Philippe Tarsier--One of Bohol's Newest Tourist Attractions

For someone like me who has been to Bohol a lot of times (and I do mean A LOT), places like the Chocolate Hills (Bohol's most famous tourist attraction), the Baclayon Church, or the Loboc River don't really seem to excite me anymore. After having been there more than once, I find myself constantly looking for a new place to check out each time we schedule a trip to my mother's hometown. It seems like we've already seen the best of what Bohol has to offer--so what else is new?

If you happen to be in Bohol, you might as well check out Philippe Tarsier, a botanical garden/museum/mini zoo/cafe/events place all rolled into one sprawling, lush complex located at Panglao Island, known for its pristine, white-sand beaches similar to that of Boracay's, albeit less crowded and less commercialized. It is a mere 20-30 minute drive from Tagbilaran City, the capital of Bohol.

The ticket--my apologies for the blurred shot

Philippe Tarsier was conceptualized  and opened about less than five years ago by Nicolas Moussempes, a French interior designer and his wife Patricia, a Filipina from Bacolod, and a retired Cathay Pacific flight attendant. They initially acquired a small piece of property at Panglao Island, and eventually expanded to become what it is now--a fully integrated tourist attraction. 

We (my parents, other relatives and I) dropped by last December 26, 2011 to check the place out, as none of us have ever been there before (including some of my relatives who were Bohol residents). It was fairly easy to find, as we had signs to guide us. The main highway at Panglao Island was pretty good, but once we had to turn left to get to the place, we had to deal with an unpaved road to get to the place. We arrived at around 3pm and were greeted by some staff members, who ushered us into the souvenir shop which they had also designated as the place to buy the tickets.

The pathway leading to the souvenir shop/cafe/ticketing office

Ticket rates are at P500 for non-Bohol residents, P300 for Bohol residents, and P200 for children ages 4-11.  After settling our payment, we were then led by a tour guide who would tour us around the 4-6 hectare property. The tours are usually conducted in English, but since majority of those in our group spoke and understood Bisaya (the local language), the tour guide spoke Bisaya (with some English thrown in) for the tour. 

Just some of the various souvenir items for sale (this was just one side of the hut)

The staff also suggested that we purchase Off! mosquito repellents from them, as there were many mosquitoes there. True enough, as we were led by our tour guide (I don't remember his name) through the part where their cactus collection was on display, we were greeted by mosquitoes trying to suck our blood. Good thing we had our Off! lotions. 

The cactus collection

It was raining that day (typical weather for Bohol at this time of the year), so we were provided umbrellas, free of charge. Anyway, Philippe Tarsier's sections (like the mini zoo, botanical garden, restaurant, cafe, etc.) are given corresponding names. For example, the botanical garden is known as the Tarsier Botanika, while the museum is known as the Tarsier Artistika. To get to all of those sections, visitors must walk, so I would suggest that you coordinate first with the staff if you have any elderly or young children with you, so you could decide whether to leave them at the cafe or restaurant first, while everyone else tours the place.

Moving on, the botanical garden houses different types of plants (over 3,000 species of tropical plants) and animals (reptiles, mammals, birds), as well as the owners' extensive collection of pottery, statues, and other decorative items, which they have collected from their travels around the world. This gives the place more of an international vibe, rather than a Filipino one, and this will be more evident later on. 

Primates

More photos:

One of the several species of birds that are found here

You've been warned.

Monkeys

Pathway

Another pathway

By the way, the landscaping of the place was handled by Mr. and Mrs. Moussempes themselves. They, of course, had to hire people to help them in planting, but they didn't have to hire any professional landscape artists.

The photo above is a photo of a mini-shrine containing a religious figure of Mary. If you look closer, you will see that the structure housing the religious figure is actually made out of shells. Amazing.

Fountain

A reclining Buddha scultpure

Halfway through the tour, we had a "rest stop" at a hut somewhere in the middle of the place where we were fed cookies and iced tea. During this rest stop, my parents and other relatives took the opportunity to ask our tour guide about more background information about the place (like how the owners expanded the place, who took care of the landscaping, who the owners were, who their target market is, etc.). Our tour guide was kind enough to answer our questions.

I wanna see your peacock

An interesting part of the tour was the visit to Tarsier Artistika, or the museum. This museum contains a collection of various items which Mr. Moussempes has collected after travelling around the world for 40 years. Note that these items are the real thing, and not just replicas which you would find in some museums. Among the interesting items on display are 16th century paintings by European artists (which were obtained from art auctions), ancient sculptures, porcelain, and carpets from China, India, or Indonesia, African masks, a damaged plane engine from World War II, modern and rare furniture by some of the world's best designers,  and many others. 

Nude painting from Europe, one of many which the owners obtained through art auctions

Original European paintings from the 16th century

A miniature of a ship used by traders from Ancient China.

More paintings, with couches by some international designer in the foreground

These are from Ancient China--or India. I don't remember.

The other activities that visitors could do here include horseback riding and scuba diving. The place also accepts reservations for weddings, wedding receptions, 18th birthdays, or other private events. Just be sure to inform them well ahead of time to make a proper reservation. 

Wedding cake on display at the ticketing office/cafe/souvenir shop.

For those who have already been to Bohol's best (and quite frankly, overhyped) tourist destinations, then Tarsier Philippe will be a breath of fresh air. Since it is fairly new, there aren't too many people visiting the place yet, so it actually feels serene and more exclusive. While tickets may be quite expensive, you'll get to understand why as you tour the massive property. It's like a mini around-the-world tour squeezed into 2-3 hours. My only complaints about the place, however, are the mosquitoes and the poor road conditions from the time you leave the main highway until you reach the entrance. It would also be better to either bring your own car or rent one, since public transportation is pretty hard to come by in this part of the province.

Philippe Tarsier is located at Km. 16, Hoyohoy Tawala, Panglao, Bohol. For more information, do check out their website at www.philtariser.com. You may also call their landline numbers (038) 416-1289 or 416-0952, or call their mobile number at 0917-526-6001.