Bohol Tour

November 12-15,2009 - Bohol Tour top the list of my travels for 2009.I have never experience such superb hospitality( starting from hotel reservation,port transfer,food serving,rent a car service, river cruise, etc.) on my previous travel except in Bohol.The Boholanos value tourism so much that you can feel their concern even if you are a local tourist.Surely, we will visit Bohol again this year.

Coming from Naga City we traveled to Legazpi City to take the afternoon flight bound to Cebu.In Legazpi airport we had a glimpse of Mayon Volcano perfect cone and the 2009 Miss Earth candidates who has just disembarked the plane from Manila.

We arrived at Cebu-Mactan International Airport at around 4:30 p.m. and immediately ride a cab to Pier 1 to catch up the last ferry bound to Tagbilaran City via OceanJet ferry.Along the way,we passed by the Marcelo B. Fernan extradosed cable-stayed bridge connecting the islands of Mactan and Cebu.

It almost 10 p.m. when we arrived at Tagbilaran City Port.Then we proceed at El Portal Inn.Its not a typical 3 star hotel but their hospitality really impressed me.I highly recommend this place for budget conscious tourist.You can reach them at this number +639287591352.

The next day is our country side tour in the province of Bohol through Cavalry Transport Services.Request Jonathan as your driver. He can be your tour guide too.(Itinerary includes Chocolate Hills,Baclayon Church,Sandugo Monument,Laboc River Cruise,Tarsier watching,Butterfly Farm, man made mahogany forest and the hanging bridge in Loboc.Duration - whole day )The best part is the Laboc river watch were you will be served eat-all-you-can foods while enjoying the cruise.My wife really appreciate it and requested me to go back to Bohol this year just for it.In general,the country side tour is fun and rekindle your thought about taking care of mother nature.

The Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part of the tribal tradition. This is considered as the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and Filipinos. "Sandugo" is a Visayan word which means "one blood".

Baclayon Church is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. It was constructed from coral stones, which they took from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on to each other. They used bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and used the white of a million eggs as to cement them together.

The Bohol Forest is a man-made mahogany forest stretching in a two-kilometer stretch of densely planted Mahogany trees.When you enter the forest, one will feel the abrupt change in temperature.This mountain area seldom sees the sun shine because of thick branches and leaves grow resplendently straight up towards the sky covering the sun.It looks like the forest in the movie Twilight.

The Chocolate Hills are probably the highlight of our country wide tour in Bohol.It doesn't looks like chocolate this time because the grass is green.During dry seasons the grass covering the hills turns chocolate brown.From this color, the hills derive their name.

We had lunch at the floating restaurant of Laboc River.Its an eat-all-you-can buffet of filipino cuisine with band plays acoustic music while enjoying the landscape at the riverside.This is the part of the tour when my wife whispered to me that,"if we have time (I supposed she mean if we have excess budget),can we go back to Bohol next year?"I replied "yes" (without second thought), and suggested that by then we will bring with us the kids.

On our way back to Tagbilaran City,we drop by a tarsier viewing site along the way.These primates in captivity is known the smallest in the world.It is also an endangered species.I have read a lot of legislations and discussions to protect these primates but still commercial viewing for none technical establishment still exist in Bohol.They said,its part of the tour package.While I am amaze to see these shy primates (and even take pictures of them)for the first time,I feel that they too need privacy like human did when they are on tour.

Check out my Do-It-Yourself Bohol Tour blog for cost estimates at www.budgetdiytours.blogspot.com.