Bohol: Day 1

When you say Bohol, the first thing that will come up to your mind is the Tarsiers and Chocolate hills.

You don’t need to tell me, I  know you loved it! And your next holiday will definitely be Bohol Island in Philippines. So inlove in this place! You know why? Because while many tourists are flocking to Boracay (we visited there too and enjoyed a lot), not that many people go to explore this beautiful island. So there you can feel the truly Filipino atmosphere!

According to Wikipedia, Bohol is the tenth biggest island in Philippines, is located in the middle of the archipelago (the country has more than 7.000 islands). It has a bit more than 4k square kilometers and is surrounded by others 75 small islands. There you can find stunning white sand beaches, lush green forests, symmetric hills and an incredible underwater life.  Bottom line: Bohol Island will enchant you!

Lets begin with our new AdvenTour!

Blood Compact Shrine

 - or Sandugo in tagalog

One of the Tourist Attractions in the Island of Bohol, the SANDUGO, well-known today as the Blood Compact Site in Bohol stands as a memorial ground to the historic sign of friendship between the Spaniards and the Filipinos.

The Blood Compact Site was built by National Artist Napoleon Isabelo Veloso Abueva, the Philippines' National Artist for Sculpture, and also a native of Bohol. The landmark features five life-sized images of men that are made of bronze while two important figures are having a friendship toast. It is located along the Carlos P. Garcia circumferential road, Loay town, Tagbilaran City where the area is much accessible to the tourists and provides a very pleasing background and a scenic glimpse of the Bohol Sea.

According to historical accounts, on March 16, 1565, the fleet of Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi anchored along the peaceful shores of Bohol. Initially, the expedition was met with hostility because the natives thought they were the white vandals known as the Portuguese.

Baclayon Church

Inside of Baclayon Church.

The ruins of Baclayon church.

Tarsier

 To see a Tarsier in nature we went to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, where we could find all the information about this strange and cute animal. The entrance fee is 50php.

In the middle of such unique nature a tiny cute animal spend all day sleeping on the trees. Not easy to find a Tarsier, but when you see it the first impulse is to scream (mute), hug, squeeze and play with them. But please don’t do it, never, ever…

The four of us together with our guide :)

The Tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world, measuring less than a human hand (85 to 160 millimeters). They are really shy animals with nocturnal habits, spending most of the day sleeping in hidden places. Because the Tarsier is shy and nervous, touching, hugging and camera flashes can really stress the animal. The  stress leads to the Tarsier commit suicide by hitting its head against objects.

We saw about 5 of them, they are actually 6 but the other one is nowhere to be find. Not kidding, these adorable creatures are so cute and harmless looking, you’d wish you had one as a pet.

Man-Made Forest

The Bilar Man-Made Forest is one of the most powerful attractions in Bohol Island in Philippines. The beautiful forest is the prove that men and nature can work together. While driving in the forest we stop just to contemplate the beauty.

The dense forest stretches up to 2 kilometers between the Loboc and Bilar towns. In 1947 the government started a project of reforestation. Together with the community, red and white mahogany trees were planted in 19,410 hectares of land, putting an end to the deforestation process that was happening in the Loboc watershed.

Loboc River

The Loboc River Cruise can’t be something optional if you don’t want to miss a superb experience in your Bohol country side tour. We've communed with nature as we navigate Loboc River while eating lunch. The food served at "long river cruise" is not as exotic and satisfying as the view of loboc river. But still the experience is one of a kind as the Loboc River is calm and unpolluted not like our very own Pasig River in Manila. The floating restaurant is made of a roofed platform on top of two large bancas which are joined together. We were entertained by a local singer and we made a stop at a dock where loboc children perform dances and sing local hymns.

By the way, it has entrance fee worth 100 pesos and the buffet lunch was 350. So all in all, we paid 450 pesos for a non-satisfying lunch but a great view and experience :)

 

70% of Loboc church has been destroyed by the earthquake in 2013.

Hanging Bamboo Bridge

Before crossing the bridge, we paid 20 PHP per head as entrance fee. It would be used for the maintenance of the bridge and amenities. The environmental fee (10 PHP from the entrance fee) is to preserve, maintain and protect the environment and the bridge.

The bridge was originally built using just bamboo and rope. Now, the rope has been secured with steel cables, giving added safety and stability. The deck of the bridge is formed out of woven bamboo slats. In places some of these appear broken but its still sturdy enough to take the weight of tourists, locals and even small motorcycles.

While crossing the bridge, you would be able to appreciate the great view of the emerald Sipatan River below. It was very bouncy and wobbly for me. Be sure to keep an eye on your steps and be careful. =)

On the other side of the bridge, I spotted a very famous man, “The Buko King”, who could strip a coconut (buko) in less than 10 seconds using just his teeth.

Banana-q i bought

Chocolate Hills

Can you imagine 1.700 symmetric hills all them side by side with same shape and size?

Incredible isn’t it? And it´s true!

In the heart of Bohol Island you can find the Chocolate Hills. They are spread in an area of 50 square km and during dry season the green grass of the hills changes to brown color, that´s why they are called Chocolate Hills. No doubt this is the most delicious attraction in Bohol!

Before witnessing the beauty of nature, you have to climb up to the top of the hills and it has 215 steps (as i have counted :D )

The Chocolate Hills are definitely a place you have to go. There are daily bus tours going to the view-point, but you will just get a small taste of it. The best part is to explore the area around the Chocolate Hills.

Even today, scientists aren’t able to figure out how the Chocolate Hills were formed, but they believe that the grassy hills were once coral reefs that erupted from the sea in a massive geologic shift. Wind and water put on the finishing touches over hundreds of thousands of years.

Entrance fee is 50php

Chocolate Hills view