Sunday, December 21, 2014

Swimming with the Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu – Oslob Travel Guide by my guest blogger JP Fabros

The municipality of Oslob, a quiet fishing town on the southern edge of the Cebu Province, is becoming a bustling stop for tourists. The town itself is quaint and picturesque with Spanish era ruins, a famous waterfall called Tumalog falls and backdropped by sheer hills spanning across clear blue skies. However, it has recently become most known for the whale-watching activities that provide the opportunity to swim alongside the gentle giants of the deep, the Butandings aka Whale Sharks.


Chippy barkada moments



How to get there


Getting to Oslob from Cebu City calls only for a single bus ride with the entire travel time around 2-3 hours.
-          Start from Cebu City South Bus Terminal
o   Around 30 minutes by taxi from Mactan Airport (around 300 Php) and located near Elizabeth Mall or E-mall.
o   It would be better to depart from here as early as possible (no later than 4AM) since the Whaleshark interaction activity will only be from 7AM up to 12PM (noon) with the highest visibility from 7AM to 9AM.
o   If you don’t mind having to swim with a lot of other people (ifykwim) then you can go on a weekend, otherwise it is recommended to go on a weekday to avoid the crowds.
-          Hop on a bus to Oslob
o   There will be sign boards on the buses to help you choose the right bus. You can also ask the staff there for assistance if you’re unsure.
o   The earliest bus will leave the city at 2AM.
o   Bus Fare will be 150 for non-airconditioned and 155 for air-conditioned.
o   Again, the travel time will be 2-3 hours.
-          Get dropped off in Brgy. Tan-awan in Oslob
o   You can inform the bus conductor to specifically drop you off at a place for whale-watching (there are many resorts conducting the whale-watching activity).
o   When you get there, get registered and you will soon get to swim with the Whale Sharks.

Whale-watching Costs


Inclusive of snorkeling gear and life vest, the rates are:
-          500 Php for local tourists
-          1000 Php for foreign tourists
If you plan on staying on the boat, you only need to pay 300 Php. You can then pay for a locker where you can leave your belongings for a fee of around 20 Php. One session will last approximately 30 minutes and your guide will tell you when it’s time to go.
You can also rent a waterproof camera at 500 Php (without memory card) or 550 Php (with memory card). You can then have your guide take photos for you when you’re in the water.

Briefing

Before you finally get to swim with the Butandings, you will first be taken to a short briefing session on the proper conduct when swimming these gentle creatures. We urge you to listen attentively to this so as to ensure your safety as well as of the safety of the Butandings themselves. We only get to experience swimming with these gentle giants when we take care of them.

Our Experience

Vámonos!

The pool at Just Inn Resort
 We didn’t have to start from Cebu City South Bus Terminal as we had travelled to Dalaguete the day before and stayed at Just Inn. We had informed the staff that we needed to get up by 5AM so we could arrive at Oslob around 7AM and they were happy to give us a wake-up call if we overslept as well as preparing early breakfast. We hailed a bus along the highway and after approximately 1 and ½ hours, we had arrived.
The grandeur of the calm ocean and steep hills behind us was breathtaking. The view got even better once we got on the boat and started going farther from the shore. We couldn’t get a shot that could justify all of this but even if we could have, it’s better experienced personally.

The view was stunning.

And when we were finally able to swim with the Butandings, from the start we knew that it was going to be an exhilarating experience. They were swimming alongside us very closely with a distance of just a few meters (they can sometimes get so close that you can touch them but you shouldn’t). With the movement of the waves, Butandings, boats, and other people all around you, you may need to scramble to get yourself together a couple of times gulping a large amount of fishy sea-water along the way but it’s all part of the fun of it all. Whale-watching in Oslob is a definite addition to everyone’s bucket-list.

It’s a good day to chill.

That’s how close they get.

Jaws

Jaws II


The only thing we regret is that we should’ve taken better underwater photos.

1 like!

The crew

Our above-water photographer

TIPS:
-          You can bring your own snorkeling gear if you’re concerned about hygiene.
-          If you’re confident with your swimming, leave your life-vest in the boat as it limits your ability to move freely underwater.
-          Don’t leave it to the guide to take all of your pictures. They will not come out as you like them. Take most of them yourself. However, leave the close-up pictures of the whale sharks to the guide. Also, if you can, bring your own underwater camera.

-          After whale-watching, you can then travel to the Heritage Sites as well as Tumalog Falls for a complete experience of Oslob. Just hire a habal-habal (motorcycle) to get around.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete

Osmeña Peak is known for being the highest peak in the Cebu Province. It is a very popular trekking destination for locals and foreigners. Even trekking enthusiasts from other provinces visit Cebu to experience the beauty of nature that this peak showcases.

Earlier this year, when my college buddies and I decided not to take the board exam scheduled for us in March 2014, a friend of mine suggested that we go trekking instead and explore the southern part of the Cebu Province. He found this blog about the Osmeña Peak and searched for other tourist spots near the area to visit. I was intrigued by the photos I've seen online and decided to come along.

Getting ready for the trip! 
Osmeña Peak was the first on our itinerary list. It was a gloomy Saturday morning when we started filling up our backpacks and hit the road. But first, we needed to withdraw money and buy our supplies. Fortunately, there's a mall nearby the South Cebu Bus Terminal, so we stoped at E-Mall first, grabed something to eat and bought some supplies.

Our prepared itinerary was a 2 days and 1 night trip. We arrived at Dalaguete at around 11:30am, and then we tried to find an inn to check in so we will have a place to crash when we get back from the trek.
Breakfast before hitting the road
Unfortunately, a very strong rain poured just when we were about to start the trek. We had no choice but to rent a Habal-Habal to take us to 
Mantalungon, Dalaguete where the O-Peak is situated. The rain poured very hard that we had almost  zero visibility of the road. I was very nervous watching the nearby boulders beside road that might fall to us if ever a landslide occurs. Not to mention, I was also not in my best condition that time. My body was just recovering from fever and colds but that didn't stop me from taking the challenge. 



Our Arrival at the foot of Osmena Peak
Luckily, we survived the heavy rain and muddy road and reached the foot of the peak. Now, it's time to start climbing the slippery trail. It's just a short trek though,more or less 30 minutes of walking narrow trails.  We also stopped at some points in the trail and took some pictures. If you're asking who took our pictures, well there are some little boys who live near the peak and are very willing to guide you to the top, they can take your pictures too and just give them a little tip before leaving.


That's me, all covered up like an ET! haha

On our way up to the peak

And finally we arrived at the Peak. It's not the best condition to take pictures though because of the heavy fog brought by the earlier rain. But we still managed to take some pictures.


Kaka's Signature Pose

Boss Rob posing like he was on an EDM festival! haha

The fog is about to cover the background of Papa P!

Our only girl in the group, Tinang!

And that's me, with a fog covered background! :(

JP our Bench Model! haha
XoXo <3 <3 <3 XoXo

The Crew


Our final picture before leaving the Peak.

 We also managed to shoot a short video clip parody of a weather news field reporter before finally heading back to our Inn to grab some rest and prepare for our next adventure in the morning to Oslob, Cebu Province!

You should definitely watch this clip! Hahaha.



The Simala Shrine

Simala Shrine in South Cebu
Cebu is home to so many famous historical spots and also beautiful churches. One of which, is the famous Simala Shrine or the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist. The shrine is located in the southern part of Cebu Province in Marian Hills, Lindongon Sibonga, Cebu, which is a 2 hour drive from Cebu City. The Monastery is the place where the ‘Mga Monghe ni Maria’ [Monks of Mary] lives. The place is extremely nice, solemn and is operated by the monks.

With my Engineering travel Buddies

My college buddies and I decided to take a stop over to this shrine on our way back to Cebu City coming from our close encounter with the Whale Shark in OslobThe Simala Shrine is known for Board Exam Reviewees here in Cebu to visit and pray prior to their exam schedules. Most board passers comes back to the place and leave their thank you notes and also their board exam materials (pens and calculators) after passing their licensure exam.



Another view for the Shrine.

I have already visited this place twice and I plan to come back again. I'm not a big fan of religion and beliefs but this church really captured my attention and I can say that it's one of the most beautiful churches I've ever been in.

How to get to Simala Shrine and travel tips:
  • From Cebu City, you can either ride a bus from South Terminal or a V-hire (van) from City Link terminal. The bus would only take you at the crossing in Lindogon going to Simala where in you would need to ride a tricycle all the way up to Simala Shrine. On the other hand, the V-hire would take you straight all the way to the shrine. You could also hire a taxi but that would be a little expensive.
  • The travel will take 1 to 2 hours.
  • You could bring water and food there but no eating inside the shrine. 
  • If you rent a taxi, it would cost you 1000 to 2000 pesos, depends on the negotiation, but that would be back and forth already. 


More Pictures:

Going down !
Larag boys!
Oops !! I'm not yet ready !!!
Another view of the Shrine