Just take one of the free yellow shuttle boats near the St. Agustin Catholic Church in Panglao.

60 s video clip

There are also kayaks you can borrow and explore the waters around the island. Or why not just grab a regular Filipino snack near the entrance and relax in the shadow, listen to the doves... there are for some reason many doves here. I guess they have found a quiet refuge here in this peaceful environment. And yes, everything is for free here... boat ride, sea urchins, kayaks and snacks but of course small donations are always welcomed.

Related links:
The Hills​
Where to eat in Tagbilaran?
Find a house for rent in Panglao
Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines)
Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines
Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines
Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines)
The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common?
Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa  (Panglao, Philippines)
Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines)
Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines)

The typhon Urduja which had hit Philippines a bit more than a week ago and also just the other day, it was the Severe Tropical Storm Vinta which struck in the Northern Mindanao. We here in Bohol were lucky, we had just a couple of days with rain. Today, the day after the storm Vinta, it was sunny, clear and very hot weather here in Bohol. Our thoughts are with those who suffered so hard from these disasters.

We did this tour in a relaxed pace but expect to allow a whole day for doing this depending on how many of the attractions you like to experience.

A 60 s video clip showing the Chocolate Hills

Related links:
Where to eat in Tagbilaran?
Find a house for rent in Panglao
Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines)
Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines
Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines
Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines)
The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common?
Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa  (Panglao, Philippines)
Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines)
Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines)
Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines)

Rizal Boulevard or more commonly known as just the Boulevard is the heart of Dumaguete. ​It's here everything happens. I love to stroll here specially in the evenings when the air is cooler and you can feel the ocean breeze. Many they are doing their exercises here as well, jogging and walking back and forth the boulevard. Some days of the week they arrange Zumba open for everybody brave enough to participate. 

​The boulevard’s stretch is immediately visible when coming into the Dumaguete port via any sea vessel. From the white lamp posts lining up the stretch to the stately trees swaying with the sea breeze, Rizal Boulevard holds a big part in the city’s provincial charm and has become a very popular landmark.

A lazy afternoon at the boulevard. (60 s video clip) 

Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete City was named after the great Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, marking it as one of the historical sites found in the city. It has been said that he had made a brief visit and took a stroll here before departing to the neighboring island of Dapitan, Dipolog City where he was exiled for four years.

​​Rizal Boulevard is definitely one of the city’s best loved places. It has become a landmark as well as a venue for leisure and recreation.

Related links:​
Tarbush, a story of love​​
Review of 2Story kitchen in Dumaguete, Negros
Review of Gabby's Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Café Mafioso (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of San Rival Bistro (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant (Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines)
Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Charisma Beach Resort have rooms from 450 PHP up to 2650 PHP. I was lucky to get the Standard Bamboo Cottage, the one and only cottage for just 1000 PHP without breakfast. There was no sea view but still it was a very good deal. The cottage was clean and spacious with a porch facing the pool. However there was no AC in the cottage but for me, that is not a deal breaker.  On the contrary I prefer a fan room. I am a believer of adjusting myself to the heat rather than fighting it.

The Standard Bamboo Cottage, located behind the bush. A fairly large pool good for swimming. The resto and reception area. ​Summary The location is good. The surroundings around the resort is quiet but still in the area of San Juan so it is near other establishments as restaurants, bars and shops. The room was nice and clean with a bed I can sleep in. No AC, just a fan. Private toilet and shower with cold water. But a private cottage for 1000 PHP and just  100 m from the beach, what could you expect? The super friendly hotel dog waiting for a snack Charisma Beach Resort Solangon, San Juan, Siquijor, Philippines Phone nr +63 908 861 9689 Rating for the resto: ​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent 5 Food  4 Service 4 Value 5 Atmosphere ​Rating for the accommodation: ​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent 5 Location 4 Sleep Quality 4 Rooms 4 Service 5 Value for the money 4 Cleanliness  Related links: Review of Joel's Lechon Manok Siquijor Island, Philippines

Tempura is served with different kinds of spicy sauces. Note the plate cover... You can also buy tempura in the supermarket. ​Tasty Filipino tempura The Filipino reinvented the tempura into an affordable street version of the authentic more expensive Japanese dish made of real seafood or vegetables. The basic Filipino version consist of a batter which is made of water and soft wheat flour, eggs, baking powder, starch, oil, and spices. It's deep-fried in oil and served with different kinds spicy sauces. Tempura is a perfect snack along with a beer or two.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ​Takoyaki Takoyaki or also known as Samurai Balls's originated from Japan but you will often find it as street food in the Philippines. The ingredients are mainly the same as with the tempura. In this version they had mixed vegetables in the batter. You eat them together with spicy sauces. It's really yummy and affordable street food. Just try it and you will see! Balut No trip to the Philippines would be complete without eating balut! So what is balut? Balut is very simple: it's a fertilized duck egg, the embryo permitted to develop in the shell from 16 to 25 days, then boiled in the shell. The older the balut, the fuller the embryo's development.  How to eat balut Sprinkle salt and add vinegar to taste and the feast can begin! Expect to encounter embryonic guts, cartilage, maybe the odd feather as you chew. You'll be expected to eat the duckling first, the rest of the egg afterward. ​Summary Many filipino men think that balut is an aphrodisiac, maybe that's the case I don't know. But undoubtedly it's full of protein, not that much fat and it's definitely more tasty than it looks. Trust me. Related links: Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant, Dumaguete Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place, Dumaguete Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant, Dumaguete ​Review of San Rival Bistro, Dumaguete ​Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant, Dumaguete ​​Review of Gabby's Bistro, Dumaguete ​Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete​ Visit the Casaroro Falls, Valencia ​Visit the Marine Sanctuary in Dauin

I get many questions about my living when I am in the Philippines. To find a house for rent is often a good idea if you are staying a longer period at the same place. Either you stay at the same location or have it like a base camp when you are doing trips nearby. 

Unit 3, Seaside Grande A pool available for the residents View from my bedroom ​Sonculan-Totolan area The area was nice and quiet with a pool available for those who lived here. The downside was the bad cellphone connection with the SMART company. Most of the time the signal was so poor so it was impossible to make any calls. Same with the mobile data, only late in the evenings you could get a signal sufficient for browsing Facebook or whatever.  The kitchen and living room area As always I enjoyed to cook my own food. ​The rent 25K The rent for the house was 25 000 PHP and it was fully furnished with everything included even the kitchen utensils were there. The cost for water and electricity was additional. The master bed room. The master bath room. The staircase to the upper floor. The upper hallway. ​The house was big There were three bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and two toilets both with showers. A nice balcony where you could sit and drink your evening tea. A very short clip showing the area outside unit 3. The nice and very talkative fixer guy. He was helpful but sometimes hard to get hold on. Related links: My rental apartment in Toril Where to eat in Tagbilaran? Review of the Food Court in Island City Mall (Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines) Bohol and Panglao Islands, Philippines Isola de Francesco or Virgin Island, Panglao, Philippines Review of Swiss Zurigo Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bojol Grill Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of A's Chicken Nuggets & Grill Haus (Bohol, Philippines) The giant Arogo and the smallest primate, what do they have in common? Review of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa  (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Henann Resort Alona Beach (Panglao, Philippines) Review of Shang Palace Seafood Restaurant (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Bo's Coffee (Bohol, Philippines) Review of The Buzzz Café (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Golden Cowrie (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Staylite Park Bed and Breakfast (Bohol, Philippines) Review of Arabelle Suites (Bohol, Philippines)

I compiled four video clips with samples of traditional dances in Philippines. For the guys, check the number two video, second part of it. It shows how to catch a girl! But in my mind I wonder what a girl would think if I tried that approach on the disco? 

This dance is said to imitate the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. The kids imitate the tikling bird's grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. ​The name "tinikling" is a reference to birds locally known as tikling, which can be any of a number of rail species.

First part of this short video shows men fighting. They have weapons and wear masks. The second part is actually more interesting! It's about a young man courting a girl. He catches her interest and even manage to make her pregnant! So watch and learn guys!

I filmed this fire dance at Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran. I don't know if fire dancing is typical for Philippines, probably not. But anyway it's relatively common all over Philippines to experience this.

This fire dance was filmed in Davao Crocodile Park.

Related links:
My rental apartment in Toril
The Uso-Uso Experience in Davao
The jumping kids of Talikud Island
Review of The Red Parrot Inn (Samal Island, Philippines)
Review of Monclair Suites (Toril, Philippines)
Samal Island (Mindanao, Philippines)
Review of Chow King Restaurant (Davao, Philippines)

The kitchen was western style with a combo stove with both gas and electric. My living room. The better view that I had, was towards the street and Mt Apo in the distant. The apartment was fully furnished I was the first renter in the apartment so everything was very fresh. All the furnitures and the kitchen utensils were included. The owner was helpful and keen on that everything would be ok. If you are interested to rent you can contact the owner yourself. The location in Toril might be a little bit odd since it's a bit far from Davao city. But for me it was perfect, relatively quiet compared to the bustling city centre of Davao. It's close to Eden Nature Park, a wonderful place where you can do many activities such as hiking, fishing and of course eat at the beautifully located buffet restaurant. For me it was also interesting with the relative proximity to Mt Apo since I had plans to hike there. Inside the apartment A tour inside the apartment. But I have an excuse to my English speaking viewers since I am talking Swedish in the video clip. But at least I added some English subtitles. View from balcony View over Andaya st which could be a very noisy specially in the mornings and evenings. My other view, maybe less nice, was towards the sea and Davao city in the distant. Here the street kids tried to sell the puppy to me. The other view My other view from the apartment was overlooking a squatter area. The owner told me it was her land but for the time being she let squatters stay there. On the other side of the street was this little puppy which most of the time was tied up. The poor puppy was all alone there and crying all the time. But then suddenly the street kids decided to try to sell it to me. I felt sorry for the puppy but I denied of course.  Going to Toril city centre The video clip shows the first 2 km stretch from Daliao to Toril city centre. Most of the days I traveled in to Ecoland just near Davao city. I usually went to Starbucks to enjoy a delicious cafe latte and use their excellent WiFi. It's a perfect way to do some work on the computer. To get there I took the tricycle from Daliao to the city centre of Toril. Next I went with the Uso-Uso jeepneys or to the Hop On Hop Off Terminal for the 30 minutes stretch to Ecoland. Actually I usually went by the Hop On Hop Off jeepneys, they felt more safe to ride with. The cooking A traditional breakfast Squid barbecue on the balcony The final result, grilled squids. I had a frequent guest specially when I was cooking... Banana flowers With banana flowers you can do a delicious salad Some ingredients for the spicy sauce. Spicy sauce for the grilled squid. One good thing I like with renting a place is that you can cook your own food. Related links: Traditional dances in Philippines The Uso-Uso Experience in Davao The jumping kids of Talikud Island Review of The Red Parrot Inn (Samal Island, Philippines) Review of Monclair Suites (Toril, Philippines) Samal Island (Mindanao, Philippines) Review of Chow King Restaurant (Davao, Philippines)

I like airports, they represent the beginning of something new and leave the old behind. I can sit there calmly and process my expectations of what to come and find my excuse to buy a cafe latte and a blueberry cheesecake. I mean what else can I do?

Airports can also represent the end of something. They make me summarize my experiences good and bad and think back of sweet moments. I feel sad and grateful at the same time. Sad because I miss moments, but grateful that I had the opportunity to travel. 

It’s relaxing, just to be there and watch all people who are going back and forth. Where are they going? Where are they from? All those destinies passing by. 

Sometimes I have this weird thought, what is the probability that this particular moment with this exact constellation of people in this very moment, by random will appear again in the future? Yeah suck on that for while!
​
I really like airports…

​Eleven years ago (!) I published a video on Youtube from Krüger National Park in South Africa. It reached almost 5.000.000 viewers!

And yeah, I guess the title tells it all!