Feb 11, 2018

All Day Fun with the Loboc Crew

Location: Bohol (province), Philippines

Cycling
It was an early 7am trip by pick-up truck with our bikes to Dauis Church where I, Jeffrey and his Dad, Juan, were to meet up with Leonid for a 15km ride to Panglao Church. It ended up with just Jeff and me doing the ride. It was a leisurely ride along the newly constructed 'airport highway' on a straight flat terrain. There was an extra shoulder on the road which made for a safer bike ride. This is an ideal stretch for a morning pick-me upper ride. We practically cut through the mid section section of Panglao island. In 40 minutes, we arrived at the church where Juan (and RJ) were waiting for us en route to the hydroponics garden nearby.

Hydroponics Garden
It was a fairly sized hydroponics garden meant to provide fresh salad produce to guests of the luxurious Bellevue Resort right across the street. There were lots of salad ingredients you could hardly find in Tagbilaran - Romaine lettuce, Green Leaf lettuce, herbs, etc. The way it was planned, designed and constructed was ingenious. Everything seemed to be self-contained. The water that is fed by pump to the plants drain into the fish pond where it mixes with fish droppings for fertilizing. The water is filtered and loops back for another cycle. Discarded produce is fed to the rabbits, whose poo is used as fertilizer as well. They have shredders to facilitate composting. The setup is well-thought through.

Picnic/Snorkeling/Cliff Diving
Later, with our bikes loaded-up on the pick-up, we headed back to Dauis for Molave Cove Resort to hook-up with Leonid & co. who made all the arrangements. Later, we were joined by Grace, a UK traveler whom I met a day earlier at Fox and Firefly Cottages. Drinks, food and lots of laugh were on the menu. Most of them took turns cliff-diving. I did so too but it ended up real bad - I landed on my face which left me battered!

fun times at Molave Cove Resort with the whole Loboc Crew

Karaoke Night
Later in the day, we all met up again in Loboc for karaoke night! Darwin was there to join us. Everyone got buzzed as we belted out our favorite hits or got lost in conversation. It was close to midnight by the time we ended up. As usual, Mr. Generosity himself, Leonid, picked up the tab. Thank you sir!

Ending Thoughts
I found the karaoke place a prime example of what a karaoke bar should be in the Philippines. It was enclosed so no one in the neighborhood gets bothered - the karaoke bars in Camotes Islands can learn a lot from this bar!

Additionally, I noticed that everyone who took the mic could sing. They may not necessarilly have a Carnegie Hall voice, but they know how to sing - right key, in tune, etc. I guess I should not be surprised. I am in Loboc! Here, nearly all the students are either part of the choir or playing a musical instrument in the school band. Musical initiatives are subsidized and encouraged. If you have listened painfully in karaoke bars across the country, you will notice the distinct difference in Loboc.

It was great bonding and a lot of fun for this group I fondly refer to as the Loboc Crew. The evening was a great ender for Grace who was to take her flight out of the country the following day. I guess, it applies to me as well given my remaining days in Loboc...or so I thought. It was all good.

Thank you Leonid, Jeffrey, Darwin, Grace, RJ, Purow, etc. for a fun-filled and memorable day!

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

pictures by Leonid, Jeffrey, Purow and from everyone

rabbits are fed discarded greens and their poop is fertilizer

water passes through the fish pond before the plants

snorkelers, freedivers and swimmers down below

Jeffrey and I were pretty banged-up that day

feeling it to the bones with Jeffrey as Grace sings

Reader Comments:

Leonid Marapao

Bohol Touristas Transport Services
(Feb 15, 2018) A day filled with Fun, Drama, Action and a lot of Comedy

Jeffrey

Lyn's Backpackers Inn
(Feb 15, 2018) Dispidida party hehe

Next stop: 24+ Days at Lyn's Backpackers Inn

Loboc Map

Loboc, Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

Cruz Daku - 80-foot white cross erected in 1986 on top of Loboc's highest mountain
Virgen de Guadalupe - giant statue of the Black Madonna perched on a Loboc summit
River Cruise - river cruise on a floating restaurant serving lunch with cultural presentation
Busay Falls - accessible only through the river cruise
Loktob Spring - cold water spring, free admission, huts for rent
Zipline and Cable Car Ride - at the Eco-Tourism Adventure Park

hotel

Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Lyn's Backpackers Inn - family-run guesthouse in the heart of Loboc

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 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-11:40AM, 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.