We recently went on a 9-day trip to Bohol and, as promised, we made note of some frugal finds we encountered.  Here are some of them:

Nuts Huts.  This place is IT.  Located at the heart of Loboc, Bohol, it rests beside the Loboc River and high up in the mountains.  Our room cost us P500/night. The original price is P600/night, but there’s a P100 discount if you stay for more than one night.

Since Loboc is closer to Corella (where the tarsiers are), Bilar (Butterfly Conservation Center and Man Made Forest) and Carmen (Chocolate Hills), compared to Tagbilaran or Panglao, it makes more sense to stay here when visiting those places.

You can also organize tours and transportation with the Nuts Huts office.  The Magnificent Cave Hike costs P200/person, including guide fees.  They also rent mountain bikes.  The staff is friendly and approachable, so if you need to organize specific tours, they’re always ready to help.

The Nuts Huts restaurant also features affordable dishes.  The vegetarian spaghetti was only P120, and it was enough for the both of us.  The fruits and vegetables they serve are always fresh, since they come from the garden.

To get to the place, you need to either ride a boat (P150/head) or hike a bit.  We were also able to access the internet because of our Smart 3G Modem, but we ended up with only a slow GPRS connection. Still, it was enough for the occassional work we had to do.

If you prefer to stay in an urbanized area, however, Nuts Huts might not be the place for you.   But for nature lovers, this is the perfect place to stay.  We have no second thoughts about returning here.

Contact information: 0920-846-1559, walterken@hotmail.com, or visit NutsHuts.com

Villa Del Sol.  When we transferred to Tagbilaran, this was where we stayed.  The most basic room for 2 costs P950/night, which includes a free breakfast and airport/seaport transfers.  Even if we came from Loboc, the owner agreed to pick us up from the Loboc town center for free!  Other amenities include the following:

• Free Wi-fi
• Cable TV
• Hot and cold showers

Villa Del Sol is located at the Mansasa Seaside, so it’s very scenic and you can go out for a swim.  While this seaside is not like the white beaches of Panglao, it’s still picturesque, and here’s the evidence:

Contact information: 0917-825-9251, www.villadelsolbohol.com.  You can call their Manila office at (02) 563-6861.

Myrna’s Eatery.  When you get down from the pier, you can either ride in one of the available vans/jeepneys waiting for tourists, or you could walk away and head for Myrna’s Eatery, which is a small canteen visible from the road to the pier.You won’t miss it as they open early and have a big sign.

We had breakfast here, which consisted of two omelettes, two big cups of rice, one big bowl of soup, and water.  You know how much it cost?  P32.00.  Total.  A breakfast for two!  You can’t beat that price anywhere.

The staff is also friendly, and they gave us directions on how we can find public transportation to get us to Loboc.

Dried Mangoes.  Actually, these items were bought in Cebu. I thought I’d mention them here because we did a very short side trip to Cebu on our way back to Manila.  Here’s the funny thing: dried mango bits are much cheaper than dried mango chips, even if they weigh the same.  You’re just getting the same amount of mango in both packs.  The only difference is the shape and size of the pieces.  The dried mango bits are smaller, while the chips are bigger.  For the brand we bought, the dried mango bits (80 grams) cost P17.00, while the chips of the same weight cost P30.00.

We had such a great time on our Bohol trip that we know we’re going to come back.  It was because of these frugal finds that we didn’t go overbudget, and they will also be part of the reason why we will return.

Have you ever visited Bohol?  Where did you stay?  Do you have your own frugal finds to share?