This is it! I've been wanting to go to Bohol for the longest time so this is somewhat a dream come true.
Eric, our designated driver for the day was already waiting for us outside the arrival area holding a signage with my name on it.
In order to save time and money, we opted to take the Countryside Tour upon arriving in Bohol rather than go to the resort directly. A friend recommended Dumaluan 2 Beach Resort due to its close proximity to Bohol Beach Club where the beach and shoreline is way better as compared to the Alona side.
A couple of minutes later, me and my friends were on our way to our first stop: the Blood Compact Site
The Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part of the tribal tradition. This is considered as the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and Filipinos. " explorer Sandugo" is a Visayan word which means "one blood". - Wikipedia
Next stop was the Loboc River (also caller Loay River) where we boarded a floating restaurant to have our lunch while cruising the famous tourist spot.
Food was okay, nothing really special aside from the steamed fish and the clam soup. The lunch buffet also included green mango with shrimp paste, salad, grilled pork, steamed shrimp, pork barbeque, fried chicken and watermelon for dessert.
For Php400.00, you're paying mostly for the cruise and not for the food so we just enjoyed the lush greenery, the smell of fresh air and the relaxing music on board.
On our way to the famous Chocolate Hills, we stopped by the man-made forest and it just felt like it was straight out of the Twilight Movie.
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| Edward, where are you? |
And then.. this.
Majestic! I've been reading about it since I was in grade school and it's really amazing when you see it firsthand. There are a lot of "photographers" who would offer to have your photos taken with props, so it really felt like we were having our pictorial there.
Too bad it rained after a couple of minutes so we had to hurry back to our car.
Along the way, we stopped by a mini zoo to see Tarsiers up close and personal. I felt bad for them though, the caretaker would just wake them up for the guests to be able to take pictures of them. No wonder a lot of them gets stressed (hence the no flash on the camera signs) that would eventually lead to their death. I read somewhere that Tarsiers really have suicidal tendencies.
At this point, we were too tired already so we chose to go to the resort and called it a day.
Day 2
After having breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, we met our guide Mang Dodong and hopped to our boat - Star Seas, en route to Balicasag Island. Since we woke up late, we were not able to see any dolphins anymore, nevertheless, we did enjoyed snorkeling and seeing schools of fish in all colors and sizes.
Two hours later and with a hungry stomach, we decided to have our lunch at the island. We ordered Tuna in tamarind soup and grilled pork with rice, sounds like your regular meal but it was the best meal we ever had! I even ordered an extra rice (forgive me, I'm on vacation *wink*).
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| Virgin Island |
We went back to the resort by 3pm and spent a couple of minutes in the swimming pool before taking our afternoon nap. We were all refreshed come nighttime and was all ready for some action not knowing that this side of Panglao doesn't have a nightlife. We just spent the evening talking by the beach with Bossa Nova songs being played in the restaurant nearby.
Day 3
On our last day, we met a friend who treated us for lunch at Bohol Bee Farm. It really helps when you have friends from all over because they know where is the best place to bring you.
This place reminded me of Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay.
From the ambiance
To the healthy and very delicious menu
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| Tanigue with red rice and salad on the side (yes, I ate the flowers too) |
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| home-made spread |
