Of cute tarsiers and chocolate hills

We had an island tour booked for today so had to set an alarm for 6.30. We kept breakfast light as we knew lunch was included in our tour. After a bit of confusion (our guide Noel had the wrong name down on his list) we set out on the tour.

La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria

Our first fairly short stop was at the church in Baclayon, La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria, which Noel told us was the second oldest in the country, after San Agustín in Intramuros in Manila. It was however badly damaged in an earthquake twelve years ago so has been extensively rebuilt. The painted ceiling was very impressive and the light through the simple but rich coloured stained-glass windows was lovely.

A Monument to Friendship

We also stopped briefly at what Noel told us was a Monument to Friendship, known more formally as the Blood Compact Monument, commemorating a pact between the Spanish and indigenous people. There seem from an online search to be several such monuments in this area.

Tarsiers

Our first main destination was the tarsier sanctuary, one of my must-sees of this trip. The Tarsier Conservation Area on Bohol Island in the Philippines is a protected area dedicated to preserving the Philippine tarsier, one of the smallest primates in the world. Known for their strikingly large eyes in a tiny body, these fascinating animals play a vital role in maintaining the island’s biodiversity and ecological harmony.

But the tarsiers are under threat, in particular from the growth in the human population. Many of the forests where they live have been cleared for farming or housing. They are also threatened by captivity, when locals capture them to keep as pets or (more often) to make money from by showing them to tourists. Tarsiers need live insects to eat, and their diet suffers in captivity. Worse, they are easily stressed by loud noises, bright lights and human contact. They’ve even been known to commit suicide by hitting their heads and thus breaking their thin skull.

The sanctuary preserves an area of forest where they can live in safety. The aims include not only conservation but also education of both locals and tourists. Visitors can observe tarsiers in their natural habitat, with pretty much guaranteed sightings at no threat to the animals.

On arrival we watched a short video in which we learned among other things that their eyes are bigger than their brains, that their eyeballs are fixed but they can rotate their heads 180 degrees, and that they have just one baby at a time. And they really are tiny, averaging 85 to 160 mm (3.35 to 6.30 inches) in height.

Further information gleaned from Wikipedia on my return home includes the fact that the tarsiers, unsurprisingly with these huge eyes, have excellent night vision. In bright light those eyes can constrict until the pupil appears to be only a thin spot. But in low light or darkness, the pupil can dilate till it fills almost the entire eye. The large ears are mobile, and almost constantly moving, allowing the animal to hear any movement. The long digits have rounded pads that allow it to cling easily to trees and to grip almost any surface. I was almost as fascinated by those fingers as by the eyes!

After the video we followed a winding path through part of the forest, which Noel left us to do on our own, as he had done at the church. I wondered if we would spot the little primates, but there were sanctuary guides along the path pointing out each spot where a tarsier was resting (they are nocturnal). Most were tucked under leaves, making them hard to photograph. I was a bit disappointed with my results but really happy to have seen them. And I did manage to get enough decent photos (with a bit of help from Topaz Denoise AI!)

The Chocolate Hills

We met up with Noel again for the drive to the Chocolate Hills. These are a geological wonder. Over 1,000 (some, including Noel, say as many as 1,776) conical limestone hills dot the landscape. They are covered in grass which turns brown during the dry season, giving them their name. We were too early in the season to see them properly chocolate, although there were some hints of brown here and there.

At first Noel took us to an ATV company which he recommended as a way to drive to a viewpoint. But the rental cost more money than we had brought out with us, not having known anything about this option and additional charge. Luckily he said we could instead drive to a viewpoint, which we did. There were 220 stairs to climb, much more even and easier than those at the rice terraces thankfully! The view was extensive but the weather rather hazy and the light too flat for great photos.

There was quite a crowd on the viewing platforms, most of them jostling for the best position to take a selfie. I enjoyed watching and photographing them, as well as the pretty flowers, almost as much as the views!

Lunch on the Loboc

Once we got back down from the viewpoint we had to wait a short while for Noel and our driver Boi, as they couldn’t park at the top but had to return and wait in the public car park below. Then we drove to our lunch spot, or rather spots, as lunch was a movable feast! We had it on board a floating restaurant on the river Loboc. The buffet was nothing special although I liked the fresh bananas and a weird but tasty coffee jelly dessert. The live music wasn’t wonderful either, but we really enjoyed standing at the front after our meal, watching the river scenes and catching the breeze. The landscape was very lush and green, especially once we were away from the town.

We moored at one point to watch a display of local dancers and musicians performing a couple of traditional numbers. I shot a short video but refused Noel's suggestion that I join the dancing! Luckily others on board were happy to oblige.

After returning to the start I had a quick glance at the souvenir shops but there was nothing appealing – it all looked quite tacky. I was keen to find a small and more realistic tarsier toy, rather than the twee ones in t-shirts, but although Noel took us to another souvenir shop it was no better, and I didn’t enjoy being followed around and hassled to buy, so we soon left, empty-handed!

Down-time at the hotel

The tour had been advertised as also including a walk through a couple of local villages but Noel didn’t mention these and as we’d seen the tarsiers and Chocolate Hills, the two main sights here, we were happy enough to return to the hotel by mid-afternoon. I had a swim in the large pool and we relaxed beside it for a while and later in our room.

We had dinner again in the hotel restaurant. My chicken kebab wasn’t quite as good as last night’s teriyaki, but tasty nevertheless. Chris enjoyed his pizza, and as we had yesterday, we finished the meal with another round of drinks, with another great mango daiquiri.