Bohol is known as one of the top and unique island destinations in the Philippines. A lot of people from all walks of life, be they local or foreign tourists, have been continuously drawn to its beauty - yours truly included :)
What's in Bohol? What activities can we do there? Hey, you can choose from a variety of activities to do and places to visit depending on your interests. As they say, no two travellers are alike!!! I agree - with a resounding YES!!!
Growing up in the northern parts of Mindanao, I've been curious about it especially the mystical beauty of the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers. Back then, I only see the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers on TV, magazines/newspapers and postcards. Even while pursuing my university studies in Manila - the ferry I used to take usually makes a few hours stop in Tagbilaran to drop-off/pick-up passengers and I just take the local public transportation to go around the city and buy local delicacies.
It's only in early November 2006 that I and close friends from college finally had the time to visit Bohol for a weekend. We set off at the wee hours of the morning on a Saturday - took a 2-hour ferry ride from Cebu to Tagbilaran City, then another 1 hour private road transfer to Panglao Island where we stayed at Bohol Divers, located on Alona Beach.
I was supposed to dive with Genesis Divers but due to some misunderstanding which wasted almost 2 hours of our time (including tempers flying....) - I opted out and settled in spending the rest of the day with my college friends snorkeling in Balicasag - approx. 45 minutes by outrigger boat/banca ride from Alona Beach, Panglao Island.
Now, Balicasag is truly special!!! It's a haven for divers and snorkelers alike! What more, if you get lucky and go there at a certain season (I forgot the exact months), you'd see whalesharks - the gentle giants of the ocean!!! We settled in and had a blast snorkeling and watching divers underwater - photos below do not give justice to Balicasag's amazing underwater world!!!
After our 'snorkeling adventure' - we rushed to Dauis Church to catch the anticipated Roman Catholic mass in the early evening. This church dates back to hundreds of years - to the Spanish Colonial period and its architectural facade and interiors are testimonies to that. Saturday night's supposed to be 'party time' bar-hopping along Alona Beach's cool bars & restos, but we're all just too tired to go out - only had enough strength to just eat dinner and ice cream of course!
Sunday's a rush of activities. We had to compress several attractions in a few hours as we need to catch our 1800H ferry back to Cebu. As usual, we started with a lazy breakfast and enjoyed a walk on the white-sand stretch of Alona Beach, before we set out for our mad dash from one tourist attraction to another! Hey, it's FUN being a tourist in your own country!!! More fun as well as I know the local language, so it's easier in terms of haggling when buying souvenirs :)
Among the places we rushed in and out of include the 'Blood Compact Site' where you can also get a better view of Pamilacan Island where dolphin/whale-watching is highly popular, and a famous Spanish-era church - Baclayon Church and its museum.
Then we're off to a very late lunch - hopping on one of custom-made bancas that ply Loboc River. That ride got us PHP 250 poorer - but the buffet lunch with a local group serenading us was worth it!!! It's also along Loboc River that we made a short stop to get a close look at tarsiers in captivity. The local government tried to stop this practice but tourist-demand just makes it impossible -- we're guilty as well :(
Our last stop's in Carmen - the home of the famous Chocolate Hills. We had to rush as it's past 1500H. On the way to the viewpoint, we sadly saw a few hills being quarried - really hope the local government will do something about it! We only had an hour to spare before departing for Tagbilaran which takes approx. 45 minutes by road from Carmen. We just made it in good time since our ferry was delayed for 1 hour - whew!!!
So, is a weekend in Bohol too short or just about enough? For me, it's about enough....hehehe...But if I plan to go diving next time - I'll ensure that I spend at least 3-4 days and reserve 1 full day just scuba diving!
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