Swimming with the Gentle Giants in Cebu!

Swimming with the whale sharks (or butandings) has been on my bucket list for a long time already. And getting to do it with my friends was really really great. We booked a 3-day trip to Cebu and planned to take a bus from the city to Oslob (and back). 

On our first day, considering we just arrived, we stayed in the city. Since it was the other girls' first time in Cebu, we visited the historical places after brunch. Our first meal was so sooo good, STK Bai! was kinda out of the way but everything we ordered tasted amazing. I loved their baked scallops and calamares.  They're not much to look at but they're delectable. 

We got the time to catch-up with each other over brunch, and it was a looong brunch :p . After which, we went to Magellan's Cross, Sto Nino Church and Fort San Pedro. The Magellan's Cross is believed to grow every year and there were these woman chanting and dancing in front of the cross trying to capitalize on it. The Church is very beautiful though. 

After our little "city tour" it was time for the beach! It was less than an hour away from the city and how fun is it that you can easily drive or even take a cab to the beach on like a regular day? It wasn't the nicest beach but it was a lovely place to spend the afternoon in. 

 We saw a purple jelly thing washed up in the shore. I didn't want to touch it until one of the lifeguards picked it up. Realizing, it didn't sting, I ran after him and borrowed it. haha. It was dead tho :S

With the girls! excuse me while I suck my stomach in. :) 

After a few bruises (very coral-y beach) and after sunset, we decided to head back to the city. We took a tricycle to the highway and took a cab back to the city. Hungry and couldn't find the restaurant we wanted to go to, we ended up in AA BBQ. It was similar to a dampa, you choose what you want to have cooked and they prepare it for you. Their baked oyster is so good, we had to get another order. We also tried these big shells that have like a squid-like consistency mollusk inside. It wasn't anything special but it's nice to have tried it.

Some of the Hungry Kids

After dinner, we took a cab home. And while discussing the next day's Oslob trip, the driver suggested that he drive us to Oslob and back for 2,400. We said yes since taking the bus would cost each of us 700. He picked us up at 4 in the morning. 

It took us about 3 hours to get to Oslob, we got off at the registration area, paid the fees, ordered breakfast (for when we get back) and rented an underwater camera. And off we went to the briefing area. Technically, you have to stay 4 meters away from the whale sharks and not touch them but those giant fishes don't really care, they'll go to the boat where the fisherman that gives them food is, regardless if you're on their way. 

clear blue water!

We had more than 300 photos in the underwater camera, and only the photos below are decent. haha! it's pretty hard to pose underwater with these giant things. Our stomachs hurt from laughing when we saw the pictures. 

The whale shark interaction only took about 40 minutes but it was so worth the travel and the fees. Seeing them and being so close to them given how HUGE they are was exhilarating!

We had breakfast after and then took a habal-habal to a waterfall on top of the mountain! 

 It was a scary ride going up the mountain. Some parts were so steep and we were on a freakin' motorcycle! haha We also had to walk up for about 30 minutes before we could reach Tumalog falls but it was a lovely stroll.

The waterfalls were so soo sooooo pretty! But the water was cold! It's clean there and the locals get their drinking water from the top waterfall. I tried drinking a little, it tasted like rust though.  

We've finished the whale shark interaction and visited the Tumalog falls by lunch and so we were back at the city around 4pm. Those 3-ish hours tho were priceless, a great way to spend the morning. We decided to rest up at the hotel and then headed to dinner in Lantaw Floating Restaurant. It's a little over an hour away from the city and we had to pay P400 for a one way taxi ride but the scenery, ambiance and sunset dinner were amazing (the food was just okay though). 

On our third day, our flight was at 3 in the afternoon so we just went to the Ayala Mall there to buy pasalubong from the grocery and eat at Casa Verde. My friend and I shared an order of their famous ribs (really was A LOT for 100 something pesos) and the shrimp tavern. I din't like their ribs so much but the shrimp has been my favorite since I first went to Cebu.

We headed to the airport right after lunch where I also bought Zubuchon (good stuff!).

We did not spend a lot for this trip but it's one of the best ones I've been to so far. The whale shark interaction was just amaziing! I'd do it again! :)  

Bohol

Bohol is the perfect place for anyone who lusts over travelling; the historical sites, old churches, breathtaking landscapes, exotic animals, underground caves, blue green rivers and of course, pristine white sand beaches. 

I went there earlier this month for a 3-day and 2-night stay with my brother. 

There was so much confusion at the airport that we just wanted to go back to the hotel and rest for a while. . We stayed at Panglao Regents Park and after settling in, we took a walk to the famous Alona Beach. It's your typical white sand beach, the shore is quite thin but nevertheless, the sea was beautiful. 

We headed back to the hotel right after dinner. We had to turn in early for our busy itinerary the next day. 

 

Alona Beach, Panglao. 

Poolside, Panglao Regents Park. 

Sun bathing by the pool. life is tough.

Our 2nd day in Bohol started at 8am for the country side tour. It was a long drive from Panglao to the famous sites in Bohol but the scenery was amazing; the bridge that connects Panglao to the main island of Bohol is almost romantic, the small streets are typical of quaint provinces and we went through hectares of cornfields and sceneries of endless green. 

Python in captivity

 

Matcha chocolate hills! 

 

Butterfly garden. such beautiful creatures :) 

 

man made forest. thousands of tall slender mahogany trees.

 

Hanging bridge

We had our lunch in the floating restaurant on Loboc river. It was an amazing experience, a little less than an hour cruising through the clear river surrounded by tall coconut trees- you just know you really are in a tropical country.

 

 Rolling on the river. 

 

presentation by the locals

 

It's a tarsier! tiny lazy beings. 

 

Baclayon Church. If you could see behind me, on one of the pillars of the Church structure, is the face of a priest named Padre Pio. Many consider it to be a milagro.

 

Baclayon Church is the oldest church in Bohol

 

One of the doors of the Church, above it is supposedly the image of Mother Mary. 

Next stop is the Blood Compact Site.

 

 

Hinagdanan is an underground cave, it has crystal clear water that makes you want to jump in. 

It's a five story bell tower that stands behind the San Agustin Church. 

This was the last stop of our country side tour. Our driver dropped us off at our hotel a little before 6pm. 

Nervous about the itinerary for our third day in Bohol due to our limited time, our boatman picked us up from our hotel at 6am the following morning.

ready for island hopping and dolphin watching! 

 

waiting for dolphins

30 minutes later, once we arrived at the spot where the dolphins normally swim, a school of them swam up right in front of our boat (right in front of me). they were just so lovely to see. 

 We then headed to Balicasag island where we could rent a small paddle boat going to the marine sanctuary. On the shallow end, you can hold a piece of bread in your hands under water and fishes (of all sizes, and colors, and shapes!) will go to you and eat off of the bread. There was such a great variety; lime green ones, hot pink, long, thin ones, big and small) it was great watching them. 

Since I could swim, I went to the deeper part of the sanctuary, and i saw Nemo! and bigger fishes! and schools of fishes! huge huge colorful corals! 

From Balicasag island, we went to Puntod island or more commonly known as Virgin island. IT.WAS. BEAUTIFUL. sure there were a lot of sea grass, but the island was just magnificent. 

Letting go of the cute little starfish (that I later realized was already dead haha) 

 

virgin island

tree on the virgin island beach. his tree, from the shore seemed to be a beautiful anomaly - and I just had to go near it. 

 

Something more amazing about this island is that there are so many star fishes! every two steps you take, there's a star fish. shade of peach, brown, orange, red. some are so huge too! 

It was such an amazing amazing trip. Bohol is such a rich and beautiful island. I have come to appreciate the laid back culture, the kind people and the beautiful scenery. I'm grateful to have gotten the chance to visit. 

I honestly couldn't wait for my next trips. In May, I will be at the Pahiyas festival celebrating the rich culture (of the people of Lucban) and colorful displays with two of my closest college friends. And come June, I will be sipping vietnamese coffee during breakfast. really hope nothing gets in the way of these trips! keeping my fingers crossed :)

Bohol 2012 :D

*contacts*

Island Hopping:      Kuya Pedro- 09267896646 - Php1600 (with free use of 2 sets of snorkel masks)

Country Side Tour: Kuya Tirso-  09108656969  - Php 1800 (plus 200 to include part of panglao)

Total expense is less than P17,000.00. I can forward the breakdown through email if it can help anyone :)