travel and leisure

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Floating Restaurant of Loboc (Bohol, Philippines)

This is a continuation of our tour. After Chocolate Hills, Shiphaus and Man-Made Forest, we decided to try Floating Restaurant. It sounds scary cause I am really afraid of the water or being surrounded by water. But oh well, since we're there, might as well try it.

This is one of the old churches in Bohol. This is located in Loboc, just in front of the long Loboc River.

Our driver and at the same tour guide had another thing in mind. Instead of bringing us directly to Loboc River, he dropped us at Hanging Bridge of Loboc. He told us that we must not miss the opportunity to try the Hanging Bridge.

Photographed by my friend Teacher Jhong

This is the hanging bridge. Look at my face!

I really got scared at first.

But thanks to my friend Teacher Leah Tahil for being my CONQUER your FEAR instructor!

She really helped me all the way through.

Entrance fee is very affordable for only Php20. Once you pass through the first bridge, you will see a lot of souvenir items at a very cheap price. They sell souvenirs like shirts, pants, locally made bags, fridge magnets, key chains, mugs, kitchen decors and a lot more. Plus they also sell their very own Peanut Kisses which resembles the Chocolate Hills of Bohol.

After this nerve-wracking walk, we went to Loboc River to try eating at their Floating Restaurants.

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This is the floating restaurant.

There are a lot of floating restaurants.

Plus it's EAT ALL YOU CAN!!!

While waiting for out boat, I paid attention to the LOBOC AMBASSADOR RONDALLA.

They played the musical instrument called Rondalla. Rondalla is one of the instruments used by Filipinos even way back then. It is often used in churches, group gatherings and of course courtship.

Filipino culture involves music, musical instruments, love, courtship using musical instruments and sing. When Filipino men sing for the women they love, it is called "HARANA". It's part of our tradition.

With my friends... Look at our table... Disaster!

And when I'm full, I look like this.

This is what you will see when the boat starts its engine...

This is a nipa plant. Filipinos use the leaves of this plant to build their houses.

The leaves of this plant serves as the roof of the very common and traditional BAHAY KUBO.

At this portion, I really got scared because this seems to be like the river in the movie ANACONDA.

Scary... But no, it's really wonderful...

Locals of Bohol spending swimming time with family at the Loboc River.

At the near end of the river is the row of water falls. Too bad this is the only water fall I had in my camera. But there were so many mini waterfalls.

These are the people of Brgy. Gotozon, Bohol.

Their main livelihood as a small community is to sing and dance for tourists who would drop by their area.

They sing and dance traditional Filipino dances and Filipino songs.

Plus they are selling hand-made souvenir items.

While the boat tours the tourists, a local singer will sing songs for you.

Songs are both English and local Filipino songs.

That ends our tour at Loboc River.

For more of Bohol, please visit:

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/shiphaus-and-man-made-forest-bohol-city.html Man-Made Forest

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/chocolate-hills-at-bohol-its-more-fun.html Chocolate Hills

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/baclayon-church-bohol-philippines.html Baclayon Church

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/blood-compact-sandugo-bohol-philippines.html Blood Compact

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/panglao-beach-bohol.html Panglao Beach

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/hinagdanan-cave-bohol-philippines.html Hinagdanan Cave

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ShipHaus and Man-Made Forest (Bohol City, Philippines)

Man-Made Forest of Bohol is our next stop.

This is how the man-made forest of Bohol looks like.

Too bad my Samsung Note's battery got empty just when we arrived here.

Lesson learned: bring extra batteries

Before you could reach the Man-Made Forest, you will pass through the ShipHaus. The Shiphaus is a real house designed to look like a ship. The owner of this house is a ship captain who is Captain Dumapias, a local of Batuan, Bohol.

The front area of the house resembles a ship.

Tourists would drop by and take some pictures outside and inside the shiphaus.

The shiphaus became prominent that it was featured in several local tv shows in our country.

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After the Shiphaus, we went to the Man-Made Forest of Loboc, Bohol.

Here lives standing tall are the Mahogany trees in a 2-kilometer road. Before, only natural forest trees were living. However, it was said that the people specifically the boy scouts planted Mahogany trees in this area. And after a few years, this is how it looks like. The entire rain forest is so green and so clean. A lot of tourists will come and visit this area for picture taking. No throwing of garbage. No cutting of trees. Locals here consider cutting of these trees a crime. Well, that's one good way of preserving their greens.

Very enchanting..

Jumpshot with my dear friend Carmona.

Just look at the size of the roots of this tree...

For more of Bohol, please visit these:
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/chocolate-hills-at-bohol-its-more-fun.html.

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/floating-restaurant-of-loboc-bohol.html

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/baclayon-church-bohol-philippines.html

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/blood-compact-sandugo-bohol-philippines.html

http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/hinagdanan-cave-bohol-philippines.html

If you are a nature lover like me, write down Man-Made Forest in your list and don't forget Shiphaus in Bohol, Philippines. No entrance fee. It's FREE!

Take nothing but PICTURES.

Leave nothing but FOOTSTEPS.

Have a great day!

Please follow this little momma blogger on instagram: slimwitch

Chocolate Hills at Bohol (It's more fun in the Philippines!)

I really apologize for not posting lately. I had my vacation with my college friends somewhere in Visayas. It's so far from my home town. And I had this vacation because I passed the entrance examination for college of LAW and consequently passed the interview. I got a recommendation from the DEAN of college of LAW himself. However, there among the 112 passers, only 70 will be taken. So, I'm still hoping and praying to be one of those of 70 lucky people.

This was my blog http://joneepslimwitch.blogspot.com/2013/02/when-kids-hug-back.html about taking the entrance exam.

So, we went to Bohol to see the CHOCOLATE HILLS.

This is the CHOCOLATE HILLS..

Philippines is known for many wonderful tourist destinations and Chocolate Hills is one of those nature's wonders our country has to offer.

From my home town General Santos City, take a ride via plane going to Cebu City, that would be an hour ride. Then from Cebu City, take a RORO or ferry boat/ ship going to BOHOL.

There are 1268 chocolate hills in Bohol. Most of these hills are located in Carmen and Sagbayan, Bohol.

The original name of these hills was not Chocolate Hills. It was different. However, there was one American who have seen these hills and said to himself "Oh! It looks like little Hershey's".. And from that day, the locals called it Chocolate Hills.

On a rainy season, the hills look green because of the grass that grew on it. However, the chocolatey color will come out during Summer or when there's an extreme heat of the sun in the Philippines.

Took my chance and had this photo taken. It feels good to see these hills in real life. Seeing these in books were fine but being there is really different.

This is at Sagbayan Peak, Bohol.

With my friends Teacher Jessa Bayle and Teacher Shylah Dugaduga.

You could also find tarsiers in Bohol. This part of the Philippines is know for this kind of animal.

Tarsiers are haplorrhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all the species living today are found in the islands of Southeast Asia. (from wikipedia)

This is the view of the hills from Carmen, Bohol.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and the pieces of information I got for you. Please consider Bohol especially the Chocolate Hills in one of your destinations when you visit our country, Philippines. You will never regret it! The people are so hospitable, kind and friendly.

Have fun!

Please check the following below for more of Bohol destinations:
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/shiphaus-and-man-made-forest-bohol-city.html
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/floating-restaurant-of-loboc-bohol.html
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/baclayon-church-bohol-philippines.html
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/blood-compact-sandugo-bohol-philippines.html
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/panglao-beach-bohol.html
http://joneeacedilla.blogspot.com/2013/04/hinagdanan-cave-bohol-philippines.html

Please follow this little momma blogger on instagram: slimwitch

Friday, April 12, 2013

The Rock Garden (General Santos City)

Welcome to The Rock Garden!!!

Today, we have decided to spend our time by immersing ourselves in the swimming pool. The hot climate here in our city makes us bathe more than the usual.

It was a good thing though when we went there this afternoon, we were the only family in the area.

The Rock Garden is located at San Isidro, General Santos City. You can ride via private or public vehicle going there. It only has a small space but the whole area was really maximized.

I really dunno why they called it THE ROCK. But when you try to observe the whole surrounding, there are big and small rocks. So, probably that's their reason.

It's a good place for family bonding, office activities, birthday parties, seminars and a lot more. They have a convention area if you like to have a rain-proof meeting.