A Cruise to Loboc-Loay River

Loboc - Loay River Cruise

@ Rio Verde Floating Restaurant

By Lakwatsero

Our most awaited journey is to eat and dine in Loboc River, and one of the activities that we are looking forward too. Near the bridge is the departure place of the floating restaurants. The Rio Verde Floating Restaturant, these floating restaurants consists of two banka-hulls, over which a large wooden platform is placed. On this platform, numerous tables are placed, and a band plays music. Different boats play different styles of music, so, if you make a careful choice, you can dine with your favourite music. On our boat, they were playing mostly popular jazz and blues style music, and serenade us some local songs, which, although you would expect. Different songs was played actually most of the songs were foreign, and I was really amazed to hear because our entertainer/singer knew i think almost different kind of language.

Rio Verde Floating Restaurant

What a beautiful view awaits us!

As we enter the boat, the food was served on the middle table all kinds of Phillipine delicasies are presented, where you will get as much as you can eat, actually it is a buffet style, and while eating, you can enjoy the lush green landscapes slowly sliding along your table, and view the majestic panaroma of the nipa palm plantation along Loboc-Loay River, and as the boat takes of, most of the tourist has finish eating. The small outboard engine works hard to move the vessel against the current. Life along the river side goes on as it must have done for centuries, with children swimming, people passing by in small bankas or canoes. On certain points along the trip, daring kids climb in a large coconut tree overhanging the river, and jump in the water very close to the floating restaurant.

A group pic before eating!

Another one.

Are we done yet?

Part of our cruise is a stop and visit on what they called Ati Tribe, a local tribe located along the Loboc River, some of the river cruise, has a side trip of Busay Falls, for us it was a stop and visit for this tribe, to experience a little bit tribal traditional way.

Welcome here we are "Ati Tribe"

You wanna try this one?

how about this?

A exhibition jump on the river? or what do you think on the other side look as you can see my boss wandering?

As we end our Cruise, I take a last picture of the river, for my remembrance, hoping to get back again here, to feel again the wonderful place and taste the wonderful local filipino dishes been served to us.

Another cruise to await!!!

My last view of the Loboc-Loay River Cruise.

Entrance Fee: 350/per head Parking Fee: Free off Charge.

For more information:

You may check their website: http://rioverdebohol.com/

Our Bohol Tour 2010

Our Bohol Day Trip

Day 1

February 13, 2010

By Lakwatsero

We celebrated love month with a twist although it is quite stressfull, and tiring. This was indeed a great adventure for us. A day before the exact day of Valentines, it was a quiet hot day for our bohol day tour, we were compose of 13 individuals, we were all 1st timer in going to Bohol, even though me ("lakwatsero" is originally boholano, only grew up in Manila). We are all excited to be in this place because we heard so much in this place, how beautiful it is, and very peaceful place. Let me start by arriving at Tagbilaran Port (via Supercat Ferry #32) at exactly 10:15am, were my Tito Efren is waiting outside, together with our Driver, Tito Ciano, they are our tourist guide and driver for this day.

Supercat #32 mangaed by SuperFerry

Tagbilaran Port

Our first stop for our Bohol Day Tour was, Blood Compact Shrine "Sandugo", located in Brgy. Bool, Tagbilaran City, actually this was also considered the first "Treaty of Friendship" between a European and an Asian, also famous to be called as a the Sandugo Shrine, a blood compact between two cheiftains (Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Raha Sikatuna) to form a cordial and diplomatic relations between the two very different kingdoms.

One Blood!! "The Sandugo Shrine of Bohol"

Our next stop is another historical place of Bohol, Located 6km East of Tagbilaran. The Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception known as "The Baclayon Church", this church was considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines and even in Asia and is one of the best preserved Jesuit-built Churches in the region. The oldest coral stone church built in the region. It was originally built in 1727.

The Altar of Baclayon Church

Outside view from Baclayon Museum

Aligned with this church is the Baclayon Museum, where some of the oldest artifacts, statue of saints and even the oldest muebles used in this church was placed, and preserved, sad to say, CAMERA is strictly prohibited inside.

Our ex-supervisor JT poses in the entrance of Baclayon Museum together with my wife.

Some of the Oldest Saint Statues that you could find inside the museum.

For our 3rd stop, do have the opportunity to see and hold a python in captivity, lives in Upper Santa Fe, Alburquerque, Bohol, was named "Prony, the world's largest python," this was found way back in a cemetery in 1996 (5ft and 5 kls) by her caretaker-cum 'dad' Sofronio Salibay, the female reticulated python soon grew to a 200- kilo, 25-feet long , 28 feet wide Anaconda. This python is protected and not for sale, with the help of AKF Inc. (Animal Kingdom Foundation) and Pepsi co. I was one of the 300 visitors each day to have the luck to a take picture really close with "Prony".

Meet "Prony" the largest python in captivity!!!!!


Hi, it's me Latwatsero, taking a breath taking picture with Prony.....hehehe!!!

For our next stop, and most of us are waiting the lunch time, at the famous known cruise along the famed Loboc River, the floating restaurant in Loboc River serves buffet while cruising the river, with a soloist or a band entertaining the tourists singing different songs, visayans and even foreign songs and the trip is about an hour and half, you will also stop for a while in a local tribe called "Ati Tribe".

See how beautiful Loboc River was.....

say cheezzeeee.......

The locals of Ati Tribe

One of the locals do an exhition jump...and someone else just thinking of someone...hmmmm...

After our wonderful and awesome lunch, our next destination was the awesome view of Chocolate Hills, situated 4 kms before the town of Carmen, Bohol, infact one of my teammate and she was preggy even hike up the cemented hill stairs just to view the beautiful landscapes of Chocolate Hills, One of the Wonders of our World.

how lucky we are to have a beautiful landscape like this.

thanks for erick for the picture!!!!!!!

Ex-GI joe's but 2 in our groups were not here....check it out...

And we have chanced and glimpse only of the The Bohol Forest, a man-made mahogany forest stretching in a 2 kms. stretch of densely planted Mahogany tress located in the border of Loboc and Bilar towns. If you watch the "Lord of the Rings" movie, you can think of it because of the roots of the trees that looks as the protude from the ground and crawl over boulders and contour of the land, even reaching the sides of the roads. Looking at them gives you a creepy feeling, like tentacles of a giant octopus, that will reach out and grasp the unwary passersby.

you are now entering the warp zone...hehehehe

see how beautiful it is.....hehehehe

Our next destination was another attraction in Bohol, the Hanging Bridge, located in the town of Tikbao, made of bamboo bridge hanging supported by 4 steel cables, 2 underneath, and 2 at the top, at the top serve as a handrails, above the Loboc River. Adventurous people like me might find walking across really exciting, especially when you looks down - about 30 feet above the Loboc River.

are you ready to try!

me and my wife once again...thanks erick!!!!

To end our Bohol Day Tour, there's one thing that you must visit and a must see primate. The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta), known locally as the Maumag in Cebuano/Visayan. Tarsier is an endangered species endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly in the islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. Its name is derived from its elongated “tarsus” or ankle bone.

"Maumag"

The Philippine Tarsier is a shy nocturnal animal that leads a mostly hidden life, asleep during the day and only active to look for food during the night. During the day, it sleeps in dark hollows close to the ground, near the trunks of trees and shrubs deep in the impenetrable bushes and forests. They only become active at night, and even then, with their much better sight and amazing ability to maneuver around trees, are very well able to avoid humans. Also to add the studies of this species started actually in 1988 , initiated in Corella, Bohol.

The Phillipine Tarsier

After this gruelling day, we straight forward to our resort, and finally our resting time, where we will stay for our next day adventure at Sea Coral Resort.
For Van Services and Bohol Tours:
You may contact: Tito Ciano (0910-2046085)