Bohol Day Tour

Our second day in Cebu started really early with our encounter with the taxi driver. But eventually another taxi brought us to the pier for P300. The check-in for the ferry was easy breezy. We presented our tickets, they checked our bags, we lined up for the seat assignments and then waited for boarding. Within a few minutes they ushered us inside the ferry.

Bangag ever ang itsura namin. We were all puyat as we slept a little bit late the night before and then woke up early on our second day to catch the first ferry out of Cebu to Tagbilaran. The travel time between the two cities is around 2 hours. We arrived in Tagbilaran a few minutes past 8am. I texted Spencer our tourguide and after just a few minutes he was there at the pier to pick us up. Side kwento about Spencer, I actually knew about him because during our wedding preps, our videographer Bim went to Bohol with his friends and I remember Bim telling me that they really enjoyed their tour of Bohol because of Spencer. So when Joy asked me to schedule a Bohol daytrip, I immediately browsed Bim's site for the link to Spencer's site. But the link is already down so I just googled his name and found his new site. I emailed him Monday night before our trip, he had a reply the very next day. He was really helpful and accommodating. I would text him something and he would immediately call to answer my concerns. So anyway, before we started the tour we asked Spencer to bring us to Mcdo so we can order our breakfast. Right after we ordered, our tour began. Spencer begain explaining things about Tagbilaran and started pointing out relevant places to us.

First on the list is the Blood Compact Monument. The blood compact is between Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Rajah Sikatuna. That person on the leftmost is Rajah Sikatuna. He's wearing a Spanish garb gifted to him by Legaspi.

On the way to Chocolate Hills, we passed thru the man-made forest.

To get a perfect view of the hills, you have to go up the 200++ steps to the viewing deck.

It was so hot while we were there but we endured the heat to get perfect pictures with Chocolate Hills. Isn't that amazing?

I always wondered how some people get their jump shots at the Chocolate Hills. Apparently, locals have done this as their little business. They have set up a large tarpaulin there with the Chocolate Hills printed on it and they ask people to have their pictures taken with the tarp and then they photoshop it. We didn't have to buy our pictures and all our pictures with the Chocolate Hills are authentic hehe. We bought some souvenir shirts when we got down and then waited for Spencer to pick us up.

He next brought us to the butterfly sanctuary. It was the first butterfly sanctuary I visited where there's a tourguide who walked us through the life span of the butterfly. I know we studied that in school but it's still different when you see an actual pupa in front of you.

Me and Kyla holding butterflies.

The sanctuary is a little park with a few huts where you can stay and rest.

Then we went to the hanging bridge which I did not cross! When our van passed by and Spencer was telling us about the bridge, I asked him if he would meet us and pick us up at the other end, he said we had to cross the bridge again and come back where he left us. Yikes! I had this picture taken with them but I did not cross. You see, I'm afraid of heights. I really am. When my friends and I went to Ilocos a few years back and went to Cape Bojeador, all of them wanted to go up the lighthouse. So I went up with them, that was a bit easy because I didn't have to look down. But going down was a different story. While going down the spiral stairs, I can see how high up we were through the metal slits and that got me. When we finally reached the bottom, I started crying. Anyway, back to Bohol I wasn't about to relive that experience so I told them I have to stay. I did not want to cry in the middle of that bridge. I can already feel my eyes welling up while we were having our picture taken and we weren't even at the middle of the bridge.


This is the man they met across the bridge - the Buko King. He peeled that coconut using his teeth in only 15 seconds, I think. You have to pay P100 to see him do that. But they said it was worth it.

Next on our "what-to-see" in Bohol is of course the tarsier. Did you know that tarsiers are suicidal? They easily get deprressed and when they do, they kill themselves. The bump their head repeatedly until they die. A little anecdote, during the trip every time we get in the van and travel from one spot to another, Joy dozes off. And you know how it is when you sleep and you're not lying down, your head tend to just bob up and down. That's what happens to her and she usually hits her head at the window of the van. So we tell her "Depress ka ba? nagpapaka-tarsier ka na naman jan!" LOL

We were all so hungry when we got to the floating restaurant for our very late lunch. Spencer told us that there were actually 2 cruises along Loboc River. The first one is at the other end of the river were the "finale" is the small falls (that's were we ate the first time I was there) and the second one is where he brought us, and the finale is the Ati Tribe. He said the food is better where he'll bring us and I have to agree. Everything was delicious! They even served crabs and shrimps! Yummy! And no it wasn't just because we were hungry, the food was really delicious.

We were allowed to get down the boat to interact with the Ati Tribe. All of them have different gimiks to catch your attention and for photo-op purposes hehe. Here's us captured by one.

And then a group pic with all of them.

The river cruise was a perfect way to recharge before starting the tour again. Our next stop was to visit the python, Prony. Apparently, in that barangay snakes are abundant. Spencer said the locals are even accustomed to waking up with snakes beside them ehehehe.

Here's Marimar. She knows all about Prony. She's like the entertainer for all the guests of Prony.

After Prony, we went to Baclayon Church which is the oldest church in Bohol and the second oldest in the Philippines (next to San Agustin). We visited the museum beside the church. It contained very old things for the church like chalice and santos and even priests' habits inlaid with gold thread.

Joy and I were asked to wear cover-ups before we entered the church.

Spencer then brought us to the souvenir shop before bringing us back to the pier. We had so much fun in Bohol! Our ferry back to Cebu was delayed and we were dead tired when we finally reached Cebu City. We decided to eat dinner at SM and from there we also bought some "supplies". After taking our baths back at the hotel, it's inuman time!

Although we didn't even last an hour. We were all tired and after a few glasses we were all feeling the weight of the whole day. Joy was once again doing here "tarsier head bump" ahahaha. So we decided to call it a night.

More photos of Bohol here.