8 Things to do in Cebu
The last island I visited on my most recent trip to the Philippines is Cebu. Contrary to most other islands in the Philippines, Cebu isn’t known for its paradise beaches and lagoons, but for its lush jungle and its waterfalls. My friend Johanne and I wanted to end the trip by doing something a bit different, and Cebu was all about that. We loved it so much! In this article, I’ll be sharing the 8 things we did on this 3-day trip. Cebu is quite a big island, so it’s important to note that there will be a lot of driving. I’d really suggest hiring a private driver or renting your own car (the roads aren’t that bad) and not doing it by scooter. Also, Mactan Cebu is the second largest airport in the Philippines so there are daily flights to get there and they’re actually pretty cheap.
Cebu Island
8 Things To Do
1- Sirao Garden
When we got to the airport, we hired a private driver for the day and told him our planned itinerary which was to make a few stops before heading down to Oslob. I had come across Sirao Garden on social media not long before my trip and I became intrigued because it seemed like it wasn’t too popular yet. You know how much I like uncrowded places. It’s located about an hour away from the airport (more like 1.5 hours if there’s traffic). There is an entrance fee of PHP50 per person, and the gardens can be visited in 20-30 minutes depending on how many photos you want to take. It’s really just a place to go snap a few Instagram shots. I wouldn’t say that it should really be on your list of places to visit, but if it’s on your way then I’d make a quick stop there like we did.
2- La Vie in the Sky
Our second stop of the day was a restaurant perched on a mountain, not too far from Sirao Gardens. La Vie in the Sky is a French cuisine concept restaurant where you have to go order your food at their high-end canteen, and then they come and serve it to you wherever you’re siting. There are three levels, and each of them is really cute and well decorated. At this point, Johanne and I were both starving and we couldn’t wait to get some French cheese and delicacies.
3- Oslob Whale Sharks
We then drove all the way down to our hostel in Oslob (4-hour drive). We had made a reservation with Sharky Oslob, which is a very basic youth hostel. The reason is, the lady that runs it gets her guests to go swim with the whale sharks on the first boat that departs from the beach. The place is very basic; we stayed in a little private hut which didn’t have air conditioning or a bathroom, but overall it was fine for just one night. The next morning we woke up at 5am to get ready to go see the whale sharks. Now I’m a bit confused as to how I feel about this experience because despite everything, there are a LOT of tourists getting in the water everyday. The municipality has put in place some strict rules. Everyone gets trained in the morning and gets told what they can and cannot do (eg. wearing a life vest, not wearing any sunscreen, no touching, etc.) We get about 30 minutes in the water, but it felt like 15, and it costs PHP1,000 per person. The reason why the whale sharks come every morning is because they are being fed. They do that because these giant creatures supposedly get hunted in other parts of the sea, so feeding them ensures they are safe.
4- Aguinid Falls
After we were done doing the whale shark tour, we began a day that was all about waterfalls. We started off with Tumalog Falls, but unfortunately it was running out of water so we barely saw anything. We then moved on to the next one: Aguinid Falls. This place was so much fun. It is composed of a series of 8 different levels, and you have to climb up using your bare hands and sometimes ropes until you reach the top. To access the site, you need to be accompanied by a guide and pay PHP300 per person. I highly recommend doing this tour; it was one of the highlights of our trip!
5- Dao Falls
Next was Dao Falls, another magnificent deep blue waterfall. The entrance fee is only PHP60 per person and the hike takes about 30 minutes. For this one too, you need to be accompanied by a guide.
6- Kawasan falls
After Dao Falls, we headed to our next hotel: CruzPhillips Beach Resort. The reason why we chose to stay there is because the place is a 10-min walk to the entrance of Kawasan Falls, which we wanted to visit at sunrise. I’m so glad we did, we enjoyed the place to ourselves!! Later during the day, we went back and did the canyoneering tour! The entrance fee is PHP40 per person, but canyoneering is much more expensive (PHP1500 to 5000 depending on the duration - feel free to negotiate). The price includes lunch, equipment, tour guide, and transportation to and from your hotel. Note: the tour has some pretty high cliff jumping included. You don’t have to do it, but it’s part of the experience and if you don’t do it you might feel like you’re missing out on something.
7- Moalboal
Afterwards, we decided to drive to Moalboal to get something to eat, but mostly to do the sardine run. After we were done eating our copious meal at the Pleasure’s Principle, we headed to the beach to go swim with sardines! Moalboal’s shore is composed of a shallow reef that turns into a steep underwater cliff about 30 meters away from the beach. This environment is perfect for sardines because it protects them from being eaten by bigger creatures which don’t get that close to shore. If you have your own snorkling gear, this activity is completely free. Just type in Panagsama Beach in your GPS, get in the water and swim to the edge of the cliff. You will very likely see other swimmers in the water so you know where to go. If you don’t have snorkling gear, there are multiple shops where you can buy/rent some in town. I didn’t expect to like this activity that much, but it was one of my favourite things I did in the Philippines. Swimming with thousands of fish is unreal. I could have stayed in the water for hours. After we were done, we headed to Shaka: the perfect place to get some tasty smoothie bowls.
8- Badian Island Wellness Resort
For the last day of our trip, Johanne and I decided to treat ourselves and booked one night at a private island resort. Badian Island Wellness Resort can be accessed via its own private port not too far from Lambug. While on the island, you really feel disconnected from the rest of the world. It’s very peaceful and there aren’t a lot of guests. You can do activities such as SUP, kayaking or snorkling. We personally chose to sip a few cocktails at the bar and tan by the pool. Later that day, we booked ourselves the Cleopatra milk bath + massage combo, which was pure bliss. Highly recommend!
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