The start of our trip begun on Cebu Island, in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. We went in July (monsoon season) and fortunately didn’t experience any major typhoons during our 3 week stay.
We arrived midday in Cebu City and had a smooth transfer to our first accommodation in Oslob (~3 hrs south of Cebu City depending on traffic peak times). We arrived at Villa Modern Deluxe in Oslob just at sunset and went for our first swim in the Cebu Strait. The water was invitingly warm with many marine life just beneath the surface. The host of the accommodation happily provided us with a driver and a guide to take us to various tourist hotspots that Cebu had to offer. This included the whale sharks, Sumilon island, Aguinid Falls, Tumalog Falls, Kawasan Falls, and Bohol Island.
Image 1: Morning swims at Villa Modern Deluxe, Oslob.
Image 2: Our morning walk of about 100 stairs down to the beach at Villa Modern Deluxe.
Image 3: There once was a beach hut here but it had been destroyed from a previous typhoon!
Snorkeling with the whale sharks was an amazing experience and literally at our door step (a 2 min van ride!). It wasn’t until after our experience with the whale sharks that we found out about the negative impacts our interactions are having on the local whale sharks there. If you wish to learn more I have attached a link which discusses why you shouldn’t swim with the whale sharks. It’s definitely worth a read.
5 reasons not to swim with whale sharks in Oslob
Image 4: A beautiful whale shark coming to the surface for food. Unfortunately they have become too reliant on locals feeding them.
Image 5: Watching a whale shark from afar.
After the whale sharks we went to a new waterfall in Oslob called Aguinid Falls. After a small fee we were welcomed by 2 guides and started our waterfall hike! There were 5 different levels to Aguinid waterfall. At one point we found ourselves climbing rocks with water rushing past us. At no point did I feel unsafe and the guides were there at every step of the way giving us a hand if needed. The water was a beautiful blue and the rocks were not slippery due to the minerals in the water. Out of all the waterfalls this one had the least tourists. Definitely a must do!
Image 6: The beautiful blue water at one of the levels of Aguinid waterfall.
Image 7: Level 5 of the waterfall!
We finished our adventure filled day with a visit to the famous Tumalog Falls. This waterfall was definitely most spectacular and mesmerizing of all waterfalls. It was so easy just to sit at the base of the waterfall and be in awe at the natural beauty.
Image 8: Showing the natural beauty of Tumalog falls.
Image 9: Swim in the shallow pool of Tumalog falls.
On day 2 of our visit to Oslob we went for a day trip to Sumilon island for just AU $50 which included a delicious buffet lunch and free access to the pool and beach huts. After a 15 minute ferry road to the island we sat down for a delicious Filipino cuisine buffet! We spent the rest of the day exploring the island and it’s beautiful beaches.
Image 10: Visiting the sandbar on Sumilon island. A storm brewing on the horizon.
Image 11: Our tummies full after a delicious buffet lunch!
Our last adventure that Villa Modern Deluxe organised for us included a boat trip to Bohol Island. This boat trip was about 2.5 hrs one way so make sure you go to the bathroom before boarding! Bohol was action packed with visits to the reptile park (nothing special), butterfly sanctuary, tarsier conservation park and chocolate hills. At lunch we went on a river cruise which included a local cuisine buffet again! We made one stop where a group of locals played ukele, dance and sang to us. It was great! The boat trip back was a bit sketchy as we spent the last hour of the trip traveling in the dark. This wouldn’t have been a problem otherwise but the boat inconveniently didn’t have any lights! But we lived to tell the tale and that’s the main thing. We also got to see phosphorescent algae as the water splashed up against the boat! 
Image 12: Enjoying another buffet lunch on the river cruise.
Image 13: Sunset beers on our boat ride home.
Our last day in Oslob we drove up to Kawasan Falls. Unfortunately there was a lot of rain this day so we didn’t get to see the waterfall in its finest form. I found it to be very tourist and lots of rubbish. Even though it’s so popular I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for the visit.
All in all, Cebu was great! We were dropped to the airport by our van driver from Villa Modern Deluxe and flew Cebu Pacific to Puerto Princesa in Palawan where our next amazing adventures began!
jordankaia 