TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Dolphin watching near Balicasag.
Eco-Cultural Adventures on Panglao
Time is ticking quickly as the sun goes from high noon to 2pm. We don’ t have time to walk around Alona beach, we change our wet clothes to dry ones in one of the restaurants in the strip; the car is ready to bring us to the new botanical garden in Bohol where we enjoy a tour of the Animal Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Center, the Art Museum, and the Café( read our story about it on page 58).
The rain catches up on us in the botanical garden, and it stops as we leave for the Bohol Bee Farm to have dinner and try their homemade ice cream.
The night before we enjoy the Jacuzzi pool in Peacock Garden and dine in their Restaurant, which serves homemade German sausages. We call it a night early so that the next day we can get up at five.
The dolphins must be early risers, and so should we. It takes another half hour to go to the end of Panglao from Baclayon. We’ ve arranged for a boat that would take us Dolphin and Whale watching. Along the way I’ m trying to send out telepathic messages just in case these intelligent mammals would pick up on them, asking them to be there because I’ ve come all the way for this meeting.
Dolphin Punning, & Island Hopping to Balicasag & Virgin Island
We didn’ t have to wait long. After being introduced to Nong Emil, we are on the banca heading to where the other boats were already settled. They look like a bunch of confused sheep herders with an unruly flock. The pod of dolphins, in question, were appearing and disappearing to appear again on a surface behind or beside the boat. At first they will give the boats a chase. Leading them for a minute or two to vanish in the deep. The spectators / observers gaze at each other duped. They look around while the dolphins hop out of the water on the far side. Then the chase continues. The whales didn’ t get my message, so after a fun ride seeing the dolphins so close by, we head to Virgin Island for some pictorial shots with its long sandbar and a spoon of sea urchin meat or fat( haggle the price, our boatman says)… and we snorkel in Balicasag( lookout for people insisting that you need guides to enter the island … it’ s a scam. You don’ t need a guide to explore the islands, you just have to pay a Php50 entrance fee).
According to locals of Balicasag, the island is ideal for snorkeling. If you want real diving, people usually go to Pamilacan Island in the other side of Panglao. Pamilacan doesn’ t have much of a snorkeling site but has some impressive dive sites. But Balicasag also has some dive sites like the Cathedral and the Black Forest. As professional snorkels, we set out to enjoy the fish sanctuary in Balicasag. Although there are some coral bleaching in the surface the corals on the cliff edge of the reef, before the waters plunge into an abyss where big fish roam, are bursting with life. Some spot a turtle, but we’ re not that lucky.
Lunchtime consists of grilled fish, squid, and some bbq. Sinigang, which is soup made with the head half of the 1kilo fish. And kinilaw, which is small fish cooked in vinegar with onions and tomatoes. We spend roughly around Php800 bucks for the meal and one huge bottle of San Miguel Beer. After a quick round of the 25hectare island, we head back to Panglao a happy bunch.
The road to Loboc, almost like a subway under the tall canopy of trees.
Bohol Island in a Nutshell
Planning the Bohol Trip, I honestly presumed that three days would be more than enough to have a taste of the island. And I was expecting it to be another tourist spot, which, as a travel writer, I should see at least once in my lifetime. But Bohol is really beautiful, to say it simply. And I’ ve discovered that it’ s quintessentially organic. In not so many words: it’ s good for your health.
Usually when we travel we would need another vacation just to recuperate from the stress. But this one was just right. Renting the car was a good idea, and the independent pace made the trip very memorable because we got to relish each moment, taking them in slowly. This is our first-time but as we all know, it isn’ t the last. •
62 7107 ISLAND TRAVEL