It took almost three days to get to Bohol. First it was the 26 hour flight to Manila from Toronto. We stayed overnight and then took the first flight to the city of Cebu, a major port in the Philippines. We stayed a night in Cebu, stepping out only to grab dinner and some provisions (baby food and mangoes). The morning after, we took the 2 hour boat ride to Tagbilaran, Bohol, and finally an hour van ride to the town of Loboc. Sounds tiring, doesn’t it? It was, especially with two jet-lagged kids, one of which had her eating schedule reversed and would only nurse at night. The first thing I did when we arrived in Bohol was take a three hour nap.

Even though we had been in the Philippines for about 48 hours by the time we arrived in Bohol, it wasn’t until after that nap did our vacation truly begin. Bohol was a delightful introduction to the Philippines: we look it slow and just observed the local way of life.

Our resort was so lovely— enchanting even— that we didn’t venture far from it. There was so much to do on the resort grounds! Located at the bank of the Loboc River, there was 9 hectares of untouched land to wander and explore. There was an abundance of wildlife surrounding the resort, including monkeys, birds and lizards. We would wake up in the mornings to roosters crowing. One morning, we even found water buffalo grazing on the grass beneath our nipa hut. Big Brother had the opportunity to fish for the very first time, but much to his disappointment he didn’t catch anything (the fishing expedition lasted all of 15 minutes before he grew bored and moved on to chasing chickens). We took long walks, though with a three year old who needed to examine every single thing that moved, we didn’t go far. When tired and hot from the walk, we would take a dip in the pool. It was hard not to take things slow at the resort and take in the beauty.

There are plenty of activities and attractions in and around Bohol. Here’s a shortlist of the things we did:

To Do

Chocolate Hills

The main tourist attraction in Bohol are the Chocolate Hills, a natural geological formation. There are at least 1,776 hills on the island, making quite an extraordinary landscape. The grassy hills turn chocolate brown, hence the name.

Two of the hills have been converted into lookout points. We went to one of them (not sure which one) to see the hills. They weren’t chocolate coloured when we were there, but quite a sight nonetheless!

Cost: 1100 pesos for a tour of Bohol in private air conditioned van. The tour stops at 3-4 places but we only went to the Chocolate Hills and the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary because Little Sister wasn’t feeling well.

Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary

The second thing Bohol is known for are primates called tarsiers. They are peculiar little creatures! First of all, I find them a creepy looking, a cross between a mouse and gremlin. They have giant eyeballs which are fixed in their skull and have the ability to rotate their heads 180 degrees. They are shy animals and sensitive to noise and light; if stressed (by human interaction or too much noise and light), they’re prone to commit suicide.

Tarsiers are endangered species with less than 1000 remaining on the island of Bohol. The dwindling forest due to rapid human population growth threatens the survival of the tarsier. The Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is a conservation area located near Corella, Bohol. The conservation serves to study and protect the tarsiers, but it is also open to the public for viewings.

Here, the tarsiers live in the wild in a 10 hectare forest. Visitors are welcome to a small area of the forest in small guided tours. Staff at the center search for tarsiers among the trees in the morning, and because tarsiers are nocturnal, they essentially stay in the place the entire day. There are 8 tarsiers in the visitor’s area, but only those who are found are shown to visitors.

We saw four tarsiers during our visit. We walked silently among the trees until our guide would stop and point up in a tree. Most of them were sleeping or too far and shrouded in shade for a good photograph, but we did see one who woke up briefly to stare at us with its incredibly big eyes. Flash photography and touching of the animals are prohibited.

Cost: 60 pesos per adult; children under 7 are free

Loboc River Cruise

Loboc River is another popular destination on Bohol. The river is a kaleidoscope of every shade of green; the water is an emerald green, a reflection of the lush surroundings. There are several ways to explore the river; the most popular is the floating restaurant. At 450 pesos, it is considered expensive and a tourist trap, but you get a lunch buffet, live dance performance, and an opportunity to people watch. Most of the diners on board were excited Filipino tourists. Their energy and enthusiasm were so infectious and fun to take in. Big Brother was simply excited to be on a boat.

Another way to see the river is by private boat, kayak or paddle board. Our resort offered us complimentary use of their kayaks. The kids stayed with the staff one morning while Daniel and I kayaked up and down the river. We had such excellent views of life on the bank, but our favourite part was being away from our two little buggers.

Cost: 450 pesos per adult; children 3 and younger are free

Fireflies Tour

Our resort offered evening tours to see fireflies along the river. However, they do not have children’s’ lifejackets and thus kids aren’t allowed. Instead, they arranged a tricycle to an inland location with fireflies. We went one evening it was a particularly magical experience. We were taken to a single tree on the road that lit up like as if it was strung with Christmas lights. Even more captivating was the starry sky above us.

Cost: 1000 pesos for a boat tour; 300 pesos for the tricycle tour

Mahogany Forest

On our way to the Chocolate Hills, the surrounding landscape morphed from farmlands to the lush green of Bilar’s Manmade forest. Tall and imposing, the tall majestic mahogany trees of the forest forms an arc, as if it were a gateway to a fantastical world (Lothlorien, maybe?); the thick canopy of leaves form a ceiling, blocking out the sunlight. As our car sped through in the shade of the 2 kilometer stretch of forest, and I stared out the window, completely hypnotized by the forest’s haunting beauty.

Haunting is truly fitting word to describe the splendor of Bilar’s; the forest has a dark side. Planted in the 1960s as a campaign to battle deforestation in Bohol, the mahogany trees are not native to the Philippines. I later learned that introducing alien trees harms the natural ecosystem. Native microorganisms are unable to exist in the soil due to the chemicals released during the decomposition of mahogany tree leaves. The forest lacks biodiversity and aside from the trees, there is little life in the forest—no birds, no insects.

While I only experienced the forest through the pane of the car windows, its beauty resonated with me, prompting me to read and think more about the reforestation efforts. The ability to teach and change perspectives is one of the greatest things about travel, no?

Cost: Free, passed by on the car tour of Bohol

Last Word

Bohol was an amazing destination in the Philippines. It is great to explore with children, simply because of the diversity of activities it has to offer. Even though we were there for almost a week and a half, we only explored the area around our resort. The kids were still adjusting to the time change and new environment, and we opted to take it slow and just soak in the beauty of our surroundings. Big Brother was simply delighted with the nature and wildlife. And I- I was happy just to watch locals across the river bank.