An enchanting sunrise mist trailed over the chocolate hills of Bohol. I was awestruck at the surreal scenery. A sight constantly shown on tourism ads yet rarely seen in person by most tourists.

The first time I visited Bohol’s chocolate hills, I was happy even just for the experience of finally feasting my eyes on this famous geologic wonder. I was, however, underwhelmed with the actual view. I felt it didn’t compare to my expectations, greatly influenced by postcard-perfect shots I’ve seen growing up.

I traveled back to Bohol in June (end of summer/dry season) to give it another chance. I spent the night in Carmen town, near the government-managed viewdeck, so I can visit the chocolate hills before sunrise.

To take this shot, I zoomed in at the cluster of hills seen on the backside of the viewdeck (or the northern parts of Bohol Island). I used an F/16 aperture and mounted my camera on a tripod to get a crisp shot. My lens took “soft” images at the telephoto end, so I had to sharpen the image a bit and increase the image contrast.