It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

~ Oriah, Mountain Dreamer

I wake up on our 2nd day not feeling well. This is probably the effect of basking out on a hot weather the day before and cooling down at the mall afterwards. Bed rest is so tempting yet I wouldn’t dare missed the fun, so I bid goodbye to our lovely sanctuary and hit the road.

The Grand Hall of Wat Maha That, Sukhothai

Our destination: Ancient City, the Gateway to Thailand’s Cultural Heritage  located just outside Bangkok, in the province of Samut Prakan. An off the beaten path must-see when you’re pressed for time to explore the whole of Thailand.

Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Kuan-Yin) Performing a Miracle

How to get there? Easy. We hopped on a skytrain to On Nut Station and took a cab going to the Ancient City in less than an hour. Cost us around 150 baht for one-way taxi. There’s a cheaper option by bus though but it will cost us more time and we’ll probably get lost. haha.

Ancient City, also known as Muang Boran, is the largest outdoor museum in world. It takes you to the heritage of Thai wisdom and discover the arts, cultures, religions and customs of Thai people. It’s also an exceptional experience  to walk through a wide range of architectural symbols in fine Thai craftsmanship on a natural environment.

The Buddha Image of Dvaravati Period

Admission rate is 350 baht per person for foreigner. A map is provided which is really helpful if you are not hiring a guide.

Bicycles are free to use and a tram for big group can be rented for a fee. We prefer to use the Golf cart though. Yey! Golf cart for 2 is up for rent for 100 baht per hour. We planned to cover the whole place in  about 3 hours on quick view, not going down on each and every architecture.

Pavilion of the Enlightened

The 320 acre outdoor museum is an architectural reflection of Thailand’s magnificent past. On the area as large as 600 rais, both the copies and the artifacts of the archaic sites and relics of historically and culturally national importance are laid out in the fittingly relevant pattern and environment. More than that, the visitors can deeply absorb the great diversity of architecture, arts and religions, not to mention ways of living.

that’s me on the go for most of the tour

Hence, the Ancient City can’t be included with the replicas or miniature cities, but it is by its own virtue the reflection of the old-day cities, bringing the Thai back to touch and feel the ancient Siam Kingdom.

To freshen up, we decided to have lunch in one of the restaurants at the floating market.

Overall, we enjoyed our short tour. This is such a wonderful place to learn heaps about Thailand in just a span of four hours without being trapped with loads of tourists. Too bad we can’t stay long enough for sunset, shopping is way too hard to resist. haha.

See our Thailand itinerary here.

Bohol is a paradise Island in Visayas Region, a Philippine destination famous for Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers, pristine beaches and more.

When Cebu Pacific published a seat sale to Tagbilaran in 2006, it was a chance we don’t want to missed. I scoured the net to research for places to see beyond the rustic charm of Bohol and came up with our customized itinerary.

Itinerary

24-Aug    Arrival to Tagbilaran
0430   Domestic Airport. Check In.
0620   ETD Mla to Tagbilaran   |  Terminal Fee: 200
0740   ETA Tagbilaran
0800   Tagbilaran Adventure
*** hire car/multicab for the tagbilaran trip
*** Explore Sandugo/Blood Compact, Baclayon Church, Largest snake in captivity
*** Chocolate Hills, Man-made forest
*** Lunch at Loboc River Cruise, Hanging Bridge
*** Dauis Church, Hinagdanan Cave
1700   Check in at  Bohol Diver Resort
*** Arrange for Whale & Dolphin Watching/Island hopping for next day

25-Aug    Whale Watching/Island Hopping/Snorkeling
0500    Balicasag/Pamilacan Island / Puntod Island

26-Aug    Hotel Check out
0600    Swimming in Alona Beach
0800    Breakfast
1100    Check-out from hotel
*** Hire tricycle to Tagbilaran
*** Drop by Bohol Bee Farm
1200    Check-in Tagbilaran
1400    Wander around Tagbilaran and Pasalubong Shopping

27-Aug    Fly back to Manila
0600    ETD  Tagbilaran  to Manila
0810    ETA Manila

Day 1 - Welcome to Tagbilaran City

Our first flight with Cebu Pacific turned out fun and on time. We were served with light snacks and were entertained with games. We arrived in Bohol at half past 6 in a sunny morning. Just outside Tagbilaran Airport were a line up of private and public transport offering a ride to the city.

We canvassed among the vehicle owners about their packages for city tour. We have a long list of places to see the whole day before settling in at Panglao beach at noon. They were friendly and earnest in entertaining our queries. We came in agreement with Mang Allan and we have the whole multicab all by ourselves. A private cab is almost of the same rate but we find it more exciting to tour the countryside with the little red shuttle.

Our first stop was Sandugo (Blood Compact) Shrine, a monument built to commemorate the first treaty made by Spanish explorer, Miguel Lopez De Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna to seal their friendship through tribal tradition.

We didn’t stay long, and headed forward to Baclayon Church, one of the oldest church in the Philippines. Next to it is a small museum which houses old artifacts and religious collections.

Just a few minutes away, between rough road and off to the woods, we were welcomed  with the biggest surprise of the day, Bohol’s largest snake in captivity at a mini-zoo in Alburquerque. The living python, Prony, weighs 300 kg and measures 23 feet. We were too late to witness its feeding time, where I heard a piglet was served lunch a la carte.

We don’t want to meddle with Prony’s siesta though,  so we just visited it’s friends, owls, eagles and more. The animal sanctuary houses other rescued and rehabilitated animals and different bird species.

Our hot day was just beginning, so we took off to see the hanging bridge and the famous tarsier. On the way, we reserved our lunch at Loboc River Cruise. We also made a stop at  a small store where the owner showed us his captive endangered tarsiers.   This smallest primate is endemic to the Philippines. In there, we were able to get up close and really close to these species. I know these tiny friends being nocturnal bordering to suicidal are really sensitive to camera flashes and human interaction. So when the owner put it on our shoulders for photo ops, we felt guilty.

Not far behind, we get to cross a hanging bridge made of woven bamboos, we didn’t get to the other side though, just halfway to indulge in the scenic view of loboc river.

We get on board the shuttle again and continued our journey to a long and winding road. We passed through the beautiful  Loboc – Bilar man-made forest. It’s a 2 km. stretch of asphalt road set in between towering mahogany trees. The temperature suddenly drops inside this rain forest.

Over the hilly town of Carmen in Bgy. Buenos Aires is where we found one of world’s famous tourist attraction and truly nature’s wonder, Chocolate Hills of Bohol. Named as such, because the 1,776 rolling hills covered with green grass turn brown during summer.

The view deck can be reached by foot through the long stairs up.  The Chocolate Hills complex provide a panoramic view of 50 square km. expanse of  the breathtaking chocolate kisses, errr… hills. There’s one for every sweet tooth.

With the temperature rising and a stomach screaming out for food, we didn’t stay long at the view deck. We’re back on the road to indulge in an authentic  buffet lunch feast.

We were just in time for the next floating restaurant to go on cruise. Later on, we were busy clamoring for buffet with other tourists on board. For P 250 per person, we get to enjoy fresh coconut juice, grilled sea foods, fried chicken and more. Nothing fancy though, but cruising on the still waters of Loboc river, satisfy one’s craving. Live music performance by native boholanos. Some added attractions are playing kids, swinging from tree branches, jumping and swimming through the sides of the restaurant’s raft.

Nearing the cruise end were a display of Busay’s cascading waterfalls. Some tourists can’t help but plunged into the deep green waters.

Going back on land, we marvel with the caged tarsiers for a moment before hitting the road again. We passed through a century-old balete tree, which at night, will probably give a creepy feel to any passer-by.

Nearby  we saw a blood compact monument. This is where the actual Sandugo was performed between Legazpi & Sikatuna.

Further ahead, we crossed the long  floating bridge that connects Bohol to Panglao Island. The bridge look as if it spreads out into the deep blue sea and unto some secret hideaway.

We dropped by Dauis Church and admire its  Spanish architecture. The intricate painting on the ceiling is just one of the amazing features of this old church. The other one is the miraculous well at the foot of the altar which is said to possess healing power. We noticed a short line of people waiting for their turn to hold at least a bottle of water from the mysterious well.We offered a short prayer of thanks before leaving the place.

The shortest and easiest spelunking I’ve  the chance to explore was at Hinagdanan Cave. A convenient stair was built going down the karst cave that lead to a mystical lagoon. Various formation of stalactites and stalagmites glisten to a glaring sunlight from the cave’s opening. Some dare to dip into the cold waters.

Our next stop was the octagonal structure, Panglao Watch Tower, one of the tallest of its kind in the country. The ground was transformed into a small park where the dilapidated tower embraces an ocean view. Our driver was supposed to arranged  for us a boat for the next day but we weren’t decided yet, so we only took the boatman’s number.

Prior to leaving Manila, we have arranged our accommodation at Bohol Diver’s Resort. Our superior room was splendid with a beach front view.  We were trapped for awhile when heavy rain started falling.

Just in time for sunset, we stroll along Alona Beach. some boatmen bid us their rate on whale watching / dolphin watching and island hopping for the next day. We decided for the best deal of course.

To summarize, we were both captivated with Bohol’s charm and an excellent display of visual thrills. It’s something we Filipinos can truly be proud of. The warmth of boholanos let us feel at home. Nice tropical weather plays perfectly for the beach lovers.

Follow me at our 2nd day adventure in Bohol: Dolphin Watching and Balicasag Island Tour!