ALventureBlogs: Bohol Escapade: Chocolate Hills

Bohol has always been present in my Philippine History book during my elementary grade school days and I remember so vividly that picture of "The Chocolate Hills" as one of those famous attractions the country boasts of.
So when I got the chance to travel in Bohol, I made sure these hills wont be missed in the itinerary.

These non-man-made hills are made up of gravel, sand and dead corals formed into heaps. By just looking at the magnificent view, I can't help myself to be thinking how in the world these were created and why their name turned up to be so.
The chocolate hills have a very uniform women's breast-like shape and they mostly are between 30 and 50 meters high. Some claim that there are no less than 1268 hills. They are covered with grass, which, at the end of the dry season, turns chocolate brown. From this color, the hills derived their name. At other times, the hills are green, and the association may be a bit difficult to make.

Legend has it that these hills has come into existence when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made. But of course, the weathered formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of a impermeable layer of clay may have caused these, scientifically speaking. An explanation on a bronze plaque on how the hills may be formed is displayed on the observation hill near the complex.

The site is quite far from Tagbilaran City. To get there, you will have to go the integrated bus terminal in Dao and catch a bus going to Carmen. Make sure to ride on the correct bus and ask around if it is the first one to leave. You may ask the driver to drop you off at the Chocolate Hills complex, about 4 kilometers before the town of Carmen. From there it is a 10 minute walk along a road winding up to the complex.

To get back to Tagbilaran, walk back to the main road, and wait for a bus to pass by. The last bus from Carmen to Tagbilaran leaves at 4 P.M. Alternatively, you can use the services of the motorcyclists who often wait here for tourist, and ride 'habal-habal,' or motorbike taxi.

The trip will be worth it on this remarkable high light of Bohol. We found it best to just hire a car or a taxi for the day. With God's amazing grace, we got ours at P1900 but the usual rate varies around P2500 plus a small tip for the driver. The local drivers know all the tourist spots to visit so there's no need to pay the high cost of a day tour with a tour guide. There are several places to visit along the way so be ready for some stopovers and enjoy the opportunity to take photos. Have fun! :)

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