Bohol is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. It is considered as the friendly heart of the country and it offers a smorgasbord of things to do and discoveries to unravel.
Travelers from all over the world flock this place because it has almost anything — beaches, falls, hills, natural marvels, and amiable locals.
I have been in this place more than a couple of times and it felt like there’s nothing left to see. It felt repetitive (and boring) just taking the Loboc River Cruise, saying “hi” to tarsiers, and seeing the panoramic view of the Chocolate Hills.
I would have not wanted to come back.
But, oh boy, was I wrong.
This time around, it was different.
It may be a bit tiring, a little surreal, but overall, nice.
So, we packed our bags and embarked on this spontaneous trip.
DAY 1
We arrived in the Tagbilaran airport early in the morning. We immediately boarded a ride that would tour us in the countryside. But unlike the usual tour that brings travelers to the Loboc River Cruise and what-nots, we scratched that off.
We still said “hi” to the tarsiers though. We visited the one where these endangered species are placed in the wild and not in cages, which I saw in my previous trips and a bit disheartening then. I was told that place has already been shut down. For first-timers, it’s still something I’d recommend you go to.
Then, we headed to see the Chocolate Hills. Yeah, you may say that that’s still common, but it’s Bohol, you can’t miss that. Not seeing the Chocolate Hills in Bohol is like not seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York. But I digress.
But before that, we stopped at the Twilight-ish man-made forest in Bilar. Yeah, pretty common sight visited too but you can’t deny it’s a pretty amazing place to take pictures. You can fake run into the woods and pretend you’re battling it out Hunger Games-style.
When we went to see the hills, it wasn’t just seeing the usual view from the top. We went up close and personal with a few of the hills by taking a Buggy ride. It was fun cruising on high speed along the dirt road, trying to avoid potholes and chickens crossing the road. And avoiding flipping over.
Bar none, this supergirl is the best Buggy driver out there.
The Buggy may be difficult to maneuver but it got us to get a good close-up view of the hills and a phenomenal shoulder workout.
It was a little bit after lunch and we haven’t eaten yet. Our driver was telling us that we should go to the Loboc River Cruise. We really didn’t want to so we decided that he just brought us to our hotel in Panglao Island.
Going back, we passed by a wooden hanging bridge. I haven’t seen that before and my travel buddy think it would be fun, despite her being (secretly) afraid of heights. Don’t tell her I told you guys. Shhh.
Then, we still had much time left on our first day to enjoy the hotel’s pool and Alona beach.
More on the next page…
