loboc river cruise

12 august 2011

you can never miss loboc river cruise when you visit the province of bohol. it is a perfect mid-day rest for a whole day country side tour, while enjoying a sumptuous lunch. the starting point of the cruise is just near the town of loboc, 24 kilometers from tagbilaran city.

the tour is just a typical 1 hour river cruise up and down the loboc river, on a floating restaurant, where you will get to enjoy a buffet lunch served with mostly filipino dishes. this a very good way to promote filipino food to foreigners, since bohol is a common spot to be visited by non-pinoy tourists. 

there are small water falls which i think is the mark for the boat to turn around since it cannot go any further. somewhere along, the boat will stop on a jetty where some natives will perform a cultural show to entertain the guests.

this is totally relaxing activity for the day. chill lang. in fact, this was my dad's favorite. not to mention that he ate a lot. ;p

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bohol country side tour

12 august 2011, bohol
chocolate hills, butterfly sanctuary, manmade forrest, tarsier watching, hanging bridge, loboc river cruise, prony the python, baclayon church, blood compact shrine

the countryside tour is the highlight of tourists' visit in bohol. with this 1 day tour, you will get to experience the entirety of bohol and clearly appreciate what the province has to offer. when someone says "bohol", what comes first to your mind? i bet there are two: chocolate hills, and tarsier. these nature's contributions can only be found in this little island. for the tarsier, i mean within the philippines.

we woke up early, had a quick breakfast, and our van arrived to take us to our very exciting countryside tour.

chocolate hills

i've been waiting to see this god's great masterpiece. as soon as i started seeing a number of hills, i just can't help myself but to stare and admire. i was just seeing these creations in books when i was young. but now they were just right in front of my eyes. how amazing is that? :)

it was not summer season yet when we visited, so the hills are not yet chocolatey-ish. the grasses were still green and abundant. i can't imagine how many the hills are. i wanted to climb up on one of those. 

butterfly sanctuary

i've already seen several butterfly houses. this one in bohol is just like a typical butterfly sanctuary, yet worth it to see.

the sanctuary houses 300 species of butterfly native to the province. they do butterfly breeding to conserve the species and raise their population as well. live pupae are also being sold to butterfly enthusiasts who want to raise their own butterfly farm. framed butterflies are also available.

manmade forest

bohol's man-made forest is a 2-kilometer stretch of mahogany trees in loboc and bilar. i believe these trees were carefully planted, as visible with how the trees have uniformly grown in terms of height and spaces between trees. this is a really good sight to see, as you were in the middle of the forest, passing through a concrete road though.

"The terrain from both side of the road goes up; to I don’t know how high. What you see are only the Mahogany trees that look like thousands of sentinels guarding the road, standing erect. No other vegetation is growing among the Mahogany trees. One only sees the brown trunks stretching forth from the earth and the green canopy above. And that’s what makes them look so attractive!" source

tarsier watching

philippine tarsier, the world's smallest primates and endemic to the country can only be found in bohol. the tarsier sanctuary covers a 134 hectares of land that serves as protected habitat to these little creatures. tarsiers are nocturnal. and did you know that a tarsier's eye is larger that its brain? hmmm.

tarsiers have been an extinct and endangered species. before, people used to catch them and sell, or preserve and stuff them. it is its nature to commit suicide when caught. because, they say it does not want to be touched by human.

hanging bridge

for us who live in the city, crossing a river through a bridge is fun. the hanging bridge is not really an attraction, but a simple enjoyment for the tourists who are not used to it. 

the bridges are made of bamboo and supported by huge metal wires. i read that 10 persons are allowed to cross at a time. but when we were there, more that 10 were crossing at the same time. cool right? :p

at the other side of the bridge, food specialties (peanut kisses, etc), shirts and souvenirs are being sold.

loboc river cruise

see main blog entry. click here

prony the python

named after its captor, sofronio salibay, prony is the largest python in captivity. it was captured october 1996, weighing 5 kilos and was 5 feet long. but prony had grown so fast.  it now weighs about 300 kilos and is already 27 feet long!

what does prony eat? goat and pig... and prony wants it alive. or else he will not eat. cool! haha.

we took a picture with prony inside his cage. scary, but worth a try. :p

tapang o!

baclayon church

formerly known as the church of our lady of the immaculate conception, baclayon church is one of the olderst church in the philippines and one of the best preserved jesuit build churches in the region.

the church was completed in 1727. in it is a dungeon, used to punish natives who do not follow the rules of the roman catholic church.

blood compact shrine

sandugo ("one blood") is a blood compact that was performed in bohol between miguel lopez de legaspi and datu sikatuna. it was the first treaty of friendship between the spaniards and the filipinos.

the shrine is in tagbilaran city.

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bohol's virgin island

11 august 2011, bohol

after having a sumptuous meal, we headed next to bohol's virgin island. the long white sand bar greeted us hello as our boat approches the place. the boats were docked just on one side of the bar. this island was really relaxing, it gives comfort and unwinding feeling - nature at its best :)

what loosened up us more was the coconut which was available for P40 each. i just find it cool drinking coconut while my feet were immersed in the ocean.

my brother enjoying his coconut

we walked within the stretch of the island. the sand was fine and white. we did not mind the heat of the sun, but enjoyed the sight, breeze and the water.

babies on the sand

for this bohol trip, this is my favorite. this is a really beautiful place, a paradise. *camiguin also has a version of this island, they call it the white island.

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balicasag island

11 august 2011, bohol

after our fun-filled experience with the dolphins, balicasag island is our next stop. "balicasag island is a 1.5 acre island that is famous as a marine sanctuary and place for snorkeling and diving. balicasag island is a 30-45 minute boat ride from alona beach, panglao island in bohol, philippines. panglao is most noted for its pristine white beaches, diving sites, and world-class resorts." (source)

we had our breakfast first, just noodles, bread and coffee. before we go snorkeling, we ordered some fresh fish for our lunch. the sellers are going to cook your preferred ulam, with a charge of course. prices of fish and cooking charge is not so expensive, and food was great!

photo courtesy of virtualtourist.com

we then prepared for snorkeling. we were charged P150/head for the boat ride and guide going to the sanctuary, and P150 for each set of snorkeling gear. The boat was quite small but the boatman said it can carry all of us. he paddled till we reach the site.

there were lots of fish and corals. i can't help myself trying to touch the cute little fishes passing within my sight. our baby boy louie also dipped into the water and enjoyed playing with the fishes.

my dad helping louie with his vest

we went back to the shore and get ready for our sumptuous lunch. nom nom!  

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dolphin watching, bohol

11 august 2011, bohol

we woke up early on our second day, because our boat man will fetch us at around 6:30am for our island hopping tour. our first stop -  we are gonna watch dolphins!

it was a 40minute travel before we arrived at the dolphin spots. there were other boats also waiting for the dolphins to show. it was hard to see them up close, because when boats come near them, they hide. but it was really nice to see them swim synchronously. i wonder how they do that. really cute!

can you see them?

it was a really fun experience - chase and watch! my louie and lexine enjoyed it :)

lexine is happy :)

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dumaluan beach resort

10-13 august 2011. bohol

after the short panglao tour, we checked in at dumaluan beach resort 1. this is still included in the package that we availed from kuya dodong's services. it was around 1 in the afternoon when we arrived at the resort. everyone took a rest except me. i preferred to wander in the shore and take some pictures. the cool breeze of the sea was really relaxing. alongside dumaluan beach resort are the other resorts in bohol - bohol beach club, bagobo, whites and greens, etc.

dumaluan beach resort has 80 rooms of different types to cater to the needs and requirements of its guests. many travel agencies have also tied up with dbr to offer tour package to those who want to visit the island of bohol.

our family cottage

we had a nice stay in the resort. it may not as good and cozy as the other resorts, but i enjoyed the beach front. 

rates

dbr has a standard aircon room which is 1,300 per night and good for 2 persons only. extra bed is 250. they also have superior deluxe for 2,150/night and deluxe for 2,600/night. there are other types of rooms for different rates. visit their site to see all.

packages

dumaluan also offers tour packages inclusive of the room accommodation. the tour may include the bohol coountryside tour, dolphin watching and island hopping.

amenities

the resort has a volleyball court (not beach volley though) and billiard tables for rent. dumaluan 2 has a swimming pool. it also has a restaurant called dbr grill which offers good food at affordable prices. there is also a store where you can buy basic needs (food, drinks, toiletries, etc).

dbr also offers water sports and adventure - banana boat ride, glass bottom ride, water skiing and others. 

volleyball court

dbr grill
we had our dinner here for our whole stay. food is great and affordable. some fish ranges from 200-300 per piece, big cuts. pork and chicken are also available. we always had their sinigang na hipon. because aside from it is really good, it is also good for 4-5 persons. i love their fruit shakes especially avocado :)

contact

lindie d. bustamante

reservation supervisor

dumaluan beach resort, panglao, bohol

email: resort@dumaluanbeach.com

landline: 038 5029092

fax: 038 5029081

mobile:  +639178834888(GLOBE)

reichyl d. vallente

general manager

dumaluan beach resort, panglao, bohol

landline: 038 5029092
fax: 038 5029081

sunrise

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