Bohol News, Hotels, Travel and Real Estate Property

Heading east from Tagbilaran along the south coast takes you first to the coastal fishing town of BOOL , 5km away. Said to be the oldest settlement on the island, it's also the site of the  Blood Compact Site, marked by an attractive bronze sculpture on the seafront. This is the spot where local chieftain Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi concluded an early round of Philippine–Spanish hostili-ties in 1565 by signing a compact in blood. Every year for one week in July, Boholanos gather in Bool for the  Sandugo  (One Blood)  festival  which, apart from the usual beauty pageants and roast pigs, includes a passionate re-enactment of the blood ceremony. About 2km east of Bool, BACLAYON  is the site of  Baclayon Church, the oldest stone church in the Philippines . Much of the existing facade was added by the Augustinian Recollects in the nineteenth century, but the rest dates back to 1595 and was declared a national historical landmark in 1995. The church's convent has bee...

How Go to Anda, Bohol Around three hours by bus from Tagbilaran, the countless white sand coves near the town of   ANDA  in beautiful Guindulman Bay are an emerging choice for those looking to escape Panglao's commercialized beach and dive scene. Of the resorts which have popped up in recent years, British-owned Blue Star ( T 0919/453-4468,  W www.bluestardive.com ; 7) stands out for divers and has a good pool, wi-fi, a tiny beach at low tide and good snorkelling on the house reef.  There's a brand-new dive centre, and fan rooms are spacious and tastefully designed with lovely views out over the bay – air-conditioned rooms were nearly complete at the time of writing. For pure beach lovers,  Anda White Beach Resort ( T 0915/541-0507,  W www.andabeachresort.com ; 7) can't be beaten and has attractive rooms, the best of which front onto a bright white strip of sand. There's also a pool, billiards and wi-fi (P100/hr).  Two minutes' walk from here is one of the fe...

A number of resorts offer half-day trips for around P2000 per person to the town of  Antequera , north of Tagbilaran (you can get here independently by bus or jeepney from Tagbilaran).  The attraction for tourists here is the lively market, twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays. Craftsmen and traders from around the island congregate to sell locally made handicrafts such as baskets, hats and various home decor items such as linen tablecloths, mirrors and attractive bowls made from stone or coconut shells.  Prices are significantly cheaper than in the cities and it's a fun place to haggle and pick up a few inexpensive souvenirs.

There are plenty of hotels and lodges in TAGBILARAN , the hectic port capital of Bohol , but with so many beaches and sights nearby, there's no real reason to stay here. From Tagbilaran you can be on Panglao Island in less than twenty minutes and even the Chocolate Hills, hidden in the hinterlands, are less than an hour away by road. The only sights in Tagbilaran itself are the Cathedral, opposite the plaza in Sarmiento Street, a nineteenth-century hulk standing on the site of an original that was destroyed by fire in 1789, and the   Bohol Museum  (Mon–Fri 10am–4.30pm; P10) in Carlos   P. Garcia Avenue, set in the former home of Carlos Garcia (fourth President of the Philippine Republic), and containing various  presidential memorabilia and a collection of shells. The   Tagbilaran City Fiesta takes place on May 1.

Bohol , a two-hour hop south of Cebu, is an attractive little island where life today is pastoral and quiet. The only sign of heavy tourist activity is on the beautiful beaches of Panglao, a magnet for scuba divers and sun worshippers, close to the utilitarian port capital of Tagbilaran.  Most visitors only leave the beach for a day tour taking in the Bohol's most famous attractions : the much-touted Chocolate Hills, a glimpse of the  endangered tarsier , lunch on the Loboc River and a visit to the Blood Compact site, memorial to Bohol's violent past. Those with more time will be rewarded by trips to other parts of the province, including the adventure centre at Danao, the attractive island of Cabilao and the pretty beaches of Anda .  Bohol is also renowned for its wonderful old Spanish churches , many of them built with coral, which can be found all over the island, notably at Baclayon and Albuquerque. May is  fiesta month on  Bohol with island-wide celebrations includin...