Yoga Kids, May 27 - June 21, 2024

Join me in Tagbilaran, Bohol for the Summer of Growth where kids spend their summer break learning arts and crafts, yoga and meditation, and intellectual play.

Venue: SmartMod Balays, Capital, Hangos Street, Tagbilaran, 6300 Bohol

Yoga for Grown-ups, May 27 - June 21, 2024

Join me in Tagbilaran, Bohol for the Summer of Growth where parents of "Yoga Kids" or working adults take on a journey of Transformation through the proven benefits of Yoga.

Venue: SmartMod Balays, Capital, Hangos Street, Tagbilaran, 6300 Bohol
Register: Click Here

Country > Philippines > Bohol > Tagbilaran
Date > 2024 > May
Activity > Food Odyssey

Chocolate Blogs

Sikwate
Daday
May 2024

Dalareich
Revisited
May 2024

Siamaya
Chocolates
Oct 2022

Cacao
Roasting
Jan 2018

Making Sikwate: From Cacao Fruit To A Hot Dark Chocolate Drink

Making Sikwate
Jan 2018

Chocolate Overload At Dalareich Chocolate House

Dalareich
Chocolate
Oct 2017

Chocolate
Souffle
Oct 2006

May 4, 2024

Dalareich Chocolate House Revisited

Location : Dalareich Chocolate House, Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines

Deja Vu
The last time I visited Dalareich Chocolate House was October 2017 when they just opened up. Now that I was in Tagbilaran, it felt like an opportune time to say Hi one more time. The setup looked the same as the last time, but it didn't seem to age one day - they must have maintained it well.

Dalareich Chocolate House offers various chocolates but the tableya is their bestseller

Dalareich wasn't around but her sister (Irene?) was there. She prepared a lovely assortment of chocolate nibbles and a buttery smooth sikwate drink for me. It's interesting to note that the smoothening process to produce fine chocolate bars was applied to make the sikwate. The chocolate spread is their standard offering to everyone who visits.

a chocolate spread was prepared for me

The Mom soon joined us, but it took her a while to remember me. I had a long leisurely talk with Irene about Bohol, the chocolate industry and cacao for that matter.

with the Mom and Irene

Cacao Plight
In the last few months, cacao's price per kilo in the market seriously skyrocketed - from P100 to P320 per kilo. This abruptly spiked the price of sikwate drinks at the market from P25/cup to P30. I haven't felt it yet, but this will ripple through the price of chocolate products across the board.

Causes? Irene said cacao is now being exported leaving not enough for the local market. Another reason was the oppressive heat. Cacao doesn't yield much with high heat. Solution? More farmers to plant cacao. It takes only 3 years for a sampling to bear fruits. It's not that long. The local government can also help by giving cacao farmers a tax break, free samplings and expert assistance.

Ending Thoughts
Now that I'm in Tagbilaran, I'm sure to bring friends here and also get my tableya supplies here. Sure, it's pricier than the local market price, but they treat tableya like royalty and you feel it in the texture. Feel like pampering yourself? Treat yourself to a Dalareich sikwate!

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

Yoga and Meditation for Kids

(May 7, 2024) One of the many things I'll be doing for Kat with her advocacy is yoga and meditation for kids. I have my competence with yoga and meditation, but teaching kids? This is new ground and I need help - AI, Youtube and yoga friends who are already doing this....more »»

Next Food Odyssey story:

Sikwate at Daday Painitan

(May 9, 2024) I'd been told by a few locals that the best sikwate in Tagbilaran is at Daday Painitan in Dauis. When I searched Youtube for 'sikwate Tagbilaran', Daday again came up. It was time to head out to Dauis for that fabled sikwate....more »»

Related Bohol Coffee/Cacao Links:

Sikwate at Daday Painitan May 9, 2024
Dalareich Chocolate House Revisited May 4, 2024
Cacao Drum Roasting Jan 27, 2018
Making Sikwate: from cacao fruit to a hot dark chocolate drink Jan 25, 2018
Exploring the Cafe Scene of Tagbilaran Oct 7, 2017
Chocolate Overload At Dalareich Chocolate House Oct 2, 2017

Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

Danao Adventure Park - zip lining, cable car ride, caving, river rides/trekking, off-road buggy ride, root climbing, rappelling and ultra-glide rides
Alona Beach - hub for tourists with hotels, resorts, restos, bars and dive shops
Chocolate Hills - hills side-by-side shaped like giant Kisses chocolate
Tarsier - pocket-sized marsupia looking like a monkey
Balicasag Island - one of the best dive spots in the Philippines
Loboc River - river cruise on a boat
Anda Beach - fine white sand beach with resorts, restos and cottages, 3 hours by bus from Tagbilaran
Cabagnow Cave Pool - brackish water pool about 5ft deep inside a limestone opening on the ground, 8 feet deep, P50
Lamanok Island - walk on a 100m bamboo bridge on stilts to a resto area to take a boat tour to caves and nearly attractions, P300
Combento Cave Pool - cave pool with underwater cave system, P20
Can-umantad Falls - long narrow drop until it hits a bulbous mound spreading it into a a curtain-like water canopy and down into a splash pool
Canawa Cold Spring - deep refreshing cold spring with developed pool area
Firefly Tour - evening boat ride into the river to watch fireflies

hotel

Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Baranggay Valladolid, Loboc, Bohol
Bohol Tropics Resort - seafront location, manicured surroundings, swimming pool, resto/bar
0133 Graham Avenue, Brgy. Cogon, Tagbilaran, Bohol 6300
Oasis Resort - Alona Beach location, dive center, resto / bar
Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol

yoga

Jing Yoga - health & well being through yoga
The Courtyard - Airport Road fronting the church
Bohol Meditation and Yoga Center - 2nd Floor Lim Magtajas Bldg. CPG Avenue

Bohol Travel Info/Tips

Bohol FYI / Tips

the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located within the Alona Beach area
the tourist attractions in Bohol are far apart and spread-out. It would be difficult to visit them all using public mass transit. Better hire a van (P3500/day) if in a big group, or rent a motorcycle (P400/day + gas)
Bohol relies on its tourism for revenue. As expected, everything they can capitalize on from tourism is extensively used and developed

Tagbilaran Port to Panglao

You can charter any tricycle from the port all the way to Panglao (~P300), but if you want to do it on the cheap,

don't take the tricycles lined-up inside the port. Walk past the port gate and immediately outside, you'll see many tricycles. Take one to the bus terminal in Dao (~P15)
in Dao, take the jeep that plies the Panglao route (~P20)

Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu City by boat

** schedules and rates keep changing, call for latest schedule

Weesam Express - departs 6:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - departs 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-3:30-4:20-5:30-6:30PM, 2 hours, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63(32)255 7560 / +63 (32) 255 0115 / 0917 638 0000
SuperCat (2GO) - departs 5:50-11AM, 3:45-5:25-8:15PM, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000

Things to do, Places to go in Bohol

Chocolate Hills - this is a clustering of more than 1200 hills within a 50km² area. They range in height from 30-50 meters. What's unusual is their near-perfect conical shape resembling an individual chocolate chip. No one knows how they were formed. Entrance is P50/pax.
Tarsier Conservation Area - located Upper Bonbon, Loboc. The tarsiers are no longer being played at by tourists as circus props, but instead, visitors now view them in cordoned-off areas in their natural 6ha habitat. As they are territorial and nocturnal, they are predictable on where they can be viewed. P50/pax.
Alona Beach (Panglao) - Alona Beach is the tourist hub of Bohol. It has 1.5 kms of white sand beach lined-up by bars, hotels and restos. Alona is also the jump-off point for Balicasag Island, a world class dive destination.
Danao Adventure Park - located in Barangay Magtangtang, 72 kms (2 hours ride) from Tagbilaran. Adventure activities include river trekking, tyrolean traverse, rappelling, bouldering, rock climbing and ziplining.

Bohol Blogs

Bohol blogs