6 BOHOL IS ONE OF THE BEST TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES

This is the second part of my travel in Bohol. I was planning to post this right away after my trip but since I just got in to a new company I need some attention, torn between career and hobby. Additionally my laptop just died so that’s another factor. 

Unfortunately natural disaster just happened that tumbled-down most of the beautiful places I've been to. I don’t think that this a reason why I wasn't able to post this out but I’d like to use the opportunity to encourage those people who love to travel. Let's help them build the rich tourism industry. That way we can help them to stand up and be strong. Bohol is one of the best destinations in the Philippines.

I was searching for google images and most of the pictures displayed pity, disappointment, letdown, etc, and I don’t want to use those pictures. And I found this one, so whoever owned this photo; kindly allow me to use it. I’d like to see the strong spirit, the resilient of Boholanos. Kamang sa yutang natawhan.

So let me take you again and be my guest as we tour around Bohol.

BAMBOO HANGING BRIDGE

En route back to Tagbilaran City, the driver dropped us to a Bamboo Hanging Bridge that is crossing the Sipatan River in the Municipality of Sevilla. Although entrance is already inclusive to the countryside tour, I noticed that the driver paid P20 each. Obviously entrance cost twenty pesos per head. Hanging Bridge is a fun tourist attraction. Based from my research, it is originally constructed using just bamboo and rope, and now the rope has made way to steel cables giving safety and firmness of the bridge.

It’s a twin bridge that are parallel to each other so foot traffic is reduced, while you are ongoing on one bridge and come back on the other. The bridge extents 40 meters with a bamboo trees formed a woven slats on the deck. On the other side, locals will welcome you to watch “The Buko King”; he already joined one of the talent shows in national television where he can strip coconut in like 10 seconds using only his teeth.

LOBOC RIVER CRUISE

While we were excited looking at the beautiful surroundings, you can’t just deny that your tummy needs some fuel to fires up the entire day of trip. So the driver made sure that the next stop is the River Cruise in Loboc River which is one of the must-do’s while visiting Bohol.

While waiting for our schedule, right across the port is the beautiful Loboc Church, and the winding river. The cruise usually starts with a buffet, so it is an eat all you can heavy lunch serving delicious Filipino foods. There’s also a local singer singing from the start till the end up to the beat of the hungry bellies. The boat will turn around when you reach waterfalls. So going back to the port, cruise will stop in a small “balsa” along the river and the locals will provide a cultural show. You can see their faces showing their hospitality and warm welcome. Hoping that today, Boholanos are wearing now a smiles like the children in the picture.

And good to hear that the Loboc river cruise kick starts for tourism revival last October 24^th.

BACLAYON CHURCH

This is just six kilometers away from the capital city of Bohol, Tagbilaran City. Baclayon church is the second oldest stone church in the Philippines, comes after San Agustin Church in Intramuros Manila. The moment we arrived there, it feels like I was back in Manila, in the walled city of Intramuros as it is home of old educational institutions, old churches and houses.

As we alighted the van, the driver pointed his finger towards to the column of the church. He said if I can see the image of Father Pio. I was actually trying to imagine if there is but my naked eye cannot think of any figures the forms a human face or whatever. So he asked me to take my camera and pointed out to the column and boom I quickly spot of Father Pio’s face – with his eyes, nose, cheek bones, and covered with beard. Can you see it?

INSIDE BACLAYON CHURCH

You can enter inside the church through the Parking side. It won’t cost you entering inside the church. The receiving area is striped with statues of saints. Though I am a pure Catholic but I do not recognize some statues. Upon entering the main church you will find a pulpit likewise in San Agustin, in the days before microphone, the pulpit is almost in the middle of the church so the priest is better heard by attending Catholics.

I’m not really familiar with the terminologies on how you described the interior of the church or even in a typical house. All I can say that the interior of the church is somewhat like vintage that is full of artworks just like the book I found in library that talks about Plato. Like the last supper is painted in the ceilings.

Another charm of the Church is the Museum located in the upper level of the entrance. Unfortunately camera is not allowed, that’s why I don’t have any picture. Though I’m kind of disobey or something and honestly I always do that – like no flashing of camera or something like that and then I still do it. However, I didn’t forget that I am in the church so I have to be honest for myself at least during that time. Jeez. So what is inside the museum is all the relics, the stuffs used during the mass, the holy thingy used by Augustinians priests. And what amazed me there is they preserved the clothes ( I don’t know how you call it , the clothes worn by priests during the mass), and it was like 400 something years in preservation. Wow!!! I wasn’t born that time yet. Amazing. And by the way museum has an entrace of P50.

PRONY THE LARGEST PYTHON

This surprised me and I feel saddened. I will never know until I reached this part to blog about Prony, the largest python captivity. I’m gonna miss this big girl. She died on August 14, 2013 for still unknown cause. And that happened the next month after we visited. Hope I did not bring the jinx. God, I wish I’m not.  She weighs about 280 kilos and measuring about 23 feet. Per caretaker, she was fed two hogs weighing 65 kilos and she can finish it for an hour, whew terrible! and that is good for one whole month.

During our visit I did not expect that I can go inside the den since I’m really scared of snakes. But since she was on shedding that time, it is the process of changing the skin. I had the courage to get closer to her and do the photo ops as her energy was failing at that time. I just touched her to check how cold she was, though they ask me to seat or lie down. God knows, no way!!! And still I was like shaking. So the caretaker gave us a little demo that she is friendly. Look at the photo below. Humiga talaga siya kay Prony.

And that ends our eight-hour countryside trip to Bohol. We went home super tired and our plan to go stroll around Bohol in the night to look for food trips wasn’t accomplished because we woke up 11PM and the neighborhood is already sleeping at that time.

So if you stay longer in Bohol there are other tours that you might wanna try.

ISLAND HOPPING - that includes Dolphin and Whale watching, Snorkeling, and Virgin Island Exploration. Also includes of car and pumpboat.

Package per Head: 

P2500 - 1pax

P2000 - 2pax

P1500 - 3pax

P1250 - 4pax

P1200 - 5pax

So again, let us help Bohol rebuild and join them to stand overcome the challenges they are facing. Bohol is still one of the best destination of the Philippines. #BagonBohol #AngBagongBohol