First of all, let me clarify this: the hills are not made of chocolate! The Chocolate Hills in the Philippines‘ Bohol province are a geological wonder, with experts still in disagreement as to how they were formed. Totaling more than a thousand mounds (1,776 to be exact) in an area of more than fifty square kilometers, the famous Chocolate Hills are the number one tourist attraction in the area with travelers coming from all over the world to personally see the sight that has amazed them in pictures and videos.

“Most people who first see pictures of this landscape can hardly believe that these hills are not a man-made artifact. However, this idea is quickly abandoned, as the effort would surely surpass the construction of the pyramids in Egypt,” according to photographer Salvador Andre. “There is no natural formation like them in the world. From a distance, they look like half a ball grown out of the ground. The molehill-shaped and almost uniformly sized hills dot the landscape with green and brown.”

As to their origin, there are several theories how the hills were formed although one accepted suggestion is what’s written in tourist information material: The unique land form known as the Chocolate Hills of Bohol was formed ages ago by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rain water and erosion.

I have not seen the hill up close, but friends who have marvel at the sight. “Nothing like it,” is what they usually say. but why are they called “chocolate hills”? Well, the natural vegetation of the mounds are grass and other grassy species. In the rainy months, they are green. But most of the year in the dry months, they turn brown. And the sight is especially striking at sunset when the hills turn dark golden brown. And that’s why they are called chocolate hills.




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