Bantayan Island and Malapascua Island

BANTAYAN ISLAND



Bantayan Island is situated fff-aaa-rrrr north of Cebu. Yes, I deliberately stretched the word FAR for a reason. The trip to the island was dreadful as it took forever just to get there, a gruelling four to five hours. It didn’t help that we caught a non air-conditioned bus raging on dirt road and a bus driver who honked his horn like he owned the road to himself. All you wanted for such a long bus ride was to at least get a few hours of sleep to kill time. But it was in no way possible to achieve that in the situation we were in. Just can’t. I felt like I was bathing myself in dusts and fumes. In my head, I told myself that this island had to be worth it for it was such an agonizing trip.

We arrived the port of Hagnaya, looking distressed as if we just came from a battle. I wiped my face with wet tissues, and collected all the dirt on my face. It was appalling looking at a white wet tissue turned almost black. We hopped on a ferry that will take us to Bantayan Island. This time it was better as the ferry was air-conditioned. An hour later, we arrived Bantayan Island. We were welcomed by the pristine beach and crystal clear water of Bantayan Island. What a relief, I said to myself. The arduous trip was definitely worth it after seeing the façade of the Island.



Bantayan Island’s appeal to me were beyond than the white beaches that surrounded it. I loved how small the island is that you could go around the barrio just by walking. A short habal-habal ride would then take you to other towns. There’s not much to do in Bantayan Island, but the quietness, the serenity does something to you. It’s so inviting you don’t want to leave the island anymore. I even considered renting a humble house just walking distance from the beach for only 1,800 a month. We stayed for two nights in the Island. In the morning and afternoon we’d spend it just frolicking around towns and beaches. We capped each night with a couple of beers and doze off to sleep.





Bantayan Island is definitely something to consider if you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and seeking for some r and r. I’d definitely come back to this island, no doubt about it.





Malapascua Island


From Bantayan Island, we moved to Malapascua Island. It was a different route we took as we didn’t come from Cebu city. So we caught a jeepney from Bogo, a town near Hagnaya, to take us to Maya port. Just when I thought that I had the most agonizing bus trip to Bantayan Island, the jeepney ride to Maya port was yet another story. This time it was more uncomfortable as the seats of jeepneys aren’t really built for comfort. The trip took two to three hours. Worse than the other one I tell you. Thankfully, the view from the jeepney were captivating, at least it got me amused for a few seconds.



We arrived the port of Maya and hopped on an outrigger to Malapascua Island. It only took half an hour to get to the Island so it wasn’t that bad. Tina told me earlier that she’s been told that Malapascua Island can be compared to Boracay during the 80’s. I have never been to Boracay during that time so thankfully I had nothing to compare it with. When we got there, the beach didn’t seem appealing at all. Outriggers were parked too close to the shore, it seemed so packed almost no place to bask in the sun along the shore.



Thankfully the next day, with the abundance of the sun, the island redeemed itself. And shown its beauty to us.



It wasn’t that bad, althought Tina said it cannot be compared to Boracay during the 80s. At the other side of the island, the sand was blindingly white and the water was clear and blue. We only stayed for a night, so I can’t really say that I saw most parts of the island. But I heard that Malapascua Island’s reputation to foreigners was that it had a number of great dive spots. Maybe when I learn to dive, then I’d come back to Malapascua.






How to get there?

Bantayan Island- From the North terminal of Cebu, take the Ceres Bus Lines that goes straight to Hagnaya. Bus fare is from 50-80 pesos. The bus ride would approximately take four to five hours. Quite a long trip if you come to think of it. From the Hagnaya Pier, take the ferry that will bring you to Bantayan Island. Fare is 65 pesos including terminal fee (10 pesos). The boat ride will approximately take an hou

Malapascua Island-From the North terminal of Cebu, hop on the Rough Rider Bus or Ceres Bus Lines that will take you straight to the port of Maya. Bus fare is 50-80 pesos. From the port, take the boat to Malapascua Island. Boat fare is 50 pesos. Boat ride will approximately take half an hour.

Where to Stay?

Bantayan Island

Kota Beach Resort
Kota Beach Resort’s beachfront is so pristine with a white sandy beach. Cottages are for as low as 800 pesos. To book call +63 32 254-2726/ 254-5661

If you’re looking for a cheap place to stay, there’s a decent lodging house near the beach. For only 500 pesos a night, you room with a double bed, electric fan and your own toilet and bathroom. For an extra 300 pesos, you get a room with an air-con.

Lodging House- To book, call 09103712053

Sugar Beach Resort is also something to consider as it offers a long stretch of pristine white sand. Here are the rates:



I didn't get to have Sugar beach resort's number and so as it cannot be found on the net. But once arriving you can tell the habal-habal driver to take you to sugar beach resort, they have a lot of cottages so it's impossible not to get a cottage.

Malapascua Island

There are a number of resorts in Malapascua, most of them fronting the beach. Rates are from 800-2000 pesos. But while in Malapascua, we were told by Paul, the canadian guy we met in Camiguin to stay in Danos Resort. They have electricity during the night and the cottages are cheaper only 600 a night. Malapascua Island is only powered by a generator, so there are certain hours where there is no electricity.

To book call, 09156661584 or 09273817894.

Til Then,

The Lost Sputnik.

The CDO white water rafting adventure!

The sputnik adventure would not be complete if we didn't do anything extreme. So when we got to Cagayan de oro or CDO, it was a must to try the famous white water rafting along the cdo river. On a very early saturday morning, Tina and I prepared ourselves to an extereme adventure that both of us haven't tried yet. We met up with the other adventure seekers in front of Mcdonalds along divisoria, signed the waiver which seemed so scary it's as if we agreed to let ourselves get killed and finally headed to the cdo river. The trip to the cdo river only took twenty to thirty minutes.



When we got to the river, I had a glance of the first rapid we have to go through and all I felt were pure excitement. We wore our safety gears and grabbed our paddles as if we're about to go to war. After all the instructions that were given to us, we hopped on our boat and started to paddle towards the first rapid. Adrenalin rush started to kick in as soon as we reached the first rapid. "Foward!" the team captain shouted and we paddled as hard as we could. The rapid was really strong. It felt like the boat was going to flip over. But our team were coordinated enough that we didn't flip over, not even once. We had to pass through fourteen rapids, five of which were wild some were chicken feed. haha! We also got the chance to dive into the river. It was so much fun as I've never tried swimming in the river.








I was really glad I got to experience this extereme ride as it was something I'd never forget. It made me proud that I was able to go through without thinking of backing out. Next time I visit cdo, I'd be more than willing to try the advanced level where rapids would be wilder. To our next extereme adventure, Cheers!


Til Then

The Lost Sputnik

Braving the Rapids

I almost didn’t go. After almost three weeks of non-stop traveling, my energy level was fast approaching the warning point. I really didn’t think I could still handle an extreme adventure. Especially one I had to sign a waiver for.

But there was very little to do in Cagayan de Oro—well at least nothing much that excited me as a traveler. So if I didn’t take the bait of experiencing their most popular tourist attraction, I wouldn’t have anything else to write about the place.

We had to wake up early to meet up with the other white-water rafting tourists near McDonald’s in Divisoria. By this time, Ron knew well enough that I have such a dour mood in the morning—especially when I didn’t get enough sleep, and my energy seems to be in an all-time low—so he didn’t even bother talking to me or arguing with me when I made it very clear that I needed to take my breakfast and couldn’t care less if all the other tourists were already waiting.

I didn’t even try to feign enthusiasm for this new adventure, and sincerely, I was scared about how dangerous it could get. But thankfully, my mood started lightening up in the jeepney going to the mouth of the Cagayan River. The landscape along the way was really awesome. We also stopped by a tourist post to wait for the others and were invited to try out the canopy walk and the zip—a 20 minute adventure inside a rainforest. But I headed towards the souvenir stands instead. I got two trinkets for my friends and was good to go.

The river where we shall be braving the rapids clearly marks the boundary between Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon—the first one’s the left bank and the other’s the right. This was again emphasized to us when we were given precautionary measures just in case we fall off the raft. When the guide says swim to Cagayan, we should know that we should be waddling towards our left.



Because Ron sat in front, I had no choice at first but to sit beside him. But after almost falling during our battle with the first rapid, there was no other choice but to trade places with a braver soul. Fun starts picking up by this time, and sometimes our guide (who seems to be channeling Brownman Revival’s lead with his heairstyle and sunglasses) would make us stand as we approach a rapid just to heighten the excitement.



During breaks from the rapids, our guides would also allow us to take a dip in the river. I don’t really like swimming in deep water, but I had a life jacket on and the water’s really tempting, so I jumped out of the raft with the others. Ron had to make sure though that I always stay close to the raft, and would call my name everytime he fails to see where I was. Dad!



After several rapids, I knew I would have regretted it if I hadn’t joined Ron for this adventure. It was, to quote a dear friend, “heaps” of fun. And it was quite cheap too, especially with the crab and shrimp feast that greeted us after the ride. By this time, my only dilemma was how to go about my next ride: I knew I had to take my husband here, but this means going through the beginner’s stage again, which is not very tempting since I know I’m definitely ready and raring for a bigger challenge. Bring on the rapids!



(T)he Other Sputnik

Camiguin Escapade

How to get there?

From Cagayan de oro, take the Ceres Bus Lines to Balingoan for 50-75 pesos. The trip approximately takes 2 hours. From the Balingoan Port, take the ferry to get to Camiguin for 107 pesos. The ferry ride takes 1 hour.

Where to Stay?

Jasmin by the Sea

We highly recommend this if you're in for some affordable and cozy accommodation. Cottages here are for 600-800 pesos, good for 2 persons. Dorm type is only for 350 pesos (shared bathroom). Make sure to have a few chat sessions with Melinda, the owner of the resort. She's a legend!

Unfortunately there's no early booking in the resort, but it's worth trying to give them a heads up that you're arriving.

Call +63 088 387 9015

There are a number of resorts along the stretch of mambajao, so finding for a place to stay won't be a problem.

What to do?

You could never run out of things to do in Camiguin. Start of by renting a van (1000-2000 pesos for 3-5 hours) or habal-habal (500 pesos for 3-5 hours) and do the island tour to visit the famous landmarks of the island.. If you're up for a climb then there's a number of volcanoes to trek. There's the old volcano, new volcano, Mt. Hibok-hibok and many more. The sunken cemetery is perfect for picturesque sunsets. The sto. nino cold spring and a few hot springs would be good to experience if you haven't tried it yet. The island has two waterfalls that are definitely worthwhile to see. If you're craving for white sandy beaches then a trip to the white island is for you. It's just a few minutes away by boat from mambajao, it's perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset. Rent for the boat would cost you around 300 pesos (roundtrip).

Camiguin

Our trip to Camiguin came in earlier than expected. When Tina and I arrived in Cagayan de oro we realised that we’re not in the mood for the city lifestyle yet. So, we packed our bags and caught the last ferry to Camiguin late in the afternoon. Camiguin is situated just an hour away by ferry from the port of Balingoan of Cagayan de oro. It’s the best ferry ride we’ve had so far as it was so relaxing it seemed like we were on a sunset cruise. We sat at the seats near the railings of the ferry, listened to Tina’s music in her ipod and watched the sun set peacefully. We arrived Camiguin half past seven. Unfortunately during that time there were no jeeps or tricycles heading to Mambajao (where most of the beach resorts are located). So we didn’t have a choice but to rent a van for 350 pesos that would take us to Jasmin by the sea, the resort where we stayed.

When we got to the resort, the jovial Melinda, the owner of the resort, welcomed us. The resort had that homey feeling to it. It only had a few cottages and they also offer a dorm type of accommodation for only three hundred fifty pesos a night. The room was comfortable and spacious enough for the two of us, so we decided to stay in the dorm. We shared bathrooms with the other guests in the resort, which wasn’t that bad as it’s kept clean all the time. We liked how intimate the resort was. It gives you the chance to get to know the people in the resort and so as its other guests. We called it a night a bit early, as we were so tired from all the travels we’ve had that day.

The next morning, we arranged an island tour with the resort. The only island tour we could afford was through a single motorcyle or the habal-habal. Our first stop was the famous old volcano. I’m not sure as to how many steps you’d have to take just to reach the zenith of the volcano but knowing that they had set up the Stations of the Cross along the trek would only mean that you’d have a challenging trail to the top. I’d have to say that it was a bit tempting to climb the steps as for sure the view from the top would be amazing. But I wasn’t feeling too well at that time so I had to pass. And so as Tina, her body was still aching from the trek she had to do to see the waterfalls in Bohol.

We also dropped by the sunken cemetery. The cemetery had sunken when the Old Volcano erupted in 1871. From the view deck across the cemetery, you’d see a white cross standing still in the middle of the ocean, and what lies beneath it are tombs that are now make-shift homes for the fishes in the ocean. Apparently, the sunken cemetery is an ideal place for diving and snorkelling. But when we got there, the water didn’t seem appealing at all as it was a bit murky, probably because of the constant downpours.





Then, we went to the Sto. Nino cold spring for a swim, well maybe not a swim-but a dip in the pool. The water was so cold, I can’t imagine doing freestyle laps around the pool. I was shivering! I think I only lasted for a few minutes while in the pool. But it was my first time to dip in a cold spring, so I found it pretty cool.


Yup that's me after the shock, didn't know it was going to be that cold!

Then we moved to the Katibawasan Falls. This is by far the tallest and leanest falls I’ve seen while on this trip. At least for this one, it’s less risky getting to the basin of the falls compared to the Casaroro falls in Dumaguete. But I realised that it lacked the fun of carefully stepping from one rock to another just to get close to the falls. They almost had everything concrete; it made it seem like just an ordinary pool with a gigantic falls beside it.



From the habal-habal, I was in awe to see how the island was blessed with so much natural wonders. On my left was Mt. Hibok-hibok, it served as backdrop for the whole island. And at my right, is the horizon of a clear blue ocean. It was so beautiful. You don’t get picturesque views like these elsewhere.







Lastly, we went to the Enigmata Tree House. If we had another day to spend in Camiguin, we would’ve stayed here for a night. The resort is like a gallery for anything artistic. Showcasing different forms of art. At the façade of the resort, a huge sculpture of a woman with a body of a turtle is placed neatly. The rooms that are made out of wood and bamboo are built around the tall trees. The doors, walls, cabinets are painted with different images that gave colour to the tree house. The tree house in itself is one massive sculpture. It’s as if it was built without a blueprint in hand, only through instinct and pure creativity. The place is so conducive for anything that requires stimulation of one’s creativity.











The next day, we were scheduled to go to one of the two white islands in Camiguin late in the afternoon. But it poured really hard so we just decided to just reschedule it for the next day. We had a grand time hanging out with Paul, an awesome Canadian guy we met at the resort and Melinda, the owner of the resort. Paul taught us how to play poker and shared a few drinking games. It was my first time to play poker and luck was at my side and won a hundred pesos. Not bad huh?! Haha! We spent the rest of the night drinking and laughing our hearts out. It was so much fun! Melinda was so nice to have given us a bottle of Tanduay rhum. I think we finished the whole bottle in just an hour or so. Paul’s drinking games can get you drunk by the second! And much later, we finished at least five beers each. Melinda was so much fun to be with, her funny antics flowed in so naturally. No wonder people keep coming back to her resort as she makes you feel at home like family.

On our last day, Tina, Paul and I went to the white island. A sand bar lying just a few minutes away by boat from mambajao. Camiguin doesn’t offer white sandy beaches but don’t fret as it has two pristine white beaches not too far from the island. The white island, the one closest to our resort is a long stretch of white sand surrounded by shallow waters good for snorkelling and just plain basking in the sun. One can choose to spend the rest of the day there as picnic huts can be rented for only 50 pesos. It’s a great place for a picnic! We spent a few hours in the island as we were scheduled to leave Camiguin at lunch time.













The time we’ve spent in Camiguin was definitely worth it. The island offers you something different compared to the other islands as it offers you picture-perfect views of volcanoes, beaches, waterfalls and many more in just one island. But what makes Camiguin truly special are its people as they are genuinely friendly and free-spirited.



Til Then

The Lost Sputnik

Melinda by the Sea

Remember that old Jose Mari Chan song, “Stop and talk awhile”? It has somehow become our official theme song for this trip. We’d sing it to entertain ourselves during long ferry rides, while walking in some busy street, or even during quiet nights by the beach.

What Ron and I love best about traveling, besides discovering new places, is meeting all sorts of people from different places and cultural backgrounds. Most of the time, these encounters could suddenly make even a somewhat lackluster place exude remarkable charm. In our case, these encounters gave our otherwise uneventful trip to Camiguin some form of great fascination.

We stayed in a modest resort called Jasmine by the Sea, which we think should be most apltly renamed as “Melinda by the Sea,” after the name of its new owner, Melinda—the resort’s best asset as far as we’re concerned.

Melinda, a former pre-school teacher in Camiguin, took over the ownership and management of the resort in reverence to her Swiss husband’s last request before he succumbed to cancer about six or eight years ago. She lives there now with their daughter and a few relatives who also help her mind the business. She has intended to keep her resort as small as possible to make sure she could personally attend to all her guests and make them feel more like vacationing friends than paying tourists.



By the time I’d go out in the morning, I’d see Melinda already chatting with some early birds who were having their breakfast in the resort’s small restaurant. Some of them are neighbors who frequent the place for the sumptuous meals served by the resort’s humble kitchen. Their pork fillet with mashed potato is really good, comes in big serving, and very affordable.

Melinda usually just sits by the bar the whole day, gladly welcoming anyone who’d love to have a chat. One minute, we’d hear her bantering in Visayan with her staff. The next minute, she’d be explaining tours in English to a guest, and suddenly converse in straight German to another. When she can’t find her words, you’d see her gesturing as she makes up funny sounds and end almost every sentence with a laugh.

In what I perceive to be a sleepy little province, Melinda brings on a high-spirited charm. Ron and I could sit for hours just listening to her stories about her late husband, her new love, how she struggled to keep the resort, what she thinks about the local tourism in the area, and how she loves talking to her guests. She’s so full of life and her life is full of interesting adventures. We could even sit for hours listening to her retell her tales to other guests.




Paul, a Canadian guy who’s also a guest in the resort, was just as fascinated with Melinda as we were. He was also obviously as enchanted by laid-back Camiguin and its people. He has easily befriended some locals and foreigners who have come to live in the province, and would tell us stories he’d hear from them after a day of traveling around the island in his rented motor bike.

There was one morning he came back with a flat tire. He was scared that the rental shop would charge him big bucks for it, until again, Melinda came to the rescue. She asked one of her staff to take the motorcycle to a vulcanizing shop, and asked Paul to give the guy P50 to pay for the labor. Paul couldn’t believe his luck as he sits and enjoy his breakfast while some guy takes charge of his problem, and found it also unbelievable when the guy came back with a fixed tire and P20 change for his money. Honesty is very valuable especially for tourists who are mostly traumatized by various forms of scams. I’m so glad that Paul was able to leave Camiguin without such traumatic tales.



During our last day, Melinda personally drove us to the terminal in her jeep that holds as much character as she does. It’s a well-polished stretched owner jeepney that has velvet upholstery with animal prints. It carried as much spunk as its owner and we wouldn’t have expected it to be less so. We were so proud to be driving along with Melinda in her jeepney, and felt even prouder as we see Melinda driving like some kind of a famous celebrity in the streets of Mambajao waving at her many acquaintances along the way.

At the terminal, we hugged and said our farewells. Melinda asked me to come back and bring my husband along. Paul couldn’t believe he was finally leaving and was very reluctant to do so. We have not seen as much of Camiguin as he had nor have we met as many people as he did, but I could somehow relate to his sentiments. Lacking in the usual beach attractions Ron and I usually look for in the places we visit, Camiguin doesn’t have much to get a hold of our hearts. But Melinda, her humble resort, and her island’s laidback charm are enough to make us pay another visit.

Bohol, here I come again!

View from the Tagbilaran-Panglao Bridge

If there were a place that I sought the most for my holiday destinations, it would be no other than Bohol. I was first introduced to this beautiful island through a very good friend of mine, Bianca. Her family owns a quaint boutique beach resort in the east of Panglao Island called, “Amarela”. I was invited to visit Bohol sometime July of 2006 and from then on I’ve frequented the island. Each time I went for a visit I have never failed to discover so many new things about the place and people of Bohol.






Bianca with the Lost Sputnik

And true enough; in my fourth visit to Bohol, I finally went pass the stage of what most tourists do. I came to understand a bit more about Bohol, its people and its heritage.

Tina and I were lucky to have been accommodated by Bianca and her Dad, Tito Doy. We could not thank them enough for having us stayed in Amarela for almost a week. Learning a bit about the culture and heritage of Bohol was easy, as Tito Doy loved his hometown so much; the insights shared to us about his childhood in Bohol flowed naturally. Staying in Amarela was the best place to be for our purpose. The beach resort itself tells so much about Bohol.





Amarela could easily be given a 5-star rating for its facilities and amenities, but more than that I believe that it deserves such rating as it showcases the heritage of Bohol. It’s more than just a beach resort. All he intricate details in the resort has its own story to tell, which makes the place even more special. The paintings that were nicely hung on the walls are from Tito Doy’s collection of many years, some of the paintings were given to them by some guests in exchange for few nights in the resort, or painted by local boholano artirts, or either by Bianca or her artist friends. Also, on the foyer table, an old wooden eggbeater is neatly placed. It came from Tito Doy’s old home in Antiquera and was used by his family back when he was still young. The big solid doors in the entrance and some latices in the resort were from old houses around Bohol. Most of the wood-carved furniture such as dining tables and chairs, bed frames and even beach chairs were made in Tito Doy’s hometown, Antiquera, a small town in Bohol popular for wood carving and hand woven things.









It was a must for us to visit Antiquera, but unfortunately I’ve fallen sick the day we were scheduled to go, so I wasn’t able to join them. It would’ve been nice to see the workshop and meet the people behind all these fantastic furniture. Tito Doy shared to us that some of the guys in the workshop used to be ‘habal-habal’ drivers and now have developed a talent for woodcarving. Thanks to the photos taken by Tina, Margaux and Bianca. At least I was able to see the gist of Antiquera even through photos.

I’m always awed each time I come to Amarela as I have witnessed how it had blossomed to its full splendour. And now that I’ve learnt more about the stories behind the resort, I felt like I was also able to learn more about Bohol and its people as well.

Also, while in Bohol, we visited the Bohol Deaf Academy. It’s an institution ran majority by Americans that provides primary and secondary education and most importantly livelihood for the deaf and mute people of Bohol. In the earlier days before the Academy was built, the deaf and mute kids are treated like they were autistic, as the family members didn’t know that they were either deaf or mute. So, there were neither proper guidance nor care given to these kids at that time. Thanks to the Academy, these kids are now given the equal chance to live their own lives and are given opportunities they deserve. They are given the education to better equip them in the future. Most graduates of the Academy rightfully belong to the workforce already, making them feel that they do have a part in this world to partake. Some of them work for the Academy, the garden café and restaurant and hotel diamond. These structures were all built by the Academy to provide jobs for their graduates.







Apparently, majority of the sponsors of the academy are Americans. We were even able to meet 30-40 volunteers from America who stays in Bohol for two weeks building more dormitories and facilities for the academy. I was moved to see how sincere the volunteers were in helping these people. At the same time, it was sad to find out that there isn’t much Filipinos involved with their projects. I think as fellow Filipinos, we ought to help them like these American do. There isn’t enough awareness and importance given to the deaf and mute people in the Philippines despite their growing number. I think it’s about time for us to do our share and help them in whatever way we can.

This Bohol trip was truly unforgettable, not only that it was part of my sputnik adventure but because it has opened my mind to things I have never thought of or even gave importance to. I’m definitely looking forward to my next Bohol trip as I know that there are more to learn and love about this place.


Bianca, Marguax, Tina and I at the Alona Beach

Til then,

The Lost Spuntik

How to get there?

There are daily flights via Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines that goes straight to Tagbilaran (Bohol) from Manila. It will only take an hour to get to Tagbilaran by plane. Be sure to book a few weeks ahead to avail the cheaper airfares (1,200-2,000 pesos with tax already for one way). If you’re coming form Cebu or Dumaguete, there are daily ferry rides that go straight to Tagbilaran. The ferry ride would only take about an hour and a half from either Cebu or Dumaguete. Fares are 500 pesos from Cebu, 520 pesos from Dumaguete.

Where to Stay?

Amarela Resort, Panglao Island

To book or to check room rates visit www.amarelaresort.com

Dao Diamond Bed and Breakfast (owned by the Bohol Deaf Academy)

Room Rates
$14-$20 for standard/double
They also have dorm types for 300 pesos a night

Contact Numbers:

Tel: (63)(38) 411-5568
Fax: (63)(38) 411-5568

Email:
ideaphil@bohol-online.com

Website:
http://hosted.ase.net/5090382.html


What to do?

Bohol has got almost everything one would fancy in a much-deserved vacation. The island has an abundance of white sand beaches and clear blue water for those who love to bask in the sun or just frolic in the beach. It also has a number of rich marine sanctuaries for the divers and snorklers to enjoy. For those who love river cruises, the long stretch of Loboc River is something to be experienced as it offers a very relaxing and enjoyable ride. For the animal lovers, the tarsiers (the smallest primates in the world) can easily be seen in their natural habitat near the Loboc River. A visit to the famous chocolate hills is something awe-inspiring as it’s just amazing to see hundreds of them right in front of you. A swim in the basin of Mag-aso waterfalls would be something worthwhile to do if you’ve never done that yet. Lastly, a barrio tour would be an awesome thing to do while in Bohol. You’d be able to see how people live their lives. It’s a new and enriching experience especially for those who have lived all their lives in the city.