Bohol and back….

So recently I took a short trip to the Philippines. Two places were on the hit list, Manila and Bohol. Manila was a little different from what I was expecting to find, I had read a few guides and seen some videos. I thought I knew how busy a city could be, but Manila still has a wildness to it.  The motorbikes cutting up the traffic, the sheer volume of traffic. My friend came to meet me, it took her two hours to get across town. She did admit to not following the satnav so well, but still.

What I thought was one big city is actually several smaller ones that have merged together over time. This is what I think adds to the traffic and the chaos. Many people recommended trying different places, from Barbara’s, Jollibee, Tropical Hut and J.Co to mention a few.

Barbara’s is a must go in the old part of the city. Sitting right beside St. Augustine Church, it is a restaurant serving all the classic dishes from back when the Spanish used to rule. Amazing service, tasty food and a dining room that would take you back in time. They even have a band that will come around and play any song you want. They can sing in 5 or 6 languages, super talented guys. They made the experience even better.

Fast food always comes into play when you are on the move all day. Anyone I asked about kept recommending the same place, Jollibee. I saw spaghetti on the menu for a fast food restaurant and said why not. I’ll be honest, I was surprised by how good it was. I’ve never thought of spaghetti as fast food, but put it on a plate with some fried chicken and you are golden.

Tropical Hut was another place I had to try. Again cheap food and the burger was on point. It didn’t look like much but the taste makes you think otherwise. I’ll be back in Manila and Tropical Hut will be hit.

J.Co has the best doughnuts. That’s just a fact. Big shout out to Ronan for that recommendation.

Bohol, an island paradise. I could have spent a month there with easy. I meet many amazing people there including Kean. An amazing chef and teacher, she gave me a traditional cooking class showing many different local dishes. This was something that was a little hard to find and made my time on the island having this experience.

I very much enjoy linking a story to food, then when I eat that food again I can relive that memory. This will be a memory I will be happy to remember.

Bohol is and will be one of the best places I’ve been to. The untouched beauty of the island, watching people live their normal lives and not being caught in a tourist trap. It is well worth the several delayed flights to get there haha.