Bohol Island is the 10th largest in the Philippines and is quickly becoming one of the premier tourist destinations. With its white sandy beaches and lush tropical jungles, there
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What is Sikatuna’s Mirror of the World?
This unique Bohol tourist destination opened in late 2018. It is a collection of famous statues and structures from around the world, faithfully reproduced in scaled down versions. This is a one of a kind when it comes to Bohol activities.
The park has been set up as a lovely botanical garden filled with palms, orchids and other tropical flora. All this in a beautiful setting of meandering pathways where you can soak up the beauty of the natural surroundings. There are lots of chairs scattered around the gardens to sit and enjoy the serenity.
Staged Development
Stage 1 opened in late 2018. When we visited in May 2019, stage 1 was still under construction but almost complete. The gardens were well established and the park was fully open for business. Here is a summary of what is planned for each stage.
Stage 1
- Statue of Liberty
- Singapore Merlion
- Christ the Redeemer
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Eifel Tower
Stage 2
- Dutch Windmill
- Mt. Rushmore
Stage 3
- Japanese Pagoda
- European Castles
Stage 4
- Big Ben
- Petronas Towers
- Dubai tallest building Burj Khalifa
Where is Sikatuna’s Mirror of the World?
Mirrors of the World is set in a
As of 2019 the access road was in the process of being concrete
Cost of Sikatuna Mirror of the World
Entrance fees to Sikatuna Mirror of the World and Botanical Garden is as follows:
- 150 Pesos Adults night time (6 pm to 9 pm)
- 120 Pesos Adults daytime (7 am to 6 pm)
- 100 Pesos Seniors day time
- 50 Pesos Children below 3 feet tall
Opening Hours
The Sikatuna Mirror of the World opens at 7 am and closes at 9 pm. The park takes on a different character at night when the light show cranks up.
The light show is actually nothing fancy, but the main attractions of Christ the Redeemer, Singapore Merlion and Statue of Liberty do change color from white to red to blue. The biggest attraction at night may actually be escaping the oppressive daytime heat. Personally, I would prefer to visit at night for this reason.
Dining Out at Mirror of the World
At the entrance, you find the usual shops with cold drinks and snacks. The Mirror of the World is located out in the countryside, away from any township. Thus you will not find any shops or restaurants ‘down the road’ from the attraction.
Inside there are 2 hills surrounding the botanical gardens, giving it a kind of amphitheater feel. Christ the Redeemer is on one hill, and the restaurant is on the other hill. The restaurant sells cold drinks, ice creams, and snacks. A better option is to have a sit-down restaurant
The menu is Filipino, and the prices are quite normal for restaurants around Bohol. That is to say, they don’t have the normal tourist inflation, and are still cheap by western standards.
How to Get There
The usual transportation for Tagbilaran is tricycle, where paying passengers can travel across town for around 50 pesos. Unfortunately, Mirror of the World is out of the normal range of a tricycle, thus you will need to find some other form of transportation.
Drive a Car
For anyone with access to a motor vehicle, this is the best way to get to this Bohol tourist destination. It’s about a 30-minute drive from downtown Tagbilaran City. The traffic is slow in this part of the world, where driving at 60 km/h is considered very fast.
Hire a Motorcycle
If you don’t have access to a motor vehicle, your best bet is to hire a motorcycle or car of your own. The best way to do this is to ask at your hotel or accommodation reception, and they will surely be able to put you onto a ‘good friend’ who can hire some form of transport to you.
Motorcycles are cheap, local hotels and apartments usually hire them out for around 200 pesos per day. This is a great option in the warm tropical climate and one which makes it easy to add more Bohol activities of your choice.
Sikatuna’s Mirror of the World 🌐💞 pic.twitter.com/QXYMnMFV75
— timay (@fatiimaintol) May 6, 2019
Van with Driver
A tourist van with a driver is another popular form of transport in Bohol. It is not difficult to hire an 8-10 seater van complete with driver. This is a great way to go because they can drive you all over the island and take you to a variety of Bohol attractions. Or they can suggest an itinerary to you.
Prices vary greatly. I have personally hired these tourist vans for 2,000 pesos per day, but around 4,000 pesos per day is closer to the normal rate. Obviously, the more people you bring, the better the value.
Organised Tour
Many organized tours will be starting to take tourists into this attraction. Organized tours typically visit 4-8 tourist attractions to their Bohol tour itinerary, and this one deserves to be included. Just ask the operator when you book your Bohol travel and tours.
What to Bring?
Definitely bring some comfortable shoes. Whilst you don’t need to cover a lot of distance, there are quite a lot of stairs to climb.
Definitely bring a hat and sunscreen if visiting during the day. There’s not a lot of shade at the Mirrors of the World. This will improve over time as the new Botanical Garden matures.
Should You Visit the Mirrors of the World?
When it comes to things to do in Bohol, most visitors normally hit the beach or the lush forests. It’s a welcome addition to add something completely different to your Bohol trip.
If you were to make this the highlight of your day you will probably be disappointed. It’s not really a premier attraction which will complete your Bohol adventure. You only really need an hour to see the whole place and there’s not a lot in the way of creature comforts.
If you were to make this part of a bigger tour you will be pleasantly surprised. The Mirrors of the World is well laid out, nice to see, and different from anything else in Bohol. It’s in a lovely natural setting and it promises to get better as time goes on. It is worth checking out.
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