Philippines: Highlights of Bohol

Bohol is an island in south-central Philippines, which is part of the Central Vinyasas region. It is the 10th largest island of the Philippines and unique compared to many other islands in the Philippines. I don’t know about you, but I actually did not know much about all the different islands and which islands would be good to visit. I chose Bohol because I wanted to see the Chocolate Hills and then discovered there are more highlights to see.

Getting to Bohol

I spent two pretty epic weeks in the Philippines, another destination that had been on my bucket list for ages. It was late November when I thought it was a good idea to head straight from a festival on an island, to the Airport. Tired, not completely sober, and a bit stressed because the flight to Manila was overbooked, I got to the airport in zombie mode. I miraculously got a seat in Business class so I could just sleep through my hangover and start my vacation fresh and fruity. YAY! But of course, this would be too good to be true. Becks who usually passes out in an economy seat before take-off, couldn’t sleep for more than 20 minutes in business class on a 9,5 hour flight. Strange, very strange, I know.

I was welcomed at Manila Int. Airport, by the wonderful humidity and friendly people. From there you have to take a bus to a different terminal. I thought it would be smart to pass security and all, so I could just relax and eat something in peace, before the flight. After checking each and every restaurant and shop in the tiny terminal, I decided what I wanted to get, I came to the lovely surprise that they only accept cash and there is no atm in the terminal. Oh the luck I always have is just unbelievable.

Panglao

Around 11 PM, I finally landed on the hilly green island of Bohol and took a tuktuk to Glamping Alona on Panglao, where I booked my first two nights. I just needed a meal and a shower, to feel alive again for about 10 minutes but then quickly passed out in my tent. The next morning I rented a scooter and drove to first beach I could find, Dumaluan Beach. A stunning long strip of white sand, turquoise water and palm trees with hammocks was just what I needed! After some swimming, tanning, and reading, the sun started to disappear behind dark grey clouds. Before I could take action, it started to rain like there was no tomorrow. Thankfully, I found a spot to hide at Bohol Beach club.

Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary

I had lunch in Garden Cafe on the mainland, a place run by deaf people, such a great project and an interesting experience. Afterwards, I continued to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, where I arrived just before closing time so I was the only one there to spot these interesting, ugly but cute, bat but also rat alike animals. There are different sanctuaries but apparently, one of them is where buses full of tourists go to, so you better visit this smaller scale one if you don’t want to get your mood destroyed.

On my way back home I decided to go “off-road” which led me over bumpy roads through the most gorgeous green rice fields and tiny villages and farms hidden in the jungle. Every single person I passed greeted me friendly and with a big smile, and half of them asked me if I was lost. I was probably the first (ever) non-local roaming around there, and the sun already started to go down. At some point, I came to the realization that, if my scooter would let me down, I would be in big trouble. Hmm, did not think this through. Oh well, what’s life without a bit of risk.. I eventually made it out of the wilderness and arrived just in time at a fishing spot to watch the sunset with some locals and other travelers. Not a bad day after all!

Loboc River

My second day started quite early because a tent without air conditioning is not made for long sleep-ins and neither am I. I took a tuktuk with my luggage to the main island of Bohol to rent a scooter and continue my journey in the direction of the famous Chocolate Hills. I couldn’t wish for better weather, not a single cloud in the sky. I drove to the Loboc river to go paddle boarding, but the moment I reached the area it started to drip and soon the dripping turned into some sort of hardcore tropical rainstorm. I usually don’t really care that much about some rain and would go for it anyway, but this was next level, trust me. To save the inside of my backpack from drowning I stopped at a cute cafe along the river for lunch. Ended up making friends with the kid of the owner, which was an absolute rascal, but at least he entertained me till it stopped raining. For a couple of minutes at least.

Bilar Big Tree Forest

My next stop was the Bilar big tree forest, another well-known spot on the island of Bohol. Only this one is man-made, which makes it a little less cool. However, I still took some nice photos as the road winding through this forest looked quite awesome. Sadly, my dry time had come to an end already and it started to rain again. After hiding at an empty building along the road, I had to continue if I wanted to reach the hills before sunset. The drive was absolutely gorgeous, and despite the rain in between I really enjoyed driving through the lush greenery.

Chocolate Hills

I arrived at my next accommodation, Batuan Hammock Hostel, just in time to drop my stuff and head towards the Chocolate hills, with a pitstop at the local market on the way. As I spent a bit too long wandering around the market, I had to race up to the viewpoint to see the sun go down. A few photoshoots with some Philippine girls later, I returned to my super cute hut, in a beautiful setting, owned by a lovely couple. They cooked a delicious vegan dinner for all their guests and we had a great night all together, telling stories and playing Jenga.

As cozy as my bungalow looked, it didn’t give me much rest, as I woke up in the middle of the night of some noise. I was sure I heard someone walking around my bungalow, but when I finally found the courage to have a sneak peek, there was nobody to be found. I guess it was just me having a random panic attack. After some twisting and turning I fell back asleep, only to be woken up by a couple of loud roosters, AGAIN! These animals are literally everywhere. Oh well, I already planned to get up early to watch the sunrise at the Chocolate Hills, so I had peace with it (I know, I already saw the sunset, but I was nearby so why not, right?!).

The sunrise was definitely more fascinating than the sunset and even kind of mysterious because of the fog in between the hills. I devoured a stack of pancakes back in my accommodation and continued my journey on the scooter. It was quite a drive back to the port, but I had enough time to take a little detour to a waterfall, and miraculously, I was the only one there!

Despite a stiff start to this trip, I had the best time roaming around and exploring this gorgeously green island on my scooter. Bohol doesn’t have as many white pristine beaches as most of the other well-known islands in the Philippines. With its unique hilly landscape, it is an island on its own and definitely worth a visit!