Rediscovering Bohol's charms

The tourist island of Bohol is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as it comes out of its shell in a big way.

With the opening of its new and bigger airport in Tagbilaran City and the jet-enabling of its runway, Bohol has paved the way for the return of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to the island after an absence of three years.

This, plus the renewed interest in global travel following a sharp decline in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks last year, is injecting new hope to the self-reliant Boholano who, though in no hurry to catch up with Cebu, its nearest neighbor, is determined to go with the national trend toward progress.

Nothing is rushed in this island paradise where the somnolence is almost contagious. In fact, you can easily spot an outsider by the briskness of his gait in contrast with the natives who bask in the leisurely pace of a small town that’s blessed with a rich heritage and nature’s bounty.

Heritage City

Tagbilaran, the capital, is the center of commercial activities with its modest hotels, lodges, malls and a few night entertainment spots. The city is perfect for historical and heritage tours where the marker commemorating the historic Blood Compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi can be found. Every year, in July, Boholanos re-enact the signing of the first treaty in the Philippines during the Sandugo Festival. It is also home to the Bohol Museum, once the residence of former President Carlos P. Garcia and his family.

The real mystery and charm of the country’s 10th largest island lies inland. Nestled in the heart of Central Visayas, Bohol is a pastoral, historic island-province where culture is housed in intimate settings and where a weekend escape can involve everything from a mere appreciation of heritage structures that date back to the colonial era to whale-watching, diving, river-cruising or simply a dip in its unpolluted waters and shorelines of white sand beaches.

Precious primates

Some 10 kilometers from the capital is Corella, the home of the precious tarsier, the world’s smallest monkey. Listed as one of the country’s officially endangered species, the tarsier has became a popular attraction in Bohol. Almost the size of a normal human fist, the nocturnal mammal is also regarded as the oldest mammal inhabiting the Earth.

The journey to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is a sight to behold. It is the kind of sight that makes city folk weep in awe as opposed to the daily smog and noise pollution of Manila’s urban jungle. One cannot help but recall the feeling of stepping into a newly discovered territory, with a lush vegetation of mostly second-growth trees, tall grass patches, bamboo clusters and thick bushes. The hilly terrain, on the other hand, offers a pastoral view of green rolling fields, low-lying mountains and dense forests.

Once inside the sanctuary compound, "tarsier man" Carlito Pizarras of the Philippine Tarsier Foundation – who started out catching and selling tarsiers to collectors and hobbyists for a living but has since become an avid environmentalist keeping several of the species for breeding – would take visitors inside a spacious, lush net enclosure for a chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive tarsier.

Spotting a tarsier nestled within the thick foliage can be very difficult for the non-experienced as the animal, being a nocturnal mammal, rarely moves during the day. But once it is seen, it studies visitors with wide-eyed curiosity, even swiveling its head to a baffling 180 degrees, just like owls do.

Chocolate Hills

A tour of Bohol wouldn’t be complete without catching sight of the world-famous Chocolate Hills, a rolling terrain of 1,268 haycock hills with heights ranging from 40 to 120 meters. The dry months are the best time to see the natural wonder as their grass coverings dry up, turning the hills into chocolate brown.

Stories of how the Chocolate Hills came into being are as mystical as they are to the marveling eyes of visitors. According to local legend, the hills were formed when a giant shed tears upon learning about the death of the lady he truly loved. The tears dried up in time and became the cone-shaped hills. Scientists, on the other hand, insist that they are vestiges of a millennia-old tidal pattern.

Whatever their origins, the hills still look like a sea of giant melted Hershey’s Kisses with its rich chocolate brown color. During the wet season when the grass grows and the hills turn green, natives refer to the hills as mint-coated chocolates.

Cruising the Loboc River

Once you have cooked up an appetite, a lazy lunch aboard a colorful native raft that will take you down the placid, unpolluted river of Loboc, would be an exciting and relaxing diversion.

A cruise upstream has a blissful effect as only the faint laughter of children wading in the river and the soft chattering of women doing their laundry amid the almost serene waters can be heard.

The breeze is always cool and fragrant and a perfect companion to a hearty, unadulterated, native seafood meal. The cruise, which takes about an hour, ends near the Busay Falls where the cascading water provides a pleasant bathing spot.

Paradise within a paradise

Once the sun sets, Bohol is transformed as the heat dissipates and replaced by the refreshing breeze coming from Panglao Island’s unpolluted waters.

Panglao Island, which is composed of two towns, Dauis and Panglo, is located at the western portion of Tagbilaran City. Aside from its beaches, the island boasts of diving locations where one can view a magnificent underwater life.

Getting to the island’s resorts, such as the luxurious Panglao Island Nature Resort, may take about 20 to 30 minutes. The road leading to paradise, however, can be rough as one has to contend with dirt roads and potholes enough to give you a good overall massage.

But once inside the compound, it’s a vibrant spectacle of tropical flora surrounding cottages made of native materials perfect for an ultimate summer getaway. Guestrooms are provided with private lanais that are clustered on the beachfront. Other cottages – some provided with an outdoor whirlpool or a private garden shower – are situated in such a way that visitors can have their own unique view of the pristine beach.

Visitors can stroll along the shore any time of the day and just simply enjoy the scene. At night, either the moon lights the path – which can be very romantic for lovers or honeymooners – or a single spotlight from the resort’s caretakers or handheld lanterns. A man-made island that houses a huge native cottage complete with wooden chairs and tables a few meters from the shore can be reached by wading during low tide and by boat during high tide. A short trek to the island can be de-stressing for those who want an even more serene environment.

For city folk, experiencing the beauty of this slice of paradise can be invigorating. Here, you’ll find no golf courses, no crowds, no queues, no traffic, just pure, unadulterated breeze of fresh air, lush greens, pristine waters and warm, gentle people. Where life simply happens. Where time stands still. Such would take a lifetime to forget.