TOUR 1 (Choco hills, Loboc River Cruise, Tigbao Hanging Bridge, Tarsiers, Baclayon Church, Blood Compact Monument)

Chocolate Hills

The most famous tourist attraction, if it comes to sightseeing in Bohol, are the Chocolate Hills. The name was given by an American Schools Division Superintendent in 1925 astonished by the shape of the hills.
More than 1200 cone-shape hills spreading over a huge area these hills are a wonder of nature and considered as a Philippine National Geological monument. Created by coral deposits on the ocean floor over the time a unique and almost identical shape, some say like woman's breast, was formed. Most of the hills are in between 30 and 60 meters high.
But there are two other stories covering the creation of these hills. First, there were two giants throwing big rocks at each other in a fight that lasted several days. Getting to the stage of exhaustion they became friends and left the Island and a cone-shape battle field..... hmmmhh
The second story sounds more romantic. Arogo a young and very strong giant felt in love with Aloya, an ordinary mortal girl. After she died he could only cry for a long time showing his grief and his tears then turned into hills....hmmmmhh.
Once we are there (Carmen) we will clime 215 steps in order to reach the observation hill. If you can make it up there (just joking) an explanation plaque will give you more information's.
During the rainy season (June to October) the vegetation covering the hills turns green. Starting November and having it's peak in April to May the hills will appear in a brown, chocolate look.
A clever business man created the so called 'peanut kisses', a crispy and crunchy delicacy mainly made of eggs and peanuts, in honor of the famous hills and by the way they taste very good.

Loboc River Cruise

One of my favorite trips and I always like to do again is the fascinating Loboc river cruise. On a floating restaurant (Basically a huge bamboo float with a roof pushed by a small motor boat) we will start our trip upstream. The river has a scenery which reminds me on a famous movie, 'Apocalypse now' with Marlon Brando. After few minutes ride the friendly staff serves a delicious meal composed of grilled chicken, tuna filet, shrimps, egg plant and rice. Wow, what a good start!
In times when the tarsier roamed in large numbers, they favored the forests that lined the banks of the Loboc River. After a night of hunting, they crouched by its muddy bank and drank from its sweet clean water. Today, they still do but in much lesser numbers.
Coconut and Banana trees and a thick forest are the main vegetation along the banks and up hill. All these vegetations, the hills, the clear slightly green colored water gives a touch of jungle you're riding through. After 20min we will end up where the river flows through the rifts and overflows over the boulders in mini waterfalls, the Tontonan falls. You want to cool down? No problem, bring your swimming attire and jump into the fresh water.

The Philippine Tarsier (Tarius syrichta)

Known as the "midget monkey of the Philippines" the Tarsier isn't a monkey at all. It is he smallest primate on earth and a protected species. It can be found in Bohol, Leyte, Samar and Mindanao and other relatives in Indonesia, Borneo, Sumatra and Madagascar.
One of the rare faunas that is usually the favorite subject of scientific researches is the area around Corilla. A midget primate with big, round eyes the Tarsier is during day time a gentle, almost not moving animal hiding in the shadows of branches. Few of the characteristics are the big round eyes, the long tail and the fact that it can turn its head 180 degrees. At night time these little creatures become hunters living on a diet of insects. Measuring from 3 to 4 inches, it has a tail (232mm) that is longer than its body. Its natural abode is in the hills of Corella.
There is much more to say about the Tarsier but this will be taking care off when we reach Corilla.

Tigbao Hanging Bridge

Backed by the influx of tourists, this link has become a stop. The bridge itself, and the background- the clean Loboc river and the trees along the banks. Don't forget your cameras.

Baclayon Church

One of the oldest churches in the Philippines is our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon and one of the best preserved Jesuit build churches in the region. Iin the 19th century, the Augustinian Recollects added a modern facade and a number of stone buildings that now surround the church.
1717 Baclayon became a Parish and the construction of a new church begun. 200 native laborers were forced to constructed the church from coral stones. They got this stones from the nearby sea and cut them into squares. To glue all these stones together the white of 1 million eggs were used as cement. After 10 years, in 1927, the church was then finished.

Blood Compact Monument

The Blood Compact of Legazpi and Sikatuna
Also at Bohol, Legazpi was given a hostile welcome. From his Malay pilot, he learned that this hostility was due to maurading expeditions of the Portuguese. Coming from the Moluccas, the Portuguese raiders traversed the Visayan seas, and just a few years before, in 1563, had plundered Bohol and killed or enslaved about one thousand of its inhabitants. Of course, the Boholano's easily mistook the Spaniards for Portuguese.

Again with the help of his pilot, Legazipi explained two chiefs of Bohol, Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc that they were not Portuguese, and had come in peace, and not to plunder or kill. This convinced the Kings to end their hostility and enter pact of friendship. On 16 March 1565 (or 25 March, records are confused due to the Georgian calender reform in 1584), Legazpi and Sikatuna performed the now famous blood compact, probably not far from the modern town of Loay. This event is still celebrated in Bohol every year in June with the Sandugo ("One Blood") festival. The same ceremony was repeated three days later with Sigala.

TOUR 2 (Mag-aso Falls, Hinagdanan cave)

Hinagadanan Cave

With its breathtaking symphony of stalactities and stalagmites jutting out of the earth, the Hinagdanan Cave is certainly a sight to behold. Bring a pair of swimsuits if you want to swim in its cool springs aptly lit from above by natural skylights. Its location is Dauis on Panglao island.

Other places worth to visit:

Kawasan Falls - Located in Balilihan - 22 kilometers from the city proper.

Dimiao Twin Falls - Located in Dimiao- 38 kilometers from the city proper. The beautiful cascading twin falls is found 14 kilometers away from the highway. It is an ideal site for picnics and trekking.

Busay Falls - Located in Loboc town - 26 kilometers from the city proper. The falls is 12 meters wide and 4 meters deep. It caters to swimmers and sightseers interested in communing with nature. The floating restaurants have been anchored there as a venue for meetings and conferences.