Bohol Adventure: Man-Made Forest, Chocolate Hills and Day 2 at Alona Beach

Read first: Bohol Adventure: My first airplane ride

                Bohol Adventure: Day 1

                Bohol Adventure: Sunrise (Day 2)

                Bohol Adventure: Bohol Bee Farm and Blood Compact Site

                Bohol Aventure: Baclayon Church and XZOOTIC Animal Park

                Bohol Adventure: Loboc River Cruise and Tarsier Conservation Area

DESTINATION 7: MAN-MADE FOREST

Whether we liked it or not, we passed along the Man-made Forest upon going to Chocolate Hills. According to our driver, the forest were created by their ancestors years ago. The trees were definitely refreshing to see while travelling the narrow road going to Chocolate Hills. However, we decided not to go down from our van to take photos since it was quite dangerous due to the narrow road and we felt that there were several elements that we might bother if we took pictures. 

 My shot of the Man-made forest while riding our van

DESTINATION 8: CHOCOLATE HILLS

During our ride, I easily noticed the site of the Chocolate Hills. I got more excited when I had a glimpse of this famous wonders of the world while we were on the road.

For those travelers who can't climb a 200-flight of stairs to see the entire Chocolate Hills, the view along the road could be a substitute but it is never as majestic as seeing it on top.

The famous Chocolate Hills which can be seen along the road

 The view of the Chocolate Hills while our van passed along one of its hills

 My photo with my dad at the unloading area. From this point, you can already see the view of the hills

We went to one of the hills that were converted into a viewing deck for tourists. Upon entering the road going there, we had to pay an entrance fee of 50pesos per person. It was a short ride to reach the starting point of the 200-step stair. There was also an alternate way if you don't want to take the stairs and that was what I took. Para siyang slide na mejo paikot hanggang makarating sa pinakataas.

Reaching the top was definitely majestic. I immediately took a photo of the scenic view. Finally, I was able to capture the most photographed hill of the Chocolate Hills. I also asked my sister to take a picture of me with the majestic view as the background. It felt like I was living on a postcard.

I was greatly happy to finally see it up close. I only used to study this scenic place in my HEKASI class back in grade school and that time, I was up close. Hehe! :)

 The most photographed view. :) This was the view that can often be found on our postcards.

 I'm finally living on a postcard! Yehey! :)

 Another famous view of the hills

 At ang mag-jowa na super happy lang. :)

I'm so thankful that the weather was good when we went there. The breeze was also refreshing after the very tiring hike to the top and going down.



BACK TO ALONA BEACH

We actually haven't seen the entire Bohol. According to my research, there were a lot more to discover. Unfortunately, we can't be able to explore it due to time constraints. Anyhow, it gave us more reasons to come back.

After seeing the famous Chocolate Hills, we went back to Alona Beach at Panglao Island to freshen up and enjoy the beach. Sakto naman kasi sobrang init na init ako sa tour. :) We headed straight to the swimming pool of Lost Horizon Beach Resort to relax and enjoy its cool water.

After mag-sawa, we headed to the serene beach and enjoyed its beauty. Before plunging myself to the inviting waters, I took photos first and sun-bathed for a while. What is beach bumming without enjoying the sun. :)

Funny moment at the beach: Dahil hindi naman sanay makakita ang Pinoy ng kapwa Pinoy na naka-bikini sa beach, napagkamalan akong foreigner ng isang bangkero while beach bumming at the beach. Hahaha! Inalok nya ako ng island tour in English. Super effort pa si kuya bangkero at natawa siya nung sinagot ko ng tagalog. Akala daw nya foreigner ako. O diba? Nakakaloko din pala ang pag-bikini ko. :))

 The beach by 4pm

 Rendcel and Papa was enjoying the beauty of the beach while Kuya Ren was enjoying its water

We spent the entire afternoon at the beach until sunset came. It was my signal to wash myself and prepare for dinner.

At as usual, we tried the "Paluto" style but we wanted to make it the best since it was our last night at Bohol. We decided to have it at our resort and we were never wrong in picking the place.

The ambiance was good. We had an alfresco dining by the beach with torches lighting our tables. Though the service was a bit slow, which was common along Alona Beach, the foods served tasted great. It was definitely worth the wait. My personal favorite was the Sinigang na Hipon and the Steamed Fish in oyster sauce. It was my first time to taste the Visayan version of sinigang where cabbage was used instead of kangkong.

Most of us tried the Halo-halo in our resort however, since I was not a fan of that, I did not try. According to them, the taste was brilliant. One of our friends who loves food tripping told us that it was one of the best she had tasted so far. As I was about to taste it, they already finished the big serving. It only proved how they loved the Halo-halo in the resort.

Picture muna while waiting for our orders

 Lost Horizon Beach Resort at night

 Alfresco dining at Lost Horizon Beach Resort

 Chopsuey

Steamed Fish in Oyster Sauce

 Sinigang na Hipon the Visayan way

 Krispy Pata

The best tasting Halo-Halo

After dinner, I, together with my father and sister, decided to take a walk along the beach and see again the nightlife at Alona Beach. Just like the other night, it was more of an acoustic and reggae night. Most tourist enjoyed their booze while listening to the sounds from the different bars around the place. I and my dad joined them before we finally decided to sleep. Yehey! :)

 Alona Beach's Nightlife

Up next: Day 3 at Bohol and Flight back to Manila

Bohol Adventure: Loboc River Cruise and Tarsier Conservation Area

Read first: Bohol Adventure: My first airplane ride

                Bohol Adventure: Day 1

                Bohol Adventure: Sunrise (Day 2)

                Bohol Adventure: Bohol Bee Farm and Blood Compact Site

                Bohol Adventure: Baclayon Church and XZOOTIC Animal Park

DESTINATION 5: LOBOC RIVER CRUISE

I considered Loboc River Cruise as one of the highlights of my Bohol Adventure. The experience in this place was priceless. I was awed by the great view of the river and the nature surrounding it. I was glad to find out that well-maintained forest still exists. I was also able to breathe fresh air. This was what made me so happy since in Manila, only air pollution exists. 

The scenic Loboc River

Part of the Loboc River Cruise was a buffet meal. They served Filipino dishes. Some dishes were new to me so I assumed that they were Bohol's delicacies. One round of soda was also included. Upon boarding, one can already start eating. I suggest you should definitely start eating at this time because once the boat started the cruise, you will forget that there was a buffet existing.

The Lunch Buffet

My lunch for the day

During the ride, there was also a singer serenading the tourist with OPM, folk songs and international hits. It greatly suited the diversity of the tourists flocking the place. Everyone, specially the foreign tourists, in our boat ride were friendly and were in a festive mood. My family had a chance to chat with them and we found our that they were from Slovenia. Oh diba? It's more fun in the Philippines. Hehe! :)

In the middle of the cruise, we stopped to watch the performance of the people from a certain baranggay along Loboc River. The men of the group played their guitars while the women danced some folk dances. I was very excited when I saw them dance the famous Tinikling expertly.

The natives dancing our famous Folk Dances

At the end of the river cruise was a small falls. It wasn't spectacular compared to other falls but to see it and to hear the sound from the water was very relaxing. Seeing a falls in the middle of the river proved that the forest of Bohol is still preserved.

After the seeing the mini-falls, our boat made a turn going back to our starting point. It was definitely a great experience. The next time we visit Bohol, we will definitely try this again.

Entrance fee is 450/pax inclusive of buffet. For lunch cruise, it normally starts at around 10:30am and ends at 2:30pm. They also have a dinner cruise at we were planning to try it next time. It normally starts at 5:30pm. I'm just not sure for its end time. 

DESTINATION 6: TARSIER CONSERVATION AREA

This was another exciting part of our countryside tour. We went to Tarsier Conservation Area to see the Tarsiers and paid an entrance fee of 50pesos. I was finally able to see the Tarsiers personally. They are tiny, cute and peaceful. They are nocturnal animals that's why they are never active in the morning. 

The sleeping Tarsier

They are territorial. During our tour, some Tarsiers were sleeping at the wooden house created for them by the employees of the conservation area. Some were resting in the branches of the trees. They are now considered as endangered that's why the people in the conservation area took extra care in preserving them.

Before, visitors could hold or touch the Tarsiers. Cameras with flash could be used. They can even brought home a Tarsier. However due to their condition, visitors cannot buy nor touch the animals. Taking of photos with flash is now prohibited since the eyes of the Tarsiers are sensitive to light. It is also important to maintain the silence in the place. Snakes are also their number one predator that's why the entire sanctuary is protected by nets so that snakes cannot enter the area.

A Tarsier's age can also be told by their skin. If it is dark-brown, it means that the Tarsier is in its old-age.
 Reddish Brown color means that the Tarsier is young.

Ayaw nya lumingon sa amin. Insabera yung Tarsier.

During our visit, most of the Tarsiers were sleeping and were hiding in the branches or the leaves of the trees. Some Tarsiers were awaken when we or our tour guide talked. It showed how sensitive they were to the noise around them.

The Tarsier Conservation Sanctuary is open from 8am-5pm.



Up next: Man-Made Forest, Chocolate Hills and Day 2 at Alona Beach

Bohol Adventure: Baclayon Church and XZOOTIC Animal Park

Read first: Bohol Adventure: My first airplane ride
                Bohol Adventure: Day 1
                Bohol Adventure: Sunrise (Day 2)
                Bohol Adventure: Bohol Bee Farm and Blood Compact Site


DESTINATION 3: BACLAYON CHURCH

Baclayon Church is one of the oldest churches in our country. Despite its oldness, the church was well-maintained. Based on its architecture, kitang-kita ang traces ng Spanish era.

The church was strict with the dresscode. Dahil nakashorts at tube ako that day, nahiya naman ako pumasok at na-sad ako dahil gusto ko makita yung interiors. But the friendly ate from the church told me that I can still go inside provided na maglagay ako ng tela na provided nila to cover my skin. At dahil jan, nakapasok ako. Yehey! The interiors were very old. It reminded me of San Agustin Church in Manila.

Before leaving the church, our driver told me to look at the side walls of the church and asked us if we noticed anything. Unfortunately, wala talaga akong mapansing kakaiba until tinuro nya yung face sa isa sa mga haligi ng simbahan. It was believed to be Padre Pio's face. When I looked back again, totoo nga. Galing! :)

The Church's Tower

The altar

The Church's Facade

Padre Pio's Face

DESTINATION 4: XZOOTIC ANIMAL PARK

We went to this zoo where we could see one of the largest pythons and have a picture with the animal. I wasn't very excited about it kasi hindi naman ako mahilig sa ganyan. But since on the way naman siya to our next destination, gora na.

Entrance fee is 20pesos. By purchasing the ticket, may automatic 5% or 10% ata na discount sa mga souvenir items. By the way, marami ding souvenir items na binebenta dito pero mas mura pa din sa may Blood Compact Site. :)

Sila mama and papa nag-enjoy magpapicture dun sa malaking ahas. Tulog naman kasi daw. Pero takot pa din ako. Haha! Kaya lang nandun na din ako so I faced my fears at nagpapicture na din with the big Python. Actually dalawa silang Pythons dun. Tulog daw yung ahas na pinicturan namin. Pero yung katabing cage, gising yung ahas at kinikiliti nung tagapag-alaga yung leeg nung ahas. Scary!

Other than the Python, may mga ibang animals din na nandun like the ostrich, squirrels, iguana at iba pa.

Entrance

Diba enjoy si mama? Nakuha pang umupo sa tabi nung ahas.

Ostrich

Up next: Loboc River Cruise and Tarsier Conservation Area

Bohol Adventure: Bohol Bee Farm and Blood Compact Site

Read first: Bohol Adventure: My first airplane ride

                Bohol Adventure: Day 1

                Bohol Adventure: Sunrise (Day 2)

It was our second day at Bohol. We stayed at Lost Horizon Beach Resort located at Alona Beach, Panglao Island. I had a great sleep but had to wake up early to catch the sunrise.

Countryside tour din namin that day. Thank God nakisama ang weather dahil maaraw at maganda panahon. Mas naappreciate ko yung ganda ng place.

We did not avail any package for this trip. Instead, we rented a van for the entire day and we separately pay the entrance fees. Mas mura kasi yun. Supposedly, yung van sana ng resort yung kukunin namin. 3500 pesos siya. Kaya lang may kakilala pala yung isa naming kasama (Pastora Precy) na mas mura that's why we opted for that. We rented the van for 3000 pesos for the entire day inclusive of gas na yun. Ayos! :) To have an idea of how much it cost us for this countryside tour, I'll give you a summary sa last part ng aking Day 2 blog. :)

DESTINATION 1: BOHOL BEE FARM

It was a 5-10 minute ride from the beach. Upon entering the place, we were welcomed by arrays of plants and vegetables that were being grown in the place. Bohol Bee Farm is known for its organic goods.

Mukhang bee lang dito si papa dahil sa shades nya. Haha! :))

Not only do they serve healthy foods, they also have different accommodations to choose from. One could stay at Bohol Bee Farm, commune with nature and enjoy its amenities. Halos puro green ang makikita mo sa place due to the plants and trees that they were growing. Very relaxing talaga.

BBF's swimming pool

Relax muna si mama

Some of the organic plants that they were growing

Part of the place were souvenirs and handicraft shops. Locals sold their handmade products to the tourists who visited the place. Meron sumbrero, pamaypay, tsinelas, and many others. A tour in Bohol Bee Farm would not be complete without tasting their famous organic ice cream. Instead of sugar, honey ang ginagamit nilang pampatamis. One can choose from several flavors like Buko, Mango, Pandan, Avocado, Malunggay at marami pa. Hindi ko na kasi matandaan yung ibang flavor. But I chose Buko at it tasted great. Super sarap. Kakaiba din yung cone na ginamit since it was made from casava. Totaly unique and organic. For a price of 60 pesos, sulit na sulit na. :)

The weavers

Their ice cream is a must-try. :)

DESTINATION 2: BLOOD COMPACT SITE

Next stop was the Blood Compact Site. I did not expect na along the road lang pala yun. Nagulat na lang ako  nung tinabi na ni kuya driver ang van at binuksan na ang pinto. Hehe! I wasn't totally wowed by the monument. Afterall, meron din nyan ang Manila. However, the view from the site was breathtaking. Dun ako nag-enjoy. The sea was calm. It made me thank God for His beautiful creations. Hindi ko akalaing may ganun kagandang tubig. Iba kasi yung color. May part na blue, may green at may part na nagmmix sila. Plus the luscious greens na nakapaligid sa dagat. Ang galing talaga! :)

Crossing the bridge connecting Tagbilaran and Panglao Island

Meet the tourists..

The scenic view

Tip: May makikita kayong Souvenir Shop halos sa tapat ng Blood Compact Site. Tatawid ka lang ng kalsada at makikita mo na siya. Among all the souvenir shops we went to, doon ang pinakamura. Bohol T-shirts were sold for 150 pesos while sa ibang shops 200-250 pesos binibenta pero same shirt din naman with the one at the Blood Compact Site. After our tour, bumalik pa kami dun para bumili ng souvenirs dahil namahalan kami sa iba. :)

Up next: Baclayon Church and XZOOTIC Animal Park