Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Visiting the Tarsier Sanctuary in Loboc and the Chocolate Hills in Carmen Bohol

Last weekend, I had my most memorable trip to Bohol with fellow bloggers and other writers from print media courtesy of Amorita Resort in Panglao Island Bohol. What made the trip memorable? Picture this, we visited Bohol’s wealth of wonders and we stayed in Panglao’s best resort based on Tripadvisor.com’s ratings.

tourist attractions in bohol
Philippine Tarsier

Those who come to Bohol usually want to do four things. First, relax and enjoy the sun on the beautiful Alona Beach on Panglao Island and taste Boholano Food. Second they want to scuba dive and experience the famous underwater wonders of Bohol. Third they want to see the tarsiers in Loboc and finally they want to visit the famed Chocolate Hills of Carmen Bohol.

best resorts in bohol
Amorita Resort in Panglao Island Bohol

Panglao Island, Alona Beach, and Scuba Diving are no brainers. If you can get off the ferry you can find them. Get to the beach and you will find the scuba shops or better yet, stay in Amorita Resort and meet their Dive Master for a seamless underwater exploration.

panglao beach resorts
Beautiful Panglao Beach

The tarsier sanctuary is more tricky, but also more exotic too. 134 hectares of forest near the towns of Sicatuna and Corella serve as the protected home of the Philippine Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate and a creature endemic to the Philippines. The alien looking little creatures with their giant eyes and big toes are funny to look at during the day, but if it is the nighttime, they are looking at you from the tree tops.

artificial forest bohol
Mahogany Forest in Bohol

Tarsiers have bigger eyes than brains and are nocturnal critters that will melt your heart. At just 8-16 centimeters long, they are truly teeny-tiny. Even though they are that small they have been known to jump up to 16 feet!

boholano food
Takla in Coconut Cream

To get to the Tarsier Sanctuary you can take a bus or jeepney from Tagbilaran to Sikatuna and then you will need to hire a motorbike or pedicab. Alternatively you can hire a private vehicle or take a package tour from most Bohol hotels or tour operators.

melo villareal pinoy travel blogger
Melo in Chocolate Hills in Carmen Bohol

Going past the Tarsier Sanctuary, you will be able to experience one of the great geological wonders of the Philippines. The Chocolate Hills are a national geologic monument and a potential UNESCO world heritage site. 1,776 hills of a 50 kilometer area which were formed through unique geological processes.

Want to know why the Chocolate Hills are romantic? In the hot months the grass on them turns chocolate brown and the hills look like row upon row of Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses…which makes it an ideal spot to give your sweety a smooch. If that’s not enough you can tell her about the giant who fell in love with a mortal woman. When she died he cried without stop and eventually his tears hardened into the chocolate hills. Now that theory is romantic!

Takla in Coconut CreamMelo in Chocolate Hills in Carmen BoholAmorita Resort in Panglao Island BoholMahogany Forest in BoholPhilippine TarsierBeautiful Panglao Beach

To get to the Chocolate Hills you can go to Carmen, Bohol or the mountain town of Sagbayan, Bohol. While it may seem amazing that only few of the 1,776 Chocolate Hills have been developed for tourism, don’t worry, you can see them all stretching into the horizon by visiting the viewdeck. Guided trips can be arranged with the hotel staff or you can do it the hard way by a combination of jeepney, bus, and motorbike ride.



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