Bohol: Beyond The Chocolate Hills (PART 1)

BOHOL, Philippines

When a province is as inextricably linked to its main attraction as Bohol is to the Chocolate Hills, is it even possible to "see it" for anything else? That was the question I asked myself as my PR175 flight began taxiing down the single strip runway of Tagbilaran Airport on the island province of Bohol. I gazed outside the plane window determined to find out.

As in other trips, I researched my destination prior to my arrival. I noted a few attractions of interest outside the usual gaggle of tourist spots which most tour operators quickly herd you from one attraction to the next with nary a chance to enjoy what you had just experienced. I wrote down all the attractions I wanted to visit on a Post-It note, marked the "must-see"s with an asterisk, and handed it to my own personal tour driver (I hired my own transport so I can stay at a location for as long as I want and make un-scheduled stops when and where I want) and told him to offer the most efficient route to these places over a 2-day period (with instructions on where I want to be during sunset)

Part of that research was finding a place to stay. Bohol offers the whole range of resorts and hotels to cater to every type of traveler, from the well-pampered, exclusive romantic getaway to the more subdued bare-essentials. I wrestled between two priorities, finding a place that offered good food or one with a decent stretch of beach front with the possibilities of a glorious sunset. When I finally made my decision and placed that phone call to make reservations, I was probably a little bit more hungry and a lot less romantic, and found myself calling the Bohol Bee Farm (BBF). I managed to haggle my way to a full-board rate, one that included all meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, to take advantage of the reportedly good food. I was not disappointed. The BBF makes use of organic and natural ingredients and you can taste the difference the moment you take your first bite. I started and ended my stay at The BBF with their Spicy Flower Salad, which reminded me of a Thai Larb Gai (Thai spicy chicken salad), but with attractively arranged edible flowers and a tasty dressing with hints of honey mustard, chili, calamansi, and ginger. It was a visual and gastronomic treat! I jokingly sent text messages to my close friends telling them that I was having a flower garden for lunch. Every meal starts with a serving of freshly baked bread and a sampling of three home-made spreads, pesto, mango and honey. I enjoyed the pesto spread so much that I bought several jars at the gift shop as pasalubong (gifts) on the day of my departure. Fresh Buko juice (coconut) still served in the shell accompanied all my meals and offered a refreshing counterpoint to the savory dishes. I ended every meal with an order of their home-made ice cream prepared from fresh indigenous organic fruit like langka and mango, trying a new flavor every time. I would definitely recommend a meal or two (or three and four) here at BBF when you visit Bohol.