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From top: Travel
writer Betty Tianco
loves a good deal;
picture-perfect
views of the
Chocolate Hills.
PHOTO
JOANNE HALILI (CHOCO HILLS)
The shoestring
traveler:
Betty Tianco
Her motto
“Scrimp where you can and
splurge on the things that matter.”
Her mission
To see all the famous
sights of Bohol — and discover some
off-the-beaten path secrets — in 72
hours and for about PHP3,500.
BOHOL IS ONE
of those Philippine
destinations that look postcard-pretty
at every turn. Each postcard could
bear a familiar, famous attraction —
like the natural phenomenon that is
the Chocolate Hills, the centuries-old
Baclayon Church, the floating restaurant
gliding down the Loboc River, the
colorful underwater world around
Panglao and Balicasag, and the world’s
smallest primate, the tarsier, in its
natural habitat.
As an editor for a travel website,
www.travelbook.ph,
I’ve logged in
my fair share of Bohol time and have
discovered some of the province’s best
deals. The key to exploring Bohol on a
budget is to travel light — be prepared
to hitch a ride with the friendly locals
or drive around on a rented motorbike.
Most of the interesting sights are an
easy drive from the capital city of
Tagbilaran, so this is perfectly doable. A
clean bed in a secure downtown inn is
all you’ll need — there’s so much to see
in and around Bohol in the daytime that
you’ll probably just snooze overnight
before you have to get up and head out
again come morning.
Day 1
From the airport, head directly to the
Panda Tea Garden Suites, a neat little
economy hotel that has dorm-type
accommodations for PHP350–385 a
bed
(J.A. Clarin St., tel: +63 (38) 501
8773, boholpandasuites@yahoo.com)
.
The hotel arranges free pick-ups from
any port in Tagbilaran, so that saves
you the hassle of haggling with a trike.
After settling in, get ready to
spend the day touring Bohol’s main
sights. Happily, the most flexible and
adventurous way to do this is also the
cheapest — by self-driven motorbike for
PHP500 per day
(www.rentacarbohol.
com/rental.php#motorcycle)
.
09LKH Smile
Ser 4
083-088 Feature 6 - Shoestring Bohol CORR.indd 85
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