June 5, 2018—On the island of Bohol, in the Philippines, an expanse of otherworldly cones look like ruins from a lost civilization. But the Chocolate Hills, formed naturally, over millions of years. They change appearance over the course of each year, as well. Lush in the rainy season, the vegetation dries in summer, imparting the golden-brown hue that gives them their name—people compare the hills to giant Hershey's Kisses. Some 1,700 mounds extend across 20 square miles, rising as high as 400 feet. The land’s limestone base formed from skeletons of sea life. Geologic processes lifted the rock, and water slowly eroded it. Similar processes carve limestone around the world, but the Chocolate Hills' combination of shape and uniformity makes them unique.
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Explore the Otherworldly Chocolate Hills of the Philippines
