Following our tour canyoneering down the Badian route to Kawasan Falls (see previous post) we hopped in our private van and headed for the hills, Very tall ones I might add as Osmeña Peak is 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level and the TALLEST on the island of Cebu.
The ride took almost an hour from Kawasan Falls and seemed to go on forever. Just as we thought we couldn't get any higher in the mountain ranges, we'd dip down for a bit, and continue on up. The scenery on the drive was stunning. The mountain road up was bumpy at times, and VERY curvy. If you are prone to motion sickness, you'll definitely want to pop some Dramamine. Finally we were parked and had a short climb ahead of us. While you don't need to hire a guide to hike to the peak, you DO have to stop in at the entrance to pay a 30 piso fee if doing it on your own (our fee AND guide were included in our tour).
Trail stats
Distance: ALMOST 1 mile RT
Elevation gain: 400 feet
Time:15-20 minutes up, 15 minutes down
There are a couple photo spots to stop at on the way but once you are at the top, that's when the real view starts
You have incredible views of the small and large peaks surrounding like little hills on the mountain, as well as the island coast line.
Victory! We made it!
Word to the wise, the peak is often CLOUDY in the morning so better schedule your trip to the peak in the afternoon for best results
There were a few other people at the peak (some wearing fashion sandals... cue eye roll) but for the most part we were able to hang around and enjoy the peak without feeling too crowded. There was even a cat lazying around at the top!
Summit selfie!
Following our guide down
After we hiked back down, we had another hour van ride down to the mountain side and back to Oslob. Our driver wasn't the most talkative but he really lit up when we pointed out a buff looking chicken and then preceded to regal us with facts and stories about Cock fighting on the island. Oh boy.
We also found out the city of Mantalongon (that we drove through on the mountain) is the capital of lettuce production in the Philippines. There were giant heads of lettuce everywhere! That was an fun thing to learn about. Our drive dropped us off in Oslob town (a bit from our resort) and recommended a restaurant and food stands to try for dinner. With that our tour was over and our dinner adventure began.
BBQ pork that wasn't as good as Coron but still good (and don't worry, totally cooked despite the color)
We again tested the small town ATM, but were once again denied funds. I'm serious people, get yo money out at the airport. So with that in mind, we economically chose the food stands. Tippe tried some squid (which hadn't been cleaned out at all so fair warning.. prepare for some blackened fingers if you try this) and I just got more BBQ'd pork. I mean 3 sticks and a soda only cost $0.85! Then I got a fun fruit smoothie in a water bottle and some bakery snacks for dessert. Our hotel was an easy 5ish minute walk from the street vendors and we happily settled in for another early night in preparation for another early morning.
Day 5 Costs:
Skipped Breakfast
Kawasan Fall Canyoneering Tour$75
Street Food Dinner: $0.85
Street fruit smoothies: $1.00
Bakery breads for snack and next morning: $0.50
Water: $0.40
Lodging:
Sascha's Resort Oslob: $9.50 pp
Total Day 5 Costs: $87.25