It was raining very hard.
Sitting in the airport lounge waiting for the first trip to
Tagbilaran and hearing flights to other areas being cancelled,
I'm beginning to be apprehensive of this trip.
When the plane encountered strong turbulence and half
of the journey got very rough, my apprehension turned
to fear.
But then my fear turned
to wonder when upon nearing the island of Bohol, the
sky suddenly became clear and the weather turned calm.
I said to myself,
this must be really the City of Friendship…it even managed
to befriend super typhoon Milenya.
Did
you know?
Manong Boyet, our funny Bohol tour guide,
shared that Bohol is surrounded by the islands
of Cebu, Negros and Leyte. By the time a
typhoon passes its way, the wind's strength
has already weakened.
While the
whole of Metro Manila experienced the wrath of the storm last
Sept. 28, Bohol just had a slight drizzle in the morning and
then it had blue skies, windy weather all throughout the day.
It is really a paradise all throughout the year.
Chocolate
Hills
They
say you haven't seen Bohol if you haven't seen the Chocolate
Hills. In a way, this is true, because the town of Carmen,
where the famous Chocolate Hills are, is located at
the center of the province. By going through more than
1 hour of road-winding journey, you have already seen
half of Bohol.
One can hardly believe
these hills, more than 1,000 of them, are not man-made.
But if you climb the 214 steps leading to the viewing
deck (yes, 214 steps, not actually
for the faint-hearted
and the agoraphobic), there is a marker explaining how these
nature wonder may have been formed - through weathered formations
of marine limestone on top of layers of clay.
Tarsiers
- Beside the Loboc River, there is a mini-park where
you can see up close, probably, the world's smallest
primates. You simply have to donate an amount to enter
the mini-park. As first-time visitors, it is understandable
that you would want to take pictures (like I did!) but
please do not use the camera flash or try to touch them.
As they are nocturnal creatures and you only get to
see them during the day, it would be best if their sleep
is not disturbed.
Tarsier
Travel
Trip
You can actually rent a van for approx.
PhP 2,800.00, or a car for PhP 2,000.00,
to tour you in all the major tourist attractions
of Bohol.
If it's your first time and you want to
hear local facts and trivia, you may want
to get a tour guide. You may arrange this
with your hotel/resort or you may contact
the local tourism office directly. It doesn't
hurt, of course, to help support the livelihood
of the likes of Manong Boyet.
Loboc
River Cruise - Eating lunch and being serenaded while
cruising the long river is truly a romantic experience. Going
upstream, you will see miniature falls and for a small donation,
you will be serenaded by a group of old men playing rondalla
on a floating raft. The cruise takes about an
Loboc
River
hour
and costs approx. PhP260.00/person including lunch buffet.
Baclayon
Church and Museum - One of the oldest stone churches
in the Philippines, I cannot help but admire the effort
to preserve its old structure. The glass mosaic windows,
when shone, cast a kaleidoscope of colors on the altar,
creating a dreamy ambiance. Next to the church is the
old convent , which houses a small museum of religious
artifacts dating back to the 16th century. Some of the
notable items in the collection are: librettos of church
music written in Latin
on sheep skins, ecclesiastical vestments, tiaras, chinas,
relics of St.. Ignatius of Loyola, a statue of the Blessed
Virgin, and an ivory statue of the crucified Christ.
Sandugo
(Blood Compact) - A monument of the historic
blood compact between Datu Sikatuna (native Bohol chieftain)
and Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (representing the King
of Spain) can be found in Barangay Bool at Tagbilaran
City. The blood compact that took place on March 16,
1565 is considered as the first "Treaty of Friendship"
between the brown and white races. (Now you know the
historical origin of Bohol's City of Friendship title.)
Did
you know?
Baclayon church's structure is made of
coral stones cut into square blocks and
piled on to each other. Some 200 locals
used bamboo to move and lift the stones
and egg whites to cement these stones
together. The current building was completed
in 1727.
Pasalubong
- As pasalubongs are a staple to Filipinos when travelling,
we passed by the local
Travel
Trip
Pasalubong items are less expensive when
you buy from the local market or malls in
Tagbilaran.
However, if you're not really going to buy
a lot, and you're staying in Panglao, it
is more convenient to buy from the local
souvenir shops you'll be passing by on the
way to the resort.
souvenir
shop to buy Bohol's famous delicacies. Just in case
you are on a tight budget (or simply don't want to bring
back home a lot of baggage), do not be confused at the
varieties of peanut-based food items - there are peanut
biscuits, peanut pastillas, peanut candies, peanut brittles,
star-shaped peanuts, toasted peanuts, peanut butter
- and just buy the peanut kisses (my aunt keeps repeating
that they must be shaped like that to look like miniature
versions of Chocolate Hills). Each box costs PhP 23.00
and has a shelf-life of up to 18 months. They not only
look cute, they taste great.
Before heading for
the resort, we cannot resist not stopping by Bohol Bee
Farm for a late afternoon snack. Lest you might think
it looks and smell like a farm, it looks more of a secret
garden
perched on
a cliff. We sampled their fresh organic dishes and bought
some of the farm's homemade items.
Beaches,
Coral Reefs in Panglao Island - As the land of
the whole province is approx. 70% made of low-grade
limestone, it really boasts of long, wide expanse of
white sands. And given the local efforts to protect
the marine life, you don't have to dive deep to see
the amazing life underwater.
If you are a beach
person like me, it is a must that you visit Panglao
Island. In fact, I would recommend that you book
Did
you know?
Panglao Island is located southwest of Bohol
province. It is said that Spaniards who
came to the island after an unfortunate
experience in Cebu named it Panglao, after
the Tagalog word 'mapanglao', which means
'lonely'.
your accommodation in one of its resorts
so you can have a more relaxing stay.
For
my first Bohol trip, I had the warm hospitality of Tambuli
Resorts, more locally known as Bohol Beach Club. Its
60-hectare private beach property and complete amenities
offers the ultimate relaxation. (More
on Bohol Beach Club.)
If you have more time,
I recommend including in your itinerary island hopping
to Pamilacan and Balicasag. On a clear day, locals guarantee
dolphin watching and the best snorkeling experience.
I cannot wait to go back
to this little paradise. In fact, I'm already planning my
next visit
