Travel Back Post - Bohol

Our last internal Philippines trip was to to the one big tourist spot we hadn't hit so far: Bohol. Known for its Chocolate Hills (still green when we were there) and Tarsier monkeys, Bohol is touted to be a very different destination with unique features that you won't find in other places in the Philippines. We did this trip at the very end of Oct/beginning of Nov in anticipation of my (later canceled) TDY to the Marshall Islands.

We loved, loved, loved the resort we stayed at, The Peacock Garden, which is German-owned with great food and beer. The grounds were lovely and quiet, and the staff were well trained and attentive - definitely one of the better customer service experiences we've had in the Philippines.

As for Bohol itself, I can definitely say the beach is nothing to write home about compared with other locations we've been to. It certainly can't hold a candle to Boracay or to Palawan. While I enjoyed seeing the Tarsiers, it wasn't an experience that particularly blew my mind either. It is a short trek and the area is roped off, so it wasn't much different than going to a zoo, which was not exactly the natural habitat experience I was expecting.

I also wasn't blown away by the Chocolate Hills. Granted they were still green when we were there, but, while lovely, it didn't strike me as a natural wonder I just had to see. Additionally, it was about a 2 hour drive from our hotel on a VERY bumpy road. Being nearly 8 mos pregnant, it was super uncomfortable. Then once we got to the Hills it was a mere 300+ stair climb to the top of the viewing point. Ugh! The view was gorgeous, and maybe it would have been more mind-blowing if we had gotten to see them when they were brown instead of green, but I cannot say that the view was worth the effort.

We did like the Bohol Bee Farm, an organic farm that also doubles as a hotel. The hotel seemed a little rustic for my taste, but we spent a few hours there just touring the farm and enjoying the delicious organic food.

The hotel also offered other tours to destinations like local churches and an underground cave, but they weren't really all that exciting. A lot of these extras are just stuff that the locals have cultivated as ways to make money since the real draws are the Tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills. The kids did enjoy visiting the Butterfly Gardens, though, which was a nice diversion during our long drive to the Chocolate Hills.

All that being said, we certainly enjoyed the trip. The resort itself was worth the trip alone, but if you're just visiting the Philippines, I'd have to recommend other destinations above Bohol.