FOR the longest time, Bohol has been synonymous to the Chocolate Hills, tarsier and Spanish-era churches.
But beyond these tourism icons, this beguiling island province is known for its wide array of adventures on land, air, sea and beneath.
Here, you can dive, ride, glide and repeat the cycle to your heart’s content.
• Dive. The Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” TV ad boasts that the archipelago has the most species in the least space of anywhere in the planet, and out of the earth’s 500 coral species, more than 400 are here. And a good portion of these figures can be found in Bohol’s underwater world.
And if there is one reason to go diving here, Balicasag Island is it.
Dubbed as the “mecca” of diving in the south, the island takes pride in its kaleidoscope of marine life, including brilliant reef fish that dart around among flourished corals and sponges, and its resident school of jacks that swirl endlessly at about 50 feet below the surface.
A showcase for marine conservation, it has five spectacular world-class dive spots and a marine sanctuary just off its sleepy shores. Among these sites are Resort Wall, Black Coral Forest, Cathedral Wall, The Cavern and Turtle Point, which teem with sea turtles, mackerels, cushion stars, a profusion of feather stars, and a wide variety of reef fishes, such as lionfish, triggerfish, clownfish and anemones.
Panglao Island is another interesting dive haven, especially in Doljo Point, which has a lush coral wall; and Tangnan Point for its newly discovered sardine run. The Scuba Schools International-affiliated Scottys Dive Center, which services most of the high-end resorts in the Visayas, can take you beneath the waves to admire Neptune’s marine kingdom.
• Ride. You can relive your childhood cowboy fantasies by learning horseback riding at Tarsier Botanika, a sprawling luxe boutique resort that takes pride in its ornately designed structures and beautifully landscaped gardens and greeneries.
Perhaps the only resort of its kind in the archipelago, the 10-hectare green sanctuary is an exponent of European-style classical dressage used in international equestrian tournaments and by both Eastern and Western royalty at ceremonial pomp and pageantry.
Students are personally taught by resort owner-slash-artist Patricia Muassab-Moussempes to make the uninitiated confident and relish the sport of riding, and the prestige and glamour that goes with it. A master rider herself, she advocates for better treatment of horses, even as they are the beasts of burden in many provinces.
Meanwhile, bikers will find Panglao a pedaler’s haven with its wide and well-paved circumferential road network. There are also rough side roads which are challenging rides for mountain bikers. Bellevue Hotel offers its guests the opportunity to pedal the indigenous-themed Bambike, whose frame is made out of sturdy bamboo developed by Fil-American social entrepreneur Bryan McClelland.
The trendy, innovative bike, which made waves as a mode of sightseeing around the Walled City of Intramuros, is a sleek vehicle that can take you around the island’s hidden nooks and crannies at your own pace. As you pedal leisurely, you can make occasional pit stops to smell the flowers by the wayside, take snapshots and relish the simple joys of countryside living.
If you want to be in the fast lane, you can hire a habal-habal or single motorcycle and feel the rush of the wind on your face as you cut across the bucolic country roads along the charming coasts.
• Glide. Surrounded by mesmerizing crystalline water on almost all fronts, Bohol is an infinite aquasports playground where you can glide onto the placid sea. Doljo Beach, located at Panglao’s outermost point, is home to an expansive beachfront accessible only to guests of upscale resorts in the area, including Bellevue, which is your one-stop shop for aquasports and outdoor recreation.
Board a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and slice the glassy sea as you paddle around the cove with the silhouette of Cebu in the horizon. Rowing in calm waters with the sky of blue above and sea of green below is simply nirvana, a heavenly experience in this side of paradise. The beach’s gradual depth makes it ideal for small children.
Sailing aficionados can take on a windsurf or the wind-powered slider catamaran sailboat for a more thrilling and action-packed glide.
Adrenaline junkies can take adventures to greater heights quite literally at the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park (CHAP) with no less than the picturesque brownish mounds as a backdrop. Located in the central town of Carmen, CHAP pioneered the Skycycle or bicycles suspended on cable wires and the Surf Zip, a variation of the ubiquitous zipline which simulates midair surfing.
There are also ATV operators in the area that will enable you to ride and explore the iconic geological formations up close like never before.
So many places to dive, ride and glide in Bohol, so little time.