First up were the Mag-Aso Waterfalls. A tad blink and you’d miss it. Even Jude said; “Well that was boring…” Some travellers before us had clearly done the right thing and rocked up in swimming costumes and had a swim. Believe me, that was one sweaty walk down and walk up from the falls. Very beautiful though. Fairy-glade-like. But not exactly Victoria Falls either. Still, it was very nice to see. So I thought. Wifey nearly had a heart attack walking back up the steps haha.

I tell you what, Hogwarts is recruiting young these days.

See it was beautiful there. A little waterfall glade in the shade with my beautiful fam.

Let’s just call it a cute waterfall, shall we?

Personally I could sit here and chill with a cold one and some snacks. Away from the madding crowds and all that. Hell yes!

The river drifts away to our next stop…

Inambacan cave and spring – beautifully shown off at the entrance by the fam.

Look what I found. Wait for a minute 1 gallon of Tuba (local coconut alcohol) with Pepsi for 150 Peso = $4 SGD. Bugger they’re shut! So thirsty!

This place was incredible. Hardly anyone about, just some locals about to lunch and two scooter travellers. Plus us of course. I took a wee wander down to where the spring and river combined on this little flood plain. Perfectly still apart from the waters. The only other movement was that of dragonflies flitting over the water surface.

So beautiful and so peaceful. I can imagine some Hobbits wandering around here.

Follow this up-rive and you would come to that ‘cute waterfall’. How pretty is this?

Definitely some man-made works going on here. I was seeing some fishing traps earlier, so have to assume this dam is for corralling fish to then catch and release in the netted ponds up-stream.

The cave is a little underwhelming it has to be said. Also, a little treacherous to get to where I am standing with super-slippy muddy walk-ways. And this is it. The water is cool and clean though and running over our feet, which is really nice.

Remember the scooter travellers I told you about? Well, this is one of them. Clearly he came prepared with head-torch and swimming shorts. Clearly it is time for him to explore. Good luck mate.

It starts shallow, then a big drop to his chest depth.

Then back up again. Watch your head mate!

And then we leave him as he climbs from this chamber into a separate annexe to the left. We saw the torchlight gradually disappear along with him. “Move on nothing to see here!!!”

Also, remember I said there were some locals about to lunch? Can you see them? The hut to the right is where they’ll be eating, as it was already laid out awaiting a friend/sister to return on a scooter with food. Where would you go if you were hot and sweaty this day?

You got it. Nature’s shower. I like it a lot.

That’s enough of waterfalls and caves. We now need feeding and it is a very up and down mountainous road to get to lunch. And where are we going for lunch? Don’t ask this guy, he’s a … haha. OK, we are indeed off to Loon for lunch. We literally got to the town, hit this cross-road and stopped. Neither Joseph or Mary had ever been here. Luckily we had some sketchy Internet and found a well-rated and rather cool looking place. With some instinct mapping, we found it and ended up in a piece of paradise all to ourself.

This is Vita Isola Resort on Sandingan Island. You pay a cover charge of 500 Peso each, and then use that on whatever you consume whilst there. If you go overpay the difference if under you get a refund. This place is stunning, and a perfect place for my gorgeous wife, therefore. Behind us is Cabilao Island, and to get there you need to take a boat-ride from Loon. Lot’s of diving there it seems. But it is stunning, just stunning.

He got jealous. The sea breeze here is so clean and fresh. You get wafted with warm air. It is just an amazing spot. And we were all alone apart from our serving staff. We are so incredibly lucky you know. This is door-step to the house distance. So very lucky.

Look at this place. For all you divers out there there is a dive place next door. Here there are rooms to rent, the villa to the bottom left, and then two rooms in the main house in the centre. Infinity pool to boot. What a stunning piece of real-estate in an amazingly beautiful part of the world.

“Would you like to use the gazebo for your lunch?” said our server… Yeah, no-brainer right?

I even loved the plates and cutlery. Double-cute. All individual.

Let the games commence! My Mary goes for Sisig-style Milkfish. AKA Nag-Uros Bangus. How gorgeous does that look?

Wifey also goes for the eggplant with egg. A Filipino speciality dish, sometimes with minced pork. This is AKA Tortang Talong. This was served with red rice.

Amy goes for her favourite or pork marinated in soy sauce. AKA Humbang Binisaya. Again a cracking plating, with fresh greens from their organic gardens on-site. WOW!!!

Jude and I decided to share and go for Lechon Kawali with native dipping sauce. Hell yeah. How can you not want deep-fried pork belly with soy/chilli/lime dipping sauce? “Hi mate another cold San Mig please!” Yeah, this is beer-food. Well for me only of course. Sorry, Jude, 12 more years for you!

We also go to the BBQ pork belly. So smokey, almost like Chinese Char Siew. So very good. But also so filling, so we packed a load for Joseph haha. And he was very happy indeed!

And then it is games time. No iPad or iPhone for once and look at the happy smiley faces.

This game is called Vampire, a sort of spin on rock-paper-scissors I think.

Why can’t these two do more of this? Hmmmm!!!

So happy sat is nature’s best garden.

Pinch yourselves, kids. You are very, very lucky to have this in your life.

Deep breath. Inhale the beauty. This place is just incredible and the food was awesome to boot. Great find by Daddy “Indiana” Jones.

Funny no one from the family has been here before but everyone seems to know about this painted causeway. This is the connector from Sandingan Island to the mainland and Loon. It’s basically a drive across a load of mangrove swamps. I did explain to Jude that eventually this will become land and the island will disappear. In fact, when you get to about 2/3 of the way back to Loon it is already happening with mangrove giving way to normal fauna.

So to the painted stones. Apparently, if you are heart-broken and live on Bohol the best thing for you to do is to come and paint why you are heart-broken on a lump of concrete. Problem solved. Errrrr really!!! Still heartbroken and no money now due to taxi-fare and paint cost.

We then get back home and pick up daughter #2, Jhea. So very wonderful to see her, and get the band back together haha. Off to our mate Chef Raph tonight for what will certainly be an amazing dinner. I asked the whole crew and it was unanimous for Smoque. We managed to get a multi-cab to take just us, and it was a disco multi-cab, whoop whoop. A very blurry picture because it was bumpy and I was dancing haha.

Flash on now and a less bumpy bit of road. There they all are. Kids to the left of me, wifey to the right, stuck in the middle of multi-cab.

We hit the restaurant HARD as always. We ordered way, way too much as we only had the five of us today – and no Ollie or YanYan haha. So we had to do a take-out as we just could not finish the deliciousness. So, Daddy job tomorrow is to re-purpose for brekkie.  Now we did finish the Carpaccio. Flavour and texture time-bomb this is.

We always, always have the roasted pork belly with crackling. It’s like a Porchetta on steroids. Super-soft meat that falls apart, but flavoured with herbs, and then a crackling to die for. Just cannot get enough of this. If there was such a thing as a perfect pork dish, you wouldn’t have to look much further.

Jhea goes straight for the cheese and bacon poppers. Little fritter balls of crunchy goodness, with that slam of salty bacon. Oh yeah, and they are sat on top of a salad. She kept reminding us of her diet.

Now I wonder what it was that Jude ordered? Hmmm I wonder? What does he always have? Yep, the 6-year-old aims high goes to the top and has the Porterhouse. Good work Jude, love you!  Daddy is happy too!!!

New on the menu as in season are these killer BBQ Grilled Tiger Prawns cooked in Crab Fat Butter. Holy shit, these things are the size of a small child’s leg.HUGE!!! Simply done. Just brilliant. WOW!!!

Amy was so, so disappointed that menu rotation meant they were not doing the Sisig Tacos and had to revert to the beef ones. The issue with these, we found out, is that they are pre-built not DIY build like the Sisig ones. So in here is Jalapeno and of course, as we all know, Strawberry Blonde don’t like chilli. Bugger! Never mind, loads of other food on offer for her.

Happy, happy days in Tagbilaran with the family at our top choice restaurant. Tonight I even met a family from Samoa over here for a wedding and dining at Smoque. How about that. There’s a first in my 10 years or so of coming here. Bohol really is getting international now.

I can’t remember if I spotted this before or not? But I did tonight. I see this number printed on Chef Raph’s cutlery holders. My birth-year. Now, how weird is that…?

Brother and sister then have some iPad fun. Some lovely happy smiley snaps from these two.

So happy together. One day this will be more permanent! I promise!

How could you not want more of them altogether?

Bless Chef Raph he lets us choose a slice of cake for sharing. Having tried these delights before we push away thoughts of our food comas. Jude chooses. I wonder if because of the Fererro Roche on top? This cake is one of the very best I have ever eaten. I am not a sweet-tooth, and this was savoury because of the chocolate quality, and also cheesecake nature of the cake. Amazingly good, and well done to Chef’s partner that knocks these out of the park. Jude was nearly licking his plate clean – not bad for a kid that does not eat cake AT ALL. This really was a first. #bestcakesever

The terrible threesome. Look at those faces. Butter would not melt in their mouths. Innocence personified, BUT how mich mischief you reckon is running through those minds. Oh yes!!! 

Dinner over. Time for a laydown. Goodbyes to Chef Raph and crew, and be seeing you soon. He announced tonight that there may be a second Smoque concept location on Panglao soon. Filipino food only and a smaller venue. Looking forward to that in a BIG way. When I finish my Top 10 Restaurants review, you’ll see me reference the ever-moving needle. So many new joints opening here on Bohol & Panglao. Foodie heaven every time we come home. Be seeing you soon Chef.

One final thing for today though. Wifey has a brother that loves her very much clearly. As when we get home there is a bag of these beauties awaiting her. Yes, she finally gets to have her Uni experience. Fresh sea urchins to order. How about that? Lucky girl. Thank YanYan, top brother!!!