Tiny Primates in BoholThe Philippines
Everyone loves a monkey but these little guys, who more closely resemble a mogwai than a chimp, aren’t the sort to clamber around playing games and picking bugs from one another’s fur. The Philippines is one of the few places you’ll still find tarsiers, although they’re very much in danger – their natural habitat is under threat and people think they make cute pets even though the nervous little creatures, being mostly nocturnal, tend to perish in captivity.
Near Bohol, you’ll find a sanctuary where the Philippine Tarsier Foundation is establishing a natural feeding and breeding space. Visitors can walk along paths below the trees and test their eyesight trying to spot tarsiers in the trees.
Bohol is located in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and is accessible by air and sea. Cebu is the most convenient airport. From there, take a taxi to Cebu City Pier and make the one-and-a-half-hour trip by fast boat to Tagbilaran, Bohol. There are several ferry operators to choose from, and tickets start at about US$17.
oceanjet.net
The Tarsier Foundation runs two-hour day and night tours into the Bohol Forest for about US$11.
Tarsier Foundation
tarsierfoundation.org
For more information about Bohol, visit the official tourism website.
bohol.ph