Cebohol 09 - Summer's Last Hurrah II

After spending a whole day of our Cebu City tour, we prepared for the next part of our trip which is crossing the Cebu Strait to our next destination, Bohol.



We ate breakfast at a TapSiLogan joint just below our hotel Cebu. The silog variants are great with some sinigang or bulalo soup on the side. Prices ranging from P45 - P52 depending on the main variant.

We took a cab to take us to Pier 4, where the main passenger terminal port is located for fast crafts plying the Cebu-Tagbilaran is located. Ahead of time we already reserved our tickets via Aboitiz' fast ferry Super Cat . Cost for adults is P500 and for kids 4-11 yrs. old its P250. Its free for children below 4 years old. We got on board and left at 830 AM (on time schedule, yehey!!! ) travel time is about 1 hr 45 mins.



The ride was quite comfy, they also offer different choices of snacks and food on board, prices are affordable.

Inside the SuperCat...

We arrived at Tagbilaran Port at about 1015AM, our driver/guide Mang Gerry was at the waiting area with a placard of my name to identify him. We put our bags in his van (Toyota HiAce) and embarked on our Bohol Day Tour. Our resort's check-in time is 3pm, so we decided to take the day tour before checking in later in the afternoon. Saves you an extra day :-)

So now we go to our Bohol Countryside Tour .....



Day 2 - Bohol Countryside Tour

Spots:

Blood Compact Shrine - "Sandugo":

The first on our list of places to visit is the Blood Compact Shrine which is just a few minutes away from the airport or port of Tagbilaran City. This shrine commemorates the friendship between Spaniards and the natives of Bohol entered into in March 16,1565. Sandugo was performed between Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol.

Great history lesson for the kids and adults as well. Good spot for photos, but not really much to do here. There's a souvenir shop on the side as well.


Baclayon Church:

Next stop is Baclayon Church, it is the second oldest stone church in the Philippines(oldest is San Agustin in Manila in Intramuros built in 1571). Constructed in 1595 by the Jesuit priest, it is still intact and houses important relics and images reminiscent of the historic Roman Catholic religion in the country. Among those displayed in the church museum are: crystal chandelier, silver tabernacle, altar with carvings inlaid with gold, life-size statues and more. Great for photo ops, there is also a museum at the back of the church for a minimal fee of P50 for adults and P20 kids.


Prony "The Python" Sanctuary :

We were of to the town of Alburquerque in a dusty barangay road of Upper Sta. Filomena to meet as acclaimed by the townsfolk as the world's biggest python in captivity named "Prony". When we arrived there were already a number of tourist queing to see the snake. And boy, was the snake large, I mean he was coiled up but you could clearly see how thick(width) it was. As per the poster at the entrance the snake was caught in October 1996 witrh a length of 5 ft and weighing only 5 kilos but now last measurement are 25ft and a whooping 200 kilos. Based on the the snakekeeper,the snake only eats every 2 months with staples of live chicken and occasional live piglet. The keeper doubles up as a drag queen as well belting(lypsincing) diva tunes for guests, you could say he/she is really well-rounded. The sanctuary also has some birds and flying lemurs on display. They also have a small snack store to freshen up with cold drinks and the ever present load for cellphones. They also have a souvenir shop and based on my bargaining research they have one of the lowest prices for handmade souvenirs.



The kids at the entrance ; the real Prony all curled up

Meeting The Tarsier:

After our encounter with Prony , it was almost 12 noon so we're kinda hungry and Mang Gerry told us its perfect time to head of for the Loboc River cruise to eat our lunch there but before that we could set off to one of the 3 DENR accredited Tarsier sanctuary to meet the guy. There was a small souvenir shop by the road that acts up as a Tarsier viewing spot in Bohol. The furry guys were put into small plants where they cling, mostly they were sleeping due to their nocturnal nature. You could take pictures of them, and with them as well. But please strictly be quiet and NO FLASH. They are under so much stress being displayed as they are so the flash really irritates them due to their big eyes, and a sad reality is that under stress they tend to commit suicide. How one could wish they could be brought back to their original habitat, there is an ordinance that Tarsier display would be banned already but still no clear development on it.


Loboc River Cruise:

After the Tarsier encounter, officially we are hungry!!! We're now on our way to the Loboc Rivercruise where we get to cruise along the Loboc River while having our buffet lunch. We arrived at a very organized and clean dock/port. There are quite a number of this resto/boats for the picking but based on recommendations we pick the first booth which is called "Riverwatch" you pay P300 per pax, for the buffet and an hour of riverwatching so to speak. The food was ok for the price and the refills are generous. Try to get small portions of each dish to try them then splurge on the ones you really like. There are also fresh fruits and local "kakanins" for dessert. The kids got a kick out of the "garlic fried chicken" very tasty. Then we cruised the emerald green waters of Loboc. The scene is something else plus the experience. Its quite nice that the local authority of Loboc were able to preserve this truly majestic river. You traverse the waters with occasional stops to local folks singing and dancing on floating rafts, please be generous in giving donations on their donation boxes. On board there is also singers to serenade you on your cruise.


Bilar Man-Made Forest :

Our next destination was the man made forest of Bilar. Its about a kilometer stretch of uniformed height Mahogany trees which according to Mang Gerry was planted back in the 60's to avoid soil erosion in that area. The forest is quite neat with trees lining up the road and its thick foliage giving shade and a rather cool temperature all around. This is the road that leads up to the "Chocolate Hills of Bohol".


Simply Butterflies Conservation Center :

Before we set off to the Chocolate Hills, Mang Gerry told us to drop by the Butterfly Conservation Center also in Bilar. He says that the kids would surely enjoy and learn about them butterflies. We arrived at the place there was an entrance fee of P20 for adults and P5 for kids. Upon entering there will be a guide assigned to you for the mini-tour. The guide would also ask for your preferred language either in Bisaya, Tagalog or English. The guide would explain about butterflies, their life cycle, differences with Moths, etc. Then you go to an enclosed garden to actually see and be with live butterflies (quite neat). They would also catch butterflies and put them on you (clothing, sunglasses,etc) for some phot ops. Then you go to main Butterfly Garden, an open area where there are some mini huts for some resting and photos. They also have a snack bar where they serve lunch and snacks. Next stop, Chocolate Hills !!!


The kids enjoying the butterflies and its surroundings...


The Chocolate Hills:

One's visit to Bohol would not be complete with the so called "main course", the majestic Chocolate Hills in Carmen. The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines. According to the latest accurate survey done,there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. It is featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attraction in the province. It is in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines; it has been declared the country's 3rd National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Chocolate Hills actually encompasses 6 towns namely ; Carmen, Sagbayan, Batuan, Bilar, Sierra Bullones and Valencia. The viewdeck is in Carmen. It is actually a Chocolate hill itself but was made into a viewdeck, it has 214 steps going up the top. Recently, they have constructed a paved walkway as an alternative to the steps especially for those who are in wheelchairs. Upon reaching the top one would get a magnificent view of the hills in all of its glory. Very nice place for your photo ops. There are also booths on the viewdeck if you want to have your photos taken with the hills as your backdrop and you could also have a photo with a broom to give that illusion of flying above the hills (the backdrop by the way is just tarp).

The steps, the view, kids in Tarp hills :-)

There's also another viewdeck about 11kms from the one in Carmen. Its called Sagbayan Peak
Its in the town of Sagbayan, Bohol. Aside from having a viewdeck for the hills, they also have a Tarsier sanctuary, butterfly farm reserve and waterpark as well. It was getting late and about to get dark so we decided to forego going there instead we went off to Tagbilaran City to buy some grocery items and prepare to check in with our resort in Panglao Island - Dumaluan Beach Resort II.

All in all it was an exhausting, eventful and enjoyable day for us. It was well worth it. We arrive in the resort at about 7pm. More on that and the dolphin-watching and island hopping adventure on my next post.

Mang Gerry (0906-7443531) gave us the whole day transpo tour for only P 2,000. It is one of the lowest you could ever get in Bohol. Considering we were the only occupants of his Toyota Van. Do contact him for the best deals possible for your trip.