It's the anti-Boracay. The stretch of white beach is there, but not the party atmosphere. There are no bars, no wild nightlife to speak of, and it's the very thing that makes it special.
This is Bohol. Quiet, beautiful, unspoiled by the trappings of commercial tourism. And yet it has some of the more noteworthy tourism projects in the Philippines. It is home to the best preserved Spanish colonial churches in the country, among them, the oldest in the Philippines, the Baclayon Church, built in 1596. Among divers, it has sites that are home to marine creatures such as dolphins and whale sharks, and quite a number of coral reefs and fishes. Landllubbers and those who want to keep their heads above water can get their fill of nature from many things: dolphin and whale watching, firefly tours, a trek uphill formed like perfect domes, spelunking in a crisscrossing in network of caves, and river boat cruises through emerald green waters. Sometimes it is indeed hard to believe that it is only an hour and a half away by ferry boat from the bustling southern capital of Cebu, and easily accessible through direct flights from Manila.
One of the oldest resorts on the is land is the Bohol Beach Club, or the BBC as the resort employees and the locals call it. The BBC has one of the most enviable stretches of white sand beaches in Bohol. Located on Panglao Island, theresort's1.5?kilometer white sand beach remains relatively peaceful even on peak holiday weekends.
The resort has been around for many years; 25 years next year, in fact. During that time, it has grown to accommodate visitors of different kinds. Families, budget tourists, and luxury travelers share the same beach but experience it in different ways. Families can opt to stay near the freshwater pool, the playgrounds, and the picnic grove; budget tourists can make the resort their base for adventures on land and on water; guests with a taste for luxury can enjoy the best vantage point of the white sand beach all day.
It is for the latter that the BBC built right smack in the middle of the resort luxury cottages set amidst lush greens. The premier suites have front terraces that offer an unobstructed view of the beach; their main entrances are accessible through trellis covered walkways meandering leisurely throughout the garden. At the center of the garden is a small, private pool, reserved exclusively for the use of the preferred guests. The most luxurious of these suites has its own Jacuzzi fronting the beach.
There is reason for this segmentation within a single resort. Bohol offers a variety of attractions that cater to different kinds of tourists. On the lower end of the scale are the leisurely river cruises and sight seeing trips of the province's natural wonders. For tourists who are willing to spend more, gear intensive adventures such as spelunking and diving are plentiful. Those inclined to learn more about the country's Spanish colonial past can visit the centuries old churches or the many intricately designed colonial houses in the old settlements.
The reminders of the country's past have proven to be particularly interesting to some of the Philippines's most prominent champions. of heritage preservation, among them Bea Zobel Jr., daughter of industrialist Jaime Zobel de Ayala. She has supported the preservation of at least two heritage sites in Bohol, the 404?year?old Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (more popularly known as the Danis Church) and the 167?year?old Clarin House, ancestral home of Bohol's most prominent political clan, the Clarins.
The Dauis Church is home to breathtaking murals by renowned Cebuano artist Canuto Avila. Thanks to the timely intervention of art experts and historians, many of the church's valuable murals have been preserved. The Clarin House was similarly saved by the active involvement of the Clarins. Although the family does not live in the house anymore, it has opted to preserve the house and open it to the public.
It is this sense of pride and preservation that makes Bohol a different place. Being endowed with natural tourist attractions such as endless stretches of pristine beach, emerald rivers, lush forests, and oceans rich with marine life make it almost prime for commercial exploitation. That it has stayed relatively unspoiled is probably the true wonder.
