The trip going to Carmen may be long and tiring and the climb to the viewing deck/observation hill might leave you running for the next water station - but I tell you, the view is breathtakingly worth it :)
the steep zig-zag road going to Carmen
climbing the 214 steps to the viewing deck/observation hill was so easy!
thanks to my comfortable black puccis from posh pocket shoes :)
(click image for a larger view)
Legend has it that the hills came into existence 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.
However, up to this day, even geologists have not reached consensus on how they were formed. The most commonly accepted theory is that they are the weathered formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of an impermeable layer of clay. If you climb the 214 steps to the top of the observation hill near the complex, you can read this explanation on a bronze plaque. (taken from : www.bohol.ph)
CHOCOLATE HILLS
Address:
Carmen, Bohol
How to get there (from Tagbilaran airport):
a. for the flush travelerIf you have enough dough to spend, why not ride a metered taxi and worry about nothing else? :)b. for the adventure seekerRide a habal-habal (local term for a motor bike) and pay about P500-700 depending on your haggling skills. (This already covers the countryside tour which includes the chocolate hills, butterfly farm, hanging bridge, tarsier sanctuary, loboc river cruise, blood compact site and baclayon church visit)c. for group travelersRent a car for P1,000-2,000 (6hours) or a van for P2,000-P5000 (6 hours) depending on your haggling skills (This already covers the countryside tour described in option b)c. for the budget-conscious backpackerRide a tricycle to the Dao bus terminal (P10-P20) + take bus (non-a/c: P60 or a/c: P75) or a van (P90) to Chocolate Hills Complex + hire a habal-habal to Chocolate Hills viewing deck (P10-P20). Note for those who wish to stay longer at the Chocolate Hills complex: The last bus from Carmen to Tagbilaran leaves at 4pm, so better make sure you don't miss the last trip :)
