Destination Trip and Treat: Panglao Island, Bohol

My parents dropped us off to NAIA terminal 2 around 6am on a Friday morning. They kissed their grandchild goodbye for a 4 day beach trip with me. He and I have been waiting for this getaway for sometime now. It’s going to be a long weekend for us, 4 days and 3 nights at a beach resort in Panglao Island. Enzo can’t wait to see a starfish again and I can’t wait to wear my new green swimsuit and tan away to the sound of waves.

PAL flight took off just in time and in just one hour, Enzo and I are already inside a white car with a driver from the resort chatting his way to get a tour package out from us. Unfortunately for him, it’s my 3rd time to visit the Bohol, and I’ve been to all the tourist spots.
As soon as we walked our way to our resort, I could already feel that familiar smell, that familiar feeling. The beach salty air becomes thick, and like the rim of a margarita, I can taste it on my own lips. But this trip is all motherly bonding. I can’t have alcohol nor dance naked (it’s not like, I can…but) the point is that, this is a trip for my kid to enjoy the beach.

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Bohol find: TREE HOUSE

Here's something that you won't find when you google for a place to stay in Bohol! :) If you're on a budget trip and not very particular for a luxurious stay, this tree house is surely a great find!!! :) Not only is it cheap, but it shares the same beach stretch with Bohol Beach Club!!! :D

The Dumaluan beach is the best beach in the Panglao island. It only has 2 resorts - Bohol Beach Club and Dumaluan Beach resort...which both consciously keeps the beach front clean.... The Dumaluan Beach Resort is cheaper than Bohol Beach Club. But it is still expensive for budget travellers like us. But the good thing about this resort is that they created an area where they built bamboo-made cottages, which are rented out at a cheaper rate.

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Restore Dungguan as Maribojoc’s Name

Restoring the historical or correct name of a place had been done by many countries. Even local governments here in the Philippines had restored correct names of their towns or cities. So there’s no reason why the House of Representatives could not restore Maribojoc’s old name Dungguan if the local legislative council would pass resolutions to effect the change. Naming an aguho tree as Maribojoc tree is so absurd just to make the name official.

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Wanted: Your very own beach paradise island – Bohol or Bantayan?

Aside from Boracay, the famous island with the ‘whitest beach in Asia’, the Philippines have many more paradise islands with white sandy beaches to offer.

2 of them can be found in the Visayas, a region relatively protected from the onslaught of countless Typhoons, with the worst this year, Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Pepeng) causing havoc in the Northern part of the country.

Although both, Bohol or Bantayan could be your very own paradise-beach islands, they are quite different from each other. Let’s check how they compare to the traveler in search for his very own beach paradise island:

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Exploring Bohol in 24 hours

If someone asked me if I can experience and explore Bohol in 24 hours, I would tell him - "BEEN THERE. DONE THAT!" So, how did we do it exactly?

Upon touch down, we hired a car for 2,000 PHP (for 8 hours) to take us to all the exciting and tourist-y places in Bohol such as:

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Bohol Philippines (Loboc’s Floating Restaurants and Bohol Bee Farm)

Three weeks ago I visited Bohol for the 2nd time along with office friends. Honestly I was not really excited about the travel because Typhoon Ondoy happened a week before our scheduled trip. I was feeling a bit apprehensive because of utter fear of being stuck in an Island away from home – Makati, Philippines.

If there is one thing that I remember during my 1st trip in Bohol was the warm and gentle breeze the island has. Not too strong and not too meek; just about right for you to enjoy. There was also that usual short drizzles in the afternoon which I find relaxing to steady the heat of summer tropics.

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Bohol 2009

We spent our honeymoon to the beautiful island of Bohol. We stayed at a nice and cozy Dumaluan Beach Resort & Hotel at the Panglao Island. And of course! I didn’t hesitate taking pics of the wonderful site.

Please bear with me as I post this blog, I only got some of my pics edited. I promise to post the others sometime soon, after I get to post process them.

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Our Ondoy story in Bohol

We were so ecstatic that the sun was up when our plane landed in Cebu, morning of Sept26... we were very thankful that our flight was not cancelled despite the heavy rains the night before and the coming typhoon... we found out later that the flights from Manila after ours were cancelled... this was our first dodge of Ondoy...

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Bohol Getaway - Day 1

My sister Ghe and I planned a surprised 3d2n vacation/trip to Bohol for almost a month ago. Actually she did all the researched and itinerary hehehe. I was so busy kasi during my last month in OSI. My boss wanted to get most of my time while i'm still in the team.

To cut the story short, natuloy kami kahit madami aberya. Like, umalis yaya ni Andrea, kakadaan lang ni Ondoy. Isa pang pahabol na aberya muntik kami maiwan ng flight namin dahil sa nawawalang tripod! wew! Buti mabait yung checkin counter at sinamahan nya kami para i bypass ang tripod namin kasi ndi na na weigh.

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Living The Charmed Life At Amorita Resort

IN THE Philippines’s famous province of Bohol, there’s a new resort that can stake a legitimate claim to be among the most beautiful and sophisticated, a world away from the generic beach-resort genre found throughout the country.

Amorita Resort, in Bohol’s Panglao Island, boasts not just world-class amenities and an eye-catching design, but also a spectacular location that’s unequaled by any other property in its area. It sprawls over 1.8 hectares of lushly landscaped gardens high up on a windswept cliff overlooking Panglao’s famous Alona Beach, the Bohol Sea and the islands beyond.

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Dinner at Bohol Bee Farm : Bohol Tour, Day 1

At the end of the day, Jeff and I were super tired and super hungry. Chocolate Hills was our last tourist spot of the day so we went back to Panglao Island from the town of Carmen to have dinner at Bohol Bee Farm.

The restaurant at Bee Farm is famous for it’s unique food and of course honey-filled dishes.

After picking a seat near the sink area, We were given the restaurant’s menu (above), which is a handicraft folder embroidered with the words ‘Bohol Bee Farm’, made by the Bee Farm’s crew.

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Cebu-Bohol kayak crossing slated in December

PADDLERS from all over the Philippines are expected to be in Cebu on the first week of December to take part in the Kayak Explore Cebu-Bohol Crossing.

The event will be a three-day (Dec. 4 to 6) 125-km kayak race to be held simultaneously with a flotilla of island hopping eco-adventure tours. The kayak marathon will have three classes, the sit-in tandem, the sit-on-top tandem and the Singles Open.

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The real fun starts in BOHOL....bee farm

Teary eyed, I immediately fixed myself and looked around for our resort service while Teresa kept herself busy getting brochures of resorts and other attractions in the island. As soon as I stepped out of the terminal, the driver was waiting for us. We were the only guests to be fetched that time, 9am so it felt more of an exclusive service. Gave me a lot of chances to talk to the driver and ask millions of questions about the area. Twas a smooth 15-20 minute ride to Bohol Bee Farm.

The moment you enter the vicinity, you immediately have this homey feeling. The place is beautifully nestled in a quiet area and there are trees all around. My idea for a retreat. I think I mentioned several times that I want to loose myself in an anonymous place where I cam leave all my worries behind. Well, this is it. Sorry for the comparison but reminds me of Sonyas Garden minus the congestion. Here, you will really feel that you are at peace with nature.

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Blood Compact Monument in Bohol

Surprises come from the most unexpected time and place. Minutes after we’ve crossed the bridge from Panglao Island to the main island of Bohol, the driver of the tour van stopped in a gasoline station. This is not the surprise, if you’re interested to ask, as the driver was simply loading the van with gas in preparation for the whole-day tour of Bohol.

We then proceeded after gassing up, then stopped, a few minutes from the gas station, at the shoulder of the road. Maybe, I thought, the driver forget to pee or something. Then he opened the van’s sliding door and announced: “Wilcome, to da Blood Compact Monument”. There’s the surprise.

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Boholano Boom Boom Blasts Marbun in Seven

Comebacking Rey 'Boom-Boom' Bautista sends Marangin Marbun crashing to the canvas towards the end of the 7th round to win by TKO and capture the WBC International Interim Featherweight Title at the Waterfront Hotel here tonight.

Bautista, who scored a knockdown over the game Indonesian in the 4th round, first wobbled Marbun with a jab from his rehabilitated left hand and then followed it up with an overhand right as referee Bruce McTavish didn't bother to finish the count to end the contest.

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Clear Waters of Panglao Island, Bohol

It’s easy to say a place is a paradise. It’s easier to say a place is overrated. Between these two characterization lies the waters of Panglao Island. Don’t get me wrong, though, it’s totally incorrect to say that’s equivalent to being ordinary. For the waters of Panglao is far from being ordinary.

The in-flight magazine on our way to Bohol featured a great view of Panglao waters. Shot on board a banca, it shows the tip of the boat against the background of a clear, beautiful sea. I thought of replicating that shot. Perfect because an island-hopping boat trip is included in our Bohol itinerary.

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Whirlwind Bohol Tour

We made Bohol a weekend getaway back in 2006. It wasn't the usual backpacking trip under a shoestring budget, but a friend visiting from The Netherlands actually paid for most of the expenses - including the airfare. And since I didn't shell out much money, I am not aware of how much we spent. He didn't disclose the amount because he knew I would insist to pay.

I did not take a direct flight to Tagbilaran. Instead, I flew to Cebu first to meet up with him after his dive in Malapascua. From there, we took a fast craft direct to Tagbilaran, which only takes an hour and a half (more or less P500). A regular boat is about three times cheaper, but will take four hours.

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Chocolate Hills of Bohol

There’s always something that one associates with a more famous place. Take Bohol, for instance. What immediately comes to mind when you’re asked to name something that reminds you of Bohol? Tarsier. Blood compact. Loboc River or Loboc children’s choir, perhaps. I bet you’d remember, on top of the list, the Chocolate Hills. These delicious-looking hills are the most famous tourist attractions of Bohol. I’d even go where no one dared to go, and say that you haven’t been to Bohol unless you’ve seen the Chocolate Hills.

The 1,776 conical hills are green during the rainy season but during summer, when rainwater is less bountiful, the vegetation growing on the hills turns brown and the underlying soil is exposed.

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Man-made Forest in Bohol

Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree. This is the last line of a Joyce Kilmer poem. Here in Bohol, people not only make a tree, they grow an entire man-made forest. Located at the border of the Bilar and Loboc towns in Bohol, the man-made forest is a 2-kilometer stretch of purposely-planted mahogany trees, in the middle of which the road leading to the Chocolate Hills cuts through.

Somebody from a group asked why call it a man-made forest and what’s the big deal with it? These questions made me think and, if only that person didn’t happen to be my wife, I would have probably shot back with some pointed answer (if I did that to her, I won’t probably be alive to write this post). One doesn’t ask such questions, while parked under the majestic mahogany trees lining the road, becoming more dense by the year that the rays of the sun fight their way to get through. One should just stand there in amazement. Still, I politely offered the following answers.

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The Beach of Panglao Island, Bohol

We’ve already said that we’re taking a small bite at a time of Panglao Island, on real time as go around the place. We’ve talked about sunrise and sunset. This time let’s talk about one of the crucial ingredients of Panglao’s allure — its beach.

A beach is just a beach. No big deal. For many of us, however, the beach is the heart of a place. There’s a number of factors which make the beach in Panglao Island different from the rest.

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Chocolate Hills

Chocolate Hills was our next stop after the Loboc river cruise. Chocolate Hills is another, and perhaps the most popular, tourist destination in Bohol. Travelers from far and wide come to Bohol to see these unusual geological formations that look like giant mole hills. There are over 1,200 individual mounds/hills scattered throughout the Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan region. The hills are covered in green grass and other foilage which turn brown during the dry season, thus the name Chocolate Hills.

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Bohol – Philippines: More Than the Usual Tourist Spot

Bohol, a small island in central Philippines, is known for the world famous and unique Chocolate Hills. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist spots. It’s true though that when most people think of Bohol, almost nothing else comes to mind. It might surprise you that it is more than the usual tourist spot and that there’s more to explore and to see in this island than those limestone hill formations.

Bohol is home to pristine beach shores. Panglao Island, just minutes away from the capital Tagbilaran, is increasingly gaining more popularity among local and foreign tourists as a more laid-back and tranquil beach destination alternative to Boracay.

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Bohol by Viajero

We arrived at Tagbilaran City the capital of Bohol around 9am from Cebu via oceanjet and we proceed to the tour immediately with our tour guide.First Stop is the famous attraction here in Bohol the Chocolate Hills about 55 kilometers away from Tagbilaran located in Carmen.Considered sometimes as the “Eight Wonder of the World”, the Chocolate Hills has been declared as the country’s 3rd National Geological Monument by the National Committee on Geological Sciences on June 18, 1988 in recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness, and high scenic value; and as such is among the country’s protected areas.

The famed Chocolate Hills of Bohol are not only two but more than 1,268 cone-shaped hills – a very strange geological formation that has baffled a lot of geologists. The hills are spread over an area of 50 square kilometers or more and vary in size from 30 meters to 120 meters in height.The hills appear to be seemingly endless when viewed atop the hill in Carmen town. The viewing deck there gives you a 360° view of the hills “as far as the eyes can see”. It is more majestic when viewed from a plane – them appearing to be thousands of mole hills dotting out from verdant surroundings.

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Rey Boom Boom Bautista Seeks Redemption

This has got to be the only thing that fuels the returning Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista, 26-2, as he gears up for another battle in the squared circle. The Bohol native will be fighting Indonesia’s Marangin Marbun for the vacant interim WBC International featherweight title.

This fight should be Bautista’s critical gauge. Does he have what it takes to box again after getting knocked out viciously in his first defeat and being schooled and bullied in the next?

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Bohol Adventure; [08.14-15.09]

I went to Bohol with my cousin and aunt last August for no particular reason at all. Stayed at the Panglao Island Nature Resort and Spa. The place was really beautiful!

Overall I'd say I would love to go back there again and stay a bit longer (our trip was only two days!) and really enjoy everything. We weren't really able to swim at the beach coz of the super low-tide but the swimming pool was awesome enough. Had its own pool-side bar and two other swimming pools. The room was clean and super comfy; was really able to sleep well there. /vacation from the stress of dutiful education.

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Things to Do in Panglao, Bohol

There are a lot of activities you can do when you are in Panglao, Bohol. You can choose for water adventures to historical tours to nature tripping. Here are the list of activities which you can plan to do when visiting Panglao, Bohol.

Some of the finest diving spots in the Philippines are found in Bohol. Panglao, Pamilacan, Balicasag and Cabilao are islands in Bohol which have these beautiful diving spots. In Panglao Island, there is Alona Beach Sanctuary, Kalipayan diving site, Bohol Beach Club, Doljo Beach diving site, and Napaling diving site. South west of Panglao Island, Balicasag Island has Black Forest which is known forblack coral bushes, Balicasag Marine Sanctuary and Divers Heaven where turtles, sharks and fusiliers can be seen.

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Honeymooning in Bohol

Harley is giving me my dream wedding, so I am giving him his dream honeymoon. Thankfully he doesn’t demand a European tour (Although I do! But I can wait. LOL.). He is a simple guy, so easy to please. I could not have been luckier.

Whenever we go home to the Philippines and our schedule permits we make time to island hop to Bohol. Harley adores white sand beaches. So it is a no brainer choosing where to go for our honeymoon. Our beloved country, with its 7,107 islands both high tide and low tide, boasts numerous beach getaways flocked by many tourists from around the globe. As there are so many to choose from, the challenge is choosing which island to go and which resort on that island to book.

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Night Cruising in Loboc River

Have you been to Loboc River lately especially at night? Now, you can cruise this famous river even at night time. According to our friend, a very generous Chinese businessman donated lighting fixtures worth millions of pesos. They installed globe lights and huge spotlights in both sides of the river starting from Loboc Church up to the waterfall which is more or less five hundred meters. The two bridges and the ferry terminal were decorated with multicolored blinking lights that give these otherwise ordinary structures a dazzling look at night.

We stayed in Loboc for two nights and had a chance to watch this amazing display of lights. Courtesy of our priest-friend who happens to be a Lobocnon. Their house was built on the side of a hill overlooking the rice fields and the mighty Loboc River. Their house was once a temporary shelter of flood victims that were ravaged by the water that overflowed from the river.

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Back from Bohol

I just arrived back from "the second greatest island in all of the Philippines" Bohol :)

I left early Wednesday and took the 2hr ferry south to the 11th largest island in the Philippines. When I arrived the usual deluge of people offering rides and tours emerged, but I knew what I wanted and got a tri-cycle ride right to the bus terminal. I went to the ATM at the mall nearby and bought some dried mango and jack fruit along with 3 liters of water. I hurried back to the bus and we began at noon. We rumbled down the sometimes gravel, sometimes cement and often rugged roads for about 2 hours before getting a flat tire. The crew had the tire changed in less than 10 minutes which was quite a relief. At the 3rd hour we arrived in Danao where I jumped on a motorbike (habal-habal style) and made my way towards E.A.T Danao. I had called them before I left Tagbilaran, right after getting off the ferry and getting their number from the motorbike driver.

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Bohol Chocolate Hills

After our relaxing break by the Loboc River, day trip continued and next stop was Bohol Chocolate Hills. It was a long drive compared to the stops we had in the morning and so we had some time to snooze. Finally, we arrived after almost an hour drive, there was a gate and a road going up where we passed through and paid the entrance fee of 10php each.

Kuya Roy (tour driver) just dropped us because he had to park somewhere else and we would just ask the management to call him once we were done. To reach the top and get a sight of the Chocolate Hills, we went up a flight of stairs with mini steps that made it a bit hard to go up and tiring.

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The Secrets of Mahaba, Talibon, Bohol

Mahaba is an islet in Talibon that has not been inhabited for decades. It has not been owned by any individual or family eversince. There had been several claimants of this small island already 3 or 4 decades ago but definitely not the family, who is currently enjoying its resources, playing god over the men and women working for them at their own disposal, but paid by the local government of Talibon.

Since there was no single family or individual who could absolutely say they or he owns the islet then and even if one of the claimants was a tough lady lawyer of a big clan in Talibon, common sense dictates that there must be a reason why it can't be owned by anybody. And the safest possible answer to that must be that Mahaba is a government property declared as a protected area under the management of the DENR. Unless one considers otherwise that those claimants of the long past were not as greedy as the one at present which somehow is also possibly correct.But, why and how come that Mahaba, being a protected area and a government property at that, has been developed and fully operated and managed by a family who is acting and promoting the island as if they absolutely own it?

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Leaving Bohol

After a very busy day of church hopping, I really had a great night’s sleep at Alona Grove. No matter how hot is was, I still managed to sleep like a log. This is the day I will be leaving Bohol, marking the end of my vacation. The man at Alona Grove said that they will be willing to send me to the airport for a fee. I guess it was okay, since I do not want to carry my gear with me on a motorcycle taxi. But this morning, the guy isn’t there yet.

While waiting for my driver, I went to Trudi’s for some breakfast. I had a typical Filipino breakfast of Tosilog – tocino (cured pork), sinangag (garlic rice) and itlog (egg). The meal was not really very satisfying since it was a little too small for me. I sat there sipping my cup of Milo while looking at the beach and thinking how much I will be missing this place. Work was already looming over the horizon, this early, I was already getting depressed.

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Bohol Tarsier

After almost an hour of reminiscing Bohol’s history, it was time to meet Bohol’s popular attraction, the Tarsiers. Our van suddenly parked on one side street and our driver told us that we were already in the Bohol Tarsier spot. Being a tourist, I didn’t imagined that this would just be the spot for these Bohol Tarsiers, I was then imagining that we would be meeting these Tarsiers in a somewhat forest like and would need to do some trekking to get to the place.

We went inside, passed through a few stalls that sell Tarsier souvenirs like key chains, purses, mini-dolls, packed peanut kisses and a lot more. There were bunch of trees in one part of the area where we saw these Tarsiers clinging on the branches. They were so small with big eyes and long tail. They look cute but personally I was a bit scared to go near it… hehe. Taking pictures is okay but without flash and they are not allowed to be touched. Which now I know why, because my friend tried touching one Tarsier’s back and it quickly jumped and I was a bit shocked that I think added to my uneasiness with these Tarsiers. Haha.

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Loboc River in Bohol

Around 11.30am, we were already on our way to our next stop, the Loboc River Cruise to have our first meal and lunch in Bohol. As we arrived there were booths where you can check out menus and decide which floating restaurant to dine in. Kuya Roy, our tour driver, suggested us to eat in RiverWatch floating restaurant; buffet price is 300php per head and this is the standard rate for all.

As we got in the floating restaurant, buffet table was ready and people started to get food. Below is a shot of the buffet table located in the middle part of the boat. Few minutes later, the cruise started and we were enjoying our meal at the same time the scenic view of Loboc River.

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The Chocolate Hills of Bohol

When I wrote about the Chocolate Hills landing in the Forbes list of most astonishing landscapes, I was so eager to book a trip to Bohol. One day, while I was in Cebu, we spontaneously decided to spend a night in Bohol. We travelled via ferry at noontime, hoping to see the hills by 4PM. From the Tagbilaran port, we hired a van for P2,000 to take us around Bohol in the little time we had left.

The Chocolate Hills were our priority so we drove there instantly. It was also the furthest of the well known attractions in Bohol. We passed by the Baclayon Church, the Loboc River and the Tarsier sanctuary. We didn't stop though, and decided to just try our luck on our way back. We did stop to take a snapshot of the picturesque man-made forest.

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BOHOL (City of Friendship)

The main island is surrounded by about 73 smaller islands, the largest of which are Panglao Island facing Tagbilaran City in the southwest and Lapinig Island in the northeast, but the famous one is the Panglao Island where you can find easy-access establishment along the shore while communing the nature on its fine white sand beaches and it is generally associated with Alona Beach - a congested strip of resorts and dive centres on the far west side. While Alona doesn't necessarily afford much sunbathing privacy, it's a logical choice for those who demand tropical drinks at beachside bars after diving.

If you are fond on Aquamarine thing you can also try to visit Balicasag Island - the best diving site of Bohol. Dolphin watching is one of the activities that you can also try, i suggest you wake-up in the morning as early as possible and catch a boat that will bring you there, groups of dolphin can be seen near in the Island of Balicasag.

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The Ferry To Bohol

I never thought getting into Bohol would be this easy. Sure, I've heard from most Cebuanos that it's just two hours away by boat. Some of my other friends say you can even do just a day trip to Bohol and be back in Cebu by night time.

Bohol has been an elusive destination for me. I've been meaning to go for so long. Unfortunately, all my planned trips to Bohol get messed up. So, one day, while in Cebu, we decided to be spontaneous and head for Bohol, just to spend one night. Our trip started by going to the Supercat terminal in Cebu (near SM City).

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Tourist Hot Spots: Bohol Island, Philippines

The history of Bohol goes back way before the colonial period. With remnants as proof, it is believed that the first Boholanos had a culture of their own. Historians hold that the earliest inhabitants of the island were descendants of Pintados (the tattooed ones) who similarly lived in the Visayan area.

A few years after the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in Jagna, this municipality, along with other towns, became centers for the Jesuit missionaries. Since 1595, Bohol has been a home to the Jesuits from then up until the time they left the Philippines in 1768.

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Baclayon Church of Bohol

After an hour of sightseeing and shooting at the historical Blood Compact Site, Trigger Happy along with the homies go straight directly to their 2nd stop, the Baclayon Church and Museum. This Diocese of Tagbilaran was just a few meters away from our first stop, and it’s very accessible coz it’s also along the highway just like the Blood Compact Site.

This church is considered as one of the oldest here in the Philippines. It is also declared as a National Historical Landmark in 1994 by the Government of the Philippines.

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Bohol Blood Compact Site

As the Flight of the Icarus reaches and touches the grounds of Bohol, Trigger Happy and the homies from the west were heading to their first stop, the historic Bohol Blood Compact Site. The site is located in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, and it’s very accessible coz it’s along the highway.

The Bohol Blood Compact, also known as “Sandugo” simply tells a historic event in the Philippines done by the Spaniards and the Filipinos, headed by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi of Spain and Rajah Sikatuna of Philippines. For further details about this one, just go back to your history class and review it again! I’ve titled this shot Guardians of Asgaard by Melodic Death Metal band Amon Amarth.

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Bohol by Putograb (Tarsier)

No Bohol trip is complete without having one's picture taken beside the wide-eyed tarsier (the world's smallest primate. Unfortunately for these creatures, some visitors are not satisfied with just taking their pictures. Strictly speaking though, even the supposedly harmless act of taking their photos is stressful for these poor creatures. Tarsiers are supposed to be nocturnal animals. Say you work at night and sleep by day, would you want to be disturbed just to have your photo taken? Poor creatures.

The so-called man-made forest started as a tree-planting project initiated by students in a nearby school somewhere in the thicket. Eventually, the project became an annual event until the students were able to repopulate the area with trees.

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Bohol: Tourist paradise in Central Visayas

The oval-shaped island province of Bohol has been named as a world-class destination in Central Visayas because of its pristine beaches, majestic sunset, hidden caves, ancient structures, magnificent mountains, friendly people and “Chocolate Hills.”

The province lies southeast of Cebu and southwest of Leyte. The island, characterized by hilly and rolling terrain, has around 167 mountains, 73 islets.

Bohol has slowly but steadily been able to develop the needed infrastructure for its tourism industry. The infrastructures include hotels, resorts, roads, and upgrading of airports and other ports.

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Horrible Flash Flood at Mag-Aso Falls, Bohol Philippines

These flash flood photos were taken by someone who visited Mag-Aso Falls at the island of Bohol, Philippines on June 30, 2009. It was a "near-death experience" for them.

This is the waterfall. They had just gotten there. It had been raining, but stopped.

The falls are about 25 feet tall. The water collects in a pool. It’s not deep, and it's a beautiful and idea place for enjoying water. Take note that there’s a bamboo raft.

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Snapshots and Flip-flops: Cebu Pacific Holds Online Travel Journal Photo Contest

We did the touristy works in Bohol, one of the Philippines’ destinations of the moment, an island province at the heart of the archipelago with nice beaches, diving sites, a clean river to cruise on, old churches, intriguing fauna, landmarks that are worth your while, well-appointed resorts and an overall rustic feel much touted and romanticized by stressed out city dwellers.

A burst of rain welcomed us when we arrived the first day of July, the start of the run of Cebu Pacific’s Wandering Juan, a Web site in which its customers can create their own travel photo blogs. The best ones will win trips. The rules are: They must be creative and they must incorporate the tsinelas or flip-flops in the photos.

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Boholanos join campaign to draft Aquino

The effort to put up Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III as a presidential contender in 2010 continued to gain ground here with Boholanos now joining the signature campaign to convince him to do so.

The signature campaign is being spearheaded by members of various non-government organizations in Bohol.

“Noynoy is the only symbol of reform among the potential candidates in next year’s elections,” said engineer Vicente Loquellano, convener of the Nonoy for President campaign here.

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Bohol Trip: An Interview with a Traveling Doctor

One of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines is Bohol. The island is a traveler’s paradise. Alona Beach has a number of different resorts and hotels to choose from.

“Considering I’m a little bit choosy, I thought the place was kind of cozy. Though I would not compare it to the expensive hotels around the area, It was a delightful experience that for a fair, economical price, Isis (Bungalows) was not a disappointment,” says Alvin Mercado, a physician whose practice is in San Pablo, Laguna.

With the land tour covering the historical “Blood Compact Monument,” Baclayon Church, Loboc River, Man-made forest, and the Chocolate Hills. You just can’t stop yourself from taking pictures!

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Bohol by Putograb (Loboc Church)

The Loboc Church of San Pedro is the second oldest Church in this part of the Philippines. It was supposedly built in 1602 but much of the original was reduced to ashes (the present structure is purportedly a reconstruction made in 1638).

Loboc River runs just behind the famous church. The Loboc River cruise, of course, is popular for its floating restaurants (the cruise takes about an hour or so). The food, frankly speaking, is not that impressive but the view is great. Plus, there are song and dance performances, courtesy of the locals.

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Oh Bohol

When I started first grade, I have heard of Bohol already. I knew that there were a lot of special things this place had to offer, and it wasn’t until after many, many years (about 18 years?) that I was able to visit and enjoy Bohol.

We arrived early morning, around 7am, and was greeted by Kuya Ranil. There was a funny story behind that, which I won’t share any more. Anyway, he asked how our flight was and started driving. Our first stop was the site of the historical Blood Compact.

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Leaving Bohol

The rest of the world may have a recession, but Bohol seems to be booming. There are many tourists here, and several years ago I wondered if ecotourism would really be successful here. Well, it has been.

The island is beautiful with the Chocolate Hills, the tarsier, the Luboc River, caves, waterfalls, and the white sand beaches. The Calope family is great fun, and the area where they live is beautiful. I stay with Clar and her husband Jun Jun. Jun Jun is a seaman, and this is the first time I have met him. He has been all over the world, and although he gets to be home for only a short time each year, he seems to be an old friend. Every running with all of Sterling's nieces and nephews. They call me Lolo Zeus, and we take turns racing up a hill along with several of the dogs that live nearby. By the end of thirty minutes I am soaking wet with the humidity (called Egang here).

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Whitewashing

I’ve always been fascinated by the way our minds work to cope with the vastness of the world, the uncountable places and landforms we move through as travelers over the course of our lives. A place, it seems, can exist in our consciousness in one of three forms. First, as a mere name, a place on a map, a dimensionless data point. Leaf through a guidebook, or browse the web, and thousands of these pop up. If the name is in a foreign language, it can prove stubbornly hard to remember at this stage. And why should the mind remember it? What good does it do?

Then, as itineraries start to take shape, places start to fall into place in relation to one another. Relation of distance (“Loboc is only 30km from Tagliabara”) and in term of desirability (“Bohol has decent weather this time of year”). The sea of names starts to fall into a hierarchy, sketched in pencil on the inside of a Lonely Planet cover, or perhaps posted to a Google Doc spreadsheet. One starts to be able to recall the names of such places. More information gets attached to the hierarchy (“the ferry to Cebu leaves at 2pm”, “the woman on the phone sounded alright, the rate was reasonable”) as a plan unfolds.

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Power crowd launches tourism center in Bohol

WOMAN OF substance and stature, la simpatica Bea Susana Zobel “Junior” and her constant companion, brilliant businessman Joel Uichico, invited the media and some pals to Bohol for a weekend of extreme sports, fantastic culture tours and the ribbon-snipping of the first Municipal Tourism Center in Baclayon, no less.

Bea has been the patroness and strong force of Baclayon’s tourism growth. She tags Ino Manalo, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila as “the culprit who got me involved with Bohol.” It all started, dahlings, when he invited her over to help save the leaking roof of the old Our Lady of the Assumption Shrine and some ancestral houses from being knocked down.

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My Trip to Bohol Island

My favorite trip is coming.Saturday morning, my friends and I assembled in the Celi’s lobby at 8:30 A.M. We waited for the bus that will take us to the pier. Everyone was expecting this trip.After two hours on the boat voyage, we arrived in Bohol Island smoothly. Even though it was raining, we still felt happy and excited.

The driver took us to the Loboc River First, but there were too many people during lunch time.We decided to change the schedule temporarily. Then we came to a special place, and watched the most famous animal “Tarsier’’ there.Tarsiers are a kind of monkey with very big eyes.They are really very small and cute. They are not hyper,and never move almost. I think maybe they are not really lazy. They are hardly workingfor their jobs. So they are always still and just move their necks to face many cameras everyday.They always open their big and bright eyes to be professional models. Anyway the tarsiers catch my attention successfully. I really love them.

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Bohol by KL

A 2-hour ferry ride from the island of Cebu, southbound you will be greeted by the crisp air that embraces the laid back and simple island province of Bohol. Popularly known as the place of the famous Chocolate Hills, Bohol boasts it's treasure of a well-preserved tourist spots as well as vibrant historical places.

When we came here last June, it was rainy season. The Chocolate Hills only turns brown during summer because the grasses on the hills dries up that leaves the soil barren. When rain comes, grasses grow and bloom into a bed of greens. I appreciated green color actually as it was so pleasing and a refreshing sight. I enjoyed the food here as well. The must-see places here are:

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Bohol Nice Place to visit

Have you ever been to Bohol?

The number one tourist's destination in the entire Philippines because of its natural resources and history is Bohol.

I was with my family, having a tour of Bohol. When we left for Bohol, we hired a van for our tour. It was a semi-round tour yet nevertheless, we experienced more than the whole Bohol tour instead.

We had our morning snacks at Bool, where FRIENDSHIP between two nations, Spain and Bohol was made. Then, we stopped at BACLAYON to be in the oldest church built by the Jesuits.

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BOHOL: Highlights of May 2009 Bohol Tour

This is my third visit to Bohol. I have been going there for three consecutive years now since year 2007, and obviously, I never grew tired of visiting Bohol over and over and over again. There is something enthralling in an island so small yet so rich with history, culture, natural and man-made wonders, not to mention the heartwarming Boholanos.

My first visit to Bohol was a mere day tour at the countryside. I was in Cebu for business and having the weekend off, we crossed to Bohol to go around the island. On my second visit, my friends and I stayed at Panglao Island for two days and we were able to snorkel at Balicasag Island. My third visit was just May of this year and this was my longest stay by far, being four days. Here are some highlights of the first day of our Bohol Tour.

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My Trip to Bohol Island

My favorite trip is coming. Saturday morning, my friends and I assembled in the Celi’s lobby at 8:30 A.M. We waited for the bus that will take us to the pier. Everyone was expecting this trip. After two hours on the boat voyage, we arrived in Bohol Island smoothly. Even though it was raining, we still felt happy and excited.

The driver took us to the Loboc River First, but there were too many people during lunch time. We decided to change the schedule temporarily. Then we came to a special place, and watched the most famous animal ``Tarsier’’ there. Tarsiers are a kind of monkey with very big eyes. They are really very small and cute. They are not hyper,and never move almost. I think maybe they are not really lazy. They are hardly workingfor their jobs. So they are always still and just move their necks to face many cameras everyday.They always open their big and bright eyes to be professional models. Anyway the tarsiers catch my attention successfully. I really love them.

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Bohol by Serenity

After years of dreaming to see this place, my dream finally came true when a fairy god mother granted my wish lol. My friend and i who's a first timer visiting my beloved country planned to include this in our grand trip and we never regret it. We bought ticket online at philippine airlines with their econolight promo. Although we surely knows we'll be seated at the rear part of the aircraft, we able to save money from that anyway so it' doesn't matter at all. It's on the first week of july and it's been starting raining already so i'm pretty much worried but at that time, the weather finally cooperates and i'm so thankful.

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More than anything else, Bohol

You asked me what brought me to Bohol?

I don’t think I have the ready answers to this. Instead, I will tell you how I spent the first nights in Baclayon.

It was an uneasy mix. Diverse at one point and contented on another. On a Sunday, when memories of home raced through mind, I was struck by the repeated peals of the bells of Baclayon Church. I buried my head between two pillows until the sounds dissipated. The altar boy- in-charge tasked to pull down the ropes of the bells must be so strong he wouldn’t stop nary a second. He did a good job. The sounds were constant. The parishioners have gone home to rest from the wrappings of the recent Masses and the reminders were heard all over Baclayon. This form of quietude is Bohol’s enviable trait alongside laidback principles steeped in pious activities. But when reality seethes in, mundane relations could be irrepressibly amusing. For one, I found the story of the motor banca an interesting one.

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Exploring the Wonders of Bohol

It was only during my elementary days that I get to see the famous Chocolate Hills in most of my “Hekasi” or “Sibika” books. But it was on May 2008 that I’ve finally set foot on this beautiful island.

Bohol, the tenth largest island of the Philippines, is situated at the Central Visayas region and is beside Cebu and Leyte. It is about 700 kilometers south of Manila and about 70 kilometers southeast of Mactan Island. Bohol has been considered to be one of the dream destinations in the Philippines because of its famous attractions and beautiful white sand beaches.

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