“Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.” – Matthew Karsten
Jay Ledesma
Ever since, I already love to travel. It allows me to discover the outside world and discover myself in the process. I am blessed and thankful that my previous jobs gave me the opportunity to do just that – travel around the Philippines and around the world! Now that I am retired, I enjoy the time I have to travel some more.
My recent stop was Bohol. Though I’ve visited Bohol some years ago, I was excited with this trip because of two reasons: I am traveling with my college buddies Lee, Cathy, Edith and Sylvia and I will be seeing the other sights Bohol has to offer.
Part of our itinerary was, of course, a visit to the Chocolate Hills, the iconic landmark of Bohol and considered to be the 8th Wonder of World. Regardless of how many times I have seen these mysterious mounds, they still keep me in awe. We also did a repeat of the Loboc river cruise, of the Blood Compact site and visit to the bee farm and to the butterfly and tarsier sanctuaries. I am happy, that this time, I had a much closer encounter with the very cute but endangered tarsier. Bohol is also popular for its beautiful and historical churches, such as the Baclayon (Immaculate Concepcion) and Panglao (St Augustine) churches, which we didn’t miss to visit.
Up close and personal with this cute tarsier
Camera tricks At the butterfly sanctuary
Infront of the historical Baclayon Church
Inside the Hingadanan Cave are large stalactites and stalagmites and a lagoon
But for this trip, I am excited to have discovered the other sights of Bohol.
The Hinagdanan Cave and Bath Resort boasts of several stalactite and stalagmite formations and a clear lagoon that is about 10 to 20 meters deep. Our funny tour guide, Junil shared that the cave was accidentally discovered by a farmer, while clearing his land. He found 2 holes, where he dropped a stone and heard a splash. To access the cave, he made a ladder “hagdan” and there, he found its hidden beauty. That’s where the name, Hinagdanan Cave, originated. The cave was also used as a hideout by the locals to escape the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII. Though we were not able to try, a dip in the lagoon can be very refreshing.
For our island hopping, we visited the Balicasag and Virgin Islands. Though I have been to Balicasag Island before before, it was my first time to visit the Virgin Island, which is a big sand bar that sinks during high tide. There are also mangroves near the island which add to its beauty and charm. Perfect for those phot ops. On the way to the islands, we were blessed to watch the dolphins in their full glory! It’s as if they knew that there were hundreds of tourists watching them.
Big sand bar called the Virgin Island
Mangroves can be found on Virgin Island
The rows of mahogany trees in this man-made forest will make you stop and click your camera
At the iconic chocolate hills
Enjoying the food and the scenery during our Loboc river cruise
Going to the Chocolate hills from Loboc, we drove through the marvelous Bohol Mahogany Forest, commonly known as the Bilar man-made forest. This 2-kilometer stretch of mahogany trees is picturesque and picture-perfect as if we were transported to another universe. Motorists and tourists cannot help but stop and be beholden by its beauty. We, definitely, did not miss posing and capturing those moments, even forgetting that we’re on a national highway. Several times, we had to stop our photo shoot to give way to the buses, trucks and cars passing by. What an experience!
The newest attraction in Bohol…Mirror’s of the World
The most beautiful of them all… Statue of Liberty
The site of the blood compact between Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
The Sikatuna’s Mirrors of the World, is the newest tourist attraction in Bohol. The park is a collection of the replicas of some of the world’s famous landmarks such as the Eifel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Colloseum, etc. As shared by our tour guide, the owners Norwegian Jan Yngvar Kolstø and his Filipina wife Ann, converted their 3.2 hectare farmland into a beautiful park where they can share with Filipinos the things that they have seen and experienced during their trips abroad, without having to travel around the world. Thanks to this wonderful couple for building this Bohollywood! It really is a good teaser to the real McCoy! So much can already be seen inside the park but looking forward to the additional structures and landmarks lined up in the coming months and years.
Finally, for that modern dining and shopping experience, check out the new Moadto strip, which features nice boutique shops and cozy restaurants. Great place to hang out with your families and friends.
It was a well spent 4-dqy girls bonding with my college friends. We definitely enjoyed the sights and sounds of Bohol… the perfect backdrop to celebrate our 41 years of friendship! (Jay Ledesma)