Some of our friends from Arvato were talking about going on a day hike somewhere but the plan never materialized. Until one Saturday evening, we were chatting on Facebook messenger, the day hike thing was brought up. After discussing about where to meet, what time, and what to bring, the plan was no longer just a plan.
Early morning we were at Tikling having breakfast at KFC. There were 4 of us looking forward to starting this one day adventure. There were 4 of us, Alvin, Me, MC, and Ryan. The brave and bored souls. lol!
We took a jeepney from Tikling to Binangonan Port. From there, we took a passenger boat to Barangay Janosa, the jump off location. At the time it was raining so we were praying that the weather would spare our hike that day.
It is required to register at Mt. Tagapo base camp and pay a PHP20.00 registration fee. A guide is also available for PHP300.00 per day, this is also required.
I wasn't able to really able to take many photos but my partner Alvin made a video from a few clips and pictures that we managed to take.
The country side tour in Bohol was fun but what I was really looking forward to was the activities for our day 3 in the province. Beach please!!!
The day after our Bohol country side tour was solely dedicated for beach bumming. We paid a Balicasag Island tour and water activities. It was before sunrise when we were brought to Alona Beach where a boat was waiting for our dolphin watching trip.
The tour didn't disappoint, we saw a lot of dolphins in the wild chasing their food. Since they move so fast, the supposed to be "dolphin watching" became "dolphin chasing". We were literally chasing them to get a closer look at what they do. I was like a kid seeing cotton candy for the first time... all smiles (just see the video at the end of this post).
When we had enough of chasing the dolphins, we decided to go to Balicasag Island where we were scheduled for an hour or so of snorkeling. We also ordered some grilled fish with rice and coffee for breakfast (super expensive but had to stock up for a day of fun!!!).
They have different areas to snorkel, the fish sanctuary, turtle sanctuary, and the area where huge clams shells can be seen. You pay different amount per area if you want to visit them. We've chosen to stay at the fish sanctuary cause the water is shallower than the other two (if you're not yet aware, we don't know how to swim! lol!)
One of the locals served as our guide. He has this small paddle boat that took us to the edge of the coral reef. Different kinds of fishes can be seen and the best part you'd ask? You can feed them!
We swam (more like float) for an hour till we can't swim no more. Though we enjoyed snorkeling so much because of the beautiful creatures in the water, it was not a walk in the part, if you must know. On our way back to the shore, I choose to just hold on to the side of the boat ("katig") while our guide pushes it back. That's when I saw a turtle eating freely on the seabed. Such a magnificent creature!
By the time we were back, my sjcam battery died so I wasn't able to take photos of where we stayed to have snack. Freshly picked buko juice served with straw and spoon for the coconut meat. Some locals were also selling souvenirs so I got one refrigerator magnet with Balicasag Island written on it.
Next, another 30-45 minutes boat ride to Virgin Island. The very first time I was there, it was super deserted. Now, they have Padre Pio's statue and a tourism office in the island. We tried to reach the tip of the sandbar but it was so tiring because the tide was already high plus it was so hot. So after a few photos and a good 30 minutes, we travelled back to Alona Beach.
It was already lunch time so we scouted for a place to eat. Also, I needed another sarong so I bought one with an awesome design and wore it the rest of the day.
We found a restaurant that serves freshly grilled seafood. What better way to eat them than using your bare hands, so we indulged. Food trip to the nth level. #seafoodDiet (when I see food, I eat it diet. Gets?)
It was a whole afternoon ahead of us so we planned to just find a place we can beach bum lazily. There was this beach front resort with restaurant that looks nice, it's called "Oasis Resort". Even if we just finished lunch, we ordered nachos, beer, and margarita.
Pretty much we did nothing the entire time but talk about so many things. After we've finished eating everything, we walked towards Hennan Bohol where we stayed for another drink and took a nap on the beach chairs until sunset. There were people walking around offering massage and stuff so it was not really the serene atmosphere that I was looking for. Nevertheless, the view's awesome.
It was already dark when we reached Natura Vista. We ate our dinner and went to bed. Yup, our last night in Bohol. We are flying back to Manila the following day but our flight was scheduled in the afternoon so we have enough time to visit the nearby resort and Hinagdanan Cave.
The morning sky was grey and rain was in the air but it did not stop us from going to Hinagdanan Cave. It was a few minutes walk from the resort. One of the staffs guided us to short cut going to the location. We went through backyards of the locals and practically middle of nowhere before we found the main road heading straight to the cave.
We paid the entrance fee and passed by a narrow passage to the cave. It was humid inside but the place was well lit because of scientists conducting a research on the different creatures found inside. The water looks very inviting but we didn't bother to jump in afraid we might disturb what they were doing.
The walk back to the resort was an adventure because it was just the two of us. Not sure if we were able to find our way back but we braved it anyway. Luckily I was able to keep track of some major details of the places we passed by and the locals were very helpful so we reached the resort in no time.
It was almost lunch so we asked one of the resort staff to accompany us to the Panglao Nature Resort and Spa (PNRS). It was our last stop before going back to Manila so we made sure to make it worth it. The PNRS has a manmade islet which serves as another ground for parties and any other activities for guests.
We didn't swim in the ocean but we soaked in the infinity swimming pool while waiting for our lunch to be served. I had a nap under a tree and it was so peaceful.
The food was served at around 12 noon. A bit pricey (since it is a luxury resort) but the food was great. I ordered a plate of Sinuglaw (sinugba-kinilaw a must try) and a grilled platter with pork barbecue, grilled squid, and grilled tuna. I KNOW! Mouth-watering!
Too much for beach bumming and relaxation. All good things must come to an end. We had to go back to Manila that afternoon and have to face again the reality of work, traffic, and never-sleeping-life-of-the-metro.
