Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu

On the day of my birthday i travelled back to Cebu from Siquijor to meet the gentle giants in Tan-awan, Oslob. The whale sharks are getting  a lot of hype from social media and other forms so im not one to miss this. 

I catched the earliest boat ride out of Siquijor to Dumaguete and then another boat ride from Sibulan Port to Lilo-an. From Lilo-an Port in Santander I Hopped on a bus heading to Cebu and after 20mins we dropped off at the Whale Sharks Watching area in Tan-awan, Oslob. 

I didnt book any reservation for the Whale Shark watching so i asked around and the bus conductor referred me to Aarons Beach Resort, for just 100 pesos you will have your own locker and you can use their shower.

Aarons Beach Resort

All resorts have the same rate for Whale Shark Watching and Snorkeling. 300 for the former and 500 for the latter for 30 mins. 

Whale Shark Watching Area, 5mins boat ride from the resort.

Facing Sumilon Island

After settling the payments and getting the underwater camera that i rented I went to the briefing area with 7 Koreans whom i will be sharing the bangka with. It was a quick briefing on the do's and don'ts while interacting with the whale sharks. Make sure that you keep them in mind, unless you want to be imprisoned or pay a fee. 

Briefing Center

Once at the view point, you can already see the whale sharks going after the boat men that feeds them so they stay on the water surface. You can also smell that stinky fish smell in the area. Its tolerable though. 

If you cant swim, it is best to wear a life vest for your own safety. Anyway the boat men will just push you down to get a good photo with the whale sharks.

Merrman!

Mermaid!

I have the same pose! LOL!

  

Photobombed

Tired and Cold 

The go pro we rented was a complete fail. The photos were jammed with lines, over saturation and distorted images. So make sure that you examine yours prior and after getting ur photos which will be saved in a Compact Disc, test them. Ask the care taker in Aarons Resort to play the CD. The staff are nice and will be more than willing to oblige. 

Things that you should know:

1. whale sharks are only available from 6am till 12 noon. I dont know where they go after 12 but definitely its somewhere in the deep ocean.

2. Don't wear sunscreen. This is hazardous lfor the whale sharks. Let's keep them safe. 

3. Don't go near them. Keep a distance of 4 meters. There will be an instance that they bump you, this happened to me twice, swim away from them. Touching the whale sharks means jail time for at most 6 months.

4. Don't use flash on your camera. Whale sharks are extra sensitive to light. 

5. Be nice to them. Just take photos and nothing else. 

The experience overall with the whale sharks was one of a kind. Its one for the book because its not like everyday that you get to swim with these sharks. They were gentle and they dont eat human flesh, thats for sure. 

The road less travelled: Cagbalete Island

I wanted to celebrate Valentines Day at the beach to make it extra romantic. Ive thought of so many options but Cagbalete stood out the most. The photos from the internet was really the one that sold to me to choose this island. Apprehensive at first because of the weather but i pushed through with my decision since im insane like that. LOL.

 

I took the 5am JAC Liner bus in Buendia to Lucena Terminal, then a non aircon bus from Lucena to Mauban Sabang Port and then an hour public boat transfer from Sabang Port to Cagbalete Island. Total travel time was 7 Hours. 

The islands passenger boat

On board with the locals

Before reaching the beautiful island i faced big waves and extreme sea sickness. The passenger boat was seriously fighting its way through them big waves. It was a tough ride and i just couldnt imagine how those smaller boats got pass through them. 

The passenger boat can't go near the sea shore so we were transferred through a smaller boat. And upon reaching the shoreline we were greeted by the locals who were corteously offering service to guide guests to their respective resorts. They have a number system so everyone gets a turn.

All resorts are located at the right side of the port and you need to walk 15 minutes to get there. You have the option to hire a boat and transfer you directly to your resort but hey, a short walk won't kill you. Thing is it was raining all day so the road to the resort was all wet and muddy. 

I informed our guide that we dont have any reservations and he suggested Jovens Blue Sea Beach Resort. Ive read good reviews about the resort so i checked in and I booked their Nipa Hut with Balcony P1500/overnight. I planned to camp at first but because it was raining i had no choice but to stay inside the Nipa Hut. Maybe some other time.

 

Electricity is available from 6pm-6am so make use of this time to charge your gadgets. Food wouldn't be problem because the restaurant can cook for you or you can rent their utensils and can cook on your own. There are also locals that sell fresh seafood for a reasonable price. Its still best that you buy food and drinks prior to getting to the island. Its cheaper and less hassle.

Shared CR

Beach Volleyball anyone? 

They have Karaoke. Its a sing off!

Open Cottage

Sandbar

During low tides, sandbars will appear from almost everywhere. They serve as sand bridge to Bonsai Island located at the left side of the resort. There's also a river mouth right beside MV Sto Nino Resort. Its at the far left side of the island. Its about 20minutes walking distance from Jovens Resort. 

Panorama of Cagbalete

Baby got back

Jovens Blue Sea Beach Resort

www.cagbaletejovenresort.co.nr

Twitter @JovenResort

09179848505

One night in Sugbu

I arrived in Cebu City around 6pm and right after checking in at Adelfa Hotel near Chong Hua Hospital in Fuente Osmena, my next order of business was to eat!!! 

Larsian BBQ

BBQ Station 

Puso' (rice)

I rested after finishing 7 pieces of puso', 6 pieces of Isaw, thigh part of Chicken, 1 medium sized squid and a Mountain Dew. Whew! I deserve this. LOL. 

The night was young and i didnt have much to do, so I decided to go up Level 36 Club in Crown Regency but it was too early then. The clubs open but there weren't any guest yet.

Elevator Shot from Crowne Regency

My Cebu trip won't be complete without eating lechon so i went to Mango Avenue which is just 2 blocks away from Crowne Regency to dine in Zubuchon. 

Zubuchon is one of the famous names when it comes to lechon in cebu. I ordered their boneless lechon, a beer and a pineapple mint shake. I was full alright. I didn't finish the whole thing though so had a take out to eat the next day. 

Boneless Lechon P300

Siquijor Expenses ( Overnight )

RT Ceres Bus                                350

    (Cebu City - Liloan Port)

RT Ferry Fare                                124

    (Liloan - Sibulan Port)            

RT Tricycle                                    200

    (Sibulan - DGTE Port)      

Ocean Ferry                                  210

    (DGTE - Siquijor Port)

Hotel Transfer/Inland Tour          1000

Hotel Accommodation                 350

    (Charisma Beach Resort)

Dinner                                          150

    (Lomi Noodles)

Bottled Water                                50

Tricycle Fare                                250

    (Hotel - Port)

Regular Ferry                              130

   (Siquijor - DGTE Port)

                                           -----------

                            TOTAL     P   2,814