It was my second time in Bohol and I wasn't exactly sure if there was a lot more to see apart from the always beautiful beaches and tarsiers and chocolate hills. But Baclayon surprised me with the sheer number of enjoyable adventures to be had -- from driving a buggy up forest trails while a guide told me about the flora and fauna in the area, to going on a heritage tour of the beautiful old Baclayon church, to having a simple meal of tasty barbeque and warm rice while watching the sun set at the Baluarte, to greeting the sunrise alongside hundreds of playful dolphins swimming beside our boat. If you go to Bohol, Baclayon is not to be missed!

Baclayon is the place to go if it is your first time going to Bohol. The town is laid back, scenic and offers a lot of sight seeing attractions for the first time traveller to Bohol. Baclayon Church is it's most famous tourist spot and Pamilacan Island is the best place to spend a day in a beach. There's also the Dolphin watching!

From Baclayon you can do a countryside tour of Bohol and places to see are the Tarsier Sanctuary, Chocolate Hills, Loboc or Loay River Cruise. The road ride to these places are a treat in itself; the roads just wonderfully wind from one town to the next.

Me and my family are very grateful to Adrien Uichico for letting us see the real side of Bohol away from the commercially developed and crowded tourist spots of Bohol. Special mention too to the Municipal Tourism Office of Baclayon and Ayala Foundation.

Dolphin and Whale Watching:
The pod of doplhins we saw was worth our time and efforts to wake up at dawn and be on the boat at 6am to travel to Pamilacan Island. A pod of dolphins, unabashedly swam alongside the boat, leaped and spun to our delight. Our 9 year old son was so ecstatic watching them, sleek and agile in their movements. The Whale's did not show up, their "message says", " come back again"..we will see you next time.To see the dolphins free in this habitat is a proof of the great endeavors of the people in Baclayon, its local government and BRAABO, to save our wildlife, our beautiful treasure. The trip inspires and educate's people to appreciate the beauty of nature and help continue to preserve it.
The Pamilacan Island, an idyllic location for peace and tranquility...my son fantasized he was in Gilligan's Isalnd... we got served breakfast and lunch as part of the local community's service to visitors and tourists which we enjoyed under an open hut; the best treat for me was the massage on the beach again, done by one of the local ladies. it was so restful, I succumbed into an hour's nap; my son found friends among the local kids, they swam and romped along the beach, they were so carefree, it was a scene I wanted to capture and preserve. Our guide , the skipper and his crew were very accomodating and helpful with their insights about the transistion of their Island from being a sleepy one to a more vibrant community because of the concerted efforts to revive their natural resources, the aquatic wildlife. What is admirable is that these locals have the opportunity to work and earn their keep from doing something they are very passionate about...preservation of their natural environment and sea wildlife.
Snorkeling around the reef and the rich corals, it is a gorgeous sight!

Dune Buggy Ride;
A fantastic adventure, a highly recommended tour for families and individuals! Except for my husband, we have never done a dune buggy ride; So what unfolded before our eyes as we moved up hill and inland areas were Beyond our expectations! The unspoiled, raw beauty of the jungle and forested areas, the unique beauty of the lakes, the serenity of this journey brought tears to my eyes, for it reminded us once again, how enriched and blessed we Filipinos are with our environment , natural resources and wildlife yet, many cannot appreciate them for they may have forgotten that spending a holiday and vacation, entertainment is not limited to big and modern cities and sites...This was an emotional journey from my personal account; to see our people, the local townfolks greeting us passing through with warm smiles, waving their hands, happy to see "city folks" like us come and visit them albeit, briefly.

The dune buggy ride, is a wonderful way to experience nature much more than being enclosed inside a car no matter how luxurious and comfortable the car is. It allows you to stop anytime to view the fauna and floral vegetation. Incomparable ride!

If one likes to "feed their souls and reconnect with nature" this is the journey that one should make! Our family will certainly Do it again for we just loved it!

Our guide, Jeff carried with him a book of the native birds and patiently explained to us the nature of these species, we stopped along the way when we spotted the unique species! Amazing, how many we have on this island!

Thank you so much BEZO Initiatives; BRAABO; Baclayon Tourism; Ayala Foundation;Pamilacan Island COOP .... for this wonderful experience and we pray that your concerted efforts will continue to strenghten the resolve of many to support and help you noble endeavors! You can count our unfailing support as well. Scott, Dottie and Rene

From the time I arrived in Baclayon I can't help but reminisce my first time being there which was years back. It was a nostalgic feeling I must say, and what helped me make it through was the kind of activities that the Municipal Tourism Office offers. I, with a group of friends wasn't really tourists who came for a 1 week r&r to begin with. But instead, we were there for a volunteer program that BeZo Initiatives [BRAABO, Inc.] had for us. It was a lot of fun! I travel to different destinations every year and my experience in Baclayon was something that I would never forget. I can even compare it to several asian destinations that I have been to! From the start of our 1 week stay, we did a 2-day terrestrial activity which include tree identification and bird monitoring and it was such a great learning experience. Every moment was a BLAST! The 3rd and 4th day was spent doing underwater study on coral reefs and the species that lives in it. Marine was completely a different kind of world that I have started to love. I just wanna spend my whole day at the sea. The 5th and 6th day was related to my course which is architecture. Adaptive reuse of Bohol's breathtaking ancestral houses was not something new but nevertheless it was fulfilling on my part to be able to share my creative ideas and somehow help in my own little way restore the original look of the house with a different function/purpose.

Overall, my BOHOLunteer experience was truly worthwhile. In fact, i'm planning together with my friends to come back so soon! I don't care if we'll be doing the same activities over again. What matters is I already learned to love and will definitely enjoy every minute of every activity! I mean... look around you or try to surf other destinations and tell me another city that would do something so exciting like Biyahe Baclayon does! Its rest and relaxation mixed with helping sustain the environment and at the same time with a twist of Bohol's cultural heritage. I want to make Biyahe Baclayon to be my regular summer routine! Everything you want to do, you can do it with Biyahe Baclayon!!!