BOHOL ESCAPADE
- Anya Mynorka Ileto
- Aug 15, 2016
- 8 min read
My first travel for this year happened on the first week of May. Our grandmother treated me and my brother, Andre, a trip to Bohol. It was an early graduation gift for the both of us. But before this, I was actually on my On-the-Job-Training at the Philippine Social Security Sytem (SSS-Gensan) as my final practicum for our last semester. I wasn't really sure if I could join the trip. Fortunately, I had done my 400 hrs of training and my supervisor allowed me to take a leave (this sounded and felt like I'm a real employee, lol). So here is our 3-day trip...
DAY 1
DAUIS CHURCH
We rented a van for a half-day trip around Bohol and first visited the church at Dauis or known as the The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption. The town of Dauis is located in the Island of Panglao, on the side facing Tagbilaran City. Panglao Island nestles closely to the main province of Bohol and is connected to the mainland by two causeways. Dauis Church is visible across the narrow channel from Tagbilaran and can be reached by hiking through a pleasant path, or by riding a motor bike or a car. Despite the ruins left by the earthquake three years ago, the magnificent carved designs, and paintings still stand. The renovations, however, remain to be a work in progress; the same as with the other churches located in Loboc, Baclayon, Maribojoc, Alburquerque, Cortes and Loon. Some amazing facts about the Dauis church are: it was built during the Spanish era and has a well, known for its water’s healing power, lies at the foot of the main altar. Tourists and the locals can drink the said holy water via bottle and by giving donation for the rehabilitation of the church.
BEE FARM
Next stop was the Bohol Bee Farm, an agricultural haven located on the same island of Panglao. It is known for its bee cultivation and organic farming. It is a place for relaxation since visitors could stay at their hotel and have a decent meal in their restaurant. I have developed a great admiration to the owner for not only contributing to the environment in the form of farming but also, for producing goods that are health conscious. Most of their products were made from and by the bees and they sell these with cheap and affordable prices. One of the unforgettable experiences I had in the farm was having second thoughts in picking flavors of my ice cream. They offer unique flavors like Malunggay, Spicy Ginger, Nipa Fruit, Peanut Kisses, Dragon Fruit and Seaweed flavors. They served it on a Cabcab cone for only 50 pesos per scoop. I picked Pandan and Dragon Fruit and savored every lick. Haha! If you want to visit, click this to know more about Bee farm.
NOVA SHELL MUSEUM
Another spectacular tourist attraction in Bohol is the Nova Shell Museum owned by Mr. Quirino Hora. He used his vacant time to tour and share to us his life as a shell collector and personally tour us around his museum. His shell collection started as a hobby and now he has thousand and different kinds of shells. In fact, the two shells called Bursa Quirihorai (1984) and Primovula Horai (1994) were named after him and were also discovered in the waters surrounding the Island of Panglao. Mr. Hora has been collecting shells for more than 30 years through sea explorations, barter with other shell collectors and purchasing some of them. He also collects stuffs like Polaroid cameras, harp, ancient Chinese kitchenwares, old coins, fishing boat and basket, shark’s jaw with its teeth, stingray, seahorses, sea urchins. and other antiques that were used during the Pre-War and World War 1 and 2. There is a souvenir shop which sells products made out of shells like bracelets, necklaces, shells in bundles, keychains, bells, wind chimes, wall decors, ceiling decors and a lot more.
Two of the most interesting shells are the Conidae family of shells, famous for its poison, is usually and commonly found by the beach shore, and the Vulva Queen, the smallest shell in the world at 5 millimeter and its rarest size is 7 millimeter and it can be sold over 1000 U.S. dollars because of the fact that only 3 of those can be found in a year and can be clearly seen using a magnifying lens (see photo above). If you are planning to go to Bohol, never miss the opportunity of stopping by to this amazing and very educational place; it is really worth a visit.
HINAGDANAN CAVE
Our last stop for our first day in Bohol was at the majestic Hinagdanan Cave. We arrived there at around 5:00 pm so we missed the illumination of the stalagmites inside the cave which amplifies its beauty and also explains why the photos lacked with good quality. Nevertheless, my brother and I enjoyed our first time seeing and experiencing what it is like to be inside a cave. This cave is classified as a Karst. In other words, it is made of limestone. To reach the cave, you need to go through some steep steps that are quite slippery. However, there is no need to worry since there is a metallic railing that you can hold on to if you lose your balance. The tour guide and the caretakers are very hospitable and accommodating, so you will never get bored during the whole tour. I highly recommend this place to whoever wants to experience the thrill we felt during our visit. The entrance fee will cost you 20 pesos only and there are also souvenir shops and snack stands around the area.
DAY 2
After our halfday trip on Day 1, we went back to Tagbilaran to fetch our Tito Lolo, Uncle Junior. We checked in to Arabelle Suits to have a quick rest and then went to the Golden Cowrie for dinner. The next day, our grandmother told us that we will visit Maribojoc and meet Engineer Avella De Vera to consult something about the land titles our great grandmother inherited from our ancestors. Thereafter, we were able to pray at the Holy Cross Parish Church and realized how the ruins from the earthquake changed one of the oldest churches in Bohol. Also, we got the honor to meet the former Mayor of Maribojoc, Leoncio "Jun" Evasco Jr., now Incumbent Secretary of the Cabinet, whom I found out to be one of the closest friends of our grandma. The timing was right since there was a Fiesta in their town which they celebrate at the first week of May.
SAGBAYAN PEAK
Bohol has been blessed with one of the Seven Wonders of the World, widely known as the Chocolate Hills. On our way to the Sagbayan Peak, we saw hundreds of hills along the roadside. As we arrived, we met some tourists, some are locals and some are foreigners, who were busy taking selfies and group pictures. Sagbayan Peak is a mountain resort that offers a 360-degree view of the hills and the distant blue sea separating Bohol from the island of Cebu. The view here is breathtaking and will engender one to say a few words of thanks to our heavenly creator for such grandeur. We bought souvenirs and took pictures of the tarsiers. It's a perfect place for a family vacation since there are statues of dinosaurs such as a T-rex and other Disney cartoon characters like Duffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Lola, Marilyn Monroe, Donald Duck, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, Lion King, Tiger, etc. There are also a restaurant, a snack stall, a cafe, and a butterfly sanctuary.
CARMEN'S CHOCOLATE HILLS
Ten miles from the Sagbayan Peak is the Chocolate Hills Complex of Carmen. Compared to the latter, the place was more crowded the time we went there. We had to climb 214 step stairs to get the way to the top. However, it was still worth it to be surrounded by thousands of hills. In fact, Bohol has 1,268 hills and Boholanos believed that these hills are the way of nature to express mystery, beauty and romance. If you would like feel elevated the way we did, get your reservations now and click this to help you book your tour.
TWIN HANGING BRIDGE
The last and most discomforting part in our itinerary that day was the Twin Hanging Bridge in the town of Sevilla. The entrance will only cost you 20 pesos but the experience will leave you out of breath. Haha! Kidding aside, it was very challenging to get to the middle because the bridge was actually bouncing. I held on tightly on the bamboo railings just to keep my balance. To top it all up, the end of bridge was quite creepy since it was getting darker that time. It's a good thing that I do not have a fear of heights so I made it. My brother and I were thrilled and we enjoyed crossing both bridges.
DAY 3
FLOATING RESTAURANT
Our Bohol trip would not be complete without visiting the famous Floating Restaurant located in Loboc . It is one of the best tourist spots. Globetrotters will get to enjoy the ride and the buffet while listening to live acoustic music on board and appreciate nature at the same time. The buffet began when the boat started to take off and the Boholanos prepared a table with full of native dishes and delicacies. The boats were lined up at Laoay Bridge, near the Baclayon Church. The water in the river is clearly one of the cleanest in the country. There was also a show of native dancing and singing by the local children along the side which was very entertaining. To know more about the Loboc Floating Restaurant Cruise prices and schedules, you can look it up by clicking this. You should not miss this relaxing and overwhelming experience!
PYTHON WILDLIFE FARM
So here we are at last station of our Bohol escapade. The final tourist spot we visited was the Bohol Python Wildlife Park which is the home of one of the largest pythons, the quondam Prony. Captured in Albuquerque, Prony weighed 5 kilograms with the length of 5 feet. She had unbelievably grown to 27 feet and 34 inches with 280 kilograms in weight in 2012. Prony died last August 14, 2013 due to an unknown cause. The owner decided to preserve her remains then put it on display in order for visitors to take pictures with. Today, the Wildlife Park houses not only snakes but other animals such as turtles, a monkey, a heron, an eagle and other kinds of small snakes. The son of Prony, called Prony Junior, is now under the care of the park. It was my second time to touch a real snake for a long time, but the sensation was hair-raising.
All in all, after the three-long-day trip, my grandma, my tito lolo, my brother and I have been exhausted yet did not regret anything from the tours. We spent the rest of our time for our last night inside the suite talking and having quality time. I woke up the next day with a heavy heart since our fourth day will be our last day in Bohol. Nevertheless, we really had a rip-roaring good time during our stay. For sure, we will come back there and go to other tourist spots that we were not able to visit. I am telling you, Bohol is a highly recommended place for adventurous people who are not only travelers, but also nature-lovers like me. I am missing the places I have been to right now. But anyway, the thrill and excitement of exploring one of the most blessed places in the Philippines still and will always linger. Let’s see where my next journey will be!
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