The Solitary Nomad: September 2012

Travel Date: July 7-8, 2012

And I am back to Cebu for the nth time. :-) This time it was to accompany some friends who dragged me to be their tour guide to Cebu and Bohol, which I obliged.

We took the earliest Cebu Pacific flight at 4 in the morning, that would mean waking up at 2am :-( The plan was to head straight to the Pier to catch a ferry to Tagbilaran. Flight was on schedule. We were out of Cebu airport a quarter before 6. We reached the ferry at exactly 6am. Bad news, the ferry was already full. Ocean Jet ferries has the earliest trip to Tagbilaran at 6am with the next at 8am. Super Cat's first trip is at 8am.

Rather than sitting in the terminal for the next two hours, I dragged my troop to start exploring downtown Cebu. This being their first trip to the Queen City of the South, a visit to Magellan's cross and the Sto. Nino Church is a must. These attractions are just 10 minutes walk from Terminal 1. I was somewhat happy that we missed the ferry since we managed to cover a handful of attractions in our itinerary. After a hearty breakfast at Jollibee, we headed back to catch our 8am ferry to Tagbilaran.

Magellan's Cross

Sto. Nino Church

The Magellan's Cross and the Sto. Nino Church are located within the same compound fronting the City Government's office.

The altar of the Sto. Nino Cathedral

Viva Sto. Nino

Similar to the airport in Tagbilaran, there are a lot of tour providers at the arrival area of the Tagbilaran Port. There are more peddlers outside of the terminal. Standard rate is 2500 full day tour using a van, a car, an SUV - depending on the number of passengers. The rate applies to a group of 3-4 and increases as more passengers are added. I negotiated for 2000 once I got outside the terminal I was offered 1800 - got quite a good bargain.

The tour will cover all the major countryside attractions in Bohol. Our first stop was at the Tarsier Conservation Center. I was told by our driver cum tour guide that there are now only two places where the tarsiers are kept for viewing - and in both cases, in their natural habitat. An improvement from way back in 2009 where these gentle creatures were captured and put into cages for display. Entrance to the Center is 50 pesos, the ticket comes as a postcard - another innovation of the Tourism Center in Bohol. Just hope they have one for the Chocolate Hills :-)

The gentle tarsiers of Bohol

It was nearing noon and our tummies were rumbling so instead of going straight to see the Chocolate Hills, we change route to the Floating Restaurants in Loboc. 350 buffet lunch in a floating restaurant that cruises along the Loboc river, complete with entertainment - singers in the restaurant, and folk dancers (kids and old folks) along the river.

A hefty serving of seafood

Each raft cum floating restaurant will make a stop in one of the tree performance raft along the river

The Loboc River, since it's the monsoon season expect the river to be brown in color

En Route to Chocolate Hills, the Man-Made forest that stretches over a kilometer

Chocolate Hills, the main attraction of Bohol

Baclayon Church, established in 1518

Sandugo (Blood Compact), located along the hi-way near the Baclayon Church, is a reminder of the friendship between the Spaniards and the natives when the former arrived in the early 15th century

By 6pm we were on our way back to Cebu to catch our 8pm flight. In Cebu, a brief stop over at the Islands Souvenirs Pasalubong Center just across the Magellan's Shrine.

TIPS for this ITINERARY:
1/ take the earliest flight out of Manila - Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Zest Air, and AirPhil Express offers flights as early as 3am.
2/ but if you intend to visit Cebu and Bohol, either take a Manila - Tagbilaran flight, ferry to Cebu, then Cebu - Manila flight (vice versa)
3/ Ocean Jet Ferries offers the earliest crossing from Cebu to Tagbilaran at 6am, Super Cat's earliest departure is at 8am. Crossing the Bohol Strait will take +/- 2 hours.
4/ do not worry if you did not book a country side tour beforehand. there are a lot of providers when you reach either Tagbilaran airport or the jetty. Standard rate is 2500 for 3 people or less. haggling is allowed and encouraged :-)
5/ take the Tarsier Center then the Loboc river cruise so that you don't go hungry for the rest of the tour.
6/ buy Pasalubong along the way, prices vary by 5 pesos depending on which attraction you get them.
7/ if you have more time in Bohol visit and stay a night or two in Panglao, see previous posting for suggested itinerary.

Travel Date: June 23 - 24, 2012

It was a totally unplanned trip to the Summer Capital. The last time I was in the city of Pines was two years ago, when I had to "break in" my car - lunch in Baguio. It was one foolish trip, 10 hours of drive and I did not even stay for 2 hours.

This time around, I took the bus. Let the professionals do the driving courtesy of Victory Liner in Cubao. No worries since a bus leaves for Baguio every 30 minutes. The drive took longer than expected as the bus had to take 3 stops along the way, the 4 hour drive took almost 6 hours - left at 8 and reached Baguio at 2. It was a butt-painful ride. Next time, I'll drive :-)

It was 2 in the afternoon when I reached Chalet Baguio. It's a relatively new hotel with 3 floors going down from the lobby and two floors up, and is owned or must be a tie up with Dulcinea restaurant. There are two single beds and a day bed in each room. I like the toilet very much. Very well interior decorated. The window provides a refreshing view of the mountains and opens up to allow the chilly air to enter.

The hotel is a good 15 minute walk to SM Baguio, Burnham Park, and Session Road.

Chalet Baguio Hotel

There's nothing really much to tell about this trip, the usual sightseeing within the city center along Session Rd. and Burnham Park, Wright Park, Mines View, Baguio Country Club, and the usual places.