CeBoHoL (Cebu-Bohol) Adventures [Part 3/4]

[Part 3]

Date: August 30-September 1, 2009

Destination: Cebu and Bohol

Travel via: Air (Philippine Airlines), Land (jeepneys, van, coaster), Water (fastcraft)

Good Morning Tarsier! :)

On our next journey was Bohol and all of us were excited to see since it's one of the most visited provinces in the country. What we thought of Bohol was only Chocolate Hills, which it was part of our discussions in classroom. That was also the main reason why we decided to be in Bohol and to see Chocolate Hills in our eyes. But Bohol really surprised us about the beauty and their never ending support on their tourism. Our whole day visit to Bohol proved that you can do that with good amount of time and big amount of savings. How do we arrive to Bohol from Cebu? Here it is:

We rode a fastcraft bound to Tagbilaran City, the capital of Bohol. We chose Oceanjet due to their promo fares, The Libre Balik Promo where for only PHP400, you can avail the libre balik (free return trip). That's a huge PHP400 savings! :)

Tip: Plan and book ahead of time. This route is highly profitable due to numerous of passengers so expect many passengers who will take this opportunity. Oceanjet has a useful website. Just log to their Oceanjet website and you will see their schedules and fares. We choose the earliest trip bound to Tagbilaran City and the last trip which bounds to Cebu City. Here's the best deal: If you purchase your ticket a week before the schedule departure, the lesser the ticket price. Check this out: Cebu-Bohol Libre Balik Promo.

their vessel

one of their fastcrafts

We arrived at Cebu Pier Terminal 1 at 05:30AM to take the 6:00AM trip to Bohol. There were many passengers during that time and weather was fine.

at pre-departure area

ready for boarding

boarding time!

Bohol, here I come! :)

We left Cebu at exactly 06:00AM and our travel time was 2 hours. It was a smooth travel. By the way, only 6 of us were inside the cabin while the rest were at the open-air accommodation. We took a nap since we expected to have a more adventures in Bohol. At 8:00AM the sound of a bell signify that we were finally arrived at the Port of Tagbilaran in Bohol. The moment we stepped out from the fastcraft, we immediately took shots:

Maayong Buntag Bohol!

Welcome to the Port of Tagbilaran!

We met Cathy, our tour guide who assisted us and toured us in Bohol. We immediately saw her since she carried a placards with our company name written on it. She welcomed us and she directed us to our ride that we used on our tour: the coaster!

welcome aboard! :)

Tip: It is best to do a research earlier in order to choose which package has the best offer and rates will also be consider. Prior to our adventures, I checked different websites about Bohol until I found the site for Bohol Countryside Tour. RJ Intano was the one who assisted me and gave me different quotations on the day tour packages since we only stay in Bohol for one whole day. He was very accommodating and gave us affordable rate of PHP850 which inclusive of coaster instead of van, tour guide, entrance fee, lunch at Loboc River, day tour that includes Chocolate Hills, Baclayon Church plus side tour swimming at Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao Island. It was really a great deal. For more information, check on this site: Bohol Day Tour and you will see different rates and packages to choose from. It is highly recommended since we availed that and we enjoyed it. :)

Cathy, our tour guide asked on our preferred dialect when discussing about the different tourist spots of Bohol. We immediately said Tagalog and English. Her way of explaining was enjoying and we learned a lot on our discussion. We were hungry that time but since we arrived at 8AM, some food establishments were not yet open so we decided to stop at Jollibee Tagbilaran.

After 30 minutes, we started to roam around Bohol. We passed different structures such as St.Joseph the Worker Cathedral.

The city is a start-off point to Bohol province's attractions: the Chocolate Hills, beaches, dive spots, heritage sites and old stone churches. Home to several hotels, resorts, and restaurants, the city has recently become a venue for national conventions and gatherings. As Cathy presented the map of Bohol where it was located at the center of the Philippines explained the cultural enrichment of her province. 

First Stop: Blood Compact Monument

We took our first stop in Bool district, the Blood Compact Monument symbolized in commemoration of the blood compact between Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna in March 1565. Sikatuna and Legazpi each made a cut on the left arm and collected the drop of blood into a single vessel mixed with wine. A marker now stands on the very spot where Sikatuna and Legaspi sealed that famous compact. (Source: Tagbilaran City)

this monument was the site of blood compact

great view at background

picture time

Panglao Island on the other side

Next Stop: Baclayon Church

There were many huge churches in the province. I must say that Bohol preserved their Roman Catholic faith and maintained their big churches. We went to one of the famous church structure which as the Baclayon Church. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Heritage Features: The church has two facades: an inner one which is Classical in inspiration, and outer one built in the 19th century by the Recollects is a portico decorated by three arches.

Church front (Source: Churches in Bohol)

Church Belltower

upclose

this way to Baclayon Church Museum

picture inside

Nice look at the altar

picture once again

me and my sister

nice ceilings

altar

Proper dress code was strictly implemented. Two of them, including my sister was advised to use small blankets to cover their legs since it was strictly prohibited inside. Photos were not allowed inside the museum but we saw artifacts such as tools used during 16th century and some written music books. It was a great experience that time.


Next Stop: Tarsier Sanctuary

We went to Tarsier Sanctuary and we passed different towns of Bohol. We were excited to see the smallest primate in the world. We used to learn them through blogs, television shows, magazines and whole lot more. As we arrived to this area, we immediately went down to the area and we were happy to see it. We were advised not to take flash photos for it may irritate them. We followed their advise.

These little animals are one of the smallest known primates. They are no larger than a person’s head and are very adorable with big round eyes. It is good to note that they are protected species of the province hence touching them during the tours or during your visits are prohibited because constant touching will stress these creatures out. These little animals live on insects and are mostly active during the night. Aside from the native land of Bohol, the tarsier can also be found in regions of Mindanao and Leyte. Local names of the tarsier include the “mamag”, “mago”, “magau”, or “malmag”. (source: Bohol Travel Guide)

sleeping tarsier

busy sleeping

hello tarsier!

look Ma! I saw Tarsier! :)

the smallest primate

the flying lemur

see those lemurs? :)

Next Stop: Bilar Man-Made Mangrove Forest

On our way to Carmen, Bohol and we were about to see a place full of mangroves planted along the way. It was just like a movie from Jurassic Park or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. But we were amazed that this was a man-made initiative. It was part of a bigger reforestation project that was created in response to the alarming deforestation in the Loboc watershed.

Welcome mark

man-made forest

full of mangroves

picture again

more posts

and another...

touch me Bilar

peace men!

Next Stop: Chocolate Hills

We were more excited because the main attraction of Bohol was finally within our reach. From Bilar, we traveled more than 20 kilometers and it took more than 30 minutes until we reached the some of the hills. We were happy because we were like children from educational trip that we will see the Chocolate Hills up close. With some excitement, here are some of the photos we took minus the caption, hehehehe! :)

Next Stop: Loboc River Cruise

We were advised by Cathy to have our lunch at Loboc River which was part of our itinerary and we should be at 1PM. Since we were amazed and took much photos at the Chocolate Hills, we did not bother the time. But thanks to Cathy because if she did not advised us, we might missed the cruise. It was also the highlight of our activities. It was also became famous nowadays and you will never left Bohol without trying this. We hurriedly travel until we reached Loboc River. Cathy recommended Rverwatch but since we already booked though the package, we got some passes and rode a floating cottage-like restaurant. They served Filipino dishes ranges from grilled fish, barbeque, pancit (noodles), seafoods, rice and lot more. 

enter to the floating restaurant

oops, wrong resolution

happy lunch

enjoy our lunch at river cruise

with a good live band

enjoy ourselves with great food!

happy cruising!

clean river

other floating resto

going to Busay Falls

enjoying the music

happy eating!

great cruise

enjoying our cruise

one more time! :)

The trip winds up the river and ends at the Busay Falls which is only one and a half meter at most. Here, the guests are treated to rondalla music by a local rondalla group housed under a floating cottage. After that, it will rotate and back to where we started. But before going back to the starting point, they took us to a Rondalla and Dance Group housed in a Nipa Hut along the river. During that time, we saw children waving and dancing to the local Visayan song and some of us went down and do some moves. We were happy that time and still a great experience we felt. 

here comes the children's choir

they treated us with welcome dance

and song number too. :)

we also having fun... :)

playing instruments also

memorable experience at River Cruise

wacky poses! :)

Thank you for your warm hospitality!

see us soon! :)

again, what a clean river! 

Thank you also for great song

Thank you for experience and adventure in Loboc River Cruise! :)

Next Stop: Approniana Souvenir Shop

After having a great lunch experience at Loboc River Cruise, we had an immediate stop at Tagbilaran City to buy some pasaubongs before we proceed to Panglao Island. I wasn't able to take photos since we were busy buying and we were hurrying to Panglao Island. We bought some Bohol's delicacies such as Kalamay sa Jagna.  Kalamay is cooked from grounded sticky rice or 'malagkit' with coconut milk and dark sugar, famous in Jagna (town in Bohol) and usually packed in a coco shell container. 

Kalamay in Coco Shell

Also Peanut Kisses, which was the cheapest of all. This was sold at PHP10 (during that time) and it was also easiest to bring back home. It was shaped like chocolate hills so it was a Bohol made product.

the famous peanut kisses

Other than these, shops has many t-shirts, bags, wallets, and other souvenir items sold at affordable price. We were in a hurry and Cathy advised us to proceed to Panglao Island.

Tip: According to some of my friends who are also travelers, the best place to buy pasalubong at affordable price is at their own market. There you will find different stalls of pasalubongs and you will haggle them to beat the prices. Just make sure that you their dialect, just as basic will surely put you into a good sale. But make sure that you check the quality of the product you purchase before leaving the stall. :)

Next Stop: Dumaluan Beach Resort

We do some short swimming adventures in Bohol and the best to do that was in Panglao Island. There were many beach resorts and Cathy recommended us to be at Dumaluan Beach Resort. Once we arrived, we were amazed on the pure white sand and clearer water. We immediately have fun along the beach.

Welcome to Panglao Island

have fun!

great adventure

picture, picture

great white sand

love the water and the sand

love this pic! :)

have fun!

We stayed there for almost 3 hours until 5PM. After that we packed our things and went back to Tagbilaran port for our 6PM trip courtesy of Oceanjet. Cathy thanked us for staying in Bohol and we also thanked her for great, learning and fun experience even for just one whole day. As we leave from the port, we never forget the memories and hopefully be back in the future for more adventures and longer stay in Bohol.

Overall, it was really one of best travels I've made and with the group. Even we did not went to other tourist attractions in the province, our trip was memorable and exciting. Bohol, you are simply one of the best!

Daghang Salamat Bohol! :)

Continue to Part 4! :)