I Recommend a Tour of Bohol, Philippines

I just came back from a visit of Bohol and I highly recommend that you join a tour or arrange your own tour of the island.

Bohol has something to offer for all kinds of visitors – young or old, adventurous or timid, historically inclined or modern.

In this hub, I will talk about the general points of interest in Bohol and will write other hubs about details of my favourite spots/activities in this island.

Bohol is one of the islands in the Visayas region of the Philippines. My favourite island, Boracay, also belongs to the same region.

Bohol also has several other smaller islands that serve as centers for various water related activities. There is Panglao island, Pamilacan Island, and Balicasag Island among others.

Every time one mentions Bohol, “chocholate hills and tarsiers” always come to mind. These are the things the island is famous for. So I have long wanted to see these, and finally got the chance to do that last week.

• Chocolate Hills    As I mentioned earlier, the main attraction in Bohol is this unusual geological formation of limestone blocks. During dry season, they look like a bunch of Heshey’s chocolate kisses, thus the name.

• Tarsier     The tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world. It measures only about 3.35 to 6.3 inches in height and can fit right on the palm of your hand.

• Dolphin Watching Pamilacan island is the place to go for dolphin watching. You have to leave for the island at the break of dawn because dolphins play and catch their food early in the morning.

In the island several motor boats converge at certain points waiting for the dolphins to come. You can see these boats rushing towards these points. The boatmen can more or less determine where the dolphins will appear.

Dolphins are playful and usually love to jump as a group. Unfortunately on the morning we were waiting for them, they did not jump as high, so we only caught sight of their backs and dorsal fins. Their movement was so fast it's hard to get photos. However, waiting for them and finally seeing their synchronize jumps was an awesome experience.

• Diving and Snorkeling

Balicasag island is the place to go if you love diving and snorkeling. This place is a sanctuary so you can play with many species of fish and other sea creatures here.

• Loboc River Cruise

How would you like to have lunch or dinner aboard a floating restaurant? This is what this cruise down a river is all about. A buffet meal is served while cruising along the Loboc River.

Each floating restaurant has its own menu, so you have to check out the menu of the various boats before you buy your ticket for this cruise.

While there is either a live show or recorded entertainment while on board, your boat also stops at one station where a group of performers will do native song and dance routines for you. You can even join the performers and try dancing the world famous “bamboo dance”or “tinikling”.

• Swim and Stroll on the Beach
  

Panglao island is the place to go if you are fond of swimming or just walking along the beach. This island is where all the beach resorts are located. Several of them have their own beach fronts.

Panglao has a very wide beach area especially during low tide. However you have to watch out what you are stepping on because there are many sea urchins and starfishes along the beach.

• Churches and Blood Compact Site

For the historian in you, Bohol has several old churches to visit. It is also the site for the historical “blood compact” between the natives and the Spaniards.

Bohol holds a "Sandugo" festival every July to commemorate this blood compact. "Sandugo" means "one blood". The natives and Spaniards agreed to cooperate with each other and signed this document of cooperation with their own blood. The blood compact sculpture is by national artist, Napoleon Abueva, who is a native of Bohol.

•         Bee farm

If you are into healthy diet and organic products, then you should not miss a visit to Bohol Bee Farm in Panglao Island . They raise most of their own products so you can try their garden salad which consists of greens and flowers straight from their garden.

• ·         Danao Eco Adventure Park

For those who are more into daring adventure, then Danao Eco Park is the place to go. You can try rapelling, zipline, caving, and the plunge among other things.

• ·         City Tour

A visit to Bohol is not complete without touring its capital, Tagbilaran City. You can visit some of the modern malls as well as the schools in the city.

Add Bohol to your list of places to visit.You will not regret it. I will write other hubs about details of some places/activities I especially enjoyed.

If you need some more information and contact persons, write me and I can give you names of contact persons who can help make your stay in Bohol as enjoyable as our own visit.

Meanwhile, please check out my other travel hubs.

http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Paradise-Called-Boracay

http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-People-Love-Boracay

http://hubpages.com/hub/I-Recommend-an-Adventure-in-Corregidor

http://hubpages.com/hub/I-Recommend-a-Mangrove-Paddle-Tour-in-Puerto-Princesa

http://hubpages.com/hub/I-Recommend-a-Visit-to-the-Underground-River-of-Puerto-Princesa-Philippines

If you want to know more about Bohol, you can visit the following websites:

http://www.bohol.com/

http://www.bohol.com/?p=519