WON AND TRAVEL: BOHOL PHILIPPINES

Earlier this year, I had my unforgettable first trip from Cebu to the jewel of the Philippines—Bohol. It all happened while I was still working as a call center agent, when one of my colleagues won a travel package from Ayala Mall for a trip to Bohol.

She said that the roundtrip ticket included air-conditioned transportation in Bohol, a buffet lunch at the Loboc Floating Restaurant along the Loboc River, and entrance fees to all the tourist spots. The only thing I needed to prepare was some extra pocket money in case of emergency, since everything else was covered. We visited the Chocolate Hills, the Blood Compact, Baclayon Church, Xzootic Animal Park and Butterfly Garden, Luboc River, the Man-Made Forest, went to Tarsier-watching, and stopped at Bellevue to rest and chill.

CEBU TO BOHOL
March 15, 2025 — It was 6:15 AM after work when we finished preparing everything we needed and set off for our trip to Bohol. By 7:00 AM, we were already at the Cebu port, waiting for the OceanJet ferry. Around 8:30 AM, our journey officially began. Along the way, we crossed the Philippines’ longest bridge—the iconic CCLEX.

While chatting and sharing laughs, time flew by without us noticing. Before we knew it, we had arrived in Bohol at exactly 10:42 AM.

FIRST: BLOOD COMPACT

Our first destination was the Blood Compact Shrine, and we were safely brought there by our Kuya driver/guide. As you can see, the site is not only beautiful but also rich with history—one that speaks volumes about the Philippines. We took a little pose and while reminiscing the beauty on it.

SECOND: BACLAYON CHURCH

Second destination at the Baclayon church wherein it is one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines.

As per Kuya driver said, it was once made of coral and bonded with a mixture of lime and egg whites. Indeed, it shows how creative Filipinos are. I also prayed for what's in my heart, hoping that God will guide me through it.

THIRD: XZOOTIC ANIMAL PARK AND BUTTERFLY GARDEN

Let's now travel to Agape, Loay, Bohol to see those animals and their butterfly garden. Upon entering, the ambiance was good, not in the exciting part to see those snakes, a little bit scared and something feel interesting. Our guide took us picture together with those animals like snakes, different type of parrots, monkey, crocodile and their different type of butterflies.

According to the guide at Xzootic Park, a butterfly's lifespan ranges from a few weeks to several months, depending on environmental conditions and species. It's a life lesson for us as humans—to live the best we can, because life is short and we never truly know what the future holds.

FOURTH: LOBOC RIVER FLOATING RESTO

After a long trip, it's time for some good food at the floating restaurant. I welcome you all to the Loboc River Floating Resto! They say it costs ₱1,000 to dine here, all while enjoying the best and most unforgettable view of Loboc.

It’s a buffet-style setup offering mostly Filipino dishes, and they also have a live band—which I truly enjoyed. We took lots of pictures, and I even tried the pambansang sayaw or national dance of the Philippines: tinikling.

This isn’t the end of our journey; there’s so much more ahead.

FIFTH: MAN-MADE FOREST

Let’s visit the mahogany-planted stretch known as the Bilar Man-Made Forest, one of Bohol’s most famous attractions. There, I felt the temperature drop and the light dim as the thick canopy wrapped me in a tunnel of green. Indeed, it’s a testament to the importance they placed on caring for the environment.
After a quick drop, lets proceed to another destination.

SIXTH: TARSIER VIEWING

Dropping in to the world's smallest primates waits for us—the Tarsier. According to the management, she told us not to use our flashllight since tarsier are sensitive and we have to stay quit upon visiting.

Truley, they're so cute and small, I hope that tarsier's species endures for the future generations.

SEVENTH: CHOCOLATE HILLS

Let's dive into the famous tourist spot in the world, the chocolate hills. It has estimated suggest that there are between 1,260 and 1,776 Chocolate Hills scattered across the towns of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan in Bohol.

Gassssh, the beauty is giving, it draws countless visitors year after year. How I wish I could return to experience it once more.

EIGHT: BELLEVUE RESORT

After a long tiring day we headed to Bellevue Resort,I initially thought we’d just rest, but the adventure continued. We explored the resort, enjoyed a nice dinner, and admired their hospitality.

After nearly 24 hours without sleep, I finally got some well-deserved rest—five hours of peaceful sleep, and it was all worth it.

The following morning, while still at the resort, we had our breakfast and prepared to dip into the pool and the sea. The food was tasty, and the morning view remained beautiful.

The resort also had plenty of koi fish, adding a pleasing touch to the eyes.

Additionally, it was supposed to be the end of our adventure and time to return to Cebu, but my colleagues suggested we extend our trip a little longer, so we headed to another beach.

ALONA BEACH, PANGLAO BOHOL

Alona Beach amazed me—free and open to everyone, with crystal-clear blue waters and no entrance fee. I didn’t expect a beach this relaxing and beautiful to be so accessible. I can see that there's a lot of fun water activities.

To top it all off, we even tried the local beach braids—each strand woven tight with colorful threads. Getting braided hair at the beach adds such a fun, carefree vibe—like a souvenir I wear.

Furthermore, after the 2days and one night adventure, it’s time to go back to the Queen City of the South —Cebu. So, before that, my workmate wanted to stay longer because she was still enjoying the place, and we bought some souveniers, enjoying the streets and I decided to head back to Cebu ahead of her since I already had my ticket.

I took the Lite Ferries back home. Yet, the most unforgettable moments come unplanned—like staying a little longer than expected.

LAST LEG OF THE JOURNEY
After such a momentous first local trip to Bohol, I realized it wasn’t just beautiful—it was soul-refreshing. I hope I can return someday. Thank you, Bohol—you are truly beautiful and worthy of being proudly shared with the world.

Anyway, this my first time wearing this publicly huhu coz I'm not into this. But yeah, this is your Cherry ng Cebu, thanks for diving in at my Bohol Trip.