Sorry. I haven't been blogging lately. Too much work, then there's Football Manager 2008. And then there's Bohol, The Empire Strikes Back. Here are highlights and tips when you go:

1. Best beach really is the one at the Bohol Beach Club, but their food sucks.

2. So, stay at Alona Beach (Alona Tropical actually has better rooms for the money than BBC; try to get rooms 35 and 36 which are priced as poolside cottages but have an excellent beachfront view. From there, you have foot access to some really good restaurants (forget the hotel's own, food's bad too). Ask for a discount if you're there off season.

3. Try the Panglao sausage at Hayahay. Or any of their pizzas.

4. You'll need four days. Take the first day relaxing at the beach, the second to go see the sights (Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, Loac River, Baclayon Church, Seashell Museum), the third for dolphin-watching, snorkeling at Balicasag and a sidetrip to a sandbar called the Virgin Island. Day four should be spent at the beach yet again.

5. Make sure you have a meal (lunch is best) at the Bohol Bee Farm. Lots to choose from! Bring back pesto and coriander spreads.

6. Never book your tours through an agency or through the hotel. Instead, talk to some of the staff: they usually know people with boats, cars or vans to take you around. It's about Php 1,500 for a day tour of the sights with a van that holds 8 people. Php 400 for transfers to and from the airport. And Php 2,000 to 2,500 for a day of dolphin-watching, snorkeling and island-hopping on a boat that fits 8. Here are the numbers of the tour operators on the ground that I went with, and recommend: Edric Regis, (0906) 588-4571. Edward or Rodel (0929) 222-4400. Both operators speak good English. Edric has cars, vans and a boat.

7. Do not skip the dolphin watching. It doesn't matter that you need to get up at 5 AM to see them. For the land-borne, monitor-hugging desk jockey like me, it's like having Big Foot sit by your campfire: seeing it is one thing, realizing what you just saw is another.

8. On Balicasag Island, they have quality snorkels and aqua shoes for rent at P100 and P150 respectively -- so don't sweat that you didn't bring any. Have brunch there after your snorkeling and dolphin-watching (order in between so when you get back from snorkeling, lunch is ready). Escabeche and lapu-lapu sinigang in kamias: yummy!

9. Taking the boat to the sandbar at Virgin Island shouldn't cost extra. Tell your boatman.

10. Finally, watch the Cebu Pacific Airways website. They have fare deals to Tagbilaran all the time.