Nature's Treasures in Bohol

Before it experienced a tourism boom, Bohol was just known as the island across Cebu, the site of the famous Magellan’s landing. But over the years, as more and more people experienced first hand Bohol’s unique beauty, it has stood out as a favorite destination for local and international tourists. Bohol and Cebu were among the few islands in the Philippine’s Visayas region that had been conquered by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Nonetheless, Bohol is famous for being the location of the blood compact between Miguel Vasco de Legaspi and the local datus, or heads of tribes. Because of its rich history, Bohol is a site of a number of century-old churches. Apart from the thousands of mounds of Chocolate Hills and the famous tiny primate called tarsiers, Bohol has numerous natural treasures that lure visitors to its shores. Although people usually go to its highly urbanized neighboring island Cebu, Bohol holds a charm of its own makes it distinct from other Visayan islands. There’s the legendary Lobok river that has become a setting in a local art film. Lobok is also known for its old church that has become a tourist attraction, and the Lobok choir, a group of children with angelic voices who have toured the world through their songs.

Bohol’s capital, Tagbilaran, has welcomed the entry of several multinational brands like McDonald’s, but has maintained its simple and less-than-complicated life. To fully enjoy nature’s blessings, one has to travel beyond Tagbilaran City towards the white sand beaches and island resorts like Panglao or go deep towards its inner towns for the beautiful landscape of Bohol. Bohol in its entirety is a gem. This small island in the center of the Philippines has carved a name in tourism both within the country and abroad.

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Nothing can be more spectacular than the view of small mounds scattered all over the place. Drive up to one of those hills and you’ll be greeted by the scenic Chocolate Hills that will just take your breath away. The Chocolate Hills is composed of about 1,500 hills that have 30 to 50 meters in height. Found in the town of Carmen in Bohol province, the Chocolate Hills is a product of a geological phenomenon. Many claim that these mounds were a result of a volcanic activity or a movement in the sea floor. Apart from the mystery it evokes on a visitor, Chocolate Hills give one a picture of perfectly cone-shaped chocolate kisses especially during the hot season when these hills turn brown. Uniquely beautiful, it was declared as the third National Geological monument. With visitors, both locals and foreigners, flocking to Carmen’s attraction, the Chocolate Hills have become a tourism landmark, generating popularity and revenues for the province.

The tourism center in Chocolate Hills is situated in one of those mounds. It has a souvenir shop, a viewing deck, and a mini-park. You can purchase some snacks here and native handicrafts, goodies, and shirts. A life-size grotto is also found in this hill. Some cottages are available for those who are up for a picnic. Its peak has a bronzed plate that explains the theory how the hills came about. To get to the Chocolate Hills, take a bus from the Dao bus terminal in Tagbilaran City. However, there are a number of travel agents and tour operators around Tagbilaran who will be able to take you to Carmen.

Loboc is a town about 24 km east of Tagbilaran city. It is popular for the old Spanish church, which is the St. Peter Parish Church, the second oldest church in the Philippines. The church’s music ministry, known as the Loboc Children’s Choir, was famous because of the awards it won in international singing competitions. But what draws tourists to Loboc is the beautiful river where one can dine aboard a floating restaurant. Our guide dropped us a few meters from the church where we were greeted by small stores that display some tarsiers hanging on trees and plants. Authorities do not encourage the display of these primates as they are cared for and kept in the tarsier sanctuary.

The boat ride along the Loboc River was a slow but memorable one. Aside from the sumptuous food prepared in front of us, we also devoured on the scenic and lush view of the mountains and trees surrounding the river. Local children were seen climbing coconut trees and diving onto the green river. This river was popular to Filipinos especially when an actor, who is a native of Bohol, produced and appeared in a movie set in Loboc River. At the end of Loboc River was the Busay Falls. The falls was not too high which made it friendlier to excursionists, especially kids, to swim near the falls. We were allowed to stay for a few minutes near Busay before we returned to our parked rented van. The price for the Loboc River ride was minimal. Since we availed of a tourism package, our lunch aboard the floating restaurant was free. Check out the local tourism office for great packages.

The tarsier is one of the many jewels of Bohol. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation was set-up for the protection of this endangered species. A 20-hectare forest land is being conserved in Corella, Bohol where a natural sanctuary for the tarsiers was established. Inside the sanctuary, a Tarsier Center is found where information and necessary research materials about the species are kept. We were allowed to go deeper in the midst of the sanctuary and we found the tarsiers enjoying the freedom to roam and live without threats in their natural habitat. The sanctuary was far from other tourist spots but for one who is interested on this small primate and its protection, a visit to the Tarsier Center is educational. It provides visitors a first-hand experience and understanding why these small animals should be preserved and be allowed to live freely.

Eco-tourism is part of provincial and local offices in promoting awareness and involvement in preserving or saving species, whether animals or plants, and preventing the further degradation of natural resources. Eco-tourism activities do not only promote a place or the appreciation of natural beauty but also calls on the participation of locals and tourists in the global movement of saving mother earth. After our visit at the sanctuary, we felt that tarsiers should not be abused for entertainment purposes. Rather, we should do well to be able to co-exist with them.

On the way to the Chocolate Hills, we stopped by the Antequera town to see another of nature’s beauty, the Mag-Aso Falls. There are buses and bicycles that could take you to Mag-Aso Falls but our tourism package came with a van and a guide who brought us to the place. As our van parked in a clearing, we had to climb down steep concrete steps to get to the small pond that beholds the magnificent falls which extend to a stream. The picture was that of a paradise – water flowing through the twin falls that were held by a cool green basin-like pool surrounded by trees, wild plants and other greens. Sounds of birds and of nature bring a touch of exotic feel to the place. One can simply sit there, enjoy the cool waters and the serene environment. It was as if we were brought in a magical world untouched by commercialism and technology.

The misty or smoky ambience explains why the falls was named Mag-Aso, which in the Visayan language meant smoking. Although large boulders are aplenty, they were a bit slippery and are not even. There are certain spots in the pond that was deep and one had to be extra careful when taking a dip. My friend almost had a fatal accident while swimming because of the strong current. Our guide warned us that there were superstitious beliefs attributed to the falls. I think it was a way for the locals to prevent abuse of natural resources but some truly believed in them. Mag-Aso is a trekker’s shangri-la. A nature lover would probably want to spend a day in this amazing beauty. For travelers touring Bohol, Mag-Aso falls should be part of the itinerary. There was no entrance fee asked from us when we went there but the local in-charge of the place might ask for a little amount for the use of the cottages.

Because of its proximity to urban Cebu, most tourists take the opportunity of visiting both Cebu and Bohol. Supercat ferries ply the Cebu-Bohol routes daily, at 8am, 12pm, and 4pm. Arriving from Manila, we immediately went to Cebu’s sea port to purchase tickets to Tagbilaran City. The port has a new building but still has a lot of room for improvement especially if it will cater to more and more tourists.

There were already people lining up at the ticket booths. Although the lines were long, it took us a few minutes to buy our tickets which cost P450 (approximately $9) a person for a one-way trip. The trip was fast and peaceful. The ferry was a bit big, similar in size to the ferries plying the Hong Kong-Macau route. The boat was air-conditioned which made the journey more comfortable. Even during our return trip when a storm was looming at a distance, the trip was safe enough.