Hello Hive!
Last October, when the movement restrictions have been slowly easing, we decided to rent a van and had a road trip down to the south of Cebu. That area is famous for its stunning beaches, cascading waterfalls, and scenic hiking spots.
We had no definite destination.
We just wanted to get away from the city for a while. We had no idea if the famous tourist spots there were already opened to the public, but we just pushed through anyway. At around 8:00 AM, the road trip started. We passed by only one checkpoint that required our IDs and it's just in the border of Cebu City. Of course, the minimum health standards must be followed like one seat apart at the van, face mask and face shield must be worn all the time, and minimize talking.
It's strange and I was still getting used to wearing face masks again. I have been isolated at home most of the time so when my friends invited me to the road trip, I immediately agreed to go with them.
We had a few stops to buy snacks and food for lunch. First, we had a drive-thru at Jollibee Starmall in Talisay for our breakfast and then we stopped in Carcar City to buy lechon. We then headed southwest to Barili.
Our first official stop was at Molave Milk Station in Barili. It's a famous stopping point for riders and tourists because of its fresh milk and ice cream products. It's a dairy farm with a restaurant to offer their dairy products to tourists. I'll have a separate post for this.
After trying their ice cream, we then headed back to the road. Next stop was Sula's Bus Stop in Barili that's a few kilometers from the border of Dumanjug. Just across the bus stop was Barili Bay Viewpoint. It's a vantage point that has a view of the coastal communities in the bay. Motorcycle riders often take photos at that area.
We didn't stay long in that area. We still have a long way to go so I just got out of the van and took photos from my phone and then we hit the road again.
While we were in the van and nearing to Moalboal, we were debating if we should push through with Basdaku White Beach in Moalboal or settle with Lambug Beach in Badian. If we were to push through with Basdaku White Beach, we had to pass by the municipal hall of Moalboal and secure a permit to enter the beach. The problem was that it was already almost noon and there was a limit of 300 tourists permitted per day. We didn't risk wasting more time.
We decided to go to Lambug Beach in Badian and just passed by Moalboal which was sad, but our options that time were very limited. There was no need for a permit in Lambug Beach. We were already starving so the decision was immediately reached.
I have been to Lambug Beach before and I had a great time. I made a post about the beach many months ago. If you're interested, check this out:
That time the beach was different. Of course, the most noticeable difference was the crowd. The beach felt a little bit empty even if there were a few tourists swimming. If it was a normal weekend, the beach would have been packed.
No one in the group swam or dipped in the water. It was not as enticing as before, maybe because it was already low tide when we got there. We just had lunch and then rested for an hour before heading back to the road again. I would say it was the shortest stay I had on a beach. It was relaxing anyway so I didn't complain.
We headed further south until the southernmost part of Cebu which was in Santander and continued the trip on the east side of Cebu. We planned to visit some of the falls in Samboan but all of them are still closed to tourists. Initially, we wanted to visit Kawasan Falls but aborted the plan because swimming was not yet allowed and you're just allowed to take photos for 10 minutes. It was not worth it.
Our last stop was in the town of Boljoon. Shown in the photo above is the iconic Eli Rock, a historical landmark of the town. Famously called as the Southern Bend of Cebu, this the first landmark that you will see before you reach the town proper of Boljoon. There are a lot of natural and historical places in Boljoon, but that will be after this pandemic.
After Boljoon, we finally headed home. It would have been more of an adventure than a road trip if the waterfalls were open to the public. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the trip as it was a much-needed break from the city life. There were other plans to the same trip in the north of Cebu or in the Central part (from Busay to Balamban), but we're still waiting for further developments in the border controls.
I guess that's all for this post. I hope you'll like them! See you in my next posts!
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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