March 24, 2012
Before the sun was up, we were already at the Cebu pier waiting for our 6:00am OceanJet ferry to Bohol. We were still yawning when we boarded the ferry at 5:30am. It was a 2-hour ride to Bohol, and during that time, I remember dozing off several times in my seat. Beside me, my friends’ heads were lolling, obviously still very sleepy and lacking sleep. Not even the movie “Drumline”, which was shown during the trip, was interesting enough to keep us awake. Though we would have liked to sleep all day, the lack of sleep wasn’t about to hinder us from enjoying a full day of Bohol countryside exploration.
At exactly 8:30, we started the tour. When we got out of the pier, I had no problem locating our tour guide, who was holding out a piece of paper with my name on it. I booked a 10-hour countryside tour from BOHOL DAY TOURS. I highly recommend this tour company. There’s no down payment required when you book with them. You pay the full amount right after the tour is finished. All you have to do is contact them thru email or phone, and reserve a slot for your chosen tour. Here’s what we got:
AMAZING BOHOL COUNTRYSIDE/CHOCOLATE HILLS TOUR (10 hours)
Price (3pax): Php 1,405/pax
Inclusive of the following:
- Private air-conditioned transportation with fuel and driving tourist guide
- Buffet lunch aboard a floating restaurant in Loboc River
- River cruise along Loboc River
- Entrance fees
- Lunch of tour guide
Places to visit:
- Zipline / Cable Car -> optional, additional of Php 550 per person
- ATV Adventure tour -> optional, additional of Php 400 for half hour or 700 for 1 hour
- Shiphouse -> optional, additional of Php 30 per person entrance fee
- Chocolate Hills
- Man Made Mahogany Forest
- Tarsier Conservation Center
- Hanging Bridge
- Lunch, Loboc River Cruise
- Butterfly Conservation Center
- Biggest Python In Captivity
- Baclayon Church
- Aproniana Souvenir Shop
- Blood Compact Shrine
- Bohol Bee Farm
- Hinagdanan Cave
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| The car we used for the whole Bohol Countryside tour |
Chocolate Hills. First off, we went to the Chocolate Hills in Carmen. It was an hour and a half drive from Tagbilaran City. It was a long drive, and though sleepy, I tried to keep myself wide awake so I could enjoy the scenic view along the way. From time to time, our tour guide “Ondoy”, filled us in on some trivia about the city. Manong Ondoy was really nice and went out of his way to make us feel welcome and looked after. On my request, we stopped at a souvenir shop along the way to Carmen, so I could buy a Bohol T-shirt.
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| Bohol T-Shirt (299 Php) |
Wearing my new Bohol shirt, we climbed up the 214 steps leading to the Chocolate Hills observation deck. The sun was way high up in the sky by the time we reached the very top. The heat of the sun was painful and I swear our skin got darker just after a few minutes of being exposed. The temperature was like a hundred degrees up there. There was a throng of tourists all scrambling to get a good picture with the Chocolate Hills as the backdrop. I got out my tripod and started taking pictures of the whole scenery. It was actually really great, if only we didn’t have to deal with the heat of the sun. It was a popular tourist spot, so you would have to compete with other tourists for that perfect spot. TIP: It’s best to go really early in the morning to avoid the scorching sun.
Man Made Mahogany Forest. Located just in the border of Loboc and Bilar, is a two-kilometer stretch of densely planted Mahogany trees. We actually passed this area on our way to Carmen, but we only stopped on our way back. Our tour guide told us that students before couldn't graduate without planting at least one tree in there. What's so special about the trees here? Well, for me, it was the entire forest that made an impact on me. The size and the height of the trees, the design of the leaves, the spread of the branches and roots, along with the curving roads, all of these came together to create an awe-inspiring picturesque setting. While we were driving slowly along this stretch, the whole forest took my breath away. There was only one word that came out of my mouth, "wow". I've never seen anything like it before. It was such a pretty sight.
Tarsier Conservation Center. On to our next stop... we went to see one of the smallest monkeys in the world, the Philippine Tarsier. I've always wanted to see these shy little creatures, endemic to the Philippines, and now an endangered species (according to our guide). When we entered the sanctuary, the ground was wet because it rained for a bit. The tarsiers were a little shy as they clung to the trees, their wide eyes either staring back at us or out at the horizon. Some were bored and sleepy. It was really interesting watching them, we weren't allowed to touch them and flash photography isn't allowed either. I think it's nice that they have a conservation center in Bohol, to try and save the species, as they're so cute and unique and it would be a shame if they became extinct.
Bamboo Hanging Bridge. We made a quick stop to see the bamboo hanging bridge crossing the Sipatan River in the Municipality of Sevilla before we went for lunch. Our tour guide was the one who took pictures of us while we crossed the bridge. I wasn't really scared, but the swaying of the bridge (especially when someone came running onto it), can be a little jarring at first. I was crossing the bridge real slowly, the deck of the bridge was made of bamboo slats and some were broken in places, so I was holding on for dear life onto the ropes. The bridge was said to be able to carry the weight of 100 people, but I wouldn't really be keen to test that theory now, would I? By the time we reached the end, my nerves were calmed and I was confident enough to even try to shake the bridge. Haha. Though not very scenic compared to other tourist attractions in Bohol, it still was worth visiting if only to take pictures and if you haven't crossed a hanging bridge before (like me) it offered the perfect chance.
Loboc River Cruise. We were starving when we arrived in Loboc River. Our tour package came with a lunch buffet aboard a floating restaurant in Loboc River and we were so looking forward to sinking our teeth on some delicious Filipino food. Our tour guide paid the fees, then we were ushered to Gate 1, and on to the Riverwatch Floating Resto. It was my first time dining in a floating restaurant, so I was really excited. The whole experience was great. The overall ambiance was nice, there was live music, yummy food, cool breeze, beautiful scenery, and even a native Filipino dance from kids! What more could you ask for? Well, maybe just one. Too bad, the water in the river was murky at the time, it would have been perfect if we got there and the water was clear and blue.
Butterfly Conservation Center. After a satisfying lunch and a relaxing river tour, we went to the Butterfly Conservation Center next. We spent about 20 minutes or so inside the center. The moment we entered, we were approached by a nice young lady who gave us a short educational tour of the place. Among other things, I touched and held (and dropped, oops!) a caterpillar, I took a picture with an iguana, had a butterfly perch on my chest, and took a couple of nice butterfly shots. All in all, not a bad stop.
Biggest Python In Captivity. This was another quick stop for us. We didn't really linger inside the XZootic Animal Park. My friend was scared of snakes, so she didn't take any picture with them. As for me, having challenged myself to do the Sky Walk in Cebu (despite my fear of heights), I said to myself, why not go a step further by taking pictures with a python? I admit, I was kinda hesitant to step inside the cage at first, but after getting the assurance of the caretaker that it's perfectly safe (that the python was sleeping and well fed), I held my breath and made a couple of quick poses with the python. We didn't linger here either, they really didn't have many animals and the place smelled bad.
Baclayon Church. It was a little after 3pm when we got to our next stop, the Baclayon Church. It is the second oldest church in the Philippines (the oldest is San Agustin Church in Intramuros). Constructed by the Jesuit priests, Baclayon Church, which is built with coral stones and cemented by egg whites, is still intact and houses important relics and images reminiscent of the historic Roman Catholic religion in the country. The church facade looks antique and plain but once you get inside, you'll see an altar full of grandeur and really quite magnificent. There was also a museum there but you have to pay 25Php per head to enter. We opted not to.
An interesting and mysterious thing about the Baclayon Church is the appearance of Father Pio's face in the outer wall of the church (see picture above). As to how or why that face appeared there, who knows? A quick bio: Padre Pio, or Saint Pio was born on May 25, 1887 in Italy. The five wounds of our Lord's Passion appeared on his body, making him the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. It's really eerie when you think about it, but these mysteries, or what other people sometimes call "miracles" are well accepted by Christian devotees in the country as well as abroad. This is one of the things that makes touring our country a great experience.
Aproniana Gift Shop. As we're nearing the end of the day, we stopped by a popular souvenir shop. We stayed an hour or so in this place, mainly because my friend spent so much time looking for a souvenir shirt. There were a lot of designs to choose from so it took a long time for her to decide on what to buy. Since I already bought a Bohol T-shirt, I only bought some Bohol delicacies and a fridge magnet from this shop. Of course, I also bought some Peanut Kisses (my favorite!) to bring back home.
Blood Compact Shrine. A trip to Bohol would not be complete without visiting the Blood Compact Shrine (Sandugo). This life-size diorama, made of pure bronze, depicts a key historical event in the Philippines. It's one of the most iconic landmarks in Bohol.
Bohol Bee Farm. Lastly, we went to the Bohol Bee Farm. We had a few minutes to spare before we had to be at the pier to catch our ferry back to Cebu. So we went to visit the Bohol Bee Farm in Panglao Island. The road leading to the farm was not cemented so it was kind of a bumpy ride. It was a very short visit. We didn't go to the bee farm, we didn't even try their organic ice cream (as recommended by our tour guide) because we didn't plan on staying long. The place also had a resort, which was actually very nice. Private and quiet are the two best words to describe it, I think. We didn't really linger in this place as we were in a hurry to catch the ferry. So I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Zip Line, ATV Adventure tour, and Shiphouse were included in our package, but we didn't visit these places because we didn’t want to pay any additional fees. Though we wanted to, we also weren't able to go to Hinagdanan cave, due to time constraints. Argh, I really wanted to do the caving thing! Oh well, we were still happy of what we've accomplished for the day. So that's pretty much it. At 6:30 on the dot, we were already aboard the SuperCat ferry on our way back to Cebu. It was an awesome tour of the Bohol countryside. And to get it so cheap, for only 1,405Php! Great deal, right?
Note: I'm not really sure of the entrance fees for all the places we've visited, as all entrance fees were already included in our tour package. If you guys don't want to buy a tour package and you're planning to use your own car, you can search the Internet for the corresponding entrance fees for the tourist spots listed above.
 |
| Man made mahogany forest |
Tarsier Conservation Center. On to our next stop... we went to see one of the smallest monkeys in the world, the Philippine Tarsier. I've always wanted to see these shy little creatures, endemic to the Philippines, and now an endangered species (according to our guide). When we entered the sanctuary, the ground was wet because it rained for a bit. The tarsiers were a little shy as they clung to the trees, their wide eyes either staring back at us or out at the horizon. Some were bored and sleepy. It was really interesting watching them, we weren't allowed to touch them and flash photography isn't allowed either. I think it's nice that they have a conservation center in Bohol, to try and save the species, as they're so cute and unique and it would be a shame if they became extinct.
Bamboo Hanging Bridge. We made a quick stop to see the bamboo hanging bridge crossing the Sipatan River in the Municipality of Sevilla before we went for lunch. Our tour guide was the one who took pictures of us while we crossed the bridge. I wasn't really scared, but the swaying of the bridge (especially when someone came running onto it), can be a little jarring at first. I was crossing the bridge real slowly, the deck of the bridge was made of bamboo slats and some were broken in places, so I was holding on for dear life onto the ropes. The bridge was said to be able to carry the weight of 100 people, but I wouldn't really be keen to test that theory now, would I? By the time we reached the end, my nerves were calmed and I was confident enough to even try to shake the bridge. Haha. Though not very scenic compared to other tourist attractions in Bohol, it still was worth visiting if only to take pictures and if you haven't crossed a hanging bridge before (like me) it offered the perfect chance.
 |
| Bamboo Hanging Bridge, Sevilla, Bohol |
Loboc River Cruise. We were starving when we arrived in Loboc River. Our tour package came with a lunch buffet aboard a floating restaurant in Loboc River and we were so looking forward to sinking our teeth on some delicious Filipino food. Our tour guide paid the fees, then we were ushered to Gate 1, and on to the Riverwatch Floating Resto. It was my first time dining in a floating restaurant, so I was really excited. The whole experience was great. The overall ambiance was nice, there was live music, yummy food, cool breeze, beautiful scenery, and even a native Filipino dance from kids! What more could you ask for? Well, maybe just one. Too bad, the water in the river was murky at the time, it would have been perfect if we got there and the water was clear and blue.
 |
| My plate full of yummy food. |
Butterfly Conservation Center. After a satisfying lunch and a relaxing river tour, we went to the Butterfly Conservation Center next. We spent about 20 minutes or so inside the center. The moment we entered, we were approached by a nice young lady who gave us a short educational tour of the place. Among other things, I touched and held (and dropped, oops!) a caterpillar, I took a picture with an iguana, had a butterfly perch on my chest, and took a couple of nice butterfly shots. All in all, not a bad stop.
Biggest Python In Captivity. This was another quick stop for us. We didn't really linger inside the XZootic Animal Park. My friend was scared of snakes, so she didn't take any picture with them. As for me, having challenged myself to do the Sky Walk in Cebu (despite my fear of heights), I said to myself, why not go a step further by taking pictures with a python? I admit, I was kinda hesitant to step inside the cage at first, but after getting the assurance of the caretaker that it's perfectly safe (that the python was sleeping and well fed), I held my breath and made a couple of quick poses with the python. We didn't linger here either, they really didn't have many animals and the place smelled bad.
 |
| Norio, Tamed Burmese Python |
Baclayon Church. It was a little after 3pm when we got to our next stop, the Baclayon Church. It is the second oldest church in the Philippines (the oldest is San Agustin Church in Intramuros). Constructed by the Jesuit priests, Baclayon Church, which is built with coral stones and cemented by egg whites, is still intact and houses important relics and images reminiscent of the historic Roman Catholic religion in the country. The church facade looks antique and plain but once you get inside, you'll see an altar full of grandeur and really quite magnificent. There was also a museum there but you have to pay 25Php per head to enter. We opted not to.
 |
| Magnificent interior of the Baclayon Church |
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| Religious statues adorned the inside of the church |
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| Father Pio's face is visible on the Church walls |
An interesting and mysterious thing about the Baclayon Church is the appearance of Father Pio's face in the outer wall of the church (see picture above). As to how or why that face appeared there, who knows? A quick bio: Padre Pio, or Saint Pio was born on May 25, 1887 in Italy. The five wounds of our Lord's Passion appeared on his body, making him the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. It's really eerie when you think about it, but these mysteries, or what other people sometimes call "miracles" are well accepted by Christian devotees in the country as well as abroad. This is one of the things that makes touring our country a great experience.
Aproniana Gift Shop. As we're nearing the end of the day, we stopped by a popular souvenir shop. We stayed an hour or so in this place, mainly because my friend spent so much time looking for a souvenir shirt. There were a lot of designs to choose from so it took a long time for her to decide on what to buy. Since I already bought a Bohol T-shirt, I only bought some Bohol delicacies and a fridge magnet from this shop. Of course, I also bought some Peanut Kisses (my favorite!) to bring back home.
 |
| Aproniana Gift Shop |
Blood Compact Shrine. A trip to Bohol would not be complete without visiting the Blood Compact Shrine (Sandugo). This life-size diorama, made of pure bronze, depicts a key historical event in the Philippines. It's one of the most iconic landmarks in Bohol.
 |
| Blood Compact Shrine "Sandugo" |
Bohol Bee Farm. Lastly, we went to the Bohol Bee Farm. We had a few minutes to spare before we had to be at the pier to catch our ferry back to Cebu. So we went to visit the Bohol Bee Farm in Panglao Island. The road leading to the farm was not cemented so it was kind of a bumpy ride. It was a very short visit. We didn't go to the bee farm, we didn't even try their organic ice cream (as recommended by our tour guide) because we didn't plan on staying long. The place also had a resort, which was actually very nice. Private and quiet are the two best words to describe it, I think. We didn't really linger in this place as we were in a hurry to catch the ferry. So I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Zip Line, ATV Adventure tour, and Shiphouse were included in our package, but we didn't visit these places because we didn’t want to pay any additional fees. Though we wanted to, we also weren't able to go to Hinagdanan cave, due to time constraints. Argh, I really wanted to do the caving thing! Oh well, we were still happy of what we've accomplished for the day. So that's pretty much it. At 6:30 on the dot, we were already aboard the SuperCat ferry on our way back to Cebu. It was an awesome tour of the Bohol countryside. And to get it so cheap, for only 1,405Php! Great deal, right?
Note: I'm not really sure of the entrance fees for all the places we've visited, as all entrance fees were already included in our tour package. If you guys don't want to buy a tour package and you're planning to use your own car, you can search the Internet for the corresponding entrance fees for the tourist spots listed above.
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