Where did we go on our 3-day vacation in Cebu?

Osmeña Peak

Osmeña Peak is 1,013 m above sea level. That’s two-thirds the height of Baguio City.

I’ve been traveling for the past half decade and nature still has surprises for me. The picturesque landscape of Osmeña peak will surely satisfy your selfie addiction.

I don’t care if it will take us 3-4 hours of travel from Cebu City to get here if the travel was capped off with this amazing view!

So, how did we got there?

At 6:00 AM, we went to Cebu City south bus terminal and rode a Ceres Tours bus to Dalaguete. Travel time is 2-3 hours depending on the traffic at ₱100/head. If you don’t know where to alight, ask the driver to drop you off at Dalaguete junction/crossing going to Osmeña peak. We arrived at Dalaguete junction at 9:00 AM and rode a “habal–habal” to Osmeña Peak for ₱500/head because after going to Osmeña Peak we’ll be going to Kawasan Falls. If you are only going to Osmeña Peak, you will pay ₱100/head.

Kawasan Falls

If you think that swimming pools have the only right to be blue, you were wrong. Kawasan Falls can be blue too!

View from the top of Kawasan Falls.

Going to Kawasan Falls from Osmeña Peak

After Osmeña Peak, we went to Kawasan Falls. Travel time is almost one hour. If you opted to charter a motorcycle from Osmeña Peak to Kawasan Falls, it is ₱ 400/head.

There were lots of activities at Kawasan Falls, you can hire a guide to go upstream or book at kawasancanyoneering.com.ph for a canyoneering experience. You can also ride a Bamboo raft for ₱ 300 and additional tip for the boatman. Below is the complete price list at Kawasan Falls:

Contact # for the accommodation: 09275456061

Basdaku Beach, Moalboal

Woke up with this view. It’s a long weekend and Sunday, what do I expect? Of course, there were lots of people out there!

Late in the afternoon, we arrived at Moalboal proper, this is just 15 minutes north of Kawasan Falls. From there, we rode a tricycle to Basdaku Beach for ₱ 40/person. We rented a tent for ₱ 400, but you can find as low as ₱ 200. If you want to sleep near the shore, you need to pay additional ₱ 100 for the barangay. If you still have time you can check out this blog Moalboal Travel Guide to see what are other activities Moalboal can offer.

Oslob Whale Shark Watching

The whale shark is a slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest known extant fish species.

How to get there from Moalboal?

At 6:00 AM we departed from Moalboal to Bato, this is the best option to go to Tanauan, Oslob for the Whale Shark Watching if you’re from Moalboal. The travel time is 2-3 hours as we are literally going to the south end of Cebu Island. The fare is ₱ 175/person. From Bato, we rode a habal-habal to Tanauan, Oslob for ₱ 50/person and the travel time is 20 minutes.

Whale Shark Watching with snorkeling is ₱ 500/person, but if you prefer to stay on the boat, you’ll pay ₱ 300/person. Since we were endorsed at a resort, we also paid ₱ 100/person for the locker. I think it is not totally a waste of money given that we were able to secure our things and wash up after the activities.

Need to book ahead? You can contact AJ’s Place: 09329034212/09223608100 or visit www.ajsplace-oslob.com.

NOTE: It is very important to keep in mind that the Whale Shark Watching is up to 12 noon only.

Simala

Simala–Lindogon church also known as the Miraculous Mama Mary Shrine

After eating our lunch, we went to Simala also known as Miraculous Mama Mary Shrine. This is not a tourist destination. This is a church and they are encouraging visitors not to behave as tourists, but behave as believers. We rode a bus from Oslob to Sibonga for ₱ 170/person and it took 2 hours to arrive at Sibonga. From the town proper, we rode a habal-habal for ₱ 20/person and they will give their number for them to pick you up back to Sibonga proper.

Simala back to Cebu City

Tip: Do not go back to Cebu City too late as you might not get a ride back to Cebu City.

From Sibonga, we “struggled” to get a bus. Almost all of the buses were full. What we did was  took a jeep back to Argao hoping that there will be a better chance that buses were not full. After almost an hour of waiting, we were able to ride a bus after it stopped at a gasoline station where we’re waiting.

Cebu City Tour

There were lots of new tourist destinations in Cebu City. However, we opted to visit the popular ones and with historical values.

We went to Colon Street, the oldest street in the Philippines.

We walked to Magellan’s Cross and nearby Sto. Niño Church.

The Basílica Minore del Santo Niño is the Mother and Head of All Churches in the Philippines. Source: Wikipedia

Pilgrim Center of the Basilica del Santo Niño.

Garden inside Basilica del Santo Niño.

We also visited Fort San Pedro which is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country.

Fort San Pedro Entrance.

Sample Itinerary for 2

Check out the video I created for this travel adventure!