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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