This is my unofficial entry to Hive PH's Top Philippine Vacation Spots Challenge. I have done quite a few travels around the Philippines, mostly in Luzon. But I can say my top Philippine Vacation spot would be Cebu.
One of the best travels I had was when my husband and I went to Cebu. Along with us went my colleagues who each have different motives of going there. One was going for a shot at love, one was taking watch at her boyfriends extracurriculars, one was trying to take a break from a toxic relationship, my husband and I just wanted to have a relaxing weekend.
Day 1 - City Tour
The entire city tour DIY-ed by our colleagues from Cebu who acted as our tour guide for our city tour. We had a morning flight so we had some time to drop by at the lodge to drop off our luggage, have some rest before heading off the first stop of our city tour - Cebu IT Park. We just needed to wait for our colleagues' shift to end so she can start the guided tour from there.
They say one of the best food places in Cebu is Larsian. And off we went to satisfy our hunger. I was really happy when I saw puso, steamed rice wrapped in coconut leaves. I kinda felt nostalgic with the smell of freshly cooked puso. It reminded me of childhood days when our family would have picnics at the farm, the adults prepping the meals while I and my cousins run and goof around. Of course, there's the barbeque but it's really the puso that got me. Our first stop was definitely satisfying.
Next was the Taoist temple. It was a clear day and the overlooking was really beautiful. They say the highlight of the Taoist temple was the 81 steps which represent the 81 chapters of the Taoism scripture. I can say the temple was really sacred, we were not even allowed to take pictures inside the temple itself.
A view of the city skyline. 
Next stop, one of the oldest houses in the Philippines - The Yap-San Diego Heritage House.
This was a guided tour around the house. I must admit, some of the rooms seemed super creepy to me that's why when the host said that the owners of the house actually live there and spend time there during Sundays, I can't imagine it. But at the same time, I am really amazed that this house literally stood the test of time. It survived storms, war, and has even been a witness to the evolution and progress of Cebu.
The owners were able to maintain the facade of the house, including the wooden furniture, the kitchen, the dining area, the four-poster beds which I only see in movies were all right in front of me in this house.
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Two of my best buds in the office, hugging my husband.I used my phone for some of the pictures but sadly, I lost my phone during this trip. :(
We also visited two churches for our city tour but one, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu was going through constructions and repairs that time, the modern-looking Pedro Calungsod Chapel which is known for its 100 walls.
Day 2 - Swimming with the Baby giants
Day 2 was the highlight of the trip for me and my husband. We were really excited to see the Butandings or Whale Sharks at Oslob. We were advised that this was a 4 to 5-hour trip from the city so we went to the terminal at 2AM. Man, the line was really long! But not only that, the commute was indeed long. I think whoever told us that it was a long trip was exaggerating. We arrived at Oslob at a little over 5AM.
The resort was still closed, but at least they let us sit on the resto while waiting for the whale watching to start admission. I'm glad they did, we have a front-row seat for the amazing show the sun has in store for its spectators.
The long ride was a bit anxiety-filled for me because first of all, I don't know the place and I don't know the language. It's a good thing the ticket collector was very nice, he dropped us off right in front of the site.
Taking from context, I think this sign says "Please do not sit or lie down on the table"
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That moment when you had a mini heart attack.
It was both scary but really breathtaking (in a nice way) to see these giants swim along with people. It's just saddening because during the orientation before we boarded the boats, it was clearly stated that people should be at least 4 meters away around the whale sharks. There are some tourists who took photos of them touching the butandings. And we all wonder why social distancing is hard to implement. SMH.
During the boat ride, we met a very friendly tourist. She's OFW in Belgium enjoying her solo travel. She seemed to have traveled a lot, she knows her way through all the tourist spots. She even invited us to go with her to Sumilon. If not for my husband, I might have said yes to her. My husband is a stick-to-the-plan kind of person. I'm more of a go-with-the-flow type.
Although we went with her to Tumalog falls since this was really our plan. At least our descent to the site was a bit more lively because she seems to have a lot of stories. I actually enjoyed her company. There's another falls that our friends recommended to us but being that I'm afraid of heights, I figured I won't enjoy canyoneering at Kawasan falls. So we went to Tumalog instead. And it was marvelous!
On the way to the falls, there's a mini-falls that's like a preview of the magnificent view you are about to behold.
Day 3: Danggit and Mistrips
On our day 3 tour, we almost got lost. My colleagues were all still in Bantayan Island. We went ahead and headed to the temple of Leah. It was still under construction during that time but it was still beautiful.
After going to the Temple of Leah, we headed to Taboan. This was where we almost got lost. Being too stingy, my husband insisted that we take the jeep instead of hailing a cab. I asked around how to get to Taboan. Thanks to my limited Bisaya words, I was able to get the instructions from a passerby. But then the number schemes and the names of the places got all mixed up in my head, I couldn't remember the instructions. We ended up taking a cab. On the way back to the lodge, I insisted on taking the cab with all the danggit, dried mangoes and souvenirs I bought, I don't plan on carrying those while trying to figure out how to get home.
This was our first trip alone. Most of the time, I have my friends with us or his friends. It is indeed true, traveling together with your spouse could either make or break your relationship. LOL
But needless to say, we both enjoyed our Cebu trip. Especially the whale shark-watching bit. We both lost something during this trip. My husband's eyeglasses got broken during whale watching and my phone got lost on our way home. Still, I am considering Cebu for our retirement home. I would want a place somewhere near the ocean. Where I could see the whale sharks more often. And a trip to the falls will be just a trike ride away.
Map Location: [//]:# (!pinmapple 9.562835 lat 123.417414 long d3scr)
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