I have to confess that before this trip, I have not even heard about Bohol Island and the diving resorts around it. Bohol is a large island about two hours boat ride south of Cebu.
Now, I hope to be back to both Cebu and Bohol to discover more about these fascinating places and it's warm people.
Here are my 10 reasons to go back.
The Irresistible Little Tarsier
Remember Yoda? That adorable wise being in the Star Wars Trilogy?
The Yoda character is inspired by a native of Bohol Island, the Tarsier.
This little fella was sleeping as the Tarsier is a nocturnal animal. The cute Tarsier is only slightly larger than a man's fist.
Don't worry. The Tarsier is sleeping safe and sound as it has sticky padded feet like a lizard.
If you can't resist taking home a cuddly Tarsier......, you can buy a Tarsier stuffed toy from the gift shop :-p
The Amazing Chocolate Hills
The more than 1000 knolls looked like Hersey's chocolate kisses, hence the name Chocolate Hills.
There are many geological theories about how the unique Chocolate Hills came about but none are conclusive.
Since science could not provide us a convincing answer, I prefer the local romantic legend of Arogo and Aloya ;-D Once upon a time in Bohol, a giant named Arogo fell in love with beautiful Aloya. Arogo kidnapped Aloya and imprisoned her between the fingers of his giant hand. Sadly, Aloya died in Arogo's hand. Arogo was so sad that he could not stop crying. The Chocolate Hills are Arogo's 1000 tears.
How true?
Why not visit Bohol and see it for yourself.
ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) Ride
Everyone enjoys ATV rides because all of us have that inner child that likes fast and bumpy rides. Maybe no one ever had enough of that amusement park bumper car ride when we were children.
In Bohol, all of us can return to our childhood for a while and spin around scenic dirt tracks near the Chocolate Hills.
My secret dream is to climb the Chocolate Hills on ATV ;-D
Dancing with Dolphins
This is the closest I ever got to herds of dolphins born and live free. The dolphins were following us playfully, just beside our boat off Bohol when we were on our way to Balicasag Island dive resort.
Loboc River Cruise
The Loboc river cruise is actually a simple affair.
The boat cruised silently on the very still river and we had buffet lunch of Filipino cuisine on the boat. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me because I found the serenity of the river captivating and therapeutic.
Bohol suffered a massive earthquake in 2013.
The long red roof building in the background is Saint Peter's church, also known as Loboc church. The old church built in 1602 was split in two by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
The resilient people of Bohol are well on their way of restoring their lovely homeland back to pre-earthquake days.
Bohol is for Everyone
One of the things that deeply impresses me about the dive resorts of Bohol and Cebu is that anyone can enjoy the sea in the Philippines.
Non swimmers and children are given special consideration so that they need not miss out on the beauty which the sea can offer. Professional guides are specially trained and equipped to help people who need support to enjoy the sea safely.
So, there is really no reason at all not to go to experience the dive resorts of Cebu and Bohol.
A Day on Nalusuan Island
Just thirty minutes by boat from Mactan Island, little Nalusuan Island is a jewel in the sea popular with day trippers for snorkeling and seafood.
The shallow sand banks and turquoise waters around Nalusuan are teeming with lots of colourful, lively sea creatures for us to see.
For lunch, we enjoyed the fresh food from the sea which were simply bar-b-qued the Cebuano way, which was just delicious.
I enjoyed a great day of relaxation and recommend Nalusuan Island resort for families.
See Cebu City from Lantaw Busay Hill Top Restaurant
Taste traditional Filipino cuisine at Lantaw Native Restaurant and enjoy the panoramic view of glittering lights of Cebu City below you from the Busay hill top.
Philippines Home Grown Chocolate
Enjoy artisanal chocolate candies, desserts and beverages in The Chocolate Chamber or TCC handmade by Ralfe Gourmet in the traditional Philippines way.
Lose Yourself in Hideaway Resorts
I was stunned by the beauty of the luxurious Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort. Private beach, famed Filipino hospitality, more than 5-star facilities and amenities.
Delicious Cebuano and Boholano Food
Cebu and Bohol have many signature dishes and is especially famous for their mastery of open grilling with charcoal. I love their bar-b-qued sea food and lechon which I strongly recommend for you to try too :-D
I am missing Cebu and Bohol. Really hope to be back to relive these moments and also to discover more about these places, especially their unique food culture.
Acknowledgement: My trip to Cebu was arranged by OMY Sg, and sponsored by Philippines Department of Tourism and SilkAir.
Getting to Cebu is easy as SilkAir flies between Cebu and Singapore daily.
Date visited: 9 to 13 Nov 2014
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