Bohol: Bohol Bee Farm

We had the Panglao Island tour on our second day in Bohol, and included in the itinerary list is a visit to the Bohol Bee Farm.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Bee Farm, that’s why even though we arrived there at 10 am, early for lunch, I insisted that we stay there for a while and have our afternoon meal.

The Bohol Bee Farm has restaurants, a bakeshop, a souvenir shop, and an ice cream store. They also have an area where they make their own crafts. Of course worth mentioning is the huge garden where they practice organic farming.

Our first stop: the bakeshop. The store was filled with different colors, food, and even crafts, that it was so hard to decide which area to check out first. The different kinds of spread caught our attention, and the shop has a free taste test for these products. We all think that the Pesto Spread was the best.

They also sell different kinds of honey, but we weren’t able to buy any since we were too busy looking at all the other stuff.

Just right beside the bakeshop is the souvenir store, which has products like mats, baskets, home decorations, accessories, key chains, and other kinds of souvenirs. Most of their products are made by their own staff in the livelihood area.

We still wanted to stay and look at the products, but we had a scheduled tour, inside the farm, at 11am. So we left the shop and joined our tour group.

Our guide first explained that they have organically-grown products in the farm, which they also use in their meals in the restaurants. She also said that some of the flowers grown in the farm are used in their salads. And yes, the flowers are edible.:)

The most exciting part of the tour was when our guide showed us their bee boxes. And they contain hundreds (or thousands) of bees. Well this is why it’s called the Bee Farm.=P They gather honey from these bees, which they sell at their bakeshop and use at their restaurant. I barely understood what our guide was talking about since I was too focused on not getting stung.

We also headed to the handicraft production area, where there were some staff busy making the products being sold in the Bee Farm’s shop.

After the tour, we headed to the farm’s Bamboo Restaurant to have our lunch. And it wasn’t just a meal, it was an EXPERIENCE.:)

We had a beautiful view of the sea from the open-space restaurant, and we really felt relaxed the moment we arrived. We had this sudden urge to extend our stay at the Bee Farm.=P

We ordered the famous organic garden salad with honey mustard dressing; honey glazed chicken served with organic red rice, boiled camote (sweet potato), and the garden salad; and fresh herb pasta.

The organic salad (P160-single order) has actual flowers mixed with it. I expected it to have a bitter taste, but surprisingly, it was really good! The flowers tasted like all the other vegetables, and the dressing has a sweet, tangy taste that went perfectly well with the salad. They also serve this with three slices of bread (I forgot to ask what kind of bread it was), with pesto and mango spread. It was gone in 15 minutes.:)

They had a generous serving of the honeyglazed chicken (P220), with three pieces for each order. It was juicy and had a similar taste to chicken barbeque since it also tasted sweet.

We were surprised with the fresh herb pasta (P190) since we expected it to taste like pesto pasta. Instead, it had a bitter taste, and we even asked the waitress if they mixed some flowers while cooking the pasta. I liked this least.

Finally, for desert, we had their homemade ice cream (P70), and we shared one cone with two scoops, in buko (coconut) and avocado flavors. It was served in a “Cabcab” cone, made from cassava.

The ice cream was HEAVENLY. HEAVENLY. HEAVENLY. (Yes, that’s it. HEAVENLY.) ❤

The lunch at the Bee Farm was the best meal we had during our three-day stay in Bohol. Make sure that this is included in your next visit to Bohol!

They also have room accommodations. Check out http://www.boholbeefarm.com for their room rates.

P.s. Also, check out their comfort room signs. ❤

<img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-92″ title=”

Bohol Bee Farm, Dao, Dauis, Panglao Island, Bohol

—ms. eaturista—

Bohol: Prawn Farm Restaurant

On our first night in Bohol, right after our countryside tour, we decided to have our dinner at the Prawn Farm Restaurant, located at the second floor of Island City Mall. It is one of the most (if not the only) recommended restaurants in Tagbilaran City.

The Prawn Farm Restaurant is placed between your usual fastfood chains, and it really stood out because it looks like a fine dining restaurant. We were hesitant to enter thinking that the food might be too expensive. But, thanks to the menu which was placed outside the restaurant, we immediately saw that there were meals that ranged from P150 to P300 each.:)

Placed near the entrance of the restaurant are seafood tanks which contained fresh fish, prawns, crabs. etc. This assured us that the food that will be served are really fresh, and not frozen or preserved.

Although the Prawn Farm also serves chicken, pork, and beef, we decided to focus on seafoods since the restaurant seems to be really well known for it.

We ordered the seafood bouillabaisse (Why does it have to be spelled this way?), prawns in chili garlic sauce, and sizzling blue marlin. We also ordered their yang chow fried rice.

I’d say that the seafood bouillabaisse is the best. It was really tasty, and perfect for the then cold weather. It was drizzling the entire day, so the soup was perfect for the night.

Not only do they have a generous serving of the bouillabaisse (around P150+ for six servings), they also filled it with different kinds of seafoods, such as squids and crabs.

The prawns also tasted great, but one order is only equivalent to four pieces, and I expected more.

Three pieces of blue marlin were served to us in a sizzling plate. It was fresh and it was delicious. But it wasn’t really the best of its kind, since it just tasted like your usual blue marlin.

The yang chow fried rice, good for three people, also tasted great, but again, it’s nothing to rave about.

I wasn’t able to get the exact price for each, but we spent P704 for everything. Not bad, considering that three hungry tourists were able to feast on this meal.:)

The Prawn Farm also has some set meals, which includes rice, some seafood and veggies, soup, and drinks, for P250 each.

Overall, we enjoyed our Prawn Farm experience, and it’s definitely worth re-visiting. You should have your own Prawn Farm experience too!:)

—ms. eaturista—

Bohol: Panglao Island Tour

We started our second day in Bohol by visiting the Blood Compact “Sandugo” Shrine in Tagbilaran City. Photos of this shrine are usually seen in our elementary books, specifically for the History subject.

The Sandugo visit was originally part of the countryside tour, but we spent a lot of time buying our pasalubongs, so we decided to see the shrine on our second day.

By the time we got there, there were so much visitors trying to have their pictures taken beside the monument. It was so stressful watching everyone trying to have the best shots, and making sure that there were no “extra people” in their pictures, which was close to impossible. So just like them, we weren’t able to take great photos as well.

Next, we visited the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Dauis.

Bohol has a LOT of old churches, but this is one that you shouldn’t miss. Right in front of the main altar is a well, with water said to have healing powers.

One of the guides in the church said that the well has never gone dry, and it is safe for everyone to drink. It also doesn’t have a salty taste, despite being a few meters away from the sea.

Each visitor could take one bottle of healing water for free, which they could get at the back of the church.

The church also has a beautifully painted ceiling, which was created by some of Bohol’s local artists.

Our driver/tour guide, then brought us to a house just a few meters away from the church. “Bayoyoy,” who has a condition called dwarfism, lives there and he has become some sort of tourist attraction in Bohol.

He is already 64 years old, but is only two and a half feet tall. He’s blind and he couldn’t talk either. The family is accepting donations for Bayoyoy who could only eat oatmeal and drink milk.

Next on our list is the Bohol Bee Farm. But I am just too amazed with the farm that it deserves an entirely separate post.=P

After having a short tour and a wonderful, healthy lunch at the Bee Farm, we headed to the Hinagdanan Cave in Panglao.

Visitors must go down through a small hole which serves as the main entrance of the cave. Our tour guide, Tonton, led us towards the cave and warned us of water droplets, which could either be water or bird urine.:) The cave is home to the balinsasayaw birds, and they provide the main ingredient for the soup called, “Bird’s nest.”

Tonton lead us to a wall a few steps from the entrance. It may seem like your average wall, but when you take a picture of it, it shows some paintings which our guide said was drawn for a movie shot a few years ago. They have kept it, since it has become an added tourist attraction.

Towards the center of the cave is a pool of fresh water. I’m not sure if swimming is allowed though since the cave is quite dark and there’s the risk of getting drowned.

At the end of the cave are two noticeable holes located at the ceiling, which Tonton said was the original main entrances of the cave. But eventually, they found a better hole which provides easier and safer access for tourists.

I’m sorry if I couldn’t provide better shots of the cave. It was quite dark and our guide was busy taking photos of us.=P But this gives you more reason to see the beautiful cave for yourselves.:)

We then went to see the Panglao Tower, located right next to San Agustin Parish Church, 18 kms from Tagbilaran City.

The five-storey watch tower was built in 1851. However, people are no longer allowed to climb the tower as it was left unmaintained and is in need of serious renovation and repair.

At last, we then headed to the beach and stayed in Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao Island. It is right next to the famous Bohol Beach Club, so you could actually swim on the beach in front of the exclusive resort.:)

What really amazed me was the extremely fine white sand, which becomes clay-like when wet. It reminds me of Arce Dairy coffee ice cream when mixed with water.=P

We slept for the rest of the afternoon and finally went to the beach at around 5:30. The water wasn’t that salty, and it wasn’t too deep.

One thing that I should warn you about though is that there were sea urchins which went inside my mom and cousin’s clothes. They started to itch like crazy so we had to get out of the water. The resort staff told us that there were times when there were sea urchins nearby. Good thing that it didn’t happen again when we swam the following morning though.

We just spent the rest of the night and the following morning strolling and swimming in the beach.:) It’s one of the best beaches I’ve been to, and I can’t wait to go back to Bohol again and visit the nearby islands which, some friends said, are even waaaay better than Panglao island.:)

–

expenses:

around P250 for tips and donations

dinner = P720, restogrill by the beach (3 pax)

—ms. eaturista—

Bohol: countryside tour

We had the countryside tour on the first day of our three-day vacation in Bohol. Our first stop: The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the Municipality of Baclayon (also known as Baclayon Church).

Baclayon is around 6 kms. from Tagbilaran, the city capital of Bohol. The Baclayon Church is one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines. It was built in the early 17th century, and it consists of coral stones shaped into blocks.

The church has a few “attractions,” such as the face of Padre Pio and the image of the “Mother and Child” which mysteriously appeared in the outer pillars of the Church.

Locals also say that first-time visitors must knock on the doors of Baclayon Church, and make a wish.

At the side of the church is a museum which contains some of the church’s oldest treasures, such as old ecclesiastical vestments, books, and statues. Picture-taking is not allowed inside the museum though.

After going around the museum, we went to visit the world famous Philippine Tarsiers. Next to Chocolate Hills, Bohol is famous for these creatures.

Most tarsiers are asleep in the morning. So when we went to see the tarsiers, most of them were asleep. They were slowly waking up though, as more people came to see them.

Our guide said that tarsiers must not be touched, and no flash must be used in taking pictures. They also can’t tolerate noise as they easily get stressed. When stressed, they commit suicide by banging their head on hard objects.:s

After having our pictures taken with the tarsiers, we went to Loboc, to experience the Loboc River Cruise in a floating restaurant. The lunch buffet starts at 11:30 am and the cruise begins at 12 nn. There are several floating restaurants, but we recommend the Busai Monark, since it seems to be the only one which has a “balcony” at the front area of the restaurant. (Great for taking photos.:D)

The food itself was not all that great, and it was a bit difficult to eat since you tend to get dizzy, especially when the boat is still tied up to the dock. But it was a different kind of experience that tourists need to try in Bohol.:)

Loboc is around 24 km from Tagbilaran, and you can see the Saint Peter the Apostle Church from the river, the second oldest stone church in Bohol (next to Baclayon Church).

Next on the list is the world famous chocolate hills!:)

“Sa elementary books lang natin yan nakikita dati!” – Mom:)

The center of the Chocolate Hills is located at the Municipality of Carmen, 59 km. from Tagbilaran. To have a better view, we climbed 214 steps to reach the view deck of the Chocolate Hills complex. It was really tiring and hot, but the view was worth it.:)

We also went to visit the Butterfly Sanctuary, but after seeing the one in Mambukal Resort in Bacolod, I barely paid any attention to this. A python visit was also included in the itinerary, but we were disappointed since you’re just going to stare at one big python sleeping inside an unmaintained cage. Best to skip this.

We also went to visit the 2 km-long man-made forest in Bilar, 40 km from Tagbilaran City. It’s great to take some photos here, and the real challenge is how to take pictures in the middle of the road, when a vehicle is fast approaching.:) (Run fast!)

Also included in the tour is the bamboo hanging bridge in Sevilla, 36 km from Tagbilaran. It becomes sort of a challenge for tourists, as the bridge bounces and sways as you cross it.

After the tour, Ryan brought us to the Aproniana Souvenir Shop, where you can find all sorts of pasalubong to bring home to family and friends. They also have coupons which you can avail to have 13 percent off your purchases!

The Blood Compact Shrine was also included in the list, but since it was already raining, we decided to visit the shrine the next day.

—

expenses:

Baclayon museum entrance fee: P25 per person (This will be increased to P50 starting Aug. 1, 2011.)

around P100 for tips

around P750 for pasalubongs, per person

P100 = driver’s lunch

*entrance fees already included in the tour package payment

–some facts in this post were derived from http://www.bohol.ph.

—ms. eaturista—

Bohol adventure!

Bohol is fast becoming the top tourist destination in the Philippines, as it offers spots and activities that caters to different types of tourists.

The countryside tour is perfect for those who are interested in historic and religious attractions. Panglao island, and neighboring islands as well, are perfect for all the beach lovers.

Since more and more people are visiting Bohol, I decided to go and see what this island has to offer.

I started my trip on July 21, Thursday, with my mom and my cousin. Thanks to Cebu Pacific’s airfare promos, we were able to purchase round-trip tickets for around P2,000 each.

It takes only about more than an hour to travel to Bohol from Manila, by plane. (The two hours stay in the airport is actually longer than the travel time itself.=D)

It was raining when we arrived in Bohol, but Cebu Pacific was ready as they lent us some umbrellas to use as we walked from the plane to the arrival area. The airport is located at the city capital, Tagbilaran. The runway still needs to be improved though, since we noticed that the landing was a bit bumpy.

We already arranged our trip a week before we headed to Bohol, and we availed of a “three days, two nights package.” Our contact in Bohol was referred to us by some friends.

Our driver/tour guide, Ryan Wagner, was waiting for us in the van when we arrived in the airport. I thought that there would be others who would join us in the tour, but to my surprise, we had the van to ourselves for those three days in Bohol.

I also thought that there would still be some time for us to leave our bags in the place where we would stay in, and that we would be able to rest for awhile. But the tour started as soon as we left the airport.:)

We had the countryside tour for that day, and we were able to visit nine spots! It was exhausting, but it was definitely fun.:)

After the tour, we went to Johnny Calulo’s apartment in Tagbilaran, and this is where we stayed for the night. Mang Johnny was our contact in Bohol, and he arranged the package for us.

We were so surprised when we saw the apartment. The two-storey pad can fit eleven people! And only the three of us were going to stay there!

If I would rate the place, I’d give it a 7 out of 10.:) It’s great for barkadas and families, and it has this homey feel. The only downside is the blankets and sheets are a bit old, so it would be best to request for brand new blankets. Thick blankets, since the aircon is too strong that I had to wrap myself in three blankets.

After fixing our stuff and washing up, Mang Johnny brought us to Island City Mall. We had our dinner at Prawn Farm Restaurant, and we were served with wonderful food.:)

We rode the tricycle going back to Mang Johnny’s apartment, which is just 8 to 10 minutes away from the mall. The tricycle ride costs P8 per person.

On our second day, Ryan fetched us in the apartment and we had the Panglao Island tour. We also had our lunch in Bohol Bee Farm, and it was HEAVEN!:)

We stayed at Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao Island, and stayed there until we had to pack our things and leave for the aiport the next day.

There’s so much to do in Bohol, that I now understand why a lot of people are looking forward to their own visit in this beautiful island. We were able to see a lot of places, and while it was exhausting, it was also one of the best vacation spots I ever visited.:) I definitely have to visit Bohol again, and the next time, I’ll be trying the Balicasag tour, dolphin watching, and the Danao Extreme Adventure Tour.:)

Come and visit Bohol, Philippines!:)

3days/2nights package (3pax)

P11,000 = 3 pax (or P3,667 per person)

inclusions:

overnight accommodation in Tagbilaran

overnight accommodation in beachfront resort

city tour

Dauis/Panglao Tour

one breakfast

lunch buffet at Loboc river

airport transfers

entrance fees

guide fees

for inquiries, contact:

Johnny Calulo

Mabuhay Village, Tagbilaran City, Bohol

09268075694/09177031664/09228213055

johnnycalulo@yahoo.com

Ryan Wagner

09261182800/09237114296/09309286419

terminal fee = (NAIA 3) P200 per person; (Tagbilaran airport) P20 per person [yes, that’s twenty.:)]

NOTE:

If you’d rather not avail of the tour package, an overnight stay at Mang Johnny’s apartment is P350, per person. An overnight stay meanwhile at the Dumaluan Beach Resort costs P1,600 for two (plus P150 for the extra person).

RELATED POSTS:

Bohol Countryside Tour

Panglao Island Tour

Prawn Farm Restaurant

Bohol Bee Farm

—ms. eaturista—