chocolate-hills-bohol

Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of 4,117.3 square kilometers (1,589.7 sq mi) and a coastline 261 kilometers (162 mi) long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines.  To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.

The province is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is famous for its diving locations and routinely listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts dot the southern beaches and cater to divers from around the world. The Philippine Tarsier, considered the second-smallest primate in the world, is indigenous to the island.
Boholanos refer to their island homeland as the ‘Republic of Bohol with both conviction and pride. A narrow strait separates the island of Cebu and Bohol and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a conscious distinction from the Cebuanos. Bohol’s climate is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The interior is cooler than the coast. It is the home province of Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth president of the Republic of the Philippines (1957-1961) who was born in Talibon, Bohol.
Bohol is also renowned for its wonderful dive spots. Foreign and local divers come to Bohol to see the breathtaking underwater corral reefs around the islands. The more popular beaches of Bohol are Alona, Dumaluan, Bikini, Momo & Doljo beaches. With the help of the Department of Tourism and the local government, the beautiful Balicasag Island is now being developed for tourism with careful consideration of the environment. Needless to say, water sports is very popular in these islands. Aside from the beaches, another attraction of Bohol are its numerous caves (there are more than 1,400 to explore). Most famous of which is the Hinagdanan Cave on Panglao island. The cave directs to an underground pond with many stalactites & stalagmites. In addition to Bohol’s beaches, caves, and awesome Chocolate Hills, that visitors come to admire, it boast many monuments & magnificent churches built during the Spanish era. Every town in Bohol has its own church and each has a unique and interesting design and architecture. It will take days to see them all. If you wish to see some but have limited time, you can start with the Tagbilaran Cathedral at the capital then go to the nearby towns of Baclayon, Clarin, Maribojoc, Dauis,  Loay & Loboc. A cheap way to get around the island is through the “habal-habal”. It is a motorcycle for hire that serves as a “taxi’ on the island.