Bohol 2014

I decided to celebrate my mother’s birthday for a week. First two days were spent at home with simple meals and the next five days were dedicated to visiting Bohol and Cebu. This trip marks the second year of our annual family vacation.

Panglao Island

Checked in at Isis Bungalows. They have very spacious, hexagon-shaped rooms. Our stay was fine but the great view and the extensive shore are a few minutes walk. Food is tasty (they serve Thai food) but a bit pricey. Stroll along the beach and you’ll find cheaper restaurants.

Mama’s first jumpshot! She enjoyed it so much we did it for a couple more times (with no successful shots!) We were all out of breath afterwards. 🙂

 

Sunset was behind the part of the island we were in. But we’re still lucky to see it bled through the clouds. We had seafood for dinner which costed us around PhP1,000, good for 4. I have noticed that aside from fresh seafood, it’s common to see Thai and Italian restaurants along the beach.

Many boats are flailing near the shore in the next morning. It made the whole stretch very picturesque, almost like a portrait. We waited for the sunrise but it’s hidden in thick clouds.

It was a short but sweet stay in Panglao Island. I’d go back again but probably look for a better accommodation and would stay a little longer to try more stuff around.

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Bohol Island

We had a tour via Samantha Tours the next day. They fetched us from Panglao Island and went straight for a half-day tour back in Bohol Island to visit a few places before checking in to our hotel.

We drove around 1.5 hours to Carmen to see the Chocolate Hills. But unfortunately, the viewing deck is still not repaired from the devastating earthquake which hit the province. We saw a few hills on the road which is fine though it would have been awesome to really see them from atop. There are a few activities you can do there – ATV (PhP500/30 mins), ziplining, etc.)

We passed by the Loboc man-made forest. This is Forks! And yes, I made a reference to Twilight! The trees are so high and so close to each other that the sun rays couldn’t penetrate. It has a gloomy feel but still magnificent. I don’t mind walking in the long stretch. 😀

Before lunch, we went to a park to see the tarsiers. I’m glad to see that they’re in the natural habitat and not caged. The place is fenced widely so the tarsiers can feel as familiar as possible. Too bad, I haven’t got a good shot of them with eyes wide open. But they look so delicate in real life. Please ensure your camera flash is off when taking a picture of them. 🙂

Finally, we had lunch at the floating restaurant sailing along the Loboc River. It was very festive! Food was okay, nothing fancy. But the culture is so rich. We had two stops – one for a folk dance show and the other for the Aetas.

 

Luckily, rain poured after we were done with lunch. We were supposed to visit Baclayon Church and the largest python. But the church is closed for renovation and I’m not really a fan of pythons. So we went straight to our hotel, Ocean Suites.

This boutique hotel is situated right beside the Blood Compact monument. I fell in love with the place instantly. They’re still relatively new so there are things here and there which I found a bit off. But generally, it was a pleasant stay.

I have no words for the view in our room. The pool is just lovely and stayed there until sunset.

They are constructing another infinity pool which, hopefully, is done by the time I return. They also serve good food. Service was also great. They have one-way free airport/seaport shuttle service.

Our Bohol experience was good. Though the damage of the recent calamity is still apparent, the province is slowly getting back to its feet. And in our own way, we have helped by adding up to the tourists still visiting the wonders of Bohol. I’m very much looking forward to coming back when everything is fully restored.

**All accommodations are booked via Agoda.

Guimaras 2014 [B.I.G. Adventure Part 3]

I’m the last person who wants to travel at night. On an island! Where I don’t know anyone. Where I don’t know where exactly I’m going. But my trip to Guimaras is an exemption. Though it’s still something I won’t do again, though ( I mean, traveling to the unknown at night).

Following an underwhelming Bacolod experience (and going back to Iloilo later than planned), we reached Ortiz Wharf (jump-off point from Iloilo to Guimaras) a few minutes after 5PM. Boat ride took 15-20 minutes. From the Jordan port, we rode a jeepney going to our accommodation at Raymen Beach Resort. From the blogs I’ve read before this trip, most of them said that the trip would last for 45 minutes. But since we went the rougher option, took us more than an hour to reach our destination. Halfway through the bumpy ride, the sun has finally succumbed to the darkness and mango trees which are the pride of this island looked like lurking nature monsters from either side of the road. See, this is why I don’t like to travel at night.

Arriving at Raymen, my first thought is that this resort looks like the ones you usually see in Cavite and Laguna. Only difference would be Raymen has a beach at its end. There was no hassle in checking in as I booked a room through Agoda. The room given to us was rather small. It has no television. The airconditioning unit qA working well but it’s quite noisy. Bathroom is clean with basic amenities. But all in all, room needs an upgrade to attract more tourists (both local and foreign).

We didn’t spend much time outside after checking-in as we were so tired. We had a quick dinner. And of course, mango shake! It would be a great mistake to miss out on mangoes when you’re in Guimaras.

The next morning, we were served a very simple breakfast – ham, egg and rice. But food is not what I came here for. We then hopped on a boat for an island hopping experience. We went around 5-6 islands.

What stood out for us is the Turtle Island (where we got to carry a heavy turtle and watch a little guy get scared of it that sand covered his body after rolling a few times away) and Baras Cove which left us in awe of the stalagmites and stalactites.

Of course, SEAFDEC. I was at first hesitating going to this last portion of our island hopping as it’s too far from the other islands. But it all was worth it. We were briefed about what SEAFDEC is about and how they aim to help on the food shortage in our country.

Island hopping took all our morning. Not that I’m complaining. 🙂 We paid PhP800 for a three-hour trip. We planned on doing land trip in the afternoon to visit a few places like Mango Plantation, World’s Smallest Plaza, etc. but we found it too expensive so we just chilled and slept all afternoon.

I love an extensive shoreline and Guimaras doesn’t have it so it’s quite a disappointment. But other than that, I definitely enjoyed my stay and looking forward on going back soon.