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A journey into the heart of lightness
A journey into the heart of lightness
Kayti Denham takes Traversing the Orient readers on a journey through the Philippines Visayas Islands
The Visayas are islands south of Luzon in the Philippines and play as big a part in the Philippine Tourism industry as places like Phuket and Koh Samui do in Thailand.
Beautiful islands steeped in history, beaches fringed with coconut palms and an old-fashioned gentility and friendship are to be found here. The Visayas can be a playground of leisure, exploration and magic. Cebu is the Visayas’ major hub and home to the Philippines excellent low cost airline Cebu Pacific. Never has flying been so much fun, with game shows and rounds of Happy Birthday sung mid flight.
Traversing the Orient took a step off the beaten path, or more accurately the white sand beaches, to discover a world of adventure and excitement on the islands ofBohol and Squalor. We flew Cebu Pacific to Tagbilaran, the main centre of Bohol, and within minutes were checking into an eccentric eco-resort called The Bee Farm. Funky little cottages are dotted amongst the forest, winding flower hung paths lead down to a perfect sea and all you can hear is the call of birds. The honey produced here features in everything from the salad dressing to the ice cream, the soap and the natural insect repellent. The Bee Farm hosts daily tours and maintain a popular presence on the island due to their care for the environment and their low-key, friendly staff.
The big natural geographical attractions on Bohol are the steamy Loboc River, the star of movies like Apocalypse Now, Platoon and many other films where, to quote Conrad: “a great wall of vegetation, an exuberant and entangled mass of trunks, branches, leaves, boughs, festoons’ is required as a backdrop, and the magnificent Chocolate Hills. A word of caution, do not be tempted to follow any guides who want you to see the tarsiers along the river. Here these tiny primates are used as tourist lures and kept in cages, prodded awake during daylight when they are naturally nocturnal and encouraged to climb on arms, sit in hands and be treated in a way that causes many of them to suicide.
It is far better to visit them in their natural habitat where you can view them without disturbing them. At the Visitors Centre in Corella you can learn about the creatures that share over 90% of our DNA and have inspired the likes of Yoda, Gremlins and ET.
Bohol is large enough to spend a few days; the island of Panglao is linked by road bridges and hosts many of the better resorts. Alona Beach is the place for diving and a busy nightlife with all the trimmings and traps of a fully commercial enterprise. The beer is cold and the nights are warm, it’s a place to chill out and relax. However, if you are looking for mystery and magic take an Ocean Cat Ferry from Tagbilaran and head to the Island with the spookiest reputation in the entire archipelago…Siquijor.
Traveling via Dumaguete the Ocean Cat ferry takes around two hours to deposit you at the pretty market port of Larena. From here we headed over to Sandugan and Casa De La Playa, a lovely beachside resort with individually designed bungalows and a really independent feel. The staff are helpful without being obsequious and whether you are doing your own thing, honeymooning, heading to the ocean or the hills they are there to assist you without interrupting the calm of the environment… you really can feel stranded on a desert island here.
Siquijor launched its very first Healing Arts Festival this April and we were fortunate enough to get up into the magical hills to take part. Healers from different parts of the island gathered to administer health and healing through the laying on of hands, the preparation of herbs and the practice of ancient healing arts, some of which looked simply bizarre: Why was that man blowing through a hose into a jar of water claiming he had removed the fat from a portly ex-pat’s liver? Yet nothing as bizarre as when one of our party was declared to have an evil spirit in a major limb.
On discovery the offending spirit was removed, with only a moment of fainting and twitching on part of the host, and much ado was made of protecting them from further invasion before they were released from the ministrations of the healers. Strangely they felt much improved after the experience and maintain that luck has been on their side ever since. For an inaugural event it may have been a tad unorganized but it certainly delivered magical experiences and it is hoped that the Festival will run next year with even more success, though maybe not more ‘evil spirits’.
Not far from the festival an elderly gentleman called Juan was undergoing his own ‘festival’, preparing for Easter Sunday by brewing up a huge cauldron of herbs and barks for the community. At ninety-nine he was hard of hearing but not lacking in humor, through eyes milky with cataracts he delivered a devastating twinkle to accompany his one toothed, warm and caring smile and his handshake was magic indeed.
The islands of the Philippines provide a vast variety of exploration and fascination; they are the sorts of places you can revisit time after time. The sense of history from before colonization by the Spanish to their painful role in the theatre of the second world war and the colorful times of the nineteen eighties create layers of human intrigue and interest, but at the same time you can don a mask and head beneath the surface of the sea and enter a whole new world.
The Philippines leave a lasting impression: not least the people whose friendliness and warmth are outstanding. Their ability to enthuse you with shared happiness could lift the most jaded from their despair, and if you come away singing eighties pop tunes, well, it’s the best souvenir you could have!
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