Oh Bohol! (Part 1)

Day 1: We began our southern sojourn to the beautiful island of Bohol last April 2012, right before my graduation from UPOU. It was a graduation treat from my parents, so once again I was able to go on a trip for free! Yes, I am amazingly lucky.

The flight to Tagbilaran was uneventful, save for the slight delay of our flight. When we arrived at Bohol, the hotel transport service was waiting for us. My family booked a reservation with El Portal Inn, a quaint hostel about two minutes from the airport and pier. It is very close to the University of Bohol and Marcela Superstore and the wet market. The hostel was adequately furnished and had free WIFI service, good enough for checking emails and uploading photos. A family room costs around 1250 pesos per night. Not bad. We weren’t looking for a high end hotel to stay in because in our experience, we only use the hotel as a launch pad - mostly sleeping and taking baths because most of the time we were out and about exploring the cities we visit.

The best thing I liked about El Portal Inn was their tour service. They offer an eight-hour countryside trip of the island by car (2000 pesos) or van (3000 pesos). However, this is not inclusive of the entrance fees at each stop. The driver works as the local tour guide as well. We had the pleasure of meeting Sir Jonathan or Jojo for short. He's a local Boholano who knows the ins and out of the city. He is very knowledgeable and very polite.  He drove us in and around the beautiful countryside.

Our first stop was the famous Chocolate Hills. Legends vary, some say the hills were giant cow poop, other legends claim that the hills were rocks thrown by feuding giants. Science indicates that the hills were coral and limestone deposits. 

We tried the viewing station at Sagbayan Peak first. There weren't a lot of people around and you get a clear view of the hills. The climb up was wide enough for groups and was not so steep. Perfect for groups with very young children or old-timers.

The view from Sagbayan Peak

However, I liked the other Chocolate Hills Complex at Carmen better because the hills were closer to the viewing station.  But to see these fantastic hills, you would have to climb 214 steps to reach the top! The steps were steep and were a bit cramped. I remember stopping every 10 steps whenever I felt my thighs aching. Hehe. But in the end, we reached the top and it was worth it!

Sampaguita on the hill. Hahaha!

The way down... I was gripping the rails the whole time :))

I must admit though that I am a bit altophobic so I spent most of my concentration on the rails on my way up, and not on my camera. Hahaha... The Chocolate Hills complex at Carmen is also home to two tarsiers. Unfortunately, visitors are no longer allowed to hold them. Strictly no flash photography as the tarsiers’ eyes are very photosensitive. They are also very shy creatures. They were holed up way up their trees and the photos I took were very dark. Ergo, no tarsier photos. Sorry, ladies...

Our next destination was the Loboc River Restaurants. Once we've paid for our meals on the riverbanks, we were  given tickets to board one of the river restaurants. The boat runs the course of the entire river while we enjoyed a buffet of seafood delicacies and the view of the river, all for 400 pesos per person. :)

One of the river restaurants about to dock the floating the stage.

But the highlight of this river ride would be the stopover. A floating stage was constructed so that locals could perform for tourists. The very talented locals entertained the tourists with singing and dancing. There was even one American lady who couldn't help but dance with the locals. It was fun!

The Talented Ladies of Loboc

They really know how to dance!

Oh and there were souvenir shops along the riverbanks too! You'll see a lot of these stalls in every tourist spot in Bohol.

Caps, shirts, fans! You want 'em, they have 'em! :))

After our very filling lunch, we passed by the beautiful mahogany trees near Loboc. Our driver said that this was a local government project of Bohol 50-60 years ago. School children planted mahogany trees to create a man-made forest.

It feels like Twilight's Forks, with the sun barely penetrating.

We also visited the Butterfly Farm and had a very comical guided tour by a man named Richard. The butterfly farm is a sanctuary for different species of butterflies and plants in Bohol.

Butterfly Haven

Beautiful Flora

Then, our driver Sir Jojo brought us to the hanging bridge at Sevilla, Bohol. The locals use this bridge to cross the Sipatan River. For tourists, the toll fee was around 20 pesos. On the other side of the bridge we found some souvenir shops. Sir Jojo said that these were the best buys because they were not as expensive as those sold on other souvenir shops.

The bamboo bridge

After that, we also visited a few old churces around Bohol. This being one of the first few islands to be converted to Christianity, Bohol is home to a few of the oldest Catholic churches in the country. I love old buildings and architecture, so visiting old churches is a treat for me.

Baclayon Church

Panglao Church

Bell Tower at Panglao

We rounded up the day with a stopover at Island City Mall to buy supplies and to have dinner. Then we returned to the hostel very tired but generally excited for the next day! Stay tuned for Day 2 of Oh Bohol!

Love,

Sampaguita Pride