BOHOL is one of the country’s most sought-after tourist destinations because of its postcard-perfect Chocolate Hills powdery beaches, the iconic tarsier, and the picturesque Loboc River lunch cruise, to name a few.
The Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the country’s national auto club, swung through these exciting sights and sounds in the recent AAP-Petron Fly-Drive Caravan, themed “Exploring the Wonderland of Bohol.”
The event is the 13th of a tour series organized by AAP through its subsidiary firm AAP, Travel, and Petron Corp., which has been partnering with the group in its tours by providing its latest product, most notably the breakthrough fuel Petron Tri-Activ.
According to AAP President Augusto Lagman, the caravans have been touring various provinces to rediscover the countryside as part of promoting drive tourism, one of the auto club’s major thrusts.
He said the four-day southern sojourn provided the participants an amazing blend of natural wonders and cultural marvels; colorful local flavors and ecological endeavors; and a profusion of heritage sites.
Supported by the provincial government of Bohol and the Department of Tourism’s Tourism Promotions Board, the caravan drove through the province’s major and emerging tourist spots.
The fly-drive junket is also supported by the municipal government of Batuan and Philippines AirAsia as the official carrier.
Day one took participants to the refreshing sight of unspoiled sleepy shores at the posh Bohol Beach Club, AAP’s home away from home, where they were welcomed by Panglao Municipal Mayor Leonila Montero.
The group forayed into the Raffia Loomweaving Room in Tubigon town, which produces exquisite home furnishings and accessories.
The visitors got a taste of the signature Boholano hospitality, with the welcome dinner and cultural show tendered by Gov. Edgar Chatto at the Abatan River Village in Cortes, a showcase for successful community-based ecotourism program.
The group later underwent the firefly cruise in the Abatan River, which abounds in lush mangroves.
On Day two, the caravaners motored to the all-time favorites, the Tarsier Sanctuary and Chocolate Hills, and were treated to a farm-themed organic lunch at Balay sa Humay, hosted by Batuan Mayor Antonino Jumawid.
The participants also experienced the much-talked-about lunch cruise at the scenic Loboc River, which puts together a countryside feast, onboard entertainment and a cultural encounter with the townsfolk.
The group also swung by the Blacksmith Station and the 167-year-old Clarin Ancestral House in Loay, the Blood Compact Site in Tagbilaran City, Pamilacan Island in Baclayon, Hinagdanan Cave in Panglao, and the century-old parish churches of Baclayon and Dauin, which are undergoing restoration after the 2013 earthquake.
AAP will hold its year-ender caravan in a Cordillera swing in Benguet as part of the province’s founding anniversary celebrations in November.