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By Joel D. Pinaroc

Loboc River in Loboc Town in Bohol is one of the province’s top tourist destinations, promising visitors a worthwhile visit to a well-kept natural attraction that has won the hearts of both foreign and local tourists.

The clean, pristine waters of Loboc only makes eating at the world renowned floating restaurants simply delightful. The local delicacies and the fiesta-inspired buffet spread make the experience unforgettable, and the guitar serenade from local performers is merely an added bonus to complete your memorable visit.

Local officials in Loboc proudly say that the community is directly responsible for maintaining the condition of Loboc River, and that any untoward act, such as garbage dumping, is strictly forbidden.

Members of the communities, realizing the value of keeping Loboc River have learned to be staunch advocates of cleanliness, ensuring that the winding river remains free of pollution.

Loboc Town, a mere 30-minute drive from Tagbilaran City, also offers more than the floating restaurants of Loboc.

After a sumptuous lunch, visitors can take a side-trip to see the enigmatic and mysterious tarsiers, an endangered species that is found only in a few places on the planet.

But animal conservationist need not worry, because keepers of the several tarsier pens lining Loboc Town, are proud to display clearances and permits from the local government on the proper way of caring for these animals.

The Road to Loboc

The best way to go to Loboc Town is go directly by air. There are everyday flights from Manila to Tagbilaran City, particularly from Philippine Airlines.

This writer, along with several members of the media, had the opportunity to visit Bohol, and some of its most popular tourist spots. We got to Tagbilaran on the earliest flight from Manila, which, to our surprise was the best time of the day to arrive and start our “exploration.”

While Bohol will forever be known as the home of the Chocolate Hills, first-time visitors are in for a treat, with the numerous landmarks that can be visited within the day.

It is best to hire a cab while on a road trip to Bohol, particularly for small groups. The good thing is, transport services charge only for a certain amount of hours, and then charge a minimal amount for every exceeding hour.

We started of immediately, even before going to our hotel, and plotted our course such that the end of our tour will bring us to the famed Loboc River.

There is the blood compact landmark, and centuries old churches, and the curiously interesting “Prony,” claimed by its owners as the biggest python in captivity. Prony is simply huge. Measuring 23 feet, and with a girth of 23 inches, the 10-year-old python can eat a whole pig in one gulp.

Owners have emphasized that Prony is not merely a circus sideshow, and that local environmentalists have made numerous visits to Prony’s cage to study the enormous snake.

Our next stop was the centuries old Baclayon Church, which is the oldest coral church in the Philippines. Stories abound that until now, ghostly images of Japanese soldiers, who camped inside the church during World War 1, are still seen.

Our last stop was Bohol Beach Club in Panglao to take a much needed rest, before heading off to Loboc Town.

Tourists who have said that Panglao beach rivals that of Boracay are not exaggerating. It was a pity we did not have the chance to experience first-hand the white, powdery beach that Panglao has to offer, but each of us made mental notes to return to Panglao.

Loboc Town at Last

We arrived in Loboc Town a few minutes after lunch time. We consider ourselves lucky, because we did not need to reserve our seats for the floating restaurants, because the local government of Bohol, and its dynamic leader, Governor Erico Aumentado made sure we’ll get prime seats upon our arrival.

According to Aumentado, Bohol is fast becoming one of the top tourist attractions in the Philippines, and the local government is hell-bent in making sure this happens.

He shared with us his vision of making Bohol, which is smaller than Cebu and Davao, a world-famous destination.

He said Loboc River, Panglao, and a host of other landmarks are getting the attention of tourists wanting to experience more than the Chocolate Hills of Carmen Town.

And in between gulps of the sumptuous buffet of grilled seafood, and other native delicacies, we could not agree more.

Tags: Loboc River, Bohol Travel Tip, Philippine Top Destinations