The Chocolate Hills of Bohol

The Chocolate Hills is the most famous attraction in Bohol, Philippines. It is located down south of the Philippines. They look like giant mole hills, or as some say, women's breasts. Most people who first see pictures of this landscape can hardly believe that these hills are not a man-made artifact. They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

It is composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills of about the same size (mostly between 30 and 50 metres high), spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi).

Legend has it that the hills came into existance when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted for days. When they were finally exhausted, they made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made. For the more romantically inclined is the tale of Arogo, a young and very strong giant who fell in love with an ordinary mortal girl called Aloya. After she died, the giant Arogo cried bitterly. His tears then turned into hills, as a lasting proof of his grief.

There are a number of geological proposals regarding the formation of the hills. These include simple limestone weathering, sub-oceanic volcanism, the uplift of the seafloor and a more recent theory which maintains that as an ancient active volcano self-destructed, it spewed huge blocks of stone which were then covered with limestone and later thrust forth from the ocean bed.

Geologists have actually long debated about the formation of the hills, resulting in various ways the origin of the Chocolate Hills are stated or explained. The one written on the bronze plaque at the viewing deck in Carmen, Bohol states that they are eroded formations of a type of marine limestone that sits on top of hardened clay.The plaque reads:

"The unique land form known as the Chocolate Hills of Bohol was formed ages ago by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rain water and erosion."

Others says:

"The grassy hills were once coral reefs that erupted from the sea in a massive geologic shift. Wind and water put on the finishing touches over hundreds of thousands of years."


Still another way the origin is stated is that they were formed centuries ago by tidal movement and by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rain water and erosion. Another theory is that they were ancient coral limestone reefs shaped by many thousands of years erosion by both water and wind. Geologists think that the specific shape of the hills is caused by the influences of the weather during millions of years. The breaking down of the upper layers of the limestone formations, followed by the erosion processes, resulted in these remnants in the shape of cones. It is likely that they were once limestone deposits beneath the sea, uplifted by the movement of plates and then smoothed by wind and rainwater erosion.


You can reach the chocolate hills by plane and from the airport of Tagbilaran City, you will have to go the integrated bus terminal in Dao and catch a bus going to Carmen. Make sure it is the first one to leave, and ask the driver to drop you off at the Chocolate Hills complex, about 4 kilometers before the town of Carmen. From there it is a 10 minute walk along a roud winding up to the complex.

To get back to Tagbilaran City, you will have to walk back to the main road, and wait for a bus to pass by. The last bus from Carmen to Tagbilaran leaves at 4 P.M. Alternatively, you can use the services of the motorcyclists who often wait here for tourist, and ride 'habal-habal,' or motorbike taxi.

You can also reach by sea, from Tubigon (arriving from Cebu by boat), a few buses go to Carmen daily, but sometimes you'll have to wait for some time for the bus to fill up. When you arrive in Carmen, you can catch the next bus or jeepney in the direction of Bilar, Loay or Tagbilaran, or ask a 'habal-habal' driver to bring you to the Chocolate Hills Complex.

I have learned that the Chocolate Hills are also one of the choices for the "New Seven Wonders of Nature", if you find that these site is truly a wonder, you can visit and casts your vote to www.new7wonders.com

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Amazing Callao Cave in the North

Callao Caves Tourist Zone in Penablanca Town, Province of Cagayan, is known as a Caving and Mountaineering Paradise. About 480 kilometers of good roads through the Maharlika Highway, CCTZ is site of more than 300 cave systems including archeological, recreational and highly technical caves; wet, dry, or a combination of wet and dry caves. From very easy recreational caves to the most difficult caving experience.

Callao Cave is a cave with seven chambers located on the Province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. It is one of the best known tourist attractions of the province. It is located in Barangays Parabba and Quibal, Peñablanca, near Tuguegarao, the capital city of the Province of Cagayan. It has a natural cathedral located at the first chamber, which was turned into a chapel by the local people. The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper chambers. Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.

You can reach Callao Cave by North bound bus (Victory Liner, Florida Bus etc.) and by plane (Air Philippines and Philippine Airlines) from Manila to Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

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