Chocolate Hills is a 1-2 hour drive from Alona Beach, the popular tourist region of Bohol, Philippines. Hundreds of brown hills create an interesting landscape from atop the Chocolate Hills lookout.
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CHOCOLATE HILLS ON BOHOL ISLAND
From Alona Beach, we hired a moped for 250 pesos per day or $5 USD (A good deal we were promised). The drive is not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced as the traffic can get a little crazy sometimes. However, compared to Kuta in Bali or Hanoi in Vietnam it is a cruise Sunday drive. Taking a moped gives you the ability to stop along the way and check out rice fields, local villages, markets, and the countryside.
Along the way, we found a rope swing in the river, the best-fried banana for 20 pesos or 30 cents USD and some amazing rice fields. We also stopped at the man-made forest and tried to find Busay Waterfall unsuccessfully. Aside from standout attractions like these, being able to cruise through and take in the sights, smells and sounds give you a better understanding of the island.
Chocolate Hills is easy to find, well-signed and available for search on Google maps. The Chocolate Hills entrance fee was 50 pesos or $1 USD. The famous mounds pop up throughout the landscape in all directions. I’m told that they are chocolate (or not green) because of the soil. Apparently, trees just don’t grow on the Chocolate Hills of Bohol for some reason. There are a few similar looking hills in Coron that also have no trees.
I think the best time to visit would be during the summer so that the hills are really brown. In our case, as you can see below, the hills are quite green and covered in grass. This meant they didn’t quite contrast as much agains the green trees below.
It wasn’t quite as impressive as I had imagined and we were a little underwhelmed after such a long day of driving but it was still an interesting landscape. I am not sure what I was expecting and it was a nice view but it was a little bit of an anti-climax to our long day of driving. The sunset wasn’t prolific, but that’s the luck of the draw. The drive home in the dark was a crazy experience, which I also don’t suggest if you aren’t up for a challenge.
If you are in the area I suggest checking out Chocolate Hills but if you are looking for something amazing this isn’t in my top things to do on Bohol.
WHERE TO STAY ON BOHOL
Bohol Beach Club – Luxury: It’s everything you would expect from a luxury resort in a tropical location. It’s beachside with amazing pools, bars and chill-out areas. Right near the restaurants, bars and action of Alona Beach but hidden away so that you can relax after a day of island-hopping or adventures.
Venezia Suites – Value: The Venezia Suits present the best value on Bohol. If you are looking for luxury but only want to spend mid-range often you need to get lucky. Venezia will hook you up with a beautiful suite that comes with a pool and living space. It’s a damn good deal and located right near all the action of Panglao so you are in a good spot.
HM & B Backpackers Inn: As a backpacker generally you check price, location and cleanliness. HM & B ticks all those boxes as one of the cheapest hostels near Alona Beach but also maintains good reviews, cleanliness and is pretty cheap compared to everything else near Alona Beach.
Amazing right? What are you waiting for? Get your list and add this on. Do not miss this amazing Chocolate Hills in Bohol and tell your friends, or families, or your travel buddies to add this on your travel list or bucketlist and check this wonderful sight in Bohol. After here, you can still stay at Bohol and tour arround. There are many mesmerizing sights that you probably regret if you miss. Try to check the wonders of Bohol.
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