To go around Bohol, we hired a service - it was Php3,000 for a day (this doesn't include entrance fees and other incidental expenses).
Since we were there on a long weekend, there was an unusually high number of visitors so our driver recommended that we have an early river cruise lunch since his guests the day before had to wait for 2 hours to be accommodated.
If you visited Bohol years ago, there was only the Loboc River Cruise. Today, there's another one in a different town called the Rio Verde Floating Restaurant and this is where the driver brought us.
The floating restaurant offers 2 buffet menu - regular and special. Basically, the special one has more food choices like lechong kawali, mixed seafood and crabs. I couldn't remember anymore how much is it but I think the special menu was around Php400-Php450 per pax. But please don't expect so much from the food - people usually go to the river cruise for the experience and entertainment, not for the food. So if you've previously been to a river cruise in Bohol, you may want to try non-touristy restaurants which the locals rave about.
At one point during the cruise, the float will dock in one area and you'll be allowed to watch a short cultural show. According to one of the staff, the performers are Badjaos who moved to the island. We didn't go down anymore though since it was drizzling.
Along the way to Chocolate Hills, we passed by the Loboc Church and this is how it looks like now - due to the 2013 earthquake which hit Bohol. :(
During my past 2 visits to Bohol several years ago, I recalled that there was a Tarsier sanctuary just across the Loboc Church and near the Loboc River Cruise. Today, there is a better sanctuary for them. All the remaining tarsiers have been brought to a conservation area put up by the DENR. I think the facility houses more than 100 tarsiers.
Here are 2 of the tarsiers we saw. It's not easy to spot them but there are volunteers around the grounds who'll help you spot tarsiers. I think we saw around 6 to 8 tarsiers.
Just a quick refresher - the tarsiers are endemic to the Philippines. And since they are considered an endangered species, rules have to be strictly followed. No flash photography, no shouting, no noise, no feeding, no shaking of trees... Why? Because tarsiers are suicidal. When they are distressed (and it's easy to distress them), they tend to smash their heads against hard objects.
On my way out of the sanctuary, spotted these chichaworms! But nope, I wasn't in any way curious to taste them. Haha....
Still on the way to Chocolate Hills, you'll pass by the Bilar man-made forest. This is a 2 kilometer stretch where you'll enjoy the shade of red and white mahogany trees.
This reforestration project started in 1947 after WW2 and efforts were continued in the succeeding administrations. Lesson from this - we need to start planting trees now if we want the future generation to enjoy trees as beautiful as these.
BTW, a lot of tourists stop over in the man-made forest to take photos but please be careful and be alert - this is a main road. Not really the right place to take photos. You may just want to take photos from the car (which is what I did).
And of course, still the most popular tourist spot in Bohol - the Chocolate Hills.
Some trivia:
Did you know that the height of a hill could range anywhere from 30 to 50 meters high?
Did you know that there are more than 1,000 Chocolate Hills?
Did you know how the hills were formed is still a mystery to geologists? :)
Don't worry, I don't recall any of these either. It's my 3rd visit to the Chocolate Hills and I still don't remember anything! How did I pass social studies? Tsk...tsk... Haha....
Check out this photo - there are houses near the Chocolate Hills.
We also passed by the Baclayon Church. The altar has been preserved but the rest of the church is still under repair due to the 2013 earthquake. Its museum is still also open but picture-taking isn't allowed so I don't have photos to share. What you'll find in the museum are antique religious statues and assorted religious articles used in the church during the Spanish time.
Here's a photo I snapped inside the church. Looks like a dramatic shot but I just noticed the shadow in the image. It looks like a bike handle. So much for a dramatic shot. Haha....
On our way back to the Pier to catch our return trip to Cebu, we also decided to visit the St Joseph the Worker Cathedral.
And spotted this Sleeping St. Joseph Statue inside the cathedral.
I do have a Sleeping St Joseph in my altar already but I haven't started putting notes under it or St Joseph will end up having a bed as high as the bed in Princess and the Pea. Haha....
So there was our Bohol Daytour - or Bohol in 7 hours. :)
