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The eco-factor
Looking for a place to stay before and after Cambuhat? Check in at
Bluewater Panglao Resort, which keeps up with the eco-responsible
spirit of the new Bohol tours.
“
Around 80% of the wood used in the entire resort is recycled,”
reveals designer Benji Reyes. Wood salvaged from Bohol’s old homes
are used in the cantilevered beds, almost untouched, the scars of their
past lives lending even more character to the new, and discarded tips of
rattan create a mosaic on the roof of the main restaurant.
Still, comfort isn’t compromised one bit — the resort also has
lavishly appointed private villas with their own pools, deluxe suites
arranged around a child-friendly pool, and Bohol’s only family loft
accommodations, ideal for clan adventures.
Sitio Daurong, Danao,
Panglao Island; tel: +63 38 41 0695,
A R I V E R R U N S T H R O U G H I T
One of the
highlights of Bohol’s
magical, mystical
river tour is the
chanting of an
agta
,
or water spirit who
protects the river.
Community spirit
Gliding quietly through one of the
tributaries of the 12-meter wide river,
your
banca
is suddenly escorted by
a dark vision: a man covered in black
mud is smoking a pipe with his own set
of drummers beating music from empty
water gallons. He seems to stand on
water, embodying the
agta
,
or “the
water spirit that guards our river.”
Bohol’s other famous landmarks are
to the north-west, while Cambuhat’s
eco-village is in the exact opposite
direction, in the north-east. But many
are drawn to its lesser-beaten path
appeal, and its relative proximity to
the other Bohol tour you didn’t know:
Danao’s community-run adventure
tour with its
suislide
zipline between
two mountains and spelunking; and
the other view of Chocolate Hills
from the opposite side of the touristy
Carmen rendezvous, in a commanding
view dubbed Sagbayan Point. In
Bohol’s constantly evolving tourism
milieu, these smaller, community-run,
infotainment-laden tours offer what
others have forgotten: the chance to see
Bohol through the Boholanos’ eyes.
Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to
Tagbilaran.
