Bohol, my home…
Bohol, my home..
What do I know about it? Well, aside from being born and raised here, nothing much really. Alright, so maybe I do know a few things about it that I take for granted like it’s suddenly the new “IT” place to visit when you’re in the Philippines, but I don’t get it. I mean, what’s so special about it anyway? Why do hundreds of people come here every day and spend so much money just to be here? That’s a question I’ve always asked myself every time I see tourists walking around in groups obviously afraid of being lost and talking gibberish. Come to think of it, I’ve been living here for as long as I can remember but I don’t really know the place as much as I’m supposed to. I think it’s about time I do my homework and do a little research about the place I call home.
With a little help from a tour guide friend, I was given the grand tour and I got to know the place from a tourist’s point of view. I was able to come up with a list of places that tourists often visit.
Alona Beach
One is the white sandy beaches of Panglao Island. The pristine shores and serene location makes it a perfect getaway. It has a few mini bars along the shoreline of Alona beach yet it is not as crowded as Boracay.
Baclayon church
The Baclayon church, one of the oldest churches in the country, is also one of the main tourist attractions. In the museum beside the church, you can actually learn a lot of interesting facts about the way the people lived during the Spanish era and basically about the history and culture of the Boholano people.
Cruising at Loboc River
floating restaurant
Tarsier
The Loboc river cruise in Loboc, one of the oldest towns in Bohol, is also a popular tourist destination. Having lunch in a floating resto and gliding through the calm waters of the river is truly an exhilarating experience. You can also have your picture taken with the tarsier, popularly known as the world’s smallest primate, which weighs only about 113 to 142grams or 4 to 5 ounces.
The famous Chocolate Hills
Next on the itinerary is the Chocolate Hills in Carmen. Climbing 214 steps to the observation deck is a bit of a work out but nothing compares to the magnificent view that awaits you as you look down the hundreds of acres of sprawling hills below.
A tour guide friend of mine once said that if you have been to Bohol yet you haven’t seen the Chocolate Hills, it’s as if you haven’t been to Bohol at all. But if you’ve seen the Chocolate Hills and you haven’t been to the Bohol Bee Farm, then your visit to Bohol is definitely incomplete. The Bohol Bee Farm is a hidden sanctuary where guest can actually commune with nature. Everything in here is organic. It’s like going back in time and living in a small village where you can actually see people involved in different activities such as organic farming, gardening, basket weaving, raffia making, sewing and crafts and furniture making.
The latest addition to the tourist attractions in Bohol is the Danao Adventure Park. Here, you can go hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and sui-sliding. The sui-slide, the longest zipline in the country which is 480 meters, is the latest addition to the much talked about EAT (Extreme/Eco/Educational Adventure Tour) in Danao Adventure Park. It is definitely an experience that is worth the risk.
When you visit Bohol, you don’t just go see the beaches, you can go see the mountains, caves and the islands as well. You can go island hopping, dolphin and whale watching in Pamilacan, snorkeling and scuba diving in Balicasag. There are also other tour packages offered such as the Inabanga River and village tour and the Mangrove forest tour. Of course, there are still a few more stops along the way but you would have to be here to experience everything. Bohol is a wonderful place not only filled with amazing sights but also rich in culture and history. There’s just so much to see and learn.
This entry was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 4:19 pm and is filed under Places, pieces. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
