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.
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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—
eaturistas 