Bohol is an island 2 hours away fom Cebu, and known for its amazing Chocolate Hills.
When we arrived at the port of Tagbilaran Bohol, there are lots of passengers who wants to enjoy their New Year in Bohol. We arrived via Ocean Jet, it's my first time to ride a fast craft so i was very excited and curious what's inside. From Cebu to Bohol it takes 2 hours to arrived at the island.
Our first day in Bohol were kinda busy because my loving boyfriend had a lot of things to do and to mingle with his family, for they haven't sen each other like a year. But after the very busy sched. we made a time to have a very long road trip, and see the most popular sites in Bohol . I was so excited, because it's my first time to visit the island, and i can finally see the popular "Chocolate Hills".
My boyfriend can't remember anymore which way to go to Chocolate hills, so we borrow a map to his nephew, and also thanks to Google navigation map, it so much easier.
First stop, is the Blood Compact Site. It's the first tourist spot that you will see when you go to Chocolate Hills, it's just few minutes drive from Tagbilaran City along the Carlos P. Garcia circumferential road. Before, when i saw the picture of this attraction, i thought it's a wide place where there are few activities, souvenir shops and restaurants. But it's the opposite, lol. Though the place was not quite big, the monument itself is the main attraction.
View the spot where the Spaniards and Filipinos fostered friendly relations through blood. This is considered as the first seed of the United Nations and the first treaty between the brown and white race.
Next in line, is the Baclayon church, it's 6 km east from Tagbilaran. But if you are heading to Chocolate Hills you will pass these Old church. I love Old churches, because of their designs and structures are very unique. It's also my first time to see a church in Bohol, where there are paintings and drawings in the ceiling(unfortunately i don't have the chance to take a photo of it).I think Rome has a lot like these. Well, in our province our church ceiling is just a simple one color. Going back to Baclayon Church, it was not exactly the same church that was being advertised before. I mean as we all know in the past 2013, Bohol suffered in a very sadly event when the earthquake occur with a magnitude of 7.2 which destroyed the churches and some part of Bohol. So when i visited the Baclayon church they are still constructing the damaged part of it.
This is an old stone church with religious relics dating back to the early 16th century. It is considered as one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines.
Third attraction is the Loboc-Loay River Cruise. Unfortunately again, before we went to Bohol, there is a typhoon in the Philippines and destroyed the attraction in the River. The locals said that the water in Loboc river were overflowed. So It's kinda messy when we got there. But Long time ago, I think Filipino actor Cesar Montano had a film "Panaghoy sa Suba" that promotes the beautiful scenery of Loboc River.
Before, Loboc River has a floating Restaurant that offers lunch to the tourist. But when we got there, the floating Restaurant is damaged due to the typhoon.
BEFORE
AFTER
In front of Loboc River is the second oldest Church in Bohol, the San Pedro Church. It was also damaged due to the earth quake and typhoon. I don't know how the locals of Loboc are going to regained the number of tourists after all the damages that they are facing right now. But i hope and pray that sooner they will survived from all these calamities.
San Pedro church, and the Bell tower, half of it are damaged. The access point to the Loboc River is located near the town of Loboc, only about 24 km from Tagbilaran City.
And the most lovely and cool road that you will pass going to the Chocolate hills is the Bilar man-made forest. When my boyfriend told me about it before we passed the road, he said that the trees in the forest was planted long time ago by locals. So i was imagining that the man-made forest is like a zoo ^____^ because the name itself forest, i was not expecting that the forest is just the corner of the road. When we got there. i said to my self "Oh!". it's kinda the same with the forestry in our province which is the "kalasangan" in Initao, Misamis Occidental. The difference between the two is that the Bilar man-made forest is just plainly a forest along the corner of the road. While the kalasangan in Initao, the forest is also along the corner of the road but, there are few activities inside the forest. Like caving, monkey watching picnic spot and a lot more. But the beautiful side of the Bilar man-made forest is that the road is very clean compare to the other roads, i was amazed by it. And the leaves on the trees became the rooftop of the road that makes the sun light not easy to pass through the road. So it was like dim.
Feel the coolness of the air and view the awesome display of the thousands of mahogany trees painstakingly planted by the people.
my awesome loving boyfriend, who make things happen for these road trip. Thank you so much.
I want also to thank the sister of my boyfriend to let us borrow her car for these road trip.
After a few hours of driving we finally got to the famous tourist site in Bohol the Chocolate Hills. I was curious why it's name Chocolate hills, why not Green hills since it is covered with green grasses. My question was not answered clearly, but according to my boyfriend that there are times when its rainy season the hills are full of mud and sometimes the hills looks like brown. I was not satisfied by it, so i was thinking that the name itself was taken from the legend of Chocolate hills. According to the legend there are giants long time ago having a feud, who hurled rocks, boulders and sand at each other. And the muddy rocks formed like hills, so the Chocolate hills was named. So before you enter at the Chocolate Hills park, you need to pay an entrance fee.
going to the top of the hill where there is a mini park that has a restaurant, toilet and resting place.
it's so beautiful when you see it in person.
The Chocolate Hills is located in Carmen Town in the middle of bohol province
After we got to the top we eat first because we are both starving from a very long trip. After we roam around and took pictures to the beautiful spots.
In order to go to the very top of one hill you need to walk on the 200+ steps with covered deck rest stops along the way, if you are catching your breath.
these is what you will see at the top of one hill. It's amazing and relaxing, and they said that it's one of the wonders of the world.
Local children entertaining the tourist with their explicit talent in Music. And it's up for the tourist if they will give a donation for them, there is a donation box at the front.
We rest a bit and we head back to go home, because its hard to travel along the road when it's dark, honestly the road going to Chocolate hills is not that simple. There are roads that are not safe for me, so you must drive slowly but surely.
Going back, we also made a few stops for some attractions that we just passed when we go to the hills.
One of the first stop is the famous Tarsier. There is a forestry park near the chocolate hills where you can see personally the smallest known primates. There is a fee if you are going inside the small park with full of tress just to see the Tarsier, and they will give you a card to go inside, it's like a ticket to go inside.
Going back, we also made a few stops for some attractions that we just passed when we go to the hills.
One of the first stop is the famous Tarsier. There is a forestry park near the chocolate hills where you can see personally the smallest known primates. There is a fee if you are going inside the small park with full of tress just to see the Tarsier, and they will give you a card to go inside, it's like a ticket to go inside.
Inside the forest, there are signs which way to got to the habitat of the Tarsiers. And there is a sign board before you enter, talking about some rules inside the habitat. It says that when you take photo of the Tarsier you must not use the camera flash because their eyes were very sensitive to light. And you must not make any loud noise.
In the habitat, we only saw less than five Tarsiers. When I saw them i was so surprised how small and tiny their are. They have definitely big eyes and very long tail. They hide in the leaves but still i can see them. They look so lazy, according to the care taker, they are very active at night.
my face is bigger than the Tarsier, hahahha. Their are very shy.
After seeing those cute little Tarsier, there are small stoles selling souvenirs, foods and refreshments. We eagerly want the coconut, it's been a long time i haven't drink and eat a coconut.
We travel again back home but when we saw old churches at the road we made a stop and took a photo.
For these Bohol Trip experience, I wear a Denim Long sleeve polo, and aztec skirt.
Thank you for making this trip possible. ^^ <3
Thank you for reading my blog, and i hope that you like my story for the first blog on the year 2015. Please do leave some messages so i know that you like my stories. Till next time. God bless and live life to the fullest.
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