April 2019

Bohol was our next stop. It is accessible by ferry/fast craft from Cebu City. There is also a seaport in Argao where we took the Light Ferry to go to Tagbilaran, Bohol. There were several carinderias at the pier and food is affordable. It is always better to eat first before boarding because food in the ship are usually expensive and choices are very limited.

Passengers in the ferry were not too many so we got to choose where to sit either facing the tv if you want to watch a movie or a window seat with a good view of the seascape. For a while we preferred the window seat but when the scenery got monotonous we moved closer to the tv to enjoy the show and later moved closer to the exit to easily get off upon arrival at the next port.

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It was a bit late when we arrived. We awaited a bit for the taxi that was contacted beforehand and went straight to the accommodation we have pre-booked. Although the room was cheap, they did not serve food so we looked for a place to have dinner and wandered around until we got to The Bee Farm. Food in the place was very expensive because it was a touristy place. We just tried their ice cream with unusual flavors added with honey. Luckily we discovered a carinderia just outside the facility which offers really sumptuous “lutong bahay” meals at affordable prices. We learned that employees of the Bee Farm resort were dining there.

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The following day we had to leave early but there was no one at the front desk so we just checked ourselves out leaving the key by the table and just got ready for the day’s adventure. we hired a taxi to get us around Bohol. Our itinerary included the site of the Blood Compact (between Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna) where a commemorative monument of the event was erected. It was a historical event dubbed as the “First International Peace Treaty” that’s why it was given importance in our history books.

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Another must visit in Bohol is the Tarsier Conservation Area, where the tiny primates may be observed closely. I remember ET (of the Steven Spielberg Film), an alien that really looked like a tarsier. Of course we got some tarsier stuffed toy/body bags as pasalubong for the pamangkins.

Also a ‘must do’ in Bohol is the Loboc River Cruise. It must be scheduled about lunch time as the tour includes an all you can eat buffet of delectable main courses as well as desserts and drinks. It was definitely a relaxing but stomach-filling activity and at the same time sort of cultural immersion because the tour includes viewing cultural performances by the community. This tour is highly recommended by local tourists because it also recreates childhood experiences with children bathing in the river and swinging and diving from tree branches into the water.

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Another addition to the itinerary was the canopy walk in Bilar man-made mahogany forest which covers 2km stretch between Loboc and Bilar and we’re fortunate that there were not too many photobombers that time.

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Obviously a visit in Bohol would not be complete without dropping by the world famous Chocolate Hills. Our tour in Bohol culminated in this geologic wonder shaped by nature. What we have seen in Osmena Peak and Chocolate Hills are only few of nature’s astonishing forms. We should never cease appreciating these magnificent structures that abound in nature. We only have to look around and marvel at the goodness and abundance that we have been blessed with in our country.

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