Hanging Bridge of Bohol

Hanging Bridge of Bohol

What Kids Should Know

• Where it is located: at Sevilla town of Bohol
• Built over what river: the Loboc River 
• Why was it built: to connect 2 barangays. Without the bridge, the locals will have to walk very far to cross to the other side of the river. 
• Made of what materials: It is a suspension bridge with bamboo flooring

11:00 AM -11:05 AM: Traveled from Manmade Forest to the Hanging Bridge

see previous post:

Manmade Forest

Chocolate Hills of Bohol

11:05 AM -11:25 AM: Crossed the river, bought souvenirs, returned to the van

It took us around 20 minutes to pay the entrance fee, cross the river, buy souvenirs at the shops at the other side of the river, and walk back, pause and take pictures in the middle of the river, then return to the van.

 

The entrance of the hanging bridge. 
The management imposes a load limit of 10 persons at a time.

This is the distance of the bridge from the river below. 
You can see a native Boholano washing clothes at the river.

The wooden flooring of the bridge

There are 2 bridges. 
At the other side are souvenir shops.

My tip: If you don't have much time shopping for souvenirs, you can make a stop at the souvenir shops at the other side of the river. You can buy peanut kisses, key chains, native placemats, and bracelets. If you're making a stop at the largest python, it's best to buy peanut kisses there instead of the souvenir shops here because they sell the cheapest peanut kisses, almost at factory price.

It's safe for kids to cross this bridge, as long as they are not initially frightened at the idea. 
The bridge is stable.

We are hanging on top of the Loboc river.

My tip: Ask your guide to cross the other bridge so he can take a picture like this. In our case, it was our guide, Tatsky's idea to take this picture. 

See our next stop: The Loboc River Cruise and Floating Restaurant

Manmade Forest of Bohol

 Manmade Forest of Bohol

As I've mentioned earlier in my previous post on the Chocolate Hills, we started with a 1 1/2 hour trip to the Chocolate Hills and made it our first stop. The reason is to take advantage of the good weather to view the Chocolate Hills because the past few days it rained in the afternoons. 

So we're doing this tour backwards because most tours had the Chocolate Hills as their last stop. Our next stop from the Chocolate Hills is the Manmade Forest.

My tip: If you don't have enough time, or you have small kids or elderly people with you, you don't need to stop at the Manmade Forest. You can just pass through it. It's more important to pace your companions and save their energies for the rest of the day rather than tire them out.

What Kids Should Know

• Where it is located: at the boundary of Bilar and Loboc towns
• What trees are planted: mahogany trees
• Why called man-made: because all the mahogany trees were planted by the Boholanos one by one during the reforestation programs in the 1960s.
• What's unique about this forest: It's the ONLY man-made forest in the Philippines. 
• What's so impressive about this forest: The Boholanos nurtured and watched over this forest to make sure the trees grow healthy and no one cuts any tree. It's easy to watch over one or 2 trees but it shows dedication to the preservation of the environment to watch over a whole forest. This is an indication of how committed the Boholanos are in preserving nature in Bohol.

10:30 AM -10:50AM: Traveled from Chocolate Hills to the Manmade Forest

See the previous post: Chocolate Hills of Bohol

10:50 AM -11:00AM: Manmade Forest

Tatsky watching for cars so he can cue us 
when to run to  the middle of the road for the usual photo

See the next stop: The Hanging Bridge

Chocolate Hills National Geological Monument

Chocolate Hills National Geological Monument

(Below is what was written in the plaque on the viewdeck at the Chocolate Hills Complex, Carmen, Bohol)

1 About two million years ago, most of the island of Bohol was below a shallow sea. Coral reefs, similar to those now found offshore of northern Bohol, thrived and extensively covered the sea floor. During stormy days, fragments of corals and shells derived by waves from the reefs were deposited mostly at the landward side of the reefs. The coral and shell fragments formed relatively thin layers (brown) surrounding the live coral reefs (pink).

2 Slowly, the land rose causing the coral reef formations to emerge out of the sea. The taller arrows shown in the diagram indicate that the southern sections of Bohol island had been uplifted more than the northern sections. 

3 The chocolate hills had been carved out from the relatively thin layers of coral and shell fragments. During the initial stage, the surface may have looked like as shown in the diagram which covers the brown rectangular patch in the previous diagram. Gullies were developed in the low lying areas and lakes occupied the existing depressions.

4 Coral and shell fragments are largely composed of calcium carbonate. A chemical compound which can be dissolved by acidic solution. Rainwater becomes slightly acidic by dissolving some carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Thus, rainwater can dissolve coral and shell fragments. But this happens very slowly. With rainwater acting on the layer of coral and shell fragments for tens to hundred of thousand of years, gullies were deepened and widened to become streams. Lakes were emptied by underground rivers and interconnected conical hills were formed from the original flat surface.


5 When the base of the soluble formation was reached, downcutting ceased and later erosion became dominant. Valleys were widened. The remnant of the layers in the highly dissected areas were dissolved away. And the connections between neighboring hills were also dissolved away. Thus, the chocolate hills that you now behold are products of the patient laboring of rainwater on a thin soluble limestone formation.


6 Based on geological studies conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, there were parts of Bohol that used to be under the sea. These are shows as the blue colored areas in the map. The parts above sea level, which were confined mostly in the north, northeaster and eastern sections, are color-coded green.

The location of the area covered in the first and second block diagrams shown on the left is the rectangle outlined in the map.

7 Declaration

The unique landform known as the "Chocolate Hills" of Bohol was formed ages ago by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rainwater and erosion.


These hills are scattered throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan and consist of 1,268 mounds of the same general shape. 


In recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness and high scenic value, the national committee on geological sciences declares the chocolate hills of Bohol a National Geological Monument.


19 June 1988


Signed: 


FULGENCIO FACTORAN, JR.
Secretary
Department of Environmental and Natural Resources


RAMON P. BINAMIRA
General Manager
Philippine Tourism Authority

RAYMUNDO S. PUNONGBAYAN
Chairman
National Committee on Geological Sciences


ARTHUR M. SAMANIEGO
Chairman
Sub-Committee on Geological Monuments

Chocolate Hills of Bohol

Chocolate Hills of Bohol

We were picked up by Tatsky, our tour guide, around 8am at Isis Bungalows, Alona Beach, Panglao Island. Since the weather that morning was great, Tatsky suggested that we visit the Chocolate Hills first to take advantage of the weather. In the past few days, it rained in the afternoons. Even though we visited  Bohol in the midst of summer in April, it still rained in the afternoons. The Chocolate Hills cannot be seen from the viewdeck once it rains because of the fog.

Things the Kids Should Know

• Why it is called chocolate hills: during summer, the grass covering the hills turns brown and resembles Hershey's Chocolate Kisses.
• What it is made of: limestones covered with grass  
• No. of chocolate hills: 1268-1776 hills in uniform conical shape
• Height of chocolate hills: mostly 30-50 meters high, but the highest is 120 meters.
• Where the chocolate hills are located: It is spread in 3 towns: Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan in an area around 50 square kilometers. The highest concentration of chocolate hills is in Carmen town.
• Explanation for the formation of chocolate hills

• Scientific: geologists still have no conclusive scientific explanation. The most popular theory proposed by Philippine geologists (see here) is that Bohol was formerly underwater and that coral deposits forming the chocolate hills used to be coral reefs.

• Myths and Legends: 

• chocolate hills are stones thrown by 2 giants fighting each other.

• chocolate hills are tears of a giant who fell in love with a mortal who died

• chocolate hills are the feces of a giant carabao

• chocolate hills are the feces of a giant who wanted to lose weight to win the affection of a lady mortal so he excreted all that he ate

8AM-930AM: Travel time from Alona Beach, Panglao Island to Carmen, Bohol

There are 2 viewing sites for the Chocolate Hills, one in Carmen and the other in Sagbayan. The one we went to is the original and government owned resort called "Chocolate Hills Complex", located in Carmen. Carmen has the most concentration of chocolate hills so they built the 1st viewing site there.

The Chocolate Hills Complex in Carmen, Bohol is around 55 km from Tagbilaran City. Since we were coming from Panglao Island and not Tagbilaran City, our travel time to the Chocolate Hills Complex is 1 1/2 hours.

As you travel along the highway leading to the Chocolate Hills Complex, this is the sight that surrounds you. Because of the sheer number of chocolate hills, you have the feeling that they are just all around you. Wherever you look, you can spot the chocolate hills.

930AM-1030AM: Chocolate Hills Complex 

The Chocolate Hills Complex is built on top of  2 chocolate hills. So when you go up the Chocolate Hills Complex, you are actually climbing up a chocolate hill. 

This is the Chocolate Hills Complex nestled between 2 chocolate hills and surrounded by thousands of chocolate hills. You go up a cemented road to reach this complex

The Chocolate Hills Complex includes a resort, a restaurant, stores and a 360 degree view deck.

The road on the left is the entrance to the complex. The stairs you see is the one leading to the view deck. The rest stop is the one you see at the foot of the stairs. It's only one of several rest stops on the way to the view deck

There are 2 ways to climb up the 360 degree view deck:

First option: By climbing the stairs with 214 steps

These are the stairs opposite the area where the stores and restaurant are.

There are 214 steps to the observation deck.

Second option: By taking the sloping ramp at the left side of the stairs

My tip: The easier way up is the sloping ramp. Seniors or the elderly should use the slope. It's possible for the elderly to climb to the view deck because they can pace themselves and use the several covered rest stops along the way leading to the view deck. My mom, who's 77 years old, was able to go up the view deck.

This is the view on the right side of the view deck.  You can see the cemented road below that leads to the entrance of the complex.

Upon reaching the view deck:

Plaque declaring the Chocolate Hills as a National Geological Monument. 
It also shows the popular theory for the formation of the Chocolate Hills

To see in detail what was written in the plaque, click here

The view deck

See the next stop: The Manmade Forest

Dinner at Pyramid Resort Restaurant at Alona Beach

Dinner at Pyramid Resort Restaurant at Alona Beach

Fresh seafood is displayed and sold by the kilo. 
They cook it any way you want it: fried, steamed or any specific recipe you have in mind.

This is a few of the many seafood to choose from. 
On our first day, we ordered steamed lapu lapu, calamares, and for my other kids who are not too adventurous, barbecue chicken.

My tip: For a most memorable dinner at the beach, request the singers going around the beach tables to serenade you with the song Usahay, a traditional Visayan love song. 


 

English Translation of the Visayan love song "Usahay" 

Sometimes I do find that I dream 

That you and I are indeed in love, 

Why do I keep dreaming of you 

I keep dreaming of you 

In my loneliness. 

Sometimes I really do regret, 

That I should ever be 

Born Iinto this world. 

Why do you keep on belittling 

The great love that I have for you, 

For you alone. 

Why do you keep on belittling 

The great love that I have for you 

For you alone. 

Copyright Manuel Lino G. Faelnar

Other tips:
1. Do not wait until your kids are hungry before you find a place to eat. Restaurants at Alona Beach do not serve fast food, especially during dinner. They only cook the food when you order it. Kids who live in the city are used to fast food. This is one of the things they had to adjust to.

2. Pyramid Resort is one of the cheaper places to eat. I love the fresh seafood cooked to your specification. My daughters loved their barbecue chicken.

3. We spent around 1000-1200 pesos per meal for 6 people. It included steamed fish, calamares, seafood clear soup, 4 barbecue chicken and 7 rice. If you want a cheaper meal, just order the barbecue chicken. The bulk of the cost is the fresh fish I ordered.


Location:

No. 19 is Pyramid Resort.No. 8 is Amorita. No 49 is Isis Bungalows. Big thanks to jimspears.net. For further information, go to http://jimspears.net/alona/map.htm

Contact Information:
Go to http://alona-pyramid.com/www/

Our day with the Kids Snorkeling at Balicasag Island and Walking the Sandbar of Virgin Island, Bohol

Our day with the Kids 
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island 
and Walking the Sandbar of Virgin Island, Bohol

8 AM         

Wakeup

•  what to bring to the sea tour:  
  
  waterproof backpacks, extra change of clothes, cellphone, swimsuit, sunblock, off lotion, coconut oil, hand sanitizer, underwater camera case, underwater plastic case for gadgets, cellphones, wallet, toilet paper, emergency medicines, slippers, bottled water, cookies or biscuits

My tip: for feeding fish, tear the white bread in small pieces and place it inside an empty mineral water bottle. Then while snorkeling, fill the mineral water bottle filled with bread then feed the fish so you can see them up close. It's easier to hold the mineral water bottle than the plastic bag containing a loaf of bread. See pictures below:

Mineral water bottle filled with bread for fish feeding

This is how it is used to feed fish

•  see my article "What kids will love about snorkeling at Balicasag island'

9AM: Pick up by the boatmen to go on Sea Tour

Our boatman, Dodong

Our boatman, Dodong, picked us up from our resort, Isis Bungalows, which is located along Alona Beach. The night before, we were instructed by Tatsky, our tour guide, thru text, to look for Dodong's boat called Starseas,  near the beachfront of Isis Bungalows. 

  

9AM-930AM: Travel time from Alona Beach to Balicasag Island

We boarded the boat from the beachfront of Isis Bungalows. We were given lifejackets as we traveled from Alona Beach to Balicasag island. We had an uneventful banca ride.

Riding the boat going towards Balicasag island

My daughter wearing the life jacket provided by the boatmen

I noticed that they're not strict with the use of lifejackets during banca rides. Unlike in Palawan where we were admonished to wear the lifejacket at all times until the moment before we get off the boat. The waters at Honda Bay, Palawan have strong undercurrents, unlike those in Panglao Island, Bohol. 

My tip: If they don't immediately give you lifejackets, ask for them, especially since kids are with you. It's better to be safe than sorry.

9AM-930AM: Travel time from Alona Beach to Balicasag Island

As soon as we arrived, we were met by boatmen offering themselves as guide to the snorkeling site. The snorkeling site of Balicasag Island is just a few meters from where our boat docked. Since Tatsky already arranged everything for us, Dodong called the guide Tatsky hired.

Approaching Balicasag Island

930AM-1130AM: Snorkeling at Balicasag Island Marine Sanctuary

The guide to the snorkeling site also owns the boat we rode to the snorkeling site. You ride a big boat frm Alona Beach to Balicasag island, then transfer to a smaller boat  The fees of the guide includes the use of the boat and assistance during snorkeling. The guides also rent aqua shoes at 100pesos a pair. Aqua shoes are needed only if it's low tide and you're forced to walk on the corals. Otherwise, you don't need it if you're floating on your life vest.

See my article Why Kids Will Love Snorkeling at Balicasag Island 

Boats at the Balicasag marine sanctuary, 
which is the snorkeling site.

This is the small boat used to go to the snorkeling site of Balicasag Island. 
It is a different boat from the one we used to travel from Alona Beach to Balicasag Island

This is the snorkeling site and at the background is the shore of Balicasag Island, where the boat we used from Alona Beach is docked. 
You can see that the snorkeling site is just a few meters from the shore.

We hold on to a rope as we feed the fish.  
This and the following series of underwater photos were taken with a camera encased in a DicaPac WP410  Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear) 

You can see how shallow the waters are at the snorkeling site.

This is the aqua shoes we rented from the snorkeling guide we hired. At low tide you can practically walk on corals while snorkeling

I chose this photo to show the amazing diversity of fish swimming through us and around us. 

This felt like we were swimming in a very large aquarium. You can see the diversity of fish in a very small area and in shallow waters

1130AM-1PM: Lunch at Balicasag Island

After snorkeling, we immediately paid, thru Dodong, our snorkeling site guide. The fees we paid are P150 per person guide fee and P100 per pair of aqua shoes. 
 

The makeshift tent is where we had lunch at Balicasag Island. You order fresh seafood kept in a styrofoam cooler and the locals who live on the island cook it for you. They charge you per kilo of seafood that you buy, plus cooking charge. They also sell softdrinks and bottled water.

The sand at Balicasag island is rough with crushed corals and shells

The part of the shore of Balicasag Island, where our boat docked and where we had lunch has shallow waters

1PM-130PM: Travel Time from Balicasag Island to Virgin Island

We traveled for 30-40 minutes from Balicasag Island to Virgin Island.

130PM-3PM: Virgin Island, Walking the sandbar

Virgin Island is an uninhabited island. If you know the local film, Muro Ami, they shot scenes of the movie here. Virgin Island is a very small island. It is known for its fine white sand and its very long sandbar. While on the boat, we spotted tourists walking the sandbar. It seemed like they were walking in the middle of the sea because the sandbar stretched that far.

The shore of Virgin Island. We were preparing to walk the sandbar.

This is how far the sandbar stretched from the shore. The camera man is on the shore.

Virgin Island is at the background

Starfish found while walking the sandbar of Virgin Island

Virgin Island at the background while floating on the sandbar

My daughter floating on the sandbar

The sandbar in the afternoon at low tide.

3PM-330PM: Travel Time from Virgin Island to Alona Beach

4PM: Back at Isis Bungalow

When we returned to the beachfront of Isis Bungalows, we paid Dodong the sea tour fee of P1300 and tip.