Anda! Bohol's Little Paradise

Before going to Bohol, one of my friends texted me that if we have enough time, we must try to visit Anda Beach because of its white sand. Anda is not that popular yet for tourists but since we were also curious, we decided to visit it once we reach Bohol. 

On our second day in Bohol, we first went to a nearby beach in Guindulman and later in the afternoon, we rented a small boat that would take us to Anda. As we had our sightseeing, we were really awed by the beauty of nature. Looking at the sea, you can really see what's underneath because of the clear water. My friends even saw some turtles! 

It was low tide when we arrived at Anda so the long stretch of sand welcomed us! I was really beaming because it was really beautiful. The place where we docked our boat was in front of the town hall so it was just a public beach but even though it was public, the sand was really something. It's powdery white sand is really fine and just amazing! I was even thinking of bringing home some of it. haha

Anda is truly a beauty to behold. I hope that one day, when I return to this place, it will still be the same. :)

Related blog posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area 
* Man-made Forest 
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills
* Bohol Escapade (2nd day)

Bohol Escapade (2nd day)

Hello there! I've finally finished blogging about my Bohol Escapade (1st day). After the day tour, we headed to Guindulman, kuya Jun2x's hometown. From Carmen proper, we waited for a bus going to their place but since it was a holiday that day, we had a hard time catching a bus. We waited for about two hours and because of that we had no choice but to take a bus going to the town of Pilar. From Pilar, we were able to get V-hire going to Candijay. It was really dark that time and we were not really familar with the place. Good thing, after a few minutes of waiting in Candijay, some relatives of kuya Jun2x arrive and we headed to Guindulman. Whew! 

We are very thankful to Esquilla family for accommodating and taking care of us when we were there. Their family is really fun to be with! 

And so after eating dinner, we were able to sleep. 

Day 2 

The following day, we planned to go the beach. We went to a public beach just a few minutes away from Esquilla's residence. 

We opted not to swim that time. We just went there to ponder on some thoughts and enjoy the beauty of nature. :D

After some time, we then went back to kuya Jun2x's house and ate our lunch. In the afternoon, we then went to Anda (I'll be writing a different blog post for this). Stay tuned! 

Related blog posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area 
* Man-made Forest 
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills

Chocolate Hills

Visiting Bohol is never complete without Chocolate Hills. Located in Carmen, Chocolate Hills is one of the tourist destinations in the Philippines which is frequently visited by many people not only local but foreigners also. There are about thousands of hills in Carmen. Looking from the top view, these hills resemble the chocolate Hershey's Kisses. 

During the dry season, the hills covered with grass turns to chocolate brown in color, thus the name Chocolate Hills.

When you want to see the beauty of Chocolate Hills, you should climb some 200 something steps to get to the top, so be sure to bring some water with you. By the time you get to the top of the viewing deck, you will surely be panting but once you see the beautiful hills, the climb is worth it! 

Eventhough the place was damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake last October 2013, there were still many people visiting the place.

This is our last stop and we're hitting the beach on Day 2! Stay tuned! ;)

Entrance fee: Php 50.00

Related blog posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area 
* Man-made Forest 
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus

The Shiphaus

After visiting the Butterfly Conservation Area, we headed to Carmen wherein we can see the beautiful Chocolate Hills of Bohol. On our way there, we passed by the Shiphaus in the town of Batuan. The structure is very interesting because it's shaped like a ship.

The owner of the house is Captain Gaudencio Dumapias, a Master Mariner. It was originally built as a dwelling place for the family, but since many people are curious, the owner decided to open it to the public.

We were not able to go inside as we are running out of time. Maybe the next time I will visit Bohol, I'll try to go inside. :)


Related blog posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Man-made Forest
* Butterfly Conservation Area

* Chocolate Hills

Butterfly Conservation Area

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

After our quick stop at the man-made forest in Bilar, we made our way to the Butterfly Conservation Area or Habitat Bohol located in Poblacion, Bilar. Home to over 100 butterflies, this place is truly beautiful. 

It was over 12 noon already and the group was indeed looking for something to eat. One thing that we were not able to bring was lunch because we were just depending if we can pass a small restaurant or store which serves food but along the way, we were not able to see one. So the good thing about visiting the butterfly sanctuary was that they serve food! Yey! 

So we paid the entrance fee which was Php 40.00/ adult (Php 10.00/ child 4-10 yrs old) and then we went inside. Before exploring the place, we ordered our lunch first. I ordered their sweet and sour fish which costs Php 99.00.

The menu

After ordering, we then went around the place. One thing that can really catch your attention is that their guides are really funny. They will totally make you laugh while they're explaining about the butterflies. 

Pupae

The alphabet (notice that the letters are wings of butterflies, cool huh? :D)

Hello butterfly!

When we went there, there were only a few butterflies, but still they were very beautiful. I can't get enough of them. If only, I can take one. haha :P After roaming around the place, we then went back to their restaurant and the food was served, In fairness, the food was good.

Fish Sweet and Sour

Happy tummies! 

After eating our lunch, it's time for us to say goodbye to the butterflies and proceed to our next destination! 

Related blog posts: 

* Bohol Escapade (1st day)

* The Buzzz Cafe

* Loboc River 

* Zoocolate Thrills

* Sevilla Hanging Bridge

* Tarsier Conservation Area

* Man-made Forest

* The Shiphaus

* Chocolate Hills

Man-made Forest (Bilar)

With the scorching heat of the sun, the shade from the trees would surely make people feel refreshed. Tourists taking the Loboc-Bilar route would probably pass through the Man-made Forest and with its towering mahogany trees, one would really feel that you are transported in an enchanted place. ;)

The Man-made forest stretches as far as 2 kilometers and anyone who passes will surely make a stop and take some pictures (like us. haha) Now some maybe wondering why they made this forest? The reason for that is that 50 years ago, they started replacing the trees which were lost due to the widespread kaingin.

FYI: Kaingin is the practice of clearing the land by slashing and burning the trees and plowing the ashes for fertilizer. 

A quick visit in the man-made forest is surely a refreshing experience especially for people who are living in the city.


Related posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills

Tarsier Conservation Area

Tarsiers are considered as one of the smallest primates in the world. Unfortunately, these primates are already enlisted as one of the endangered species in the world. Going for a trip in Bohol, one should not miss visiting the Tarsiers.

Located at Upper Bonbon, Loboc, the Tarsier Conservation Area is one of the homes of Bohol's Tarsiers. Upon entering the sanctuary, you would need to pay Php 60. You will then get your ticket plus a take home postcard. Then you will be oriented about the dos and don'ts when inside the area.

Postcard

Rules that you must follow 

Because the area was about six hectares, we had a hard time looking for them. Since they were so small, we were literary popping our eyes in every nook. Haha Then we saw them  one by one and yes, they really are super small with big eyes and long tail. The experience was really awesome. I would gladly visit them again next time. 

Related blog posts:

* Bohol Escapade (1st day)

* The Buzzz Cafe

* Loboc River 

* Zoocolate Thrills

* Sevilla Hanging Bridge 

* Man-made Forest 
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills

Hanging Bridge in Sevilla

After encountering our animal friends, the group's next destination is the Hanging Bridge in Sevilla. This is also a popular attraction for tourists. It would take around 10 minutes going to Sevilla from Zoocolate Thrills. There are two bridges which crosses the Sipatan River. 

You need to pay Php 20/ person before you can cross the bridge. It's not really scary when crossing the bridge, just feel the wonder of nature around you. hehe Before, this bridge was constructed with bamboo and rope and now, you need not worry that much because they already used some steel cables for safety purposes.

Once you cross the river on one side, you will be welcomed with some souvenir shops and there are also some snacks and drinks for refreshment. You can also find the "Buko King" which was featured in TV before. FYI: He can strip a coconut using just his teeth!

Souvenir Shops

Next stop --> Tarsier Conservation Area. 

Related posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Man-made Forest 
* Butterfly Conservation Area

* Chocolate Hills

Zoocolate Thrills

For our next stop, we went to Zoocolate Thrills still located in Loboc. This zoo houses tigers, the longest snake and other animals as well.

Before entering the place, you would need to pay the entrance fee:

Adult- Php 99/ person

Children- Php 69/ person

Senior Citizen- Php 79/person 

Then off you go the happiest place! 

The place was quite large. There were several trees and a playground for kids and kids at heart. ;P

Since they offer also a free guide, we were then introduced to Tiggy and Maja. These tigers were enormous! Our guide told us that they feed these tigers 8 kilos of chicken for each tiger everyday! 

So when we had enough oohhhss and aaahhhs from Tiggy and Maja, we then went to check out other animals. Here's Zooco:

Yep! I touched it. :P I was actually having some chills while having this picture taken. haha Anyways, it was a great experience touching the snake. haha

After that heart thumping moment with Zooco, we checked out some animals.

I really want to ride that miniature horse. Too bad, I can't because only children can do so. -__- They also have a sheep (which I thought was a statue at the first place coz' it was not moving), some monkeys, ducks, monitor lizard, and a Siamese cat.

After meeting our animal friends, we then decided to go to our next destination--> Sevilla Hanging Bridge. Stay tuned! 


Related blog posts:
* Bohol Escapade (1st day)
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge 
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Man-made Forest 
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills

Loboc River

When you are in Bohol, one of the places that you must visit is the Loboc River. This river is one of the major tourist destinations in Bohol province. The estimated travel time from Tagbilaran to Loboc is about 20 minutes by car.

In our case, we took an airconditioned Ceres bus from Integrated Bus Terminal near Island City Mall going to Loboc. The bus fare is Php 30.

*Loboc River*

We were not really planning to experience the cruise in Loboc River, we just wanted to take a look. haha So what we did was merely taking pictures of the river and some floating restaurants but it is really better if you try their buffet. You will not only experience their sumptuous food, you will also be serenaded by music by the locales.

*one of the floating restaurants in Loboc*

Another activity that you can do aside from the river cruise is paddling the water using a board which looks like a surfing board. We saw two foreigners doing it and I thought it was kind of cool! Next time, I will really try it. :D

Since we only fed our eyes and not our stomachs (lelz :D), we decided to go to our next destination. BUT, there was one question among us-- what are we going to use for transportation? Since it was a holiday, there were only few buses and jeepneys and there were a lot of "habal-habal" drivers trying to haggle with us. FYI: Habal-habal is a motorcycle. We were really having a hard time deciding that time, good thing was there was this tricycle (a motorized one) which we were able to make a deal. Yay! So off we go to our next destination-- Zoocolate Thrills! 

*our service :D *

Related blog posts:

* Bohol Escapade (1st day)

* The Buzzz Cafe
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Man-made Forest
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills

Bohol Escapade (1st day)

One of the places that is on my bucket list is the island of Bohol.  Bohol is one of the islands in the Visayas. I have been to Tagbilaran, Bohol when I was like in fourth grade but we just stayed in Bohol Tropics Hotel for one night and we were not able to visit other places. So last April 2-4, we visited the province of Bohol! This blog post is an overview of the places that we visited. I will be writing separate posts soon for each place. :)

A week before the scheduled date, we booked our tickets through Weesam Express for Php 700 (return ticket already). On April 2, we departed at 5:50 am and arrived at almost 8:00 am. 

Cebu's sunrise

We then went to our friend's house and then headed to Island City Mall (ICM). ICM is one of the shopping malls in Tagbilaran, Bohol which offers a lot to consumers. Plus, it is very convenient because it is just near Tagbilaran Public Market and the Integrated Bus Terminal. We bought some snacks and tried The Buzz Cafe's vegetarian pizza. This cafe is actually a branch of Bohol Bee Farm which is located in Panglao. Since we cannot go to Panglao, we opted to try their pizza. ^^ 

Vegetarian Pizza @ Buzz Cafe

After eating, we went to the Integrated Bus Terminal which is just across the mall. We boarded a Ceres bus and paid Php 30 for the fare which is bound for Loboc. 

1st stop: Loboc Floating Restaurant (Loboc)

2nd stop: Zoocolate Thrills (Loboc)

3rd stop: Sevilla Hanging Bridge (Sevilla)

4th stop: Tarsier Conservation Area (Loboc)

5th stop: Man-made Forest (Bilar)

6th stop: Butterfly Conservation Center (Bilar)

7th stop: Shiphaus (Loay)

8th stop: Chocolate Hills (Carmen)

After the tour, we boarded a bus going to Guindulman where we were welcomed by the Esquilla family. After a long and fun day, we finally dozed off. That's day 1! Stay tuned for Day 2 and for detailed blog posts for each place. ;)


Related blog posts:
* The Buzzz Cafe
* Loboc River 
* Zoocolate Thrills
* Sevilla Hanging Bridge
* Tarsier Conservation Area
* Man-made Forest
* Butterfly Conservation Area
* The Shiphaus
* Chocolate Hills