Visit Bohol !

Scenic lookout point in Bohol provides a panoramic view of the Chocolate Hills. -- Photos by Diane Slawych

One of the most popular attractions here is also one of the most unusual. The Chocolate Hills -- 1,268 limestone mounds that range in height from 40 to 120 metres, are found within a 50-square-km area in the centre of Bohol.

Their geological origin is a mystery.

Chocolate kisses

Less of a mystery is how they got their name. Eric Canete, a local guide tells me an American professor who visited in the 1940s, thought the shape and colour of the hills resembled chocolate kisses. That's how the Carmen Hills (the previous name) became the Chocolate Hills.

The prof had obviously visited during a dry spell when the giant mounds were brown in colour. Our visit coincides with the rainy season when everything has turned green.

You can explore the area by hiking between the hills or climbing to the top of one of the mounds which has 214 stairs built along one side. From the platform, there's a spectacular view of the conical hills that stretch as far as the eye can see.

Considering their status as a National Geological Monument, the Chocolate Hills don't get the tourist crowds you might expect. It seems Bohol, one of the prettiest of the Visayan Islands, is also one of the least visited.

Obviously word hasn't gotten out about the historic stone churches, the white-sand beaches of Panglao (home to the luxurious Alona Palm Beach Resort), and the island's easy accessibility. Bohol is a one-hour flight south of Manila or an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from its western neighbour, Cebu.

It's a peaceful island, says Canete, where about half the population of 1.1 million earn a living from fishing and agriculture, mainly copra, rice and root crops. Some of the locals we meet weave baskets, others sell jewelry made with local shells, or design furniture using recycled tires.

Tiny tarsiers cling to a branch.

In Loboc, the music capital of Bohol, and home to the renowned Loboc Children's Choir, we set out on a one-hour river cruise on a thatch-roofed bamboo raft.

Tasty seafood

The most memorable part of the trip is a tasty seafood lunch onboard and a stop at the tarsier sanctuary.

Billed as the "world's smallest mammal," the endangered tarsier is so tiny it could easily fit in the palm of your hand.

When we arrive, about a half dozen of the nocturnal animals are perched on the limbs of potted plants. None are in cages.

We're surprised to learn the tarsiers, distinguished by their large saucer-shaped eyes, have no peripheral vision. To compensate though, the animal is able to turn its head 180 degrees.

A pamphlet explains that the tarsier is the oldest surviving member of the primate group and that since 1996 the Philippine Tarsier Foundation has been studying the animal and working towards protecting its habitat.

Blood compact

One of the most historic moments in Bohol history took place on March 16, 1565, when Chief Sikatuna made a blood compact with Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, which brought Bohol under Spanish rule. This was considered the first international treaty of friendship, and is commemorated in a life-size sculpture near Tagbilaran City.

According to my guide, a blood compact involves two or more people who wish to become friends or brothers. Each person draws blood, which is deposited into a silver cup, then mixed with wine and drunk simultaneously to solidify the new ...

posted by Regulus Berdin @ 4:54 AM