Bohol Island Getaway Part 2

After an amazing night of sleep, Candice and I spent Sunday on an all-day excursion, booked through our hotel.  At first, I was a little cautious of booking an excursion.  I was a little worried we'd spend eight hours on a bus with a bunch of tourists; turns out that it was a completely private tour - for under $100USD, Candice and I had a driver all to ourselves for the day as we explored the island.

My other reservation was caused by my intense fear of snakes.  No lie, TERRIFIED and I had googled "what snakes live on Bohol" to determine that I should be very VERY afraid.  The premium tour package we selected included visiting one of the many python exhibits that dot the roadside.  While we had been promised the tour could be customized... I had my fears of any possible encounters with snakes.

With our modified agenda in hand, we set out for the Chocolate Hills, a natural monument with almost surreal views.  The winding roads left me questioning my breakfast choices. 

But within an hour or so, we arrived at the park.  After selling us the tickets, they inform us of the 214 steep stairs we need to climb to get to the top :)



After we took in the sights of the beautiful Chocolate Hills, we started our way back down to lower elevation with stops at a butterfly conservatory which was much cooler than I anticipated.  We had a great host who guided us through their gardens and took photos for us. 



Candice is braver than I.  Much.

Gatorade in glass bottles



Then we visited a nature preserve that is home to a group of Tarsiers, an endangered primate that calls Bohol home.  They kinda look like a groundhog, a Chihuahua and a rat cross-bred.  Some places allow you to hold the Tarsiers which is terrible for their health so I was happy that the place we visited really was a nature preserve, set out to protect them.  As we climbed around the stone paths, I (of course) was also terrified of running into a snake.  Thankfully, any snakes there were smart enough to stay hidden.

I'll have to finish out the getaway story with my next post!