Exploring Bohol (The Do-It-Yourself Edition)

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Yey! My husband and I had a splendid 3-day vacay at the land of thousand hills and friendly people - Bohol! Since it was my first "do it your self" getaway, there were some little mishaps occurred and therefore lessons learned about traveling. But a DIY adventure will offer you feelings of joy and independence so I regret not the experience I had during our stay in Bohol.

DAY 1: BOHOL COUNTRYSIDE TOUR

We arrived in Tagbilaran Airport at around 9:14 a.m. via Zest Air. It was a hassle-free flight which is completely different from what I've read about reviews and feed-backs in dealing with Zest Air. We were just 4-minutes delayed from our estimated time of arrival which is not so really bad. As I expected,  many cab drivers infiltrated the terminal's main gate. They were offering airport-hotel transfer or countryside tour which I guessed is too pricey for a shoestring budgeted travelers like us. Thank goodness, I've already contracted a low priced rent-a-car service prior to our arrival at Bohol so our driver/tour guide was already waiting for us outside the airport. 

A little mishap occurred when our rented car suddenly was running out of gasoline. And it happened even before we leave the airport complex! My husband was already faced-palming but my anxiety was due to the hazy weather that day. I really don't want our trip to be a messed up.  To make the story short, we were 40-minutes delayed for our countryside tour and I anticipated that we will not be able to visit all 10 tourist destinations in Bohol countryside.  But its okay with me for as long as the sun will grant my wish. Due to our limited time, these are the places we've visited in Bohol Day 1. 

**drumroll  please!**

BLOOD COMPACT MONUMENT

The monument of the blood compact is located in Tagbilaran City. I think its a 15-minute drive away from the airport. The monument depicted the sandugo between Datu Sikatuna of Bohol and the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as a sign of their friendship. This is considered as the first treaty between Spaniards and Filipinos. 

Entrance Fee: none

BACLAYON CHURCH

Considered as one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception or Baclayon Church is a must-see tourist destination in Bohol. If you're a history nuts like me (well, I'm a history teacher by profession, that's why) this place is unmistakably for you. 

Entrance Fee: Church - none ; Museum - Php 50

The church's facade

The church's interior.
FYI, wala pong misa na nagaganap. Hehe.

LOBOC RIVER CRUISE

Loboc River is one of my favorite spots in Bohol. You don't want to miss Loboc River Cruise if you want to indulge in gastronomic lunch buffet while cruising inside a floating restaurant. 

Entrance Fee: Php 400 ( inclusion of buffet lunch, tax and entrance fee).

The river is murky green, if not clear, but one of the cleanest in the country

The guests are required to be at the complex 30 minutes before the cruise starts. We're a bit starving that time but the awesome sight gave pleasure to our waiting. You may choose from a variety of river cruising vessels that offer sumptuous buffet lunch before going to the dock. 

I don't know if it goes the same with other floating restaurants, but the vessel we chose offered buffet that basically comprises of fried foods (pork, chicken and sea foods), veggies, salad and variety of malagkits and fresh fruits for desserts. My personal favorites were fish fillet and cucumber salad. The taste was not so especial but not so bad either.  But my husband was quite delighted for it satisfied his roomy appetite that day. 

Some locals from surrounding barangays performed native Vizayan songs and dances to entertain the passing guests. You can buy souvenirs at their stations like native handicrafts and ukulele or just drop some pennies at their donation boxes to support their livelihood projects.

The cascading water of Busay Falls. 

This is life! Eating limitless foods while cruising in an unspoiled river surrounded with lush greenery and serenaded by a cruise singer. The weather was still hazy and it even rained before we finished the cruise.  Then I thought, the setting was a bit romantic since I always love the rain whenever I just sat idly with nothing else to do but observe. 

CHOCOLATE HILLS

On the contrary, the weather in Carmen, Bohol was a bit sunny when we arrived. Until lesser clouds hovered the sky so I was so grateful the sun finally heed my bidding! As you see, the long terrain of these sun kissed hills were marvelous to the eyes. Chocolate Hills is  indeed the queen attraction of Bohol.

Entrace Fee: Php 50

These cone-shaped hills are actually made of limestone covered in grasses. Rey, our driver, said that Bohol was once under the sea eons of years ago. The formation  of these hills are shaped by wind, water and erosion in the succeeding time. There was a legend too, about two giants and they had this little dispute and I think you know what happens next. Lol.

BILAR MAN-MADE FOREST

This is a man-made Mahogany forest stretching for about 2 kilometers along the border of the towns of Loboc and Bilar. 

Entrance Fee: none

 The  canopies of these mahogany trees on both sides of the road formed a majestic arch- an spectacular view that is worth a photo.

Lovers under the tree... <3

TARSIER SANCTUARY

Due to our limited time, we set our final destination at the Tarsier Sanctuary in Loboc. Its nearly 5 in the afternoon when we arrived. There were few tarsiers to be found because since they are nocturnal animals, a lot of them were already somewhere in the middle of the forest hunting for foods. Sayang talaga. T__T

Entrance Fee: Php 60

Me together with Leo and our driver/tour guide, Rey.

How many tarsier statues did you see? lol.

Oops, its bawal!  Holding tarsier is strictly prohibited. If stressed, these little primates are prone to self infliction or much worst, they'll commit suicide.

Which one doesn't belong in the group? None? lols. One of these tarsiers is the oldest in the sanctuary.

The Plan

Everything starts with a plan. I searched the net especially collective buying sites (e.g. Metrodeal, Ensogo...) to avail cheap Bohol tour package with airfare and accommodation. I have nothing against collective buying thingy but I just realized that I'm out of control on choosing our hotel accommodation or daily activities during the tour which I think is a little frustration on my part as a traveler. Even a good friend of mine assisted me in availing a tour package from her aunt's travel agency. But what it offers was too pricey for traveling couples like us. Probably, services offered by a travel agency is a must option when traveling in big groups. At the end, we decided that its a DIY tour or not.

First thing to do for a DIY travel is decide what part of the country (or overseas) you want to visit. Search for the tourist  destinations it offers. Definitely it all depends on your liking or what interests you. As for me, I dig for history and nature combined that's why I chose Bohol.

Second, book your flight at least 3 months in advance to avail the airline's promo.  I booked our flight via Zest Air last January but I only got the lowest fare because that time their promo for cheap fare was selling like hot cakes. Using credit card is hassle-free and cheaper, too.

Then I browsed the net for lists of hotels, resorts and even pension houses within Tagbilaran City and Panglao Island. Since the activities for Day 1 is basically outdoors, I thought lodging in a pricey hotel on that day is a big no-no. And so, I looked for a cheap pension house that should be within Tagbilaran City for our Day 1. I found Marcelina Guesthouse through Booking.com. On the other hand, our Day 2 was at Panglao Island (I have a separate post for this!). There were so many resorts and hotels to choose from via Agoda.com and Booking.com. I decided to choose and booked directly at Panglao Regents Park because of its reputations for quality rooms and amenities in affordable tourist's price. 

Marcelina Guesthouse at Tagbilaran City.
 I was surprised that its just 5-minutes away from Tagbilaran Airport  by foot!

Standard Room: Php 700/day

Panglao Rergents Park
A 10-minute walk from here  is the famed Alona Beach

Standard Room: Php 1800/day

Search also for directions and mode of transportation (and how much it'll cost) in getting to your chosen hotel or  destinations. This may help since some local drivers will charged you with tourist price so its better to be well informed to avoid such incidents. 

Sky is Fun in Tagaytay!

We hit the road to Tagaytay on a Holy Friday and saw this newly opened amusement park located beside Taal Vista Hotel- the Sky Fun Amusement Park in Sky Ranch Complex. I visualized this complex and amusement park to be very promising to local and foreign tourists alike cause this is a leisure park that will not only provide amazing rides and event venues but it is also a complete family and group destination with a panoramic view of the famous Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. Since the grand opening of Sky Ranch Complex will be sometime around May, we availed the entrance tickets for only half the price ( Php 100.00 regular fee/ Php 50.00 promotion until May 31). Kids that are below 3 feet can enter the park for free! Great deal, isn't it?

THE SKY EYE 

The amusement rides are already in operation though food courts and other attractions are still under constructions . The main attraction here is the Sky Eye which is currently the tallest ferris wheel in the country. It stands at 207 feet (63 meters) with 32 gondolas, beating the MOA Eye at 180 feet (55 meters). Each gondola can accommodate four people. Ticket price is Php 150.00, even for smaller kids. Infants are free of charge and its safe for them too.   

Behind is the colossal Sky Eye, tallest Ferris wheel in the 'Pines. This is our first out-of-town family bonding without Mama ):

..don't worry about the blistering heat, each gondola is air-conditioned.

Since the complex is elevated at 2,100 feet above sea level, you can see the panoramic view of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. What more if you ride the Sky Eye! The 360 degrees view of the surrounding area is simply breathtaking.

As a self-confessed acrophobic, my fear of heights was dramatically replaced with awe and wonder upon seeing the breathtaking view of the famed Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.

Its scorching hot that day but who cares after having experienced 
the tallest ferris wheel  in the country :)

The Super Viking

...other rides.

Except for the Super Viking, all rides are child friendly. My little Sabina enjoyed her experience at the Sky Fun Carousel. Here is the list of Sky Fun rides with their respective ticket prices. 

We do enjoyed our experience at the Sky Fun, Sky Ranch Complex a midst the scorching summer heat. We will be back there for sure and I guessed there will be so much additional attractions and shops that the park would cater in no time. I've learned that a Science Discovery Museum beside Sky Fun is currently under construction. That sounds interesting right? And, oh, did I mention that there is a horseback riding activity too?  Its so great to hear that they are brewing new innovations in Tagaytay like that of Sky Fun. I'm so glad though cause it will surely help the booming tourism here in the 'Pines. Kudos to the investors! 

beauty, serenity and peace... :)

                                                         ..........................................................

Enchanting or Not?

The first time that I've been to Enchanted Kingdom was last 2004 and I must say that I do enjoyed my EK Tour back then together with my former colleagues and students. It made me feel that I'm in the "happiest place" in the country. But when my family and I went to Enchanted Kingdom last Feb. 1, I was a bit disappointed from what we've experienced that day. I was so excited for this trip at first because its my Saab's first EK tour. I have nothing against the attractions (except for the expensive foods). But the main problem was the long queue of people from each and every ride. I don't know, its not holiday that time (and a weekday too!) but Enchanted Kingdom was so crowded! My husband waited for two long hours before he enjoyed the 2-minute-ride via Space Shuttle. It took my sister 1 hour for Jungle Log Jam and my all-time favorite, Rio Grande- well, never you mind. The swarming people on queue made us decide to just enjoy the grounds and took pictures and forget all those great rides. *sigh* This is not the way EK used to be :(

I hope that EK management doesn't allow more than the capacity of people it can take per day. People bought tickets to enjoy rides and not to wait in queue for hours! Imagine, you'll pay for a Php 350-500 entrance fee and then you'll be able to enjoy only 2-3 rides for a day. Isn't it a waste of time, money and energy? Costumer satisfaction should be considered if they want to prolong their business. Hello, we're in a capitalist country - business is a competition. EK must improve their service especially over the possibility of Disneyland Philippines, right?

Well at the end of the day, my little Saab still enjoyed her first EK experience. I still love EK and the enchantment it brings to a child-like heart like mine.   And so I hope EK will revamp, lets say in the old brand new way. =)

 

Awkwardly, A Nightlife

   I am definitely not a city girl. Even my profession isn't in sync for a mundane city nightlife. At least only in my viewpoint. However, two days ago, me and some of my colleagues decided to take a break from the monotonous life that we have and  'painted the town red' that night.  You know, we went out and had a good time in buffet dinner and bunching up in a comedy bar along Tomas Morato- things that we don't normally do.

  It was so crazy indeed when we landed at Zirkoh Comedy Bar. Two of my colleagues were invited to sing onstage by a bunch of gay comedians who randomly looks like Jamby Madrigal, Mr. Bean and Steven Tyler (lol!). But before doing so, they were verbally abused first by those jesters. I won't stand a bit if  ever I'll be at  their shoes but hail to Sir Juvir and Mam Sol cause they survived the abusive situation well. When the comedians learned that we are teachers, they were face palming and had this alarming look like we're not supposed to be there! It was an awkward moment. lol. I presumed they were toss between to taunt us with insults or not. All in fairness, wherever we go, there's this unspoken respect for teachers like me. Are we lucky or what? Hell, yes. So the comedians immediately minimized their unpleasantly toward my colleagues because we are teachers.

Nevertheless, the show was a total laugh, just don't count the perverted antic. Then we called it a night at 3 a.m.

Go, sing your heart out. The limelight is but once in a life time. 

Wally Bayola is a total performer. It was so hilarious the way he imitates
 Gary V., Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs

A night of revelry 

With some of my colleagues at Yam Cha

Buffet dinner at Yam Cha

Let's eat then!

"Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. 

So practice happy thinking everyday. 

Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit,

 and life will become a continual feast"

- Norman Vincent Paele -

Noah's Park

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Prior to my 31st birthday last week, I was kind of undecided whether to celebrate it or not. You know, I'm not the sort of  a party nuts (not the exuberant one) but I do want to celebrate occasions and family affairs in a very special way. Thanks to me for browsing the net, I came across with a friend's page about Noah's Park. So me and my family spent my post-birthday celebration at Noah's Leisure Park (Hotel and Resort).

 Noah is located at Brgy. San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal (besides Avilon Zoo). It has a cozy ambiance and a relaxing environment. We had so much fun swimming on the clear water pool and feasting on grilled sea foods and other foods that we brought for my birthday. My two-year old daughter Sabina enjoyed her first swimming experience with great gusto. Family bonding is truly a piece of heaven on earth so I am so blessed to have such wonderful family to celebrate with on my birthday.

Just scroll down to view some of our photos during our stay in Noah's Park.

HOTEL

THE POOL AREA

My sister. The bridge above is for the zip-line adventure

Me and my older sis, Janice

Me and my hubby below the cascading water 

Saab and her much older playmate, Pau-pau

OTHER AMENITIES

Hanging Bridge

cottages and chapel

the Garden Maze

Obstacle Course

Wall for  the rappelling stuff

COTTAGES

 

My family (L-R  my future brother-in-law-Jared, Tinay,  Mama with my niece, Gabby,
Me, Leo with Saab,  Papa with Caleb and ate Janice)