BOHOL STILL HAS IT ALL

 

This piece is written by Chato Araneta, one of the Directors of Green Earth Tours and Travel. Chato hails from Bohol and this is her ode to a place she calls home. If you wish to visit Bohol, our travel agency can provide hassle-free tour packages, discounted resort rates in Panglao or hotel rates in Tagbilaran as well as van rentals and ferry tickets from Cebu to Bohol. It will be our pleasure to be of assistance to you and we than you from the bottom of hour hearts for helping revive a place which was once every one’s paradise. Bohol remains to be Bohol; its waters pristine; the tarsiers beckoning; the hills inviting. Ask us how you can do your part and see how Bohol has survived after the earthquake that hit it last October 2013.

 

Bohol will always be for me a paradise, yes, even after “Magnitude 7.2”!

 

Stakeholders of the tourism industry in the province have remained active, offering interesting Bohol tour packages. The itinerary of the famous Bohol countryside tour has been very much the same after the earthquake. Although for a while, the route was deviated due to some destroyed roads, the alternate route taken still led to the most popular Bohol tour destinations.

 

The Chocolate Hills – who can take away these myriad mystery-laden hills that have enticed curious tourists far and near? Yes, part of the view deck has been destroyed, but enjoying its sight has not been impossible. As far as one’s eyes can see, these grassy cone-shaped hills which turn chocolatey-brown in summer have retained their grandeur. It has remained to be Bohol’s signature attraction to this day.

 

 

Century-old churches which have given Bohol a sense of history understandably fell “easy prey” to the intensity of the earthquake. Although some are beyond repair, others are undergoing reconstruction. What has been left of some destroyed churches – whether a half of a belfry tower or a portion of an altar – have become attractions by themselves, something uniquely interesting to the many tourists who avail of a cheap Bohol tour package. Many of them have visited ruins and posed for a souvenir photo amid the rubbles as if to say “we’ve been here!”….pretty much like what every visitor in Macau does on the steps of what remains to be the ruins of Saint Paul Church. Even the “sink holes” in some areas in the province which developed from severe road cracks brought about by the earthquake have likewise become attractions. Peeping through them reveals Bohol must have caves underneath. This might be another interesting thing to explore.

 

 

 

The Tarsier – the “living jewel” of Bohol is very well and alive. Known to be the smallest primate in the world, it might have been shaken by Magnitude 7.2, but this unique nocturnal creature continues to welcome visitors with its unusually big eyes. Best left in its natural habitat, the tarsier can be seen in Loboc town. A visit to the tarsier sanctuary is exciting and should not be missed in the Bohol tour package.

 

 

A “must do” part of a Bohol tour is the Loboc River cruise. Tourists get into a  nipa-roofed floating restaurant and enjoy their lunch in a rustic serenity pass lush greenery of drooping trees and bushes along the river banks. The cruise is made more relaxing as a lively group serenades the visitors.

 

 

Passing through the man-made forest is part of the itinerary. It is the most refreshing experience in a Bohol tour package. Especially on a hot summer day, this is a welcome drive through a plantation of old mahogany trees along the highway between Loboc and Bilar towns. At daytime as one enters a canopy of lush green foliage of tree branches, the sun suddenly seems to hide save for faint streaks of sunlight peeping through the trees. One is refreshed by a different coolness of the air through the stretch of the forest atmosphere.

 

 

But Bohol’s most enduring attraction will always be its beaches.. When you book for a Bohol tour package, never miss to spend your holiday in a resort by the beach. Most of Bohol’s shorelines, especially in Panglao island are covered with fine white sand and its pristine azure waters are too inviting to resist. Adding to the many existing resorts that dot the entire island of Panglao, a number of new beautiful ones of international standards have risen lately ready to serve visitors with discriminating taste –  Maribago and Bellevue Resort, among the most recent.

 

 

 

A new discovery are the unspoiled white beaches in the eastern town of Anda. Just as pristine as the waters of Panglao, one gets the bonus of relishing serenity and quiet in a laid back ambience.

 

To finally complete your Bohol holiday, avail of the famous Bohol Island Fun Tour with a chance to watch dolphins in the clear waters of  Pamilacan island. An early morning trip on board a motorized banca will give you the thrill of watching playful dolphins frolic in their natural habitat. A part of this tour also includes snorkelling and fish feeding; and if tide conditions allow, a picture-perfect stroll on the sand bar of Virgin Islands will excite you to no end. For diving enthusiasts, though, this is not about all. Deep down the waters of Balicasag Island, it is as if one truly rediscovers paradise. Known to be one of the richest and most colourful marine sanctuaries in the world, a diver will be overwhelmed as his sight begins to feast on fish and corals of the brightest hues and reefs of varied shapes. Simply fascinating…one cannot ask for more!

 

 

Bohol is accessible by air and sea. Nine flights from Manila service the province daily, and fast ferries like Ocean Jet, Supercat and Weesam ply the Cebu-Bohol route with many trip schedules daily to suit one’s convenience. When in Bohol, land tours will be assuredly comfortable as roads throughout the province are well-paved.

 

Green Earth Tour and Travel is a travel agency that ably operates various Bohol tours like the   famous Bohol Countryside tour and the Bohol Island Fun Tour among others. Our industry partners are reliable and trustworthy which makes us confident to offer foreign and local tourists hassle-free Bohol tour packages all the time. Visit Paradise, visit my home.