Tavelogue: Bohol Diaries Day 3 Good-bye paradise

Since it was my last day in Bohol, I took my morning free time to be in Alona again and do couple of beach shots. Early mornings are great because of the sunrise scenery but sad to say Alona is not blessed with perfect view scape.

Sunrise at Alona

In Alona shores you wont be getting a perfect sunset or sunrise if you are facing towards the sea since it all happens on its left side, bit frustrating.

The right side of Alona on mornings, i love the sea breeze.

Ang bangka sa laot.

Early people along the shores.

Over-all had a great time in Bohol – surely it was a nice experience to see all the wonders, feel a slightly different culture and be friends with people who has been kind enough to treat you like real brothers – definitely it was a fun time at a place called Bohol. 

Travelogue: Bohol Diaries Day 2 – Part 3 Chocolate Hills, Butterfly Garden, Peanut Kisses hunting, Coco Vida & party craze at Oops Bar

After we passed through the winding forest-y road of Bilar, we were led to a town called Carmen home of the Bohol’s scenic yet so famous tourist spot – the Chocolate Hills. At a distance it was already a spectacular view which looked like little sweet Hershey kisses which fell from the skies. And as you go towards it – you will be more amazed.

A perfect view of the hills from the dock.

Tip: Going to the very top of viewer’s deck has 2 entry points. First is by a winding inclined pathway located in the left most part entrance of  the view site. The other one is n the right side which basically has narrow steep cemented stairs. I recommend that you try them both so you can get the full view from each sides.

Lush green trees grew at the foot hill. During rainy months, the hills will look more lively since it is bursting with different green hues.

This is how it looks when a hill was forcefully burned. Boholanos normally do this process to avoid a possibility of immense uncontrollable forest fire especially during summer months.

Next stop was the Butterfly Garden in the town of Guadalupe. The garden is very pretty and humid perfect habitat of different butterfly species. Butterflies normally roam around the garden, so it will always be exciting  catching up with them. We didn’t spend a long time in the garden as we need to head back to Bilar to see the hanging bridge. Sad to say I didn’t have any pictures to show you since I’m not good dealing with heights.

Colorful butterflies fly freely in the garden. If you will be quiet enough with your steps you might be able to picture them.

Butterflies hang in plants.

Brown butterflies sitting on a leaf.

Now as we are approaching on the last league of our tour, we headed back to Tagbilaran to buy one of Bohol’s famous delicacies – Peanut Kisses!

This is shape simalar with the Hershey's but as locals say it is basically shaped to signify Bohol's aging treasure - the Chocolate Hills.

Tip: Go to any marketplace in Tagbilaran so that you can buy the peanut kisses in a cheaper price. I remember paying P45 only for 200 grams, plus you can get a good discount is you buy in great quantity. As for souvenir t-shirts and key chains head back to the stalls near the Blood Compact site. They are way more cheaper compare to any souvenir shops in Tagbilaran.

As the sun sets we headed back to Panglao. But our last day didn’t end without having a fantastic dinner and party craze at the shores of Alona. So after we rested and kept ourselves refreshed, we immediately looked for a cozy fun ambiance along the sandy stretch of Alona – and there we found Coco Vida Bar.

Open air breeze in Coco Vida is a just romantic, perfect for intimate dinner.

Dinner was nice – really nice compare to any restaurants in Alona we have already eaten before. Most dishes that they serve are Intercontinental from burger, pastas, salads, steaks down to finger picking foods like calamares and fries. The greatest thing with Coco Vida is not only they serve in huge amount – yes it means sulit on what you pay but the food is totally deliciouso!

Opps Bar at night.

And to totally enjoy the night, we decided to hit Opps Bar which is few meters away from Coco Vida. At 9pm, the bar was just filled with few happy giggling customers – all relaxing, chit-chatting and having their drinks. But as soon as people were piling up on each non-occupied tables and music tend to change from old school trance to r&b party hit songs – it was definitely a sign that one hell of a party is about to start. And it was!

Laser lights probing around the shores together with a hype vibe music

Tip: If you are the type of traveler that seeks happiness on wild craze parties then I recommend you to stay along Alona strip as most of nightlife scenes can be found. But if you prefer serenity then Dumaluan is perfect for you. Remember that it will take you more than 30mins to travel from one place to another and take consideration on the availability of basic transportation mode of Panglao – so its really hard to be in a place that you wont enjoy.

Always and ever present, a bottle of SMB

Sex on the Beach cocktail

Blue Lagoon cocktail

I could not count how many cocktails I had, even the rhum-cola drinks. Yes I totally soaked myself on that drink – why? Because it tasted like a sago, yummy! Opps Bar is totally the place to be if you want to chillax with your friends and dance the night away, so perfect for die hard party goers. Now who would have thought Panglao was once a quiet place, free from night life – not anymore especially if you are in Alona

Travelogue: Bohol Diaries Day 2 – Part 2 Alburquerque Zoo, Tarsier Sanctuary, Loboc River Cruise & Man Made Forest

After seeing the majestic Bacalayon church we went few meters further to explore some popular and yet interesting animals that Bohol has to offer.  First stop was the Albuquerque Zoo located in the town of Sta Filomena where in a  python named Prony is so familiar. Prony is the Bohol’s longest and biggest python in captivity found in 1996 in a nearby by cemetery which she only weighs 5kilos. She is  fed live with a 40kg of pig or chicken once every month during full moon. Other animals like birds, lemurs, chickens and cow can be found inside the zoo too. Though the place is small compare to any of the zoo in Manila, it is still a good for  Bohol as the place attracts more than 300 of both local and foreign tourist a day. Entrance fee is P5.00

Prony is a 25-foot long and 200 kilo in weight python in which according to the owners her size is like a 40-yr old python.

Prony's skin sewed as an undergarment, if your lucky enough you'll get to see one of the sanctuary's entertainer aka Rosalinda wearing it. :p

A bald-headed eagle shares a cage beside Prony

Few meters away is the the town of  Sicatuna where you can find one of Bohol’s pride and joy – the tarsiers. Tarsiers are considered to be one of the smallest primate, which is just smaller of an average human hand but can leap branches to branches up to 16 feet in height.

They are typical nocturnal creatures with big large eyes, odd-looking feet, a tail which is similar to a rat and an ear similar to a bat.

Tip: When you take pictures with the tarsiers be kind enough to TURN OFF the camera flash! Since they really have big eyes and when it is struck with bright camera flashes it could blind them. Also, stop touching or lifting them from one place to the other. I know they are cute and touchy but tarsiers often get stressed when people tend to hold them. According to the caretakers, an increasing number of tarsiers have died due to stress and noise.

Sleeping tarsier - soo cute!

A tarsier strutting a "shy kunwari" pose

Another sleepy little one. He must have been tired with all the visitors.

After  fun time with the animals, we headed straight to Loboc for a river cruise. Generally Loboc is a quiet, seemingly peaceful town with old buildings along the river bank and nice people who certainly smiles back. We were dropped in the main river port area in which a streak of different floating resto staffs invite you to dine with them. I hadn’t have much the time to choose as our driver immediately recommended a resto and its past noon (in short gutom na), so we headed straight to them.  With all honesty, I didn’t enjoy the food. Though its buffet it feels like not enough with what I paid, good thing we enjoyed the view and the local folks.

The gate in which our floating boat restaurant is waiting

Picture of the floating resto, buffet table is in the center and entertainers are in the back - so while cruising they sing local songs.

Tip: Take time in choosing the restaurant you want to dine with since you’ll be paying P350-400/pax for a buffet meal, it wouldn’t be so bad if you get oc with what they will serve. Also, get the best seat either in the side or in the front of the boat so you can enjoy the scenery while cruising.

Loboc with its lush green forest and river. In rainy months the long stretch of river turns to green.

A small bangka along the river banks

Boholanos from old to younger generations perform songs and dances for tourist as a way of promoting their culture and heritage.

The guitar players

Was amazed on how Loboc's youth make use of their talents. They are really good! A must see.

After the relaxing scenery and amazing performances of the locals in Loboc, it was time to get nature-y and visit the famous Man-made Forest. Located right in the border of Loboc and Bilar municipalities, the forest stretched 2km long winding road. It is really a marvelous sight as all of the trees has uniform heights. Walking along the road, seeing those giant tree roots was just overwhelming and its giving me goosebumps as well.

Uniformed in height, mahongany trees planted in the late 60's as locals say.

Tip: Never stay inside the car, you can’t appreciate the whole view unless you could see the trees right in front of you. Don’t worry with sunlight, as the forest offers cold breeze thanks to the over hanging branches.

Travelogue: Bohol Diaries Day 2 – Part 1 Trudi’s Place, Hinagdanan Cave, Blood Compact Site & Baclayon Church

One way to explore Bohol is by doing a country-side tour. Doing so allows you to experience remarkable and notable sites that Bohol got to offer. Generally this kind of tours are offered in most hotels and resorts all over Bohol, but if you want to save up you may hire a tricycle to do the tour for you. But as for us we have settled what Paragayo had offered.

So the tour lasted more than 8 hours, starting as early as 9am and ended minutes after the sun sets as I remembered. But before we hit the road we satisfied our hungry big stomachs at Trudi’s Place. Trudi’s Place is just 2-3 minutes away from where we stay, located right along Alona Beach which is really really perfect for breezy morning beach view. Food is usual nothing fancy at all, most of it are in combo-set which varies from all Filipino, American to Intercontinental meals. Cheapest is roughly at P75 and can go high as P150. Staffs were trained to be neutral, sometimes they take the effort to smile, be polite and accommodating but sometimes not.  If you are in a budget then Trudi’s is the place for you, but if you want to have more than the usual on food then you might be needing to walk somewhere else.

Plain Pancakes with Honey Syrup

Chocolate Pancakes

And so we started our country-side tour by first visiting Hinagdanan Cave. The site is located in the Northern part of Panglao, 15-20 mins drive from the resort.  Its a natural lighted cavern filled with stalagmites and stalactites. Sunlight passes through big and small holes inside the cave which allows birds as well to nest on high edgy rocks.  As we were told by one of the cave’s attendants, it is strictly prohibited to hunt and harvest the bird’s nest since Hinagdanan is considered as a bird sanctuary. Well it’s sure not bad to taste some Nido’s soup.

Hinagdanan Cave as light passes through the holes giving natural light

cave's high ceilings with many large stalactites

Next on the list was the Blood Compact Site and this time we went out of Panglao. Strategically speaking the site is located along the road going to the Northern part of Bohol. It was said that the area might not be the exact site where Datu Sikatuna and Legazpi made a friendship pact, but at least it is somehow closer from the original site. Until now the pact between the Spaniards and Boholano’s is being celebrated in Bohol, known as the Sandugo (One Blood) Festival where the town hosts dances, sport events, beauty pageants, community fairs and reenactment  to commemorate the pact that held 2 different nationalities into one.

Blood Compact Site commemorates the friendship pact between Spaniards and Boholano's

The view at the Blood Compact Site, just cant resist to take a picture of it.

Since our way is going to the Northern part, we headed straight to the famous tourist site – the Baclayon Church. Built in the late 15th century, Baclayon is considered as one of the oldest Catholic church in the Philippines.  The entire church was built out of coral stones which were skillfully cut, erected and arranged as bricks .  To be honest I was completely bedazzled when I walk through the church’s main altar. The natural lights created from the reflection of the glass windows and sun’s ray captured my heart as I deeply felt God’s presence in the place. It felt warm, silent and so secure when I sit and walk through the stoned cold walls. Though the whole place can be physically old, Baclayon stands out to be the most beautiful piece that both man and God ever created in Bohol. Definitely a must to see!

Baclayon Church on side view. Most of the stones errected are the original ones that were built in the late 15th century

Baclayon Church in the inside. Sunlight passes through the glass windows creating a more of holistic ambiance inside.

The inside of the church is a real reflection on how old Baclayon really is.

Travelogue: Bohol Diaries Day 1, Paragayo Resort & Alona Beach

Its been 3 months when I visited the white powdery fine shores of Panglao and  believe me getting there was hell lot of fun. The getaway was a treat for myself, as I marked another year old on my age calendar. I remember it was raining moderately when we left Manila, but when the plane touched down at Tagbilaran we were greeted by a sunny fine weather. Surprisingly, it didn’t rain in the entire Bohol for a week even if Manila was badly hit by typhoon Jolina.

 

Taken moments after we landed, located in Bohol's capital state - Tagbilaran City.

I had our accommodation reserved in Panglao Island specifically in Paragayo Resort instead at Tagbilaran. Adventurously speaking for beach bums and party goers like us the island is a good catch, consider as well that it takes another hour just to get to the nearest beach if you are coming from the city.

Anyway, Paragayo is located right in the heart of Brgy. Tawala and would only require 2-3 minutes of walking to the coolest beach strip  of Panglao – the Alona Beach. Basically the resort is way smaller compare to other neighboring resorts, it has no pool, great lounge area, no spacious dining hall and definitely not a beachfront resort. Though the rooms didn’t look so elegant, it was still decent enough to stay. Paragayo is a budget friendly resort, as it is being labeled by most people who visited the place. But what truly swept me off was the garden ambiance that the resort offers.

huts in the garden area

Hanging around the hammock early in the morning is a nice and easy way to get a sunburn.

pathways going to the rooms

Aside from being affordable, they have excellent customer service as well. I admire the whole crew for having a winning customer satisfaction perspective from the management Thelma Kilroy, front desk staffs down to the trusted driver Mang Fred and the room cleaners – they all delivered an excellent working attitude. Kudos to all of you! I forget to mention that I love the moments I used to wonder and sit on their native chairs, it felt really relaxing and so peaceful thinking that the resort was along the main street.

old rocking chair

native bamboo chairs

After we settled our luggage and refreshed ourselves, it was time to hit Alona beach line. It was  nearing 5pm when we arrived and a lot of people mostly foreign tourists who are walking back and forth the shore lines. It was pretty how big and long the shore was,

along the shoreline

Don’t be surprise if you’ll see a lot of people wearing a 2pc and trunks suits. Just by mere observation Panglao has the greatest number of foreign tourists over the local ones. Bottom line  is when Alona is being talked about it is associated with fun.

 

Paragayo Resort
Brgy. Tawala Panglao Island Bohol
http://www.paragayoresort-panglao.com/ppc/