nature Tours: pancit, tortang talong, lumpia & more

After saying goodbye to Yassie and her family, we got back in the van and drove further out into the countryside.

Eventually we arrived at some of the most beautiful rice paddies I’ve seen in the Philippines. We met the Tita cooks who had been preparing our lunch, and they set up a table beneath a pergola for us to enjoy some hot homecooked food as the afternoon light came in low across the paddies.

We enjoyed proper Filipino food: tortang talong, pancit, rice, tapa, suka, all made with local ingredients. We stayed there for ages, watching life unfold, school kids walking home between the rice fields, people driving mopeds or carrying sacks of rice on their heads back to the main road. We even explored the fields ourselves!

Walking through the rice fields at sunset in Bohol

By the time we left, it was already dark. On our way back to our accommodation, we drifted off, waking up to see a pink sunset falling over the deep teal waters of the Loboc River.

The perfect way to end our tour with Bohol Nature Tours.

The wonders of Philippine rice varieties never cease!

What other Bohol tours can you take with Bohol Nature Tours?

We had hoped to also do the Pamilacan Island Hopping Tour – Bohol Nature Tours’ ethical island-hopping experience known for spinner dolphin encounters and sea turtle snorkelling around Balicasag. Alas, they were fully booked during our trip. That is the only reason it isn’t in this review. We’re going back, and it’s the first thing I’m booking!

The firefly evening extension is also on the list – a private boat through mangroves lit by thousands of synchronous fireflies at dusk. We traded it for a longer, slower afternoon this time.

Bohol Nature Tours Review: The Verdict

This is the best tour in Bohol for travellers who want genuine cultural immersion. A private, flexible day that adapts around you. Ethical wildlife encounters at a conservation-led sanctuary. A home-cooked Filipino meal you’ll be talking about for years. An operator whose values around sustainability and community support show up in practice, at every single stop.

It’s a 10/10 experience. Our guide Aida was brilliant. The coordination was impeccable. The Filipino spirit – bayanihan, warmth, that deep instinct to feed you and make you feel entirely at home – was woven through the whole day. It’s the kind of tour that reminds you why you travel in the first place.

Bohol tarsier fridge magnet my friend picked up at the market!

How to Book Bohol Nature Tours: Prices, Pickup & What to Bring

You need to book directly, as they confirm availability by email before any payment is taken. Book the Bohol Nature Tours Inland Private Tour directly here.

What to bring on your tour

What to bring:

• Comfortable walking shoes or sandals
• Swimwear and a towel for the waterfalls
• Sun protection
• Mosquito repellent
• Any medication you need
• Water bottle
• Your camera (waterproof or otherwise)
• Cap/hat
• Possibly a long-sleeved shirt (to protect yourself during the hike – and the aircon in the van can get chilly!)
• Spare change of clothes (in case you fall into a waterfall!)

Waterfall moment! Captured on an Insta360 x4

Bohol Nature Tours Review: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bohol Nature Tours the best tour operator in Bohol?

For slow travellers, culture-seekers, and anyone who values local connection over mass tourism, they are the best private tour operator I’ve experienced in Bohol.

What does the Bohol Nature Tours Inland Tour include?

Private transport, a DOT-certified local guide, a local market visit, the Corella tarsier sanctuary, a waterfall, a farming community visit near the Chocolate Hills, a home-cooked lunch with a local family, and a quiet Chocolate Hills viewpoint away from the standard tourist circuit. All entrance fees included. Optional extras – zipline, ATV, Loboc River kayak, firefly evening extension – can be arranged and paid on site.

Can I customise the Bohol Nature Tours Inland Tour?

Yes. We removed the zipline, ATV, and man-made forest from our itinerary and focused purely on nature, culture, and food. BNT were completely accommodating. The tour is private and built to flex around what matters to you.

Is Bohol Nature Tours good for first-time Philippines visitors?

Yes – and if I had to recommend a single experience for a first-time visitor to the Philippines, the BNT Inland Tour would be it. The home lunch, the tarsier sanctuary, and the Chocolate Hills from a local community setting offer a genuinely immersive window into Filipino life.

Is Bohol Nature Tours Good for Photographers?

Very much so. The unhurried pace, uncrowded locations, and spontaneous moments – particularly at the market and the family lunch – make it one of the best photography days I’ve had in the Philippines. All of that adds up to exceptional conditions for photography. I shot on my Sony A7iii, Insta360 and iPhone throughout the day and came away with some of my favourite frames from the entire Philippines trip. The family settings alone – being in the rice paddies, at a farm with Chocolate Hills around us, tablea and suman on the table – was worth the trip.

How far in advance should I book?

As early as possible. Bohol Nature Tours run just two private tours per day and dates fill quickly, especially in peak season (December–April). Book at boholnaturetours.com.

Do Bohol Nature Tours ask guests not to share locations?

Yes, and it’s worth taking seriously. They ask guests not to geotag specific stops. Some places are special precisely because they haven’t become public tourist pins. Share your experience freely – just skip the precise locations.

Snapped by Kuya Dodoy: thrilled to see a tarsier in its natural habitat!

Bohol and Beyond: Philippines Travel Guides

I hope this Bohol Nature Tours review was useful! Read more of my full Philippines travel guides below, or get more travel tips over on my Instagram. Happy travels!

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