Bohol Bohol, ever smiling, ever friendly Scenic Bohol casts a spell on visitors drawn to this – oval-shaped island Getting There LAOAG – from the Chocolate Hills to the Tarsier, Major Airport Gateway: from 16th century watchtowers to Bohol Tagbilaran City airport (TAG), the capital of the province of Bohol Banaue Baroque Jesuit mission churches, from Air Transport: Luzon the Loboc River to Tagbilaran City itself. Several domestic carriers fly daily to Tagbilaran from Manila PHILIPPINE SEA Add to these are palm-fringed coastlines (MNL). It’s an hour and 15 minutes away. MANILAMMAMANMANIMANIL that are blessed with a myriad of white Water Transport: sand beaches and sheltering coves. Numerous passenger ferries and fast craft services are Mindoro available from Manila, Cebu and Dumaguete to Tagbilaran Boracay And of course, the ever-smiling, and other ports in Bohol. Tagbilaran is a regular stop-over Aklan Samar Visayas ever-friendly Boholano! point for vessels headed for Cagayan de Oro, Butuan Panay Iloilo Palawan Cebu Leyte and other cities in Northern Mindanao. Bohol in a nutshell is a little bit of Cebu, CEBUCCECEB BohBBoBohool Palawan and Boracay rolled into one Hotels and Resorts Negros – Cebu for its rich history and Spanish Bohol already has a large number of hotels, resorts, SULU SEA heritage; Palawan for its lush flora and pension houses, tourist inns and other facilities for unusual fauna; and Boracay for its white tourists. Most of these are concentrated in the capital DAVAO Basilan sandy beaches and resort atmosphere. and along the beaches and coastal regions of Panglao But make no mistake – Bohol has a island. A few more are scattered around the island. Mindanao unique local flavour unseen in any other Accommodations are hospitable, safe and affordable. CELEBES SEA part of the Philippines. Throw these all Eating Out and Nightlife into the mix, and you have one great Special buys include the very popular Peanut Kisses (a famous Bohol delicacy shaped like the holiday destination. Much of the excitement of dining in Bohol lies not in the usual restaurant fare. The dampa style of famous Chocolate Hills, but made out of peanuts), choosing your own selection of food from the purple yam (locally known as Kinampay or ubi), local wet market and letting the local chef cook baskets from the town of Antequera and woven Fast Facts them home-style will be your best bet for an products from the town of Tubigon, which are Time Zone: GMT + 8 affordable yet extremely sumptuous option to made from local fibres and buri leaves. savour excellent seafood. A wide range of the Visa: Only required if staying more than 30 days freshest catch is available daily. These can be Sports Activities and Exploration Climate: November to February – cool and grilled right off the hook for an instant native Bohol is an exotic mix of the best that the mostly dry; March to June – warm and mostly dry; gourmet treat, with the ever-popular San Miguel Philippines has to offer. The rolling hills and low July to October – warm and mostly wet Beer to help you wash down your meal. mountains are ideal for trekking and mountain Average Temperature Yea r- round: 24°C – 32°C Most of the nightlife is found along the beaches of biking excursions. Because of its limestone Attire: Light casual clothes all year round Panglao island, where the majority of tourists foundation, the province is also a land of surreal caves that come to life at dusk, with the Philippine Pesos. Check with the local prefer to stay. There are only a few clubs and bars Money: emergence of hordes of insect-feeding bats. banks for current exchange rates. All major credit in Tagbilaran City, as Bohol remains more of a Officially, there are 1,400 caves in this small cards accepted family vacation destination. island, many of which are unexplored and are said Water: Bottled water available in resorts, Shops, Markets and Crafts to contain "hidden treasures" from World War II. restaurants and convenience stores Countryside tours are popular and one can enjoy Philippines Department of Tourism Communications: International and direct dial Bohol’s handicrafts are famous throughout the any of the tours that are organized by local tour 10 -11 Suffolk Street London, SW1Y 4HG phone and fax. Internet cafes are widely available country, including mats, baskets, raffia woven operators to places like Loboc (River Cruise), Tel: 020 7321 0668 Fax: 020 7925 2920 cloth, fashion accessories, woodcraft, processed Carmen (the Chocolate Hills), Cambuhat (Oyster What to Bring: Sun block, tanning lotions, E-mail: [email protected] food and ceramics. There are also countless gift Village) and others. And for city-dwellers wishing insect repellant, personal medication, swimwear www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.co.uk and accessories, etc. shops all over the island where native delicacies for a bit of urban living, Tagbilaran provides and souvenirs are available. enough shopping and entertainment activities. Of course, there is always the CEBU 5. Busay Falls (Loboc, 26 km from Tagbilaran City) 9. Anibogan Massacre Site Useful Websites for the Region: (Catigbian, 73 km from Tagbilaran City) beach. For those who are called Busay Falls is 12 metres wide and 4 metres deep. It caters to Bohol www. bohol. gov. ph out from the inlands and into the A memorial to valour, glory and heroism, the site www. bohol. ph LAPINING swimmers and sightseers who would be enthralled to commune sea, beaches here are exquisite commemorates the massacre of Filipino victims during www. bohol-island.com ISLAND with nature. The Floating Restaurants had been anchored there as – ideal for relaxing and taking up World War II. Tagbilaran http://www. tagbilaran. gov. ph/ Jetafe Talibon venue for meetings and conferences. some rays. Just a little bit further Pitogo Other useful Websites for nearby Regions: 0 14km Tugas 10. Dagohoy Marker (Danao, 92 km from Tagbilaran City) out into the ocean, more 6. Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape Cebu http://www. cebu. gov. ph/ The Dagohoy marker honours Francisco Dagohoy, who adventure awaits. All sorts of Negros Oriental http://www. negor. gov. ph/ 35mm = 14km (approx) Aguining Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape is classified as an Important inspired an 84-year revolt against Spain from 1744 to water sports are found on Siquijor http://www. mysiquijor.com/ Asinan Birdwatching Area frequented by foreign birders for possible 1829 – the longest revolt in the country’s history. Bohol’s waters and shores, Ubay Cambuhat sightings of threatened and restricted-range species of the Useful Contacts: everything from parasailing, windsurfing, kayaking, Attractions within the Region Basiao 11. President Carlos P. Garcia Memorial Park boating, jet skiing, water skiing, wake-boarding, BOHOL Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Region. These include (Tagbilaran City) Department of Tourism Offices: skim-boarding, to island hopping – with around NATURAL ATTRACTIONS Maubid the Mindanao Tarictic and the Mindanao subspecies of the Erected in loving memory of the greatest Boholano, London +44 (0) 20 7321 0668 [email protected] 73 islands to choose from. And when you thought Rufous Hornbill plus must-see species like the Wattled Broadbill, 1. Philippine Tarsier Carlos Polistico Garcia, the fourth President of the www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.co.uk Steere’s Pitta and the Yellow-breasted Tailorbird. Republic of the Philippines. It sits on a rolling site you’ve done everything possible in Bohol, you (Corella, 10 km from Tagbilaran City) Diabas Manila +63 (0) 459 5200 discover a whole new universe of wonders as you This is one of the rarest faunas found in the chosen by the late president himself, when he was www. wowphilippines.com. ph Dagohoy Marker 7. Kain-git Beach (Tagbilaran City) then-governor of Bohol. The exquisite monument is take a dip in the ocean. Philippine archipelago and considered as the Hammer head Tubigon San Pascual Cebu +63 (0) 32 254 28 11 made by National Artist Napoleon Abueva, another dotregion7@ gmail.com smallest primate in the world. Measuring four to Poi nt A popular beach area that is close to the heart of Tagbilaran City and Southwest famous son of Bohol. www. visitmyphilippines.com Diving five inches, a few of these tiny creatures are housed Sagbayan frequented by local bathers. It is being developed and maintained Poi nt Airlines: in Loboc, for viewing by tourists. However, if you're Lomboy by the city government and is fast becoming a major entertainment Bohol diving is a celestial experience. It boasts of an Anibogan Massacre Site Dagohoy Alicia Philippine Airlines +63 (0) 2 855 8888 Looc area offering kiosks selling drinks, seafood and local delicacies. RELIGIOUS ATTRACTIONS underwater panorama of impressive coral gardens really interested to see them in their natural www. philippineairlines.com habitat, there is a 1 5- kilometre pathway through Chocolate Hills Mabini teeming with colourful marine life. Noted for their Northwes t Calape In addition, the southern coast of Bohol province is strewn with The entire island is studded with stone churches that Cebu Pacific +63 (0) 2 702 0888 the rolling terrain of the interior towns of Corella, Poi nt Pagahat date back centuries. Most towns boast of a church www. cebupacificair.com deep, steep walls, Bohol’s unique dive sites were Catigbian numerous white sand beaches, from world-famous Alona Beach in Sikatuna, and Loboc where the tarsiers thrive. that was built during the Spanish era, the most ceb.reservation@ cebupacificair.com created by the continental shifts during prehistoric Lintuan Beach Cogtong the west to Anda Beach in the east. Most resorts are concentrated Sierra-Bullones notable being at Baclayon and Dauis. It is Spain’s Asian Spirit +63 (0) 2 840 3811 times. Diving is close to most resorts, which means Carmen www.