Philippine Travel: Bohol
The country's tenth largest island, Bohol could be found at the
center of Visayas, just between Cebu and Leyte. Bohol is a
popular destination for divers, being surrounded by dive spots
such as Panglao, Cabilao, Lapinin and Pamilacan just to name a
few. Panglao island is a perfect destination for those seeking
peace and quiet. It does not have the beach party life of
Boracy, so if you've come out to relax and rewind, you should
definitely visit Panglao. We were faced with a dilemma, go whale
and dolphin watching or take the day trip that would bring us
all around Bohol. The whale and dolphin watching package guy
said that we would be boating starting at 5 AM, and it is not
guaranteed we'll be seeing anything. We opted for the day trip
instead.
A Bohol day tour would include the exact spot where the blood
compact between Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi took
place in 1565. This blood compact between the Muslim chief and
the Spanish conqueror is celebrated every Just with the Sandugo
Festival. You will also be taken to the world famous Chocolate
Hills, as well as a protected sanctuary where you could see the
world's smallest monkey, the Philippine Tarsier. This nocturnal
animal is no bigger than a closed fist, and lives on hunting
live insects at night. It could only be found on the hills of
Corella, 10 kilometers from Tagbilaran. Little is known about
this creature and it is certainly one of the more protected
animals in the Philippines.
Lunch was at the Loboc River, where a floating restaurant took
us to the stretch of the river and back while we were having our
buffet lunch with live music in the background. It was supposed
to be a 3 day 2 night trip for us at Bohol, but on our third day
we weren't ready to say goodbye to the place. Two more nights
wouldn't hurt, we thought, so it ended up being a 5 day 4 night
trip. Places to Stay: Bohol Beach Club
Bolod, Panglao, Bohol
(038)4115222 to 24
Superior rooms, restaurant, poolside bar, white sand beach,
tennis courts, facilities for snorkeling and diving
Dumaluan Beach Resort
Bolod, Panglao, Bohol
(038)5029081 / (038)5029092
Air-conditioned rooms, pool, restaurant, dive shop