Maayong Adyaw Cebu.

Canyoneering / Whale Shark / City Tour / 4 Days 3 Nights Cebu City-Badian-Oslob-Alegria-Mactan.

Cebu is a pretty cool place no doubt, and that’s the reason why we have a hard time to pick where to go.We have 2 Options: North Side or South Side. It came down to the wire before we selected our destination, We even have several group meetings and healthy discussion about It.Moving forward, our crew finally agreed to fly to the South due to most of us want to meet and greet the Gentle Giant of Oslob.

The Cast – Most came from The Only Divided City in the Philippines – Caloocan and One from City of Stars alone (who took this picture below)

• ✈ Our scheduled flight is 530am
• Our squad see each other inside NAIA Terminal III around 3am.
• We Arrived around 7am @ Mactan International Airport.

 Day 01: CEBU CITY

WHERE WE STAY:

Sampaguita Suites

Pros:

• Near Magellan’s Cross, Basilica de Sto Nino, McDonald’s and Stores.
• Cheaper vs other hotels in the City.
• 1600 php Barkada room good for 4 person. 200 Php extra bed.
• Rate as of Jan 2017.

Cons:

• Facility is not impressive but still a decent place to rest.
• Wifi connection inside the room is not so good

WHERE WE WENT:

Magellan’s Cross

• Christian cross planted by Portuguese, and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on March 15, 1521.
• 3 to 5 mins walk from the hotel.

Basilica de Sto. Nino 

• Founded in 1565, minor basilica in Cebu City.
• 5 to 8 mins walk from the hotel.

Fort San Pedro

• A military defense structure in Cebu, built by the Spanish under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi, first governor of the Captaincy General of the Philippines.
• Similar to Fort Santiago in Manila.
• 5 mins away from the hotel via public transportation or- 10 to 15 mins walk from the hotel.
• 30 php entrance fee per person.

Ayala Center Cebu

• Mall brought you by Ayala who also owned big names in Manila such as Trinoma, Fairview Terraces, U.p town center and many more.
• Only Establishment that we went that is far from our hotel.
• 20-30mins away; Jeep fare = 7php/Taxi fare = 80-90 php
• Some Streets here in Cebu City reminds me the Streets of Avenida and Recto in Manila.

Other Options:

If not yet tired and budget is still good below are popular places that you can visit:

Taoist Temple, Tops Skyline Garden, Cebu Heritage Monument, Hotel Regency.

WHERE WE ATE :

We heard that there are a lot of food stall in the city but since we’re inside the mall already and its getting late, we took our dinner in Cafe Laguna, Ayala Center, Cebu City.

• Servings🆗
• Ambience 👍
• Food is awesome 👌
• Sad part: Expensive :

Then after dinner, we headed back to our hotel to rest, but before anything else picture-picture muna📷📱

Day 02: BADIAN

Badian is 98 km (61 mi) southwest of Cebu City. It is bounded to the north by Moalboal, to the south by Alegria, to the east by Dalaguete and Argao, and to the west by the Tañon Strait.

We woke up as early 3:00am to prepare so that we can arrive early in Cebu South Terminal. Upon arrival,  We rode a bus real quick. We are quiet excited to do the Canyoneering and to meet the magnificent Kawasan Falls.

HOW WE WENT THERE:

FROM OUR ACCOMODATION:

• 15 minute Taxi ride, fare 70 Php.
• No Jeepney during midnight and early morning so taxi is the best option.

CEBU SOUTH TERMINAL TO BADIAN

• Ride a bus with a signboard/route  “Bato via Barili” -We rode an AC Bus for our own good , to get a better sleep😴😴
• Aircon bus fare 130Php.
• We Told the bus Conductor to drop us off to Allegre Travelers Inn, located @ Alegria, Cebu (landmark: Petron Gas station)
• If your plan is to do the Canyooneering and Whale Shark Interaction the town of  Alegria, Badian and Oslob are the best place to pick for your accommodation.
• 3-4 hours travel time.
• To avoid traffic jam be there as early as 5am
• We arrived @ the terminal past 4:00am and our bus left exactly 5:00am

WHERE WE STAY:

D Allegre Travelers Inn, Alegria, Cebu

WHY THERE:

• 2000php/10 pax Barkada Room.
• 20 to 30 minutes ride from Badian/Oslob.
• In between Oslob and Badian.
• 🌅 Beach.The house itself was built in the blue sea of Alegria.
• Another tourist attractions is few mins away.

Pros:

• Sea waves+Wind+Aircon=Cool environment.
• Free use of Utensils.
• Accessible.
• Not Crowded.

Cons:

• No TV and Wifi inside the room.
• Who need wifi in this wonderful place? Hey guys come on! Talk and laugh with your friends like 1999!

WHAT WE DO:

Badian Canyoneering = Activity or sport of exploring a canyon by engaging in such activities as rappelling, rafting, and waterfall jumping.

• I knew it cant be compare to Gran Canyon of Arizona but this one might unleash your inner Spiderman.
• 2 Options:Down Stream/Up Stream Canyoneering. The Activity can last 3-4 hours, depending on your pacing.

WHAT WE PICK:

• For Beginners, the recommended is the downstream.
• The path is much easier.
• Start from Barangay Kanlaob towards Kawasan Falls (top to bottom)
• Chance to meet new people coz’ most of the Tourist preferred this.

OUR TOUR GUIDE:

I just met him online, He is nice person, trustworthy, kind and really familiar in Canyoneering. BTW, His name is Jojo.

📱09752951370 active contact number as of Jan 2017.💰 800 php per person – Guiding fee which include the ff:

• Helmet
• Life jacket
• Water proof bag
• Habal-Habal ride
• Entrance Fees
• Outdoor Sandal/Shoe (optional)
• Apprentice to Help him(for 5 pax above)
• I believe Kuya Jojo offer is cheaper vs others, coz I spoke also to another local guide there and their fee starts @1000php

Optional:Make sure that you will not miss the moments, so if you dont have a camera, you can rent their Go-Pro Action-Water proof Cam for only 600 Php.

HOW WE ROLL:

From our accommodation, we ride a tricycle going to Barangay Kanlaob (fare is 20 php each person) to meet and greet our guide. Prior to the leap off, We do the ff first:

• Name Registration
• Brief discussion about Canyoneering “What’s Hot and What’s Not.”
• Pickup and wear the Gear.
• Ride Habal-Habal to reach the Canyoneering Downstream Starting Point.

FLIGHT 101

• 7 jump site
• 1st jump and last jump will be the toughest.
• 1st jump – This is my 1st time, so my feelings during that time is unexplained, mixed emotions ika nga. Once you surpassed the 1st stage, the succeeding jump will be easier and you will be confident enough to do it over and over again.
• 7th jump -To finish the entire course, you need to jump one last time. I guess ung tatalunan mo is around 25-30 feet, if you cant make it, dont worry there is a shortcut and jumping is not required.
• After the last jump, 30 more mins walk to reach the goal.
• Your Hardwork will be rewarded coz at the end of the journey Kawasan Falls will say “good job, you survive” – its like your light at the end of the tunnel.
• Me and my friends finished the Canyoneering for 5 hours. Pahinto hinto kasi kame, why? the place is so fascinating.

Even the best fall down sometimes. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS YOU WILL STAND AGAIN AND FIGHT BACK, RIGHT CHA2? 😁

WHERE WE ATE:

• Kawasan Falls Carinderia.
• Price starts @ 100php
• @ last jump rally point, there are group of locals who sell food such as barbecue and hotdog that cost 15 php and 10 php respectively.
• Im surprised when I saw them, I cant believe that, imagine a store in a waterfall? Only in Badian. ☺😁
• So if you’re really hungry and you dont have snacks, you might stop there and re -energize yourselves.
• Rice is 10php and Bottled water/Soda is also available.

Tips:

• Bring extra cash.
• Bring snacks and bottled water.
• Don’t bring non-waterproof gadgets.
• Don’t rush, this is not a competition.
• Keep Calm and Enjoy.

Day 03:OSLOB

Oslob is famous for providing tourists daily encounters with whale sharks. Butanting or Whale sharks or  can be spotted in Tan‑awan which is 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) from the center of the town. It has become a popular tourist attraction. Local fishermen feed the whale sharks by hand which tourists find entertaining.

• Our wake up call is  4:00am and leave our accommodation by 5am.
• We arrived @ Oslob by 6:50am.
• Make sure be in Oslob as early as possible especially during weekends.
• The number of people will start to rise by 9am.
• 7am to 12pm  -Whale Shark availability, most likely their parents are strict 🙂 – But this is no joke – locals only allowed people for whale interaction until 12pm, in some occasion – until 1pm.
• Going there in the afternoon is a No No!!  (1pm onwards- I guess)
• Before you hit the sea, there will be a 3 mins discussion about the Whale sharks.

HOW WE WENT THERE:

• OPTION #1 (From our accomodation) Ride a bus with a signboard/route to – “Bato via Oslob.” Then ask the driver to drop you off in Oslob.  Fare is 70-80 php.
• Once you arrive in Oslob, several resorts are in the line, you can pick whichever you like, 20-30 minutes travel time.

• OPTION #2  (From our accomodation)Ride a bus  with a signboard/route to  “Bato via Barili.” Fare 30-40php 
• We went down @ Santander Station.(Last station) 
• From there, we got a deal from a tricycle driver to send us in Oslob(and eventually we ended up in Aaron’s Resort in Oslob) Fare is 50Php each person, 30-45 minutes travel time.

Note: Bus (going straight to Oslob) interval from one to another is 15-30mins. You guys can follow our route (OPTION #2) if you can’t afford to wait.

**As long your accommodation is located in Badian or Alegria this route is applicable.

WHERE WE WENT AND WHY THERE:

AARON’S RESORT OSLOB.

• 100Php entrance fee per person
• Feel free to use their cottage to rest and even their lockers to put your belongings.
• 500Php each for Whale Shark Interaction.
• 300Php each if Whale Shark Watching (people don’t want to swim)
• Additional 120Php each for Tumalog Falls sidetrip. A must see!
• Also they offered Sumilion Sidetrip.
• Under water action cam is also for rent for 500php. Provide your own data storage like usb flash drive, sd card to transfer your photo/video.
• Room for couple,fam and Barkada are available, price starts @1000
• The beach here is also amazing!

TUMALOG FALLS

• You will fall in love at first sight. 
• Mini van from Aaron’s Resort will take you here, so don’t hesitate the side trip that they offer.
• Located at the heart of Oslob.
• Water is very cold. I can compare it to a bottled water that you put in the refrigerator overnight. Grrrrrrrrrrr.
• Once your body hit the water you might hesitate to push through but don’t back down, just stay and swim.I can guarantee you that you will love the beauty and ice cold water of the falls.
• 15mins away from the Aaron’s Resort.
• Once you reach the base point of Tumalog area, your journey will not stop there, need to do:
• 15mins downstream walk all the way to the falls or
• Habal-Habal ride that can send you to the falls much faster.Fare is 50php per pax. 5min ride or less.

WHERE WE ATE:

Lunch: AARON’S RESORT

Food price start @100php

Dinner: COSINA ORGANICA

• Ambiance is Pretty good, Restaurant built in the sea.
• Good music, delicious food and servings is 👌👍💯. So what can you ask for?
• Never miss this place if you will drop in Alegria.

Must Try: Seafood Fiesta. (im not sure with the name, i just name it by myself, but thats the jam packed sea-food servings that they offer hahaha)

Day 04: ALEGRIA

Alegria was originally known as Tubod after a spring that provided water for the town. Some Spanish soldiers coming across the spring at a time when locals where enjoying a celebration around the springs exlaimed “Que alegre”! (how happy).

Finally after 3 consecutive days waking up as early as 3am this is the first time we woke up the normal peepz used to, 6am. Its a great feeling especially after all adventures we’ve been through thus far.

WHERE WE WENT:

Carinderia ni Manang

• Price starts @30php
• 5mins walk from our accommodation

MAINIT SPRINGS

one more shot before heading back to manila and this is the best place to chill after all adventures.

• From the name itself, this spring is hot, really hot.
• The temperature starts @ 36 degree.
• Very good place for relaxation.
• Want cold water? no worries -there’s a mini falls few walks away.

HOW WE WENT THERE:

10 minute tricycle ride from our accommodation. I guess no other option other than that unless you have your own vehicle. The road to the spring is not so good, rocky and narrow so even you have a car much better to ride a tricycle.

BACK TO THE CEBU CITY

• From Alegria we rode a bus going back to Cebu city.
•  Its a 4-5 hour drive this time due to the Bus Driver keeps looking for a passengers and the traffic jam.
• From Cebu South Terminal we got a deal from a taxi driver (He will send us to Airport with a side tour)
• Deal is 600php for 4 person, including the following stop to:

TABOAN PUBLIC MARKET

• For dried sea foods lover, this is heaven.
• Price starts @ 80php.
• Pasalubong can be purchase here.

ALLEGRE GUITAR SHOP

• One of the best guitar shop in Cebu.
• Price? not budget-Friendly.
• High Quality Guitars.

MACTAN

Although there’s a lot of place to visit, due to lack of time we just dropped to Lapu-Lapu Monument. BTW , you can stop to Sutukil if you guys are hungry.

BACK TO MANILA

Walang forever. Back to reality. While we are waiting our flight,we tried to eat at one of the most talk food stall in Mactan Airport,  Zubochon. We even meet Presidente Aguinaldo there :)(Mon Confiado) and order the same food as mine.

My friend said the lechon is delicious which i agreed but for me Laloma’s lechon is way too better -sorry guys. Past 11pm after 4 days, Manila say hi to us once again.

CONCLUSION

South Cebu offers enchanted and preserved water formations from river to falls and even beaches.A clean water and a guarantee of bright sun. Whether you seek shade, privacy or family-friendly spots, you will have plenty of creeks to choose from to go for a swim, build a sand castle or take an afternoon map.

OUR ITINERARY FOR SOUTH CEBU 4 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS.

DAY 1: CEBU CITY

• 3am – Meetups @ Airport
• 530am – Flight going to Cebu.
• 7am – Arrival @ Mactan Airport, Cebu.
• 730am – Breakfast then went to our hotel.
• 830am – Arrival @ Sampaguita Suites – Leave our stuffs/things for the mean time coz check in starts @ 1pm.
• 9am – Start of Land Tour
• 9am – Magellans Cross
• 930am – Basilica Sto. Nino
• 1030am – Fort San Pedro
• 12pm – Lunch
• 1230pm – Checked in to the hotel.
• 2pm – Buy some stuff. Take note that theres no more grocery store in Badian/Alegria/Oslob.
• 330pm – Went to Ayala Center Cebu
• 6pm – Early Dinner @ Laguna Cafe.
• 8pm -Rest/Freetime.

DAY 2: BADIAN

• 3am – Wakeup call.
• 4am – Leave hotel went to Cebu South Terminal
• 430am – Arrival @ Cebu South Terminal.
• 5am – Dispatch Cebu City.
• 830am – Arrival @ Alegria – Then checked in to our accomodation.
• 930am – Heavy Breakfast.
• 1030am – Meetup Guide then Briefing.
• 11am – Start of Canyoonering.
• 3pm – End of Canyoonering (Estimated 3-4 Hours)
• 4pm – Sight Seeing/Rest/Swim @ Kawasan Falls.
• 5pm – Early Dinner @ Kawasan Falls.
• 6pm – Back to accomodation.
• 7pm – Rest/Freetime.

DAY 3: OSLOB

• 4am – Wakeup call.
• 5am – Leave hotel then went to Oslob.
• 6am – Breakfast @ Santander Station then Ride a Tricycle going to Oslob.
• 7am – Arrival @ Oslob
• 730am – Checked in to Aaron’s Resort Oslob.
• 8am – Drive to the Beach via resort’s van.
• 830am – Start of Whale Shark Interaction.
• 10am – End of Whale Shark Interaction.
• 1030am – Back to Aaron’s Resort.
• 11am – Early Lunch @ Aaron’s Resort.
• 1230pm – Leave resort went to Tumalog Falls.
• 1pm- Arrival @ Tumalog falls – swim.
• 3pm – Leave Tumalog falls, went back to our accomodation.
• 4pm – Arrival in our accomodation then siesta.
• 6pm – Dinner @ Cosina Alegria
• 8pm – Rest/Freetime.

DAY 4: ALEGRIA

• 6am – Wakeup call.
• 7am – Went to Alegria Plaza.
• 8am – Went to Mainit Springs -Relax/Swim
• 930am – Back to Our accomodation
• 10am – Early Lunch
• 11am – Back to Cebu City.
• 3pm – Arrival @ Cebu South Terminal
• 330pm – Taxi Ride with Sidetour to:
• Taboan Public Market
• 430pm – Allegre Guitar Shop.
• 5pm – Lapu2 Monument.
• 6pm – Went back to Mactan Airport.
• 7pm – Diiner @ Subochon.
• 930pm – Flight Back to Manila
• 11pm – Hello Manila!