Biyahilo - Bohol

I decided to add an entry to my 'Lakwatsa' chapter. Why? Because I though that my Baguio-Intramuros entry felt lonely. However, I have to set your expectations first before I proceed. The last time I was in Bohol, the year was 2006 and obviously a lot of things have changed such as fares, day tour/hotel rates, new spots to discover and alike. If you are wondering why it took me this long to add my Bohol trip as an entry? Simple, I was not maintaining a blog then (if I had, I have already deleted it) and I was too lazy to write about my trips locally and abroad. I discovered that writing such entries take time and energy. And since we are already in the topic of setting expectations, some of the facts that I will mention may not be that specific as my Baguio City-Intramuros entry and this is not due to my lack of care but because I just can't remember the exact details anymore.

Here it goes.

Bohol is located in the middle of the Philippine archipelago, specifically the Visayas Region, that can conveniently be reached by boat or plane. In my case, it was by boat. My friends and I took the morning trip and two hours after, the ferry docked at its pier. As soon as we were off the boat, we were greeted by eager drivers-cum-tour guides who offered their services for PhP2000.00. This offer included the van that will take us to/from our hotel and gas money for the various tourist spots we visited). Not that bad since there were 9 of us who chipped in on that rate. Please take note though that this rate was back in 2006 and it has changed. I heard from a friend who recently went there that the offer now is ranging from PhP3000-4000.00. If you will be traveling with friends then this rate is just fare.

From the pier, it was just a 20-minute ride to our hotel. We checked in at the Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao. The rate then was PhP1,200 per night but if you want to know their recent rates then you can check their website http://dumaluanbeachresort.tripod.com/home.html for more details. The booking already covered our free breakfast however try not to expect too much from that breakfast. But our rooms were clean and the sheets/towels were fresh which were all we needed. The best thing about staying there, the hotel was just right beside the ocean and Bohol is well known for having the best beaches in the country. You can enjoy long walks on its white sand shoreline that stretches as far as the eyes can see.

Anyway, here are the places that you should not miss if you take a trip to Bohol.

Loboc River Cruise. I think we paid PhP300 per head for our eat-all-you-can lunch while cruising along the river. You have the option to choose which boat you liked. There were some boats that cater specifically to vegetarians but it was a good thing that I was not in one of those as I was with friends who preferred to sink their teeth on meat. These local floating restaurants also arranged singers to serenade the guests while enjoying the food.

Tarsier. This is the only place in the country where you can see out in the open one of the smallest primates in the world - the Philippine Tarsier. We all know that because of its size, spotting them in the wild is quite a chore but the Philippine Tarsier Foundation has made it possible for tourists to see and touch the tarsiers. A little advice though, please avoid the tarsiers in the Loboc River area. (Those people have no shame at all! All they cared about was the money they were getting from showing off the captured tarsiers in cages or when they made decorations out of them in miserable make-shift habitats.)

Baclayon Church. This church is the oldest church in Bohol, dating as far back as 1596. However its current structure as how it is today was started in 1727. When we went there, there was a funeral so, out of respect for the mourners, we did not really go inside the church to take pictures. Let's just say, we took a quick peek inside and went directly to the museum where the curator(I forgot her name) sternly advised us not to take photos. What we saw: hymnals in latin supposedly using paper made of animal skin, vests with threads made of gold, old ivory statues and of course, the infamous 'tribuna' where the tight-ass important people in the Spanish period prayed without being seen by the commoners.


Blood Compact Site. This is the spot where the First Treaty of Friendship was sealed by Legazpi and Sikatuna. The event is referred to by the Tagalogs as 'Sandugo'. Once there, we saw 5 sculptures created by the Boholano Artist Napoloeon Abueva and as soon as we stepped up on the dais, we were treated with the generous view of the Bohol Sea. In front of the site, we found shops selling all kinds of gift items which and knick-knacks that the city was known for and you can haggle your way into purchasing the items at the most practical price.

Sadly, these were all the places that I was able to visit while I was in Bohol. I never got the chance to see the most celebrated attraction - The Chocolate Hills because my friends were in a hurry to go home (They were not too excited to see it since they have actually seen it before) and I was also scared to roam the outskirts of the city on my own. I plan to go back to Bohol next year and the Chocolate Hills will definitely be the first in my itinerary. Also, I have heard of the newest attraction they have been promoting which is part of EAT Danao (Eco-Tourism Adventure Tour) program that highlights a unique zip line amongst others.

Until my next visit then.