Going Loco over Chocolates (A Late Summer Escape to Bohol)

The plan to visit the Island of Bohol has been long overdue; it must have been last year’s. Bohol was the place where I originally planned to make a wedding proposal to Iris. This year’s schedule must have been postponed due to the company’s unexpected change of our travel schedule. I already had booked a round-trip plane tickets two months ago but my boss insisted on the new travel sked to Misamis Occidental and Dipolog City. To materialize the said vacation, I had to book another flight from Dipolog City to Cebu City just to make sure I go on schedule. And overnight hotel accommodation in Dipolog City had cost me more than expected.

I arrived in Cebu City on the morning of June 12, it was the celebration for Philippine Independence and a holiday. I had accompanied my fiancée, Iris, to Perpetual Succor Hospital for the anti-ovarian cancer (HPV) vaccination in the afternoon. HPV vaccination, anyway, is way cheaper than year’s ago. At P2, 500.00 or P3, 500.00 per session is not bad at all.

The following morning (6AM), I and Iris boarded a ferry from Cebu’s Pier 2 bound for Tubigon, Bohol. It was a 2-hour, P180.00 per passenger, sea trip crossing the Bohol channel. The fast ferry servicing this route had no schedule then for they were having their fleet regular maintenance. It would only take 1 hour to cross Tubigon, Bohol on a fast craft. A 2-hour fast craft, Super Cat, from Cebu’s Pier 4 to Tagbilaran City is another option. P500.00 – P700.00 was Super Cat’s promo fare then.

We decided the Tubigon, Bohol route for convenience especially that our business then was to visit tourist spots in the island. From Tubigon, Bohol we then headed to Sagbayan Peak. It is where you are welcomed with a fresh treat of the world famous Chocolate Hills. You can also visit a butterfly farm here. Expect to pay P50.00 per person as entrance fee.

You can rent, at Tubigon port, a car, which can accommodate three passengers, at P2,500.00 or a van, for group of barkadas, at P3,500.00 for a whole day tour of Bohol and Panglao Island. 

After a 30-minute tour of the Sagbayan Peak, we then proceeded to Carmen, Bohol, home of the magnificent Chocolate Hills. Expect to pay P100.00 as entrance fee and climb a more than 200 steps stair. I was catching my breath when I reached the top but it was worth the effort and the sweats. Atop the view deck you’ll have a 360 degree view of the mound of hills. Perfect!

From the top of the world view of the infamous mounds of dirt, we traveled toward Bohol’s Man-made Forest, also in the Municipality of Carmen. It was impressive that the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Carmen had espoused the idea of putting one in the area. There were no century old trees but LGU’s effort and initiative  is impressive. The national highway snakes through this forest similar to the man-made forest nestled at Libertad, Masamis Oriental. I was impressed because animals, insects, etc were already thriving inside the forest. My fiancée even freaked out after seeing a large millipede crawling on the forest floor. No more fees to pay; just bring your camera and experience the sweet scent of nature, and cool embrace of breeze blowing your skin.

At 11:00AM, we were headed to Bohol’s Hanging Bridge located in a certain barangay in the town of Loboc. I forgot the name of the place but I am certain it is in Loboc. It was my first hanging bridge experience. I thought my fiancée would freak out but surprisingly she didn’t. It was easy than crossing a log/bamboo sticks placed on the banks of the creek, she said. You have to pay P10.00 per person for the experience.

Then lunch time at Loboc River via the Loboc River Cruise. A bandoria, a band of guitarists, playing classic instrumental music greets guests at the pier. You can choose from hosts of floating restaurant operators for the river cruise and buffet lunch. Floating restaurants usually serve variety of sea foods. Guests on the river cruise are entertained by the dancing and singing choirs at the bank of the river. A tall limestone with lush vegetations greets guests at the end of the river. Loboc River is not quite wide and long like the river, Tago River, I used to fish but I loved the green scenery along its river banks. A sumptuous buffet lunch and revitalizing river cruise is worth P300.00 per person.

After a mouth-watering lunch, we then proceeded to meet one of the smallest primates in the world, the Tarsiers. I was expecting a forest-like setting or seeing them in their natural habitat but it was not like that. The tarsiers I met was housed in a make-shift nipa hut on side of the national highway. They were playing and hiding on the branches of a large San Francisco flower. They really have big eyes. I learned that most of the tarsiers are located in their habitat at innermost town of Bohol. Our driver, Jun, had told us also that it came from Korea. Anyway, seeing them breathing and alive was worth enough. No fees are collected but donations to tarsier conservation project are most welcome.

Then we road toward the Spanish-era Baclayon Stone Church.  There is a museum adjacent to the church. You can also buy the replica of your birth angel from a nun. Saint Michael the Archangel is my birth angel while Saint Barochile is my fiancée’s.

Next stop was the marker for the Sandugo, the historical statement between the bond of Boholanos and the Spaniards. The site is where the blood compact between the king of Boholanos and the Spanish officials was consummated.

We then proceeded to Duis Church in Panglao Island where miraculous water is believed to be outpouring from the well beneath the altar of the church. This was featured in Korina Sanches’ Rated K show. People drove to this place to get containers of water to drink for cure of their illnesses.

From the church, we then went to Alona Tropical Beach Resort where we retired for the night. I thought I would have enjoyed a perfect sunset but rain started to pour at 5PM. True to its name, Alona Tropical large trees and gardens surrounds the resorts where I saw Joel Torre, an icon in Filipino movies wandering arou  nd the resort. Indeed, white sands are abundant on Alona beachfront; white sand that I grew accustomed with in my province of Surigao del Sur. The white sand shoreline of Alona is not quite long but the whole stretch is already full with affordable to high-end beach resorts. Alona Tropical Beach Resort is sandwiched by two high-end resorts. Fan room rate is at P1,400.00 per night while the lowest aircon room rate is at P2,000.00 per night. We got the P2,000 aircon room which don’t have a hot-and-cold shower, telephone and TV set. I was disappointed at first knowing the price. However, quite good for you visit there is to commune with nature.

The following morning, we walked the whole stretch of white sand, from end to end. It was then when we knew that an island tour including dolphin watching can be arranged with a local tour operators at P1,200.00 – P1,300.00 for whole day. It’s easy to get that said tour for many operators were actually peddling there services at the beachfront. We didn’t get one because we planned to by noon. If only it didn’t rain the night before, we would have booked one for a 5AM-9AM island tour and would have enjoyed a vibrant night life at Alona Beach.

Breakfast at Alona Tropical Beach Resort is P250.00 per person and meals can be arranged at P270.00 per person. They are all in American size serving, not bad for the price.

Taxi/car fare from Alona Beach to seaport or airport is P500.00 per trip. Vans are for P700.00 per trip.

A sneak peak of Sagbayan Peak, a top of the mountain glimpse of chocolate hills, a nature embrace of man-made forest, a first experience of the hanging bridge, a face-to-face encounter with tarsiers, a stomach-full river cruise, a taste of history in the blood compact site, a bottle of water at Dauis Church, a birth angel at old Baclayon Church, a dinner and a peaceful night sleep at Alona Beach, Panglao plus a warm company of Iris, my beloved fiancée and my life, every penny we spent is worth the experience we got.