Country > Philippines > Bohol > Tagbilaran
Date > 2024 > April
Activity > Traveling

Apr 28 - May 19, 2024

Kat's Community Invite

Location : Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines

The Cliff-hanger Invite
Feeling like I've already exhausted Bohol's abundance with all the events I'd been invited to with nothing else on the horizon, I bought a boat ticket for Cebu City and secured the Coastguard documents for my motorbike. But just hours before boarding the boat, I got a message from Kat, "I just wanted to check if you're interested to stay a few more days in Bohol. We can discuss the possibility of building a community here. You can stay in one of the rooms for free, with aircon, wifi, hot shower and a bed." Whoa!!! What a last minute cliff hanger. I made a stop to see Kat. Without much deliberation on my part, I let the boat leave without me.

Modular Container Home
I stayed at Kat's modular container home within her family compound. Even the family house was a huge interconnection of several containers on 3 levels. Think "LEGO" with these containers - you can interconnect and build according to the shape and form you want. Since this was also Kat's business, she spared no container to make something massive for a 'home' - this was also to showcase modular homes to her prospective clients.

Kat
I met Kat as Kaye/Jen's tag-along at Oceanica Resort for her birthday celebration. She was radiantly positive and powerful. It was good connection at the very outset. I somehow figured she would play a role in the days to come.

Kat was the Chief of Staff to the former Governor of Bohol. She's well connected in Bohol politics/business at the higher and local levels. She's also well respected - people listen when she talks. She knows the who's who of Bohol and can influence the movers and shakers of the province. Kat can be a staunch ally or a formidable foe - choose your wild.

The first 3 days into my stay, we just talked about everything under the sun - AI, crypto-currency, community building, ascension to Godhead, yoga, meditation, evolution, etc. I didn't even bother to ask her what her specifics were for me. It didn't feel urgent nor as compelling as sensing each other's vibration, headspace, vision and motivation.

Kat's Family
During my stay here, I was treated like an extra member of the family. Kat's Dad, Mom and daughter, Binky, are just amazing. They are all tightly woven as a family. Nothing is mechanical about how they treat each other. Kat's Dad is doctor who plays poker and Tennis regularly with his tightly knit friends. He spends a lot of time tutoring Bingky and takes her to school. They are all very involved with each other. You could feel the affection and love. It's so ideal you would think it's a scene from a movie.

Hanging with Rahel/Erica
On my 3rd day, Kat took me along with her daughter Bingky to hang out with Rahel and Erica, 2 people I also met at the Bohol Yoga Festival. We 'exercised' walking the length of the old airport and then hanging out at Rahel's place for a swim and dinner. The house was a sprawling Bali-style bungalow - wide open concept, exposed wooden beams, earthy feel, etc. The architectural design can make it to the pages of Architectural Digest.

Being with 3 ladies, there would be moments I would feel out of place when they begin talking about make-up and other female stuff, but it was all good.

Fiesta
May 1 was Fiesta. The family took me along to their friend's house for some major eats. Tucked into the narrow winding side streets of Tagbilaran is this massive property with various commercial fish ponds, tennis court and a palacial home. I was told the owner has major businesses totalling 15,000 employees just in Bohol. The other attendees there were no less in stature - resort owners, hotel owners and other prominent businesses. These are the big wigs of Bohol. But they were all down to earth and downright pleasant - absolutely no airs.

fiesta lunch with Kat's Dad and Mom

"What Role Do I Play?"
It was not until the 4th day when I finally asked her, "Kat, in a perfect world for you, what role do I play?". I already had a sense what it was, but I wanted it to come from her. She has many visions and aspirations but for one person to do all, she would spread herself thin. My core function was to help her community development program through my yoga/medidation. On a broader reach, I would be an enabler. I am comfortable playing that role.

with Kat in one of our many talks

Moving Out
I knew from the outset that I wasn't going to live in Kat's place indefinitely. Since I already decided to live in Bohol, I had to find a place of my own, the sooner the better. Since my Kids Yoga project with Kat extended to June 21, she agreed to let me stay that long. But I didn't want to start looking on June 21. For my P6k budget for Tagbilaran, Bohol's big city, I could only get a very small room with toilet - no kitchen, no extra space other than the bed. So, when I found a space with a bedroom, a working kitchen and a space for eating, I knew it was a deal. Additionally, it was only 2 km from Kat and only 1.6 km from Tubig Daku where I could do my morning yoga. I also wanted to have my own place by the time Marky arrived with all my stuff from Cebu City. I moved on May 19, staying a total of 21 days at Kat's place.

Ending Thoughts
When Kat invited me, I saw it as divinity answering my call to "Let me know where I go. Make it clear in no uncertain terms. Command me and I will not say no!". There has to be a human conduit because there won't be a voice emanating from thin air to give me the message I was waiting for. At this point in Kat's life and mine, we needed each other (nothing romantic) and we manifested each other. This turns the page of my life to the next chapter.

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

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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.

Blogs

Bohol blogs