South East Asia has to be the premier world traveling region. A big call? For sure, but consider what genuinely world class offerings it can provide:
- World class beaches and coastal areas – think of THAT beach in Ko Phi Phi and HaLong Bay, one of the Natural Wonders of the World
- World class food – think Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and the genuine fusion into the mix with the large established Indian and Chinese communities
- World class ancient sites and history – think of the temples of the “8th Wonder of the World” of Angkor Wat, and the breathtaking site of the pagodas stretching across the plain in Bagan
- World class cities and party locations – think of Singapore as the city of the future and the Full Moon Parties on Ko Pha-Ngan
And all this in a place that is super safe, outrageously friendly, easy and cheap to travel in. A must for any keen traveler and the below itinerary will give you the highlights – enjoy!
The Chocolate Hills are 1,776 grassy hills in the centre of Bohol Island that turn brown during the dry season, hence the name, and look a hell of a lot like the hills in Super Mario on the Super Nintendo. They’re nice to look at, but you’ll probably be a bit bored of them after a look from the view point and quick wander around near them. To make this more fun, and to go more towards that Super Mario vibe, ride around them in quad bikes with a guide – way more fun
Some tips:
- Rent a taxi for the Chocolate Hills Loop – it’s easy to follow the Loop from Tagbilaran or Pangloa area. To give yourself more independence, and to generally avoid the mass-tourism tours, rent a taxi and make your own way round
- The Quad Biking – there will be people offering quad biking near the entrance to the Chocolate Hills main viewpoint. Expect to be away for an hour or so
- Make sure on the Chocolate Hills loop to visit the Tarsier Sanctuary where you can see the smallest, and very delicate, primates
- Stay on Pangalao Island – Tagbilaran didn’t look too appealing. We splurged a bit and stayed at the South Palms Resort, which was great and would recommend
- If staying on Panglao Island, make sure to do some diving or snorkelling at Balicasag Island, just 6km to the west of Pangalao. Some gorgeous tropical reefs there and more info in this post Diving off Balicasag Island
- Getting to Bohol from Cebu City is relatively straightforward, but its not a bad idea to ask your hotel / hostel to help you with getting the ferry tickets you want
