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NOTE FROM JONAH: This is the continuation of a photo series from the Philippines. If you are just joining, here’s what you’ve missed so far:

1. Mabuhay! Welcome to the Philippines
2. The Philippines: By the Numbers
3. Yahoo! and I disagree
4. Two wheels across the Republic of Bohol

Surely the best way to see Southeast Asia is on motorbike. By riding in cars, you separate yourself from locals creating both a physical and mental division. Motorbikes (and push bikes) allow you to connect to a population and give you the option of stopping at any point to talk, eat or photograph. After traveling by boat, plane, bus and jeepney — when I got to the island of Bohol the first thing I did was rent a motorcycle.

While there are inland roads, the big road that circles around the island (above) is beuaitful and well maintained. You won’t see guard railings, traffic lights or other such amenities, but you can drive feet away from the ocean for hours on end. What’s also good is — you fit in. While cars certainly exist on these islands the vast, vast majority of the population are on bikes (both motorized and not). So — excuse the cliché, but when in Bohol … do as the Boholanos do.

The Boholanos, you say? The people of this island refer to themselves as Boholanos — which comes from the islands brief period of independence at the end of the 19th century when it was known as the Republic of Bohol. While today, Bohol is clearly part of the Philippines the island seems cultural and ecologically distinct.

The island is located between the Bohol Sea and the Camotes Sea in the Central Philippines. To me, this small island is a very good representation of why traveling in the Philippines or Indonesia is so amazing — because each island has some much individual identity.

Amazingly bizarre landscapes, unique wildlife, fantastic food and (mostly) friendly people on a micro-geographic level. By “micro-geogrphic level” I refer to the fact that the wildlife on Bohol — is specific to Bohol. The dialect, people and landscapes follow suite.

Normally to find a large variety of landscapes, peoples, traditions or wildlife you must travel great distances between locations. However, in island nations it can be as simple as taking a boat for one hour. Hopefully, your boat will be bigger than the one above …

However, a boat this big is fine for a paddle down the Loboc river (above). But perhaps more fun, and definitely more bizarre, is a tour down the Loboc River on an all you can eat floating buffet.

Imagine a thick, thick jungle with dark green waters (ala Heart of Darkness). Now put a floating restaurant on it and give a 16-year-old Filipino boy a guitar and have him sing Frank Sinatra tunes for a couple hours. This is a bizarre experience not worth missing … and, they serve lobster.

Bohol is known for the Chocolate Hills, the bizarre looking tarsiar, undeveloped white beaches and amazing sea life and diving opportunities. By motorbike, everything is accessible, although some roads can get pretty dodgy. But if you stick to the roads on the map, you should be fine. As for me, that is not always my tendency and I ended up a couple times on steep dirt roads turned mud paths following into the ocean, that had simply been destroyed by mother nature.

However, on these destroyed roads — life still thrives. People and homes — although you’d be hard up to find a business of any kind. I’m not sure if the people leave very often, but there are certainly people there. Most of the houses along the ocean’s edge come on stilts.

While there are certainly far more remote places in the Philippines, showing up on a motorbike at some of these places where roads almost don’t exist is a sure way to turn yourself into a spectacle. In general this happens when you go to someplace non touristy, but in the Philippines people seemed to be very excited to chat, not just stare.

More images from Bohol coming later this week.