You may have seen heard of it already, or seen it featured on Rated K or some other similar magazine show. I haven’t. I rarely get to watch those shows, you see. So I was just going with the flow when, while driving through the roads in Tagbilaran late in the afternoon, our guide Cris suggested we stop by one of the newest tourist attractions in Bohol, the ShipHaus. What I saw afterwards amazed me.
Located in Poblacion Norte of the town of Batuan, the Batuan ShipHaus, or simply ShipHaus, is a modern-day Noah’s Ark in the middle of a farming village. It’s basically a house designed like a vessel or a ship. This ship mansion was built by Captain Gaudencio Dumapias (who’s a real life captain of his own ship) for a whopping Php8million, and opened it for public viewing in 2011.
If you feel like reading, click on the photo for larger image. Apologies for the lousy quality of photo.
For an entrance fee of Php20.00, you can go in and explore.
And so we did.
First things first, here is a glimpse of Capt. Dumapias. This is a magazine being sold inside the Shiphaus.
Upon entering the Shiphaus, you’ll immediately be in the living room area/receiving area, complete with a bar. Beside the bar is a large refrigerator where they sell beverages/refreshments. And on top of the counter are mariner hats (I don’t know what they’re called, really) that you can wear to take photos.
Notice how nautical or mariner designs are incorporated in the furnishings. The wall clocks are in the shape of anchors, ship wheels, etc. And there was even an actual ship’s wheel before you step out of the Bridge!
There were all sorts of rooms inside the Shiphaus. For the Chief Mate, the 3rd Mate, etc. There was even a room with photos and miniatures featuring the greatest ships of all time, from Noah’s Ark to the Titanic… and Shiphaus was also added. Haha!
The Sun Deck and View Deck is basically the rooftop of the Shiphaus. According to the person in charge, it is available for rental for events such as birthdays, weddings, and similar special occasions.
Heading to the Bridge, there are statues of mariners standing guard. You can see a view of the road from here.
The Shiphaus is an interesting spot to check out. It doesn’t take very long to go around. 20-30 minutes, tops, and you’d have checked out the whole place. The entrance fee is also quite cheap, so it’s definitely worth stopping by when you’re in the area.
