Every three years Maarten and I visit the beautiful land of the Philippines. It is one of my favorite destinations. It is not just my homeland but it is even a sumptuous country as well. I have explored different islands until now.
However, in March Maarten and I decided to explore the Island of Cebu and Palawan. It was nothing but an adventurous journey for us.
Exploring Cebu island
Cebu is the eighth largest island in the Philippines. It just takes one hour and thirty minutes to reach Cebu from Manila by air. This island is well known for the narrow coastal strips and hilly lands.
Mactan International Airport is the largest airport located in Cebu city. It helps to connect Cebu with rest of the Philippines.
On the other hand, you can even find direct flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Most travelers prefer staying in Cebu as traveling to other destinations is comparatively easy. I have been to Cebu just once before our recent itinerary. But that was on a tour from Bohol.
However, the sole purpose was to go whale shark watching at Oslob. But if I had known about the animal cruelty before than I wouldn’t have done that at all.
They basically feed the shark so that the tourist can come and see.
Normally the sharks come to Oslob so that they can spend some time but little did I know about the animal abuse they used to face.
Exploring Moalboal
Moalboal was the best part of our journey. It would have been an incomplete itinerary if we skipped this amazing place. However, we had a wonderful time to relish there. We immediately left for Moalboal after landing in Cebu city.
One of the ways to reach there is by bus. Moalboal is an amazing destination for nature lovers. This place encompasses of beaches and waterfalls.
This is the reason we stayed there for three nights so that we can explore every bit of it. Interestingly, people mostly mean Panagsama when they talk about Moalboal.
You can even indulge in snorkeling with turtles as well. There are many things to do and this is one among them.
How to get to Moalboal
To be honest, the trip to Moalboal was quite convenient for me as I have my family in Cebu city. My cousins accompanied us to the bus terminal. Meanwhile it will not be a tough task for you either.
While leaving the airport you will find some bus representative who will ask you about your next destination. Tell them your destination and they will guide you to the bus that you must take. It will just take twenty minutes to reach the bus terminal from the airport on Sundays.
However, the scenario is different during the weekends. It might take you 35 to 45 minutes to reach the bus terminal during the week due to the traffic. This sounds pathetic I know but this will all be worth it while you experience the beauty of Moalboal.
Travel cost
The journey from the bus terminal to Moalboal is about three to four hours. Moreover, the cost of a ticket is around 2.50 Euros and that is equivalent to 145 Philippine Peso. Once you have reached the village of Moalboal, then you must hire a tricycle to head towards your desired accommodation.
You can even hire a taxi to have a comfortable journey from the airport. Additionally, they’ll even drop you right in front of your accommodation. But it’s pretty expensive and if you are on a budget than this isn’t the better option at all. However, hiring a taxi will cost you around 42 Euros which is equivalent to 2500 Philippines Peso.
What to do Moalboal?
It is a hard question to address as there are a lot of things to do on this Island. We have basically chosen Moalboal because it is filled with things that we have always desired to do.
We had a wish list in our mind and here it is.
our wish list:
- Swimming with sardines
- swimming with sea turtles
- chasing waterfalls
- hike to one of the highest point of Cebu
- Relax on the beach
We combined the attractions of Moalboal in such a manner that we could fulfill all the wishes on our list. And we first started by chasing waterfalls.
First, we rented a scooter as it was the cheapest way of all. On the other hand, we even wanted to be free and even free to stay as long as we desired.
However, you can choose the tours as well. They are the safest option whereas, you do not have to worry about anything either.
Kawasan Falls
It is the best attraction if you want to chase the waterfall. It takes 35 minutes to reach Kawasan falls. Moreover, it was the closest waterfall on our list. We were overwhelmed by the beauty.
It has turquoise blue water, amazing waterfall and you can even indulge in canyoneering.
The view is so sublime that you can spend your whole day appreciating its beauty.
We headed toward Kawasan in the morning but it was not too early. We reached there around 10.30 and we could see it was getting crowded already.
For viewing this waterfall you will have to pay 25 Philippines Peso as entrance fee and 20 Philippines Peso as Eco-Tourism Development fee.
However, if you decide on going for canyoneering, than click pictures of the Kawasan Falls beforehand because you might not get the chance later.
But What Is Canyoneering In Kawasan Falls?
It is an adventurous activity and if you are an adventure lover then you should surely try canyoneering once in your lifetime. Canyoneering is getting down the waterfall with the help of a rope, swimming, walking or even jumping.
In this case, it was about drifting down the Kawasan Falls.
The canyoneering tour in Kawasan Falls takes about four to five hours.
Visit the emergency room
Yes, this was not in our wish list but after visiting Kawasan Falls we ended up in the Emergency room.
We were heading towards chasing our next waterfall meanwhile we faced an accident.
While riding the scooter to our next destination, I could not estimate the next curve of the road and I fell.
I did not break any bones but there were minor injuries. But I made sure to visit the ER for peace of mind. A family helped us on that crucial time and we will always be thankful to them.
These curves in the roads are underestimated by many and I received a sense of relief when I knew that I wasn’t the only one.
The nearest hospital is in Badian
The nearest emergency room is 15 minutes from Kawasan and 15min from Moalboal. It was actually a public clinic.
I had several scratches and cuts that needed to be cleaned up.
After all the checkups we headed towards our accommodation and that was the end of our waterfall journey.
Osmeña peak
Osmena Peak is one of the highest mountains in Cebu and it is about 1013 meters above sea level. However, the highest peak is Mt. Manunggal in Balambban which is 1097 meters.
We hired a Habal habal (motorbike with driver) to Osmena Peak and that was an uncomfortable trip.
It takes one and a half hour to reach Osmena from Moalboal. To be more precise, it is a one-hour road journey and half an hour through a rough road.
We paid 30 Philippines Peso per person as an entrance fee. Moreover, there will be guides who will approach you but you can explore the location by yourself as well.
We hiked for 20 to 30 minutes and lastly discovered a view that was worth everything.
That was the best view that I was going to take home with me. This is the most interesting part about traveling that you encounter some of the most amazing moments of your life.
Moalboal white beach
As I have mentioned earlier Moalboal is a few minutes away from our accommodation. But we visited a swim area near our accommodation that is Panagsama Beach.
It is not a beach but you can still swim there and spend some good time as we did. But if you want to relax on a beach, than you will have to move towards the north to the White beach.
White Beach is 20 minutes from our accommodation. We hired a tricycle to get there. But before entering the beach we had to pay 10 Philippines peso as an eco fee.
Although we visited during the peak season, we could not see too many tourists, there were more local people.
This beach wasn’t as white as we expected but it was really relaxing and nice.
There are many accommodations by the side of the beach. These accommodations are making it narrow. Moreover, I wonder what this white beach will look like after a few years. But for now, it is a mesmerizing place to visit.
XoXo
Deborah