Traveler

Virgin Island is one of the several islands included in Bohol Government’s jurisdiction. It is located 15-20 minutes away from Panglao Island in the Philippines. This is known to local as the Virgin Island because nobody lives here and the place is not always visited by tourists even though it’s opened to the public a long time ago. Virgin Island is one of the many islands in the Philippines where a big area of the beach sink during high tide and only the palm trees in the middle of the island are visible.

Known to many locals as the “hidden oasis”, Virgin Island is clearly an attraction due to its long stretch of white sand beach during low tide which spans around 1 hectare. The problem during shallow waters is that some motorized outrigger boats can’t dock in the island because a lot of sea plants surrounding the area near the docking station will stick to the propeller causing it to malfunction. There’s no other docking station except for this single area of the island because most of the parts have very shallow water even during high tide which can cause the outrigger boats to get caught on the underwater rocks or sands.

Going to Virgin Island is easy. If you’re in Tagbilaran City, you can take a jeepney going to Panglao or tell a “habal-habal” (motorcycle for hire) to take you to Panglao Beach. Be sure to negotiate the fare first because some drivers offer high rates especially to foreigners. Once in Panglao, you can approach any outrigger boat available in the island and negotiate to bring you and your friends to Virgin Island. The payment for the whole ride is at P400-P1000 or you can negotiate for an even better price if you’re not many in the group.

The Bohol Forest is a man-made mahogany forest stretching in a two-kilometer stretch of densely planted Mahogany trees located in the border of Loboc and Bilar towns. Before and after this man-made forest are the naturally grown forests of Loboc and Bilar which are thick with a kaleidoscope of green foliage, different species of trees and giant ferns lining the road.

The man-made forest stands out because of the uniformity in height of the big trees, the spread of its branches, thickness and design of leaves. Seedlings abound around the older trees. Trunks, some thick and others just a few months old, grow resplendently straight up towards the sky which is obscured by the branches and the thick leaves.

The terrain from both side of the road goes up; to I don’t know how high. What you see are only the Mahogany trees that look like thousands of sentinels guarding the road, standing erect. No other vegetation is growing among the Mahogany trees. One only sees the brown trunks stretching forth from the earth and the green canopy above. And that’s what makes them look so attractive!

The roots of the trees are beautiful to look at as they protrude from the ground and crawl over boulders and contour of the land, even reaching the sides of the road. Looking at them gives you the creeps. Like tentacles of a giant octopus, the roots seem to reach out and grasp the unwary passersby, as what happened in the “Lord of the Rings” movie.

When you enter the forest, one will feel the abrupt change in temperature, especially during summer or hot season. It is hot outside the forested area, but once under the overhanging trees, one is refreshed by the cool breeze. This mountain area seldom sees the sun shine and most often than not, it rains here. Local folks attribute these to the presence of the dense forest.

The Loboc-Bilar man-made forest plays host to many visitors, locals and foreigners alike who take time to view it from the road and take pictures. The Metro Manila filmmakers often use the forest as a backdrop for some of their action films. Other groups go hiking thru the woods and up the mountain. Mountain bikers often use the wide asphalt road that traverse the forest aside from the day-to-day buses and public transport that ply between the towns.

This rainforest is about 20 kilometers from Tagbilaran City. Plying the interior road from the capital, one passes the town of Loboc and what the Boholanos call the “tina-i sa manok” (chicken’s intestines) which refers to the winding road up the mountain of Loboc going towards Bilar.

Leaving the populated barrios behind, the road up the mountain is steep and on one side, a deep ravine which are all densely forested. The steep and winding road plus the ravine does not hinder the local drivers. They maneuver the road with the agility and speed of experts; a feat acquired thru constant practice.

After the forest, one passes two towns, the town of Bilar and Batuan, and arrives at Carmen town where the famous chocolate hills are sighted. Carmen is where you find hundreds of chocolate hills which are uniform in shape and size. A complex has been put up by the local government on top of the two highest hills in the area.

The chocolate hills are the main Bohol tourist attraction. But before you get there, one passes the famous Baclayon church (the oldest church of Bohol), the Loboc church (the 2nd oldest church), the Loboc river, and then the man-made rainforest. One cannot help but be awed by such grandeurs!

The Hinagdanan Cave, meaning “Laddered” in Cebuano, is one of the many wondrous caves in the island province of Bohol.

The cave was accidentally discovered by a farmer; while clearing his land he found 2 holes, curious, he dropped a stone and heard a splash. He built a ladder “hagdan” and was able to access the cave and find its hidden beauty, thus the origin of the name Hinagdanan.

Mahinog's Katunggan Park is a small mangrove forest that has been converted into a viewing area to showcase the black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans). It's probably inspired by the bigger Ibajay Katunggan Eco Park located in Aklan.

Upon entrance into the park, you are greeted with this bit of information about the Black mangrove.

Laguindingan is one of the most progressive municipalities of Misamis Oriental. Perhaps, one known and important factor for its consistent growth is the establishment of the Laguindingan International Airport which becomes the main aviation path for the municipality itself as well as nearby cities like Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and other municipalities as well.

With that, it is fitting to say that more and more visitors and tourists are taking the time to roam around the area and check what beauty lies in Laguindingan. Better yet, they should visit the Tubajon Aqua Marine Water Park and Fish Sanctuary at Barangay Tubajon for a novel marine water sanctuary appreciation and nature trekking activity combined.

From Cagayan de Oro City, you could either take a ride by taxi or bus to Laguindingan Airport for 40 minutes to an hour, and from the national highway,  a “habal-habal” ride is usually taken for about 10 minutes to reach Tubajon Aqua Marine Water Park and Fish Sanctuary.

Even at the entrance, the area is already oozing with eye refreshing scenery of the lush 22 hectares mangrove where tiny species of fish and other organisms take their natural habitat.

With just an entrance fee of P20 for adults and P10 for kids, you can already enjoy swimming in the aquamarine sea water in between rows of large clusters of mangrove trees while holding your own tripod for a video selfie or groufie. It is also where you could see local fisherfolks passing through the mangrove forest on board their boats after a day’s work at the sea.

You could also rent a cottage inside the mangrove forest for P300 to P500 depending on the size and enjoy a meal with your family, friends, and loved ones while enjoying the look of the place and the sunshine scattered through the twigs and leaves of the trees.

There are also boardwalks that connect several important points throughout the park. This is also a perfect opportunity to stroll around the place while overlooking the canopy of the mangrove forest while having an alone time with yourself or, especially, with a loved one.

As a protected zone, the Tubajon Aqua Marine and Fish Sanctuary has a few set of rules to be followed by their visitors. It is encouraged for visitors not to throw their garbage around the area that may block the waterways in between roots of mangrove trees. More importantly, illegal fishing activities like dynamite and cyanide fishing are strongly prohibited by those who manage the park.

These attractions are next to each other and located in Barangay Cantaan in Guinsiliban, Camiguin’s smallest municipality.  Both are managed by Cantaan Centennial Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CCMPC) .

Entrance fee is only Php 25, which already includes an educational tour of the clam sanctuary.  Note that this tour is done only around a man-made pool where some clams are housed.  If you want to view the clams on their natural habitat, you have to pay an additional fee of Php 150.

Kabila White Beach on the other hand is a heaven for those who want a rather peaceful and tranquil environment -away from all the other tourist in the area. The waters are calm and inviting which is good for relaxation.

Giant Clams are endangered species so be careful not to damage or do some activities that could disturb their habitat.