Oslob is one of the famous municipality in Cebu and I’m going to show you why. Today I will take you to the South of Cebu. Another fun and exciting adventure visiting some of the famous landmark’s and activities in Cebu. I know I’ve been sharing a lot of my adventures in the beautiful island on my previous posts. From our sinulog experience to our day tour around the city. I hope you enjoyed it but I’m not over yet. 🙂
South of Cebu Itinerary
For today we plan to visit 3 famous places in the Southern part of Cebu: Oslob Whale Shark, Sumilon Island, and Simala.
So we get ready and leave at around 3 am. It will take about 3 hours drive going to our first destination. In order to accomplish our itinerary, we rented a Van. It may cost a bit but it’s more convenient especially when traveling in a group.
Swimming with the Oslob Whale Shark
When you think of Cebu, one of the most popular thing to do is swimming with the Whale Shark. They are referred by many as the “gentle giants” and are locally called as “butanding” or “tuki”. I’m so ecstatic that I will finally be able to experience it. I’ve seen my friend’s photos before and it looks so amazing!
The Whale Watching or the feeding schedule is from 6:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. So that’s the only time you will be able to see them. Therefore, make sure to come early. For Php 500, you can go swimming with the tukis for 30 minutes. And Php 300 for just whale watching.
After registering and paying, you have to attend a short orientation…its a MUST! I learned that you’re not allowed to touch them, stay calm when they get close to you, and you are not allowed to put sunblock in your body. Sunblock/sunscreen lotion has chemicals that will harm these gentle giants.
It was a quick dip. Honestly I wasn’t as happy as I thought I would be. Since we went there a day after Sinulog, it’s very crowded. Too many tourists and even locals. And since I can’t swim, I was terrified to let go on the boat. That’s about 20 meters deep(according to our guide). Sadly, I wasn’t able to get a good photo with these gentle giants. I’m happy that we’re lucky to meet 2 butandings.
How to get there:
Whale shark watching is located at Barangay Tan-awan in the Municipality of Oslob at the South tip of the island of Cebu. To get to Oslob, you can ride a public bus or a V-hire van from the Cebu South Bus Terminal in Cebu City. Estimated travel time from the city to Oslob is about three hours.
Island Hopping to Sumilon Island
A perfect side trip when you go whale watching is to go island hopping and visit the beautiful Sumilon island. The island is famous for its sidebar because of its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island depending on the season. This island is also close to Dumaguete City in the nearby island province of Negros Oriental.
Sumilon island is so beautiful. Perfect for swimming, snorkeling and diving. Its crystal clear water, marine life and pristine white sand beaches are just a few of the things you will enjoy on this island. A perfect place for someone who’s missing an island life…like me!
How to ge there:
You can commute from whale watching area to the port of Oslob. For us, we ride a multicab going there and paid Php 10 each. It’s not that far…about 10 mins. Then you just have to walk going to the port. Ride a boat going to the island. If you want to rent the boat privately, you have to pay Php 4,000. But if you don’t mind to join the others, you will just have to pay Php 2,000. Don’t worry, you don’t have to wait for others if you want to go back to the port. You can leave whenever you want as long as you ride the same boat.
For those who are insterested on staying, you can check out Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort. It is a private beach resort that provides excellent amenities and facilities for tourists and guests.
Simala Shrine in Sibonga
Our last destination of our itinerary is the Simala Shrine in Sibonga. It is an hour or 2 away from Oslob. Located in Marian Hills, Lindongon, Simala, Sibonga in southern Cebu. This Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, popularly know as Simala Shrine or Simala church, was built in 1998 by the Marian Monks from Pampanga. The miraculous events, where the shedding of tears of the Mother Mary’s image, made this once ordinary church popular to devotees.
People come to visit the Simala shrine for various reasons. For non-catholics, they visit for the adventure and to checkout the amazing structure and architecture of the shrine. For Catholic devotees, their main reason is to offer their devotion, prayers, and petitions to the Virgin Mary hoping it will be answered. Many devotees make the trip to pray for healing of both physical and spiritual illnesses.
It was amazing to read some of the stories of miracles of the devotees lives. These stories are documented at the church and stored in cabinets. We also make sure to visit and pray for the Miraculous image of Virgin Mary. We arrived at 4:30 pm so we aren’t able to attend a mass but maybe next time. 🙂
How to Get There:
For those who want to commute going to Simala shrine:
- Ride a cab or jeep going to the south bus terminal.
- Board a bus going to Sibonga. It will take more or less 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- From the drop off in Lindogon, ride a tricycle or motorcycle going to the shrine.
Another option is to ride a van which more expensive than the bus. You can also rent a taxi but it will cost you a lot around Php2,000.00 to Php3,000.00 for a round trip ride.
PS – follow me on Instagram @mywanderstory for more photos!
