Bohol – Dolphins, Balicasag and Virgin Island

On our last day we went on a boat tour with our new friend Elena.  The tour left at dawn (yawn!!) and began with a visit to where a pod of dolphins visits every morning.  The dolphins were cool, but it felt a little bit forced… There were tons of boats and as soon as the dolphins would appear, they would be mobbed by boats and people.  I think the dolphins thought it was a funny game though – popping up here and there and making people race around.  haha!

We enjoyed the beautiful morning and hung out on the boat as we jetted around.

Then it was off to Balicasag Island for some snorkeling!

The good news was that this turned out to be some of the best snorkeling I have ever done.  It’s a protected area and they are doing a good job of really protecting it.  After landing at the island, we left our motorized boat and had to hire a guide to take us out to the reef in a little canoe boat.  We then hopped out of the boat in the one area where you’re allowed to stand.  We swam to the “cliff” and then snorkeled along a line as long as we wanted within a restricted area.  There were lots of people, but also lots of guides making sure everyone was not touching and stuff.

The bad news was that I have no pictures to share with you and there really isn’t much available online.  We saw tons of these tiny purple fish and moorish idols and rainbow parrot fish and even 3 sea turtles.  It was captivating.  Here’s one picture I downloaded from pinoymariner.com to give you a sense.  Unfortunately you can’t really see the cliff or the way the reef is structured…  But I promise it’s super cool!

After leaving Balicasag, we made a quick stop at Virgin Island – essentially a sandbar – and picked up some buko (fresh coconut) and fried bananas on a stick.  Delightful!

This picture is also courtesy of pinoymariner.com!

All in all, it was an amazing end to our trip to Bohol and of Sarah’s visit to the Philippines.  We couldn’t have asked for more!

Bohol – Day Tour

We did so much on our day tour of Bohol that it would be impossible to share all of it… so I’m just going to give you an overview of the highlights.

First, the Baclayon Church – built in 1727 and unlike most of the old cathedrals in Manila, it hasn’t had to be rebuilt.  Bohol was not subject to the bombing that Manila received in WW2 and it hasn’t had as many devastating earthquakes, so this church has survived!

Another highlight was the butterfly sanctuary.  We learned about butterflies in this region and saw several beautiful species.  Plus we took a ton of ridiculous pictures – all at the prodding of our guide.

We had a delicious lunch on a river boat cruise while exploring the Loboc river and seeing some local children perform traditional dances.

Then, one of the true highlights of my time in the Philippines, we got to see the tarsiers!  They are nocturnal and very territorial, so apparently they come back to the same tree each day to sleep – thus making for great photo opportunities!

They are endangered and this conservation sanctuary seems to be doing a pretty good job protecting them and educating visitors about them.

Here’s one that was, somehow, awake for a minute!

Then the other top reason people go to Bohol – the Chocolate Hills!  These land formations are actually stone on which only a thin layer of grass will grow.  In the spring they are green, but in the summer the grass gets parched and brown and they become “chocolate” looking.

And no tour would be complete without a little buko – fresh coconut that you first drink the juice and then scoop out the fresh coconut meat.  It’s delicious, hydrating and refreshing.

It was a long day, but so worth it.  We were able to see so much and make so many great memories!

Bohol – The Bee Farm and Our Hotel

After visiting in Manila for a few days, we took Sarah down to Bohol to see what we could see there.  First stop, Sarah and I went to the Bee Farm – an organic farm featuring bees and bee products, organic herbs and other farming, a hotel, ice cream, and other assorted crafts.

When we arrived we were informed that unfortunately the bees had recently died… That was pretty much a bummer, but apparently there is a bee shortage in the world and this has happened in many locations for unknown reasons.  While that is a topic for another day, if you want to read more about it, check out this article.  It’s something to think about and consider if you and your family could be part of the solution by hosting a hive at your house or putting in bee friendly plants.

We didn’t let the absence of bees ruin our day though and we checked out some of the herb gardens…

…and had the most delicious, beautiful lunch ever!  First came lemongrass tea and homemade bread and spreads made from farm produce and honey….

…and second these gorgeous salads!  Mine was the spicy flower and Sarahs was a flower coconut salad.  They were amazing!

Later we returned to our beautiful hotel (the Linaw Resort) on Panglao Island for some r&r.  We read books, drank mango smoothies, and swam in the ocean and the pool.  It was the perfect afternoon!

That night we watched the sunset from the hotel – it was beyond beautiful.  It was one of those classic Filipino beach sunsets where I can tell you the colors were stunning and I can show you a picture, but it’s just still hard to believe that the colors were as bold and brilliant as they actually were.  I was glad Mark and I got to share it with Sarah – now she knows I’m not lying.  haha!