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Lunch at Loboc Rivercruise Floating Restaurant

February 16, 2015 by Anna — 15 Comments
Filed Under: Travel

Right after we checkout from the beach, we jumped in the van to complete the rest of our day tour around Bohol. The thing is we haven’t had a decent meal since that morning during the island hopping tour. We were looking for a place to eat, and while the driver slash tour guide wasn’t very helpful with recommending us affordable places to eat (he kept showing us the expensive beaches along Panglao as we passed by), we somehow ended up in Loboc.. to the Rivercruise Floating Resto.

Loboc Rivercruise and Floating Restaurant

Initial fees: PHP 350 fee for the cruise and lunch buffet, PHP 100 for the entrance. A total of PHP 450/head and you can now join the group for a lunch buffet inside the boat for an hour and a half (or two?). Gonna be an afternoon of singing, eating and enjoying the spectacular views along the river. 🙂 

Sidenote: From what I remember the PHP 50 was waived for our group for some reason. I remember this because I only had PHP 400 cash left that time.

The docking area

The docking area

Here’s our boat!

After paying, you will be assisted to the waiting area until your batch can be accommodated to be brought to the docking area. You have to wait in the queue, in the docking area, for a couple of minutes before your batch gets their turn to board the floating restaurant. The turnaround time isn’t that long, since the boats can accommodate many people, you’ll be in one soon enough.

The view from our table

The view from our table

Once inside the boat, we picked the table closest to the front because for some reason every other group was rushing in to the back area instead. Now that I think about it maybe it’s because it’s closer to the buffet table, too? 😆 Well we liked our spot, it was easier to take photos and the view was better. A little bit inconvenient at times because the sun hit us directly.. as if we aren’t dark already from spending hours under the sun because of the activities earlier that morning.

The program flow is usually a round of singing from the staff, of top 40 songs with their own country folk twist, sometimes they would insert old songs in the performance but sing it with a modern tune. Guests are welcome to participate or throw in a request, if they know the song.

For us, we were after the food and the sceneries along the river. There were some short stopovers along the way. Different cultural performances, related to the Bohol culture in general await the visitors. We didn’t get off the boat in all of them to see close up though.

We decided to check out at least one stopover, and it was this one w/ people who were waiting for the guests as the boat approached their area. It was a small part of the island along the river where the Ati Tribe reside. You are welcome to join them, interact with them, try out the bow and arrow and take a photo with their group (make sure you catch the fire breather when your photographer snaps the photo). As far as I know there’s no fee but they encourage people to tip after.

I felt uncomfortable editing this. Shouldn't she have something to cover her chest?

I felt uncomfortable editing this. Shouldn’t she have something to cover her chest?

Ati Tribe members

Ati Tribe members

I had no money at the time so as much as it would be cool to get a photo w/ the group of Ati Tribe and get that fire breather to breathe fire next to me (lol), I could only look at it from a distance and take a photo of another group instead for souvenir purposes.

That guy reminds me of Dhalsim from the Street Fighter video game

YOGA FLAME! — Only Street Fighter players will know this reference *wink*

Out of the two stopovers you’ll make in the trip, I think this is the one with the most activities you can engage in when you look around. The other one is a platform w/ the River Choir performers.

This was not ALL that I ate (I had fruits after this!)

This was not ALL that I ate (I had fruits after this!)

Food was OK. Lots of choices but the dishes were not the type you would keep coming back to, nor were they new and a must-try (for me, at least). We were hungry so we couldn’t really complain. It was decent and enough in the moment, to fill an empty stomach. It was all, if not most, common Filipino food. One thing I want to note though, is that I wish they kept it heated throughout the trip. It was lukewarm and some of the dishes looked unpresentable and soggy when I saw it. 🙁 Also, more servings to accommodate everyone in the batch. I feel that I did not get my money’s worth because the foods I wanted to try already ran out when I got to it.

On the good side, the fruits and desserts were delicious and I kept coming back for those. Not much selection on drinks. There were sodas, fresh fruit beverages (I think?), iced tea, and water.

As the minutes went by and we were sailing along the river and seeing more parts of it, I was starting to take notice at how beautiful it looked. It can’t be all natural, I thought to myself. Is it possible that some of it or maybe all of this is man-made? Check out some of the photos below.

I say this made the PHP 400 worth it. Sorry to say I was totally ignoring whatever program of entertainment the staff was doing to the entire guests at the time and was busy basking and taking in the view.

Of course, this kind of experience can only be attained if you come by on a good day. Meaning, the sun is high up, nice sunny weather, and at the top of noontime. I believe there’s also a nighttime version of this cruise w/ dinner buffet, and it might possibly be a little cheaper(?), but I doubt you will get the same kind of view. Best to go during daytime and around noon and during a time w/ zero chances of rain.

Towards the end of the trip, on your way back, there will be a photographer roaming around the boat taking photos of the guests in the table. Taking a photo using your camera is allowed too, but they will insist taking your photo using their camera first. Followed by reviewing which shots turn up better, and they will ask you if you would like to have it printed. If I remember correctly, it’s P150 per photo and that’s the one from their camera. You can decline their offer and stick with your photo from your own cameras – this is what we did. They were OK with it.

When we got off the boat, I checked the time and was surprised to see it hasn’t been that long since we got on. More like just an hour or two ago. Time is reaally, really slow when you are away from the city lol.

Would I recommend the Loboc Rivercruise Floating Restaurant to everyone? Yes, but it is not necessarily a must-visit unless you have nothing better to do that day. Visiting it once is enough.

Yes it is family-friendly, even for kids. Especially for families with children and infants, and groups of people and friends. I don’t know if anyone will find that bit of information helpful but yeah. Also couples, but I doubt you want it.. I know it’s all about “us time” with couples lol.

If you are having doubts because you are swayed by my unfavorable feedback about it (gee, (no) thanks, Anna! haha), think of it this way: The fact that there is a buffet is a good reason to at least try it out for once. You’ll leave with a full tummy, and memories of wonderful views along Loboc River.

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Filed under: Travel

About the author: Anna

Internet lurker since the early 2000s. Blogger of So Stellar, an anything goes blog. Web designer @ AnnaEsguerra.com. Previously a concert addict who loved covering events for this blog. Currently on break as I'm focusing on health and recovery.. (More about Anna)

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15 Responses

  1. Sandra says

    October 19, 2017 at 3:05 PM

    Hi, is it needed to book first before going to lunch rivercruise?

    Reply
  2. Ana Victorino says

    January 19, 2017 at 12:36 AM

    Thank you so much for this review. I’m currently in Bohol and skeptical about going. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Katreena says

    January 10, 2017 at 10:40 PM

    Hi! Do you know how/where to book in advance for the cruise and lunch? Thanks

    Reply
  4. Bemmy says

    June 8, 2016 at 9:44 AM

    hello… just wanted to ask.. what’s the difference between loboc floating restaurant and loboc riverwatch floating resto? i am confused.. can someone please help. :\

    Reply
    • Anna says

      June 26, 2016 at 8:17 PM

      All I know is that the floating resto in Loboc and Loboc Riverwatch floating resto are both the same.. they’re both in boats I’m sure.

      Reply
  5. De says

    March 22, 2016 at 8:41 PM

    Hi,will be there soon.hope the sun up and i can see all the amazing view there..planning to bohol on 8-9 of june after cebu city.its really make me jelouse when i saw all the pictures..

    Reply
    • Anna says

      March 23, 2016 at 1:01 AM

      This is just a glimpse of what Bohol has to offer to its visitors.. hehehe. I’m glad you liked the photos. Fingers crossed the weather cooperates with you during your visit to Bohol in June! 🙂 Have fun!

      Reply
  6. Anna says

    March 3, 2015 at 11:53 AM

    Thank you Gingi!! I wish you could go here someday and see that view for yourself, it is truly breathtaking and there are loads more like it around here. 🙂

    Reply
  7. JHANZEY says

    February 22, 2015 at 3:59 PM

    Weird, but just like Niko, this looks a little different from the one that I had last year. it was also the one near the ruins of the church. The food was great, and our bangka was saved for us lang. It was a great experience, but I agree, it must be done only once. haha! But I must say that the experience was nice, though, with all these people singing and cheering. Plus the buffet was good!! Hehe 🙂

    Reply
    • Anna says

      March 3, 2015 at 11:56 AM

      Perhaps it’s somehow a different experience for everyone. We might not have shared the same view but at least you had a better buffet selection than us.. huhuhu. Lol.

      And another takeaway from your experience was that na-solo niyo yung bangka! Privacy and good food would have made mine 100x better but well, we can’t have everything. :))

      Reply
  8. Gingi Edmonds Freeman says

    February 18, 2015 at 11:00 PM

    OH MAN!! I am so jealous!! I really want to do something like that.. I love river cruises and boat / dinner excursions.. I have only been on a handful of those in my lifetime. You took some amazing pictures! I am truly envious!! <3 – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

    Reply
  9. Mikyu Maglasang // mikyu.com says

    February 18, 2015 at 8:58 AM

    How was the food, Anna? I’ve experienced the floating restaurant twice already but I can’t remember if I enjoyed the food. Haha. All I remember was that the performers all throughout the cruise were enough to keep me entertained. 🙂

    Reply
    • Anna says

      March 3, 2015 at 11:57 AM

      Food was average, and it wasn’t as delicious as my hungry tummy as the time had expected hahaha. I just called it a day after it all since I got good photos from the experience anyway.

      Reply
  10. Niko Batallones says

    February 17, 2015 at 1:52 PM

    This looks like a different river cruise to what I’ve been in when I went to Bohol, ah. I didn’t realize there were more than one.

    I remember the docking area being near a church that has since gone down because of the quake. (Was it Loon? I cannot recall.)

    Reply
    • Anna says

      March 3, 2015 at 11:58 AM

      I didn’t know there’s more than 1 of this? I thought whatever area we went to, that was it…? Hahaha.

      Maybe they renovated the place? 🙂 I remember we did pass by a church too.

      Reply

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