Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

Forget Cudbury, Kitkat and  Kisses, see the CHOCOLATE HILLS

Chocolate Hills is a popular tourist attraction due to its unique geological formation in Bohol Province, in the Philippines. There are at least 1,260 hills in green grass that turns chocolate during the dry season especially the summer months of April and May.

Declared as one of the the country's top National Geological Monument and included in the UNESCOWorld Heritage tentative list.

I have the chance to see this beautiful land formation last May of 2011.

The best location to see the Chocolate Hills can be viewed from one of the developed hills , the Chocolate Hills Complex located in Carmen, Bohol, about 55 kilometres  northeast from Tagbilaran City. or about 5 km from the town proper of Carmen, Bohol.

Together with my wife we decided to take a bus from Tagbilaran City going to Chocolate hills. The are few buses plying to Carmen near the Central Bus terminal and near Tagbilaran City hall complex. 

Bus Route from Tagbiliran City to Carmen Bohol

From Tagbilaran City, we travelled 53 km for about 1 ½ hour and passed the following towns going northeast:

Bool

You can see the Sandugo Shrine at the road side at Bool District, just at the outskirt of Tagbilaran.
The Sandugo was a blood compact  between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on 1565, as one of the tribal practices in the Philippines.

Baclayon

Along the road, you could see already the serenity of Baclayon shorelines facing the Mindanao Sea. Bohol endemic white sand can be seen  mostly in the entire province. The Historical Baclayon Churhc is also a stone throw away from national road.

The Historical Baclayon Church

Captured by my Nikon D3100 camera while riding the bus. The Mindanao Sea and the Panglao Island at the backdrop

Baclayon Shorelines. Very calm water and clear skies....Its summer..

Alburquerque

Loay

Loboc

Way to River cruise in Loboc, Bohol

Bilar

Ricefield at Bilar, Bohol. You can see already the sign of chocolate hills.

Municipal Hall of Bilar. The town before the Carmen which chocolate hills located.

After more than an hour bus ride we finally saw the Chocolate hills signage from highway before turning left to Chocolate Hills Complex.

Its approximately 1.1 km walk or ride thru tricycle or habal-habal going up to the viewing site.

This time we rode at habal-habal, it was our first time and it was very exciting.

Then its HELLO CHOCOLATES....

Over-looking the Batauan Side of choco hills

Flower blossoms

View from the side of Chocolate Hills Complex

At the Top of Chocolate Hills complex

A fun with my Chocolate hills

Enjoying Balicasag dive site