Day 1: July 3 (Airport experience)

Today started off very early. Our flight to Cebu, Philippines was not until 20:50. We left for Seoul station to get an express train to the airport at 16:30. This train has set schedules and takes about 45 minutes and costs about 30,000 won for all of us. There is a bus (airport limousine) by our apartment, but it stops a lot and costs 15,000/person, and takes about an hour or more.

This was a very interesting experience and a bit nerve-wracking. One of the things that I forgot when I booked Timmy’s flight, then our flights to the Philippines, was the TIME DIFFERENCE. Timmy left the states on the 1st of July at 11:30 a.m. but he made it to Incheon at 6:30 p.m. We had enough time before our flights to get a quick bite and say hi before we had to board the plane. This was actually pretty frustrating that we got on the plane at the time that we did expect it to leave at 20:50. Our plane did not leave until an hour later due to bad weather conditions.

When we got to Cebu it was about 1 a.m. in the morning. Coming from Incheon, which is a beautiful and very clean area, this airport can be a big culture shock. This was due to cleanliness, facilities, etc. Then compared to the immigration lines at Incheon, this immigration line is pretty short and small. So one would expect that we might get through pretty fast. Wrong! For the first 5-10 minutes waiting in line, there were 2 agents dedicated to dealing with foreign passports. The line was filled with exhausted people, some traveling with young kids like us. Around the 10 minute mark where we made it a quarter of the way to the front of the line, the female agent left. Our progression forward which was bearable turned instantly into an excruciating pace. For the next thirty minutes, we shuffled forward painfully slowly, with no other agent coming out to help the first, and with more and more passengers lining up.

Gabe and Lily were troopers sitting by the front of the line with their backs leaned against the wall. I was incredibly frustrated at this time considering it is now after 2 a.m. in the morning, and we still had to make it to our temporary accommodations. I left the guys in line while I made it to the side office where I saw the agent step into earlier.

Glancing around I notice 3 desks and 4 people. The first desk is directly in front of the door with an older man there. He looked like he was messing with some paperwork. The second desk had 2 people. One male and one female. The male was on my side with his feet kicked up on the desk, while the female was seated but sprawled across it messing with her phone. In the backroom to the right, I noticed another desk with another person. I addressed the room in general but the man with his feet kicked up was the one that responded.

Our conversation went like this:
Me: “Why is there only 1 person handling foreign passports when there are so many people out there?”
Agent: “ Are you Filipino Ma’am?” This was seriously the first thing he asked.
Me: “No, I am American, but I was born here.” The man makes his way past me without responding. When he gets outside he points out that there are 2 agents at the counter handling passports.

Me: “Yes, there are 2 agents out here,” I agreed,” but only one dealing with foreign passports while the other deals with Philippine passport holders, and airline crew.”
Agent: “How many are in your party, Ma’am?”
Me: “5”
Agent: “Okay Ma’am, just go through the crew line and let them know that you are a prior Filipino and that is your family.” After saying this the man turns around and heads back into the room. I call my family and we did what he said.

Leaving the airport/tips:

• Leaving the airport we first notice cellphone company stands advertising promotions. This promotion was for Sim cards with talk, text, and data plans for 3, 5, 7, and 30 day plans to start at 300 pesos. These cards only work on phones that have been unlocked, which ours thankfully was. I know that ours was because of an earlier vacation where I had inquired about this at the cellphone provider box before going through the security check. Just for reference, the exchange rate at this time is around 50.50 pesos/$1.
• It is important to consider the time that you will be going into another country and whether or not there will be a place to exchange currency there. Since we were flying in after midnight, I was pretty sure that there would be no place open. Due to this, I had made sure to exchange some funds before leaving just to have something on hand so that I could pay for a cab.
• There were a lot of cabs outside waiting for a passenger, and quite a few can understand English. If you get lost or need help with anything, there are plenty of people in uniform to ask. Just beware regardless of what country you are in of the people around you and your surroundings.

Sotogrande & Accomodations(Airbnb):

The place that we stayed at during our stay in Cebu was an Airbnb on the 9th floor of the Sotogrande hotel. Despite this being only a 1 bedroom apartment, there were plenty of places for us all to sleep comfortably. The bedroom had a California king with a twin pullout on either side and a living room with a sectional couch. This place had a decent kitchen, bathroom, and an awesome view from the balcony off the living room! Although this place did not have its own pool, we are able to use the pool next door at La Maridia. Vista Mar is across the street with access to the beach. This place also has a pool but you have to pay for this one which isn’t bad at 100 pesos/person. If you are interested in diving, snorkeling, water sports, etc. this place also has that available at the All Blue dive shop located by the pool here.

Our host was very thoughtful. There was a corkboard in the living room with a lot of notes for us. This included our host’s contact info, wifi password, instructions to use the tv, what facilities we can/cannot use, etc. There was a note by the fridge, by the pull-out pantry, and the kitchen. Lachelle was also very thoughtful in having snacks and other things available, all she asked was that we are honest about what we used.

Throughout our stay, Luchelle continued to be an incredible host despite not being able to meet us due to our hectic schedules. Our key had been left at the front desk ready for us when we got there considering the time our flight was supposed to land. The tour guide that had taken us down to go snorkeling with the whale sharks, canyoneering, etc. was recommended to us by her. This tour guide was awesome and very affordable!! I highly recommend him to anyone that goes down to Cebu.

TOUR GUIDE CONTACT INFO FOR CEBU!!!!!!

GM Rent-a-Van
George Edd Bonjoc
Marie Lynn Bonjoc
contact # 09227040935
# 09260046718
Follow us on Fb:
GM Rent-a-Van
Website: www.gmvantentalcebu.com

Enjoying the day:

After we got to Sotogrande and got familiar with our temporary home, we all turned in for much-needed sleep, especially Timmy who came straight from Kentucky! We all got up around 9 a.m. and headed downstairs for some food. The buffet was 400 pesos/person which the guys had, while the kids and I decided to just order from the menu.

Once we were done eating we eagerly made our way down to the beach where Lily tried really hard to go swimming. I only allowed her to get her feet wet because I was adamant that we get some sunblock first, along with some slippers, since not all of us brought a pair.

Sotogrande is not within walking distance to any major shops, restaurants, etc. at least not that we have seen. We are unfamiliar with the area as well so it was just easier to catch a cab. Just so you know, each cab driver is incredibly helpful. Antonio is the first cab driver we had and he was awesome! He took us to each place we needed to go and made suggestions. Antonio helped me buy medicine, and shop for the things we needed. He also let me know that he knew someone that offered Island hopping tours which were cheaper than what hotels offered, and had a van for hire to take us anywhere we wanted to go. In the end, we wound up going island hopping with someone else anyways, as well as a tour guide.

Everyone was trying to work, even a little boy that opened doors, and tried to help load our stuff into the cab! This was a learning experience for Gabe and Lily because they had never seen something like this before. Now that we had everything we needed and a little bit more, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready to enjoy the beach. Lily just wanted to play in the water and see what she can find in the sand. David took Gabe on a jet ski ride, Timmy went snorkeling, while I stayed and hung out with Lily.

Our busy first day ended with an amazing dinner at an outdoor restaurant called Maribago Restaurant and Grill. We highly recommend this place! Dinner for all 5 of us which included tips, and drinks was roughly around $40 and very delicious!

Day 2:

Quick note: We had complete footage of the whole trip. 48 gigs worth! And then…. Murphy happened. The benevolent IT guru decided to relocate it into the great beyond. AKA deleted. Trashed. Junked. BOOM. Gone! :’( This includes the whale shark experience and the whole canyoneering. David was only able to make a video of the whale shark experience before that though. Check out our video on our YouTube channel.

Today is another beautiful day in Cebu! The clouds and the view from our balcony were just amazing! The plan for today is scuba diving for the guys, while the kids and I would spend the time waiting for them relaxing at the pool. After breakfast of course. We didn’t take any pictures this time because there wasn’t really anything special about breakfast.

     After breakfast, we made our way across the street to Vista Mar Resort where the All Blue dive shop was located. I was supposed to do some shore dives with David but decided to cancel at the last minute. I really wish I hadn’t since the water was so clear and warm. Despite the dive guide saying that David and Tim had to be there by 08:30 the night before, they didn’t leave until a little later due to the other divers being late.

     The kids and I had gotten impatient waiting for them to head out so we had said our goodbyes and went back to our room to change and get some sunblock on before going to the pool. The dive was supposed to be from 08:30 to about noon but took a little bit longer. Despite the pool being nice outside and the water warm, the kids and I barely lasted an hour. This was because there was no one else there enjoying the pool. So back to the room we went!

     While the kids watched some shows, I was busy making phone calls and trying to plan our trip for the next day. Since the guys were planning on going canyoneering tomorrow, we really needed to get to a mall to buy some appropriate shoes! Not long after I had confirmed a pickup time and price with our tour guide and van for hire, the guys got back exhilarated and hungry after their dive.

     David and Tim were both ecstatic to go diving! The water was very clear, and warm. You could see pretty far in every direction. During the dive, Tim had made a new friend. There was a fish that got really close to him, so he pets it. At first, the fish seemed extremely agitated and even got into his face, but in the end, it stayed by his side during the rest of his dive.

SM Mall Cebu city:

Our adventures for the day continued with our first trip off of Mactan Island. We were on the way to one of the biggest malls here called SM Mall, which is a popular chain located everywhere. On the cab ride to the mall, which was supposed to take about an hour but only lasted about 20 minutes, my four companions fell asleep in the back. Of course, I could not help but take pics of this! 

     The mall was actually pretty nice, and surprisingly empty. We just walked around perusing the shops as we looked around for the shoes that David and Tim needed. Of course, we got distracted a few times stopping here and there for different things. The kids honed in on some play areas offered, including an inflatable truck, while I was right across from them checking out the wares in one of the shops. We had some Gong Cha (Lily’s favorite), looked at pet shops, and stopped at a coffee shop before we asked directions and found the shoe/sports shop. 

     It is now around 3 p.m. and drizzly. We were done looking through the mall and had everything that we needed. The majority of us just wanted to go back to the hotel and relax while David wanted to drive by the IT Park and see how that area was. So we compromised and drove around that area before making our way back to our room to rest before dinner. We had found a cab that said he would drive us wherever we wanted and make stops and wait for us if I paid him 1,000 pesos for this. Deal!!! Not bad for roughly $20.

Dinner time!!!! Once again we called a cab after asking the Sotogrande staff if there was a BBQ spot that they recommended. This was The Original AA BBQ. Highly recommend this place! When we got to the restaurant, we were directed to a table that would fit our family. You can order the side dishes and drinks at your table, but any BBQ that you want has to be ordered at the front of the establishment. There was marinated pork, and beef on skewers. There was marinated chicken, langonisa on skewers (sweet sausage), fish, shrimp, and other stuff. You get to pick and choose the meats that you want to have, placing them on a tray before handing it over to a staff member who will cook it right there. You can either watch them cook it, or sit at your table and wait. The kids were bored having been cooped up in the room, then the cab so they stayed and watched, and charmed the staff.

     The food was delicious! Once again our dinner bill was less than $40 including tip. Now it is time to go back to the room and try to sleep since our day will start at around 04:30 a.m. This is because the whale watching, Canyoneering, and Kawasan Falls that we are heading for, are about a 4-hour drive away. We will be picked up by our driver and tour guide at 5 a.m. 

Day 3:

The Adventure continues….starting at 04:30 in the morning!

The plan for today is to go whale watching, visit Kawasan Falls, and canyoneering for the guys. In order for us to do this though we had to hire a private van and a tour guide because this place is around 4 hours away from where we are staying. Hence the 04:30 wakeup call.

Tip- Since we had two kids going on the trip with us and we were planning on leaving early in the morning, we made them wear their outfits for the day before they went to bed. Also, I had made sure to pack their backpacks with essentials which were:

• Spare clothes to include bathing suits.
• Sunblock
• Baby wipes
• Snacks
• Juice
• NINTENDO DS!!!!!!

Gabe tried valiantly to stay awake and talk us into letting him play with his DS. Nope! Lillian and her Uncle pretty much slept the whole way down, barely waking up when we stopped for coffee. I myself could not sleep because I was too busy trying to watch the beautiful landscape fly by, trying at times, successfully to get a nice picture. This is one of my favorites!

The first stop of the day was Oslob for the whale watching. According to our tour guide George, the whales come out around 8-9 a.m. in the morning and leave about lunchtime. This is perfect considering it is not quite as hot as it could be yet.

Oslob

You will know when you get to the spot where you will be close to whale watching. This is because there are lots of signs around mentioning whale sharks, and there will be lots of people trying to sell stuff by the side of the road. Our driver parked in an area with a small restaurant, with bathrooms and shower stalls that are pay-per-use.

     It was barely 9 a.m. in the morning but it was swelteringly hot! I quickly had pulled out the spray-on sunblock and proceeded to spray my family, and myself as we walked closer to the entrance to the whale watching. Silly me, I didn’t realize that we could swim or dive with the sharks, that is why I had sprayed my family with the sunblock. The locals were quick to let me know that I could not have any chemicals on and that I need to take it off right away or I can’t be near the animals. So I proceeded to do just that. Just so you know, there is a shower by the water and the ticketing area if you need to rinse off as well.

Things to note:

• There is the option to go diving with the sharks. A booth is by the ticketing area renting out gear.
• Your fee includes a snorkel and a vest.
• You are advised not to bring your personal belongings onto the banka (boat). You can leave it with your guide if you feel comfortable enough to.
• There is a briefing before going in explaining sunblock, distance from animals, etc.
• There is a different fee for locals, vs. foreigners. The fees are like this:

• Please be advised that prices for this event may have changed from the time you read this, and when you go down to experience this.

The water is very clear and warm. Once you are assigned a boat it is game time! I did not know what to expect with this experience so I was pretty surprised when the boat captain directed the boat up close to the animals then said,” Ok, jump in now.” What!?!?!?!

This was so awesome! We all had an amazing, exhilarating experience. I could hear Lily’s squeals of delight as she fearlessly jumped into the water and saw these amazing animals up close. There were times that apparently I was squealing too considering how I felt the mouth of one on my foot and I couldn’t get away fast enough. Only for another one to appear right in front of me! We had so much fun, it was a little disappointing when they said our time was up.

• There are some people that say that having one of these attractions and feeding the animals, messes up their migrational patterns. The thing is that these animals are very well taken care of, and treated with the utmost care, and respect. There are marine biologists, and other government agencies there strictly for their protection. During the briefing, you are warned repeatedly of staying clear of the animals, don’t touch, don’t feed, etc., and just let them be. Otherwise, you will be slapped with a fine and arrested.
• The amount of revenue that comes from this program not only helps the locals but also helps fund other marine programs. Better than a zoo or an aquarium.

Canyoneering & Kawasan Falls

We finally made it to Kawasan Falls after another hour-plus drive! Before going our separate ways, it was time to eat some lunch. The kids waded at the shore by the restaurant as we waited for our food. This was fine considering how hot it was! Again the food was delicious! 

     David and Tim went for what they thought was a 45-minute canyoneering trip. This was 1,500 pesos per person. Remember that the exchange rate at this time is about 50 pesos to $1. Turns out this was more like a 4-hour canyoneering trip which included a crazy motorcycle ride, 15-minute hikes, lots of cool rock slides, traversing rivers, and jumping off 3-4 story cliffs. 

     While the guys went and explored, the kids and I followed George up to the falls. This place was beautiful! Despite the heat outside the whole day, the water up here was freezing. There is a restaurant, hotel, gear rental, etc. at this spot. Just so you know, it is about a 15-minute hike up to here.

     The kids and I did not last more than an hour up here because of the cold. Not to mention Gabe wanted to be out swimming in the deep end by the raft, while Lily wanted to be in the shallow area. Then it started raining. Hard. By the time we made it back to the shore where the van was parked, the rain had stopped and it was hot as blazes again.

     Gabe wound up falling asleep in the van with the driver and our guide, while Lily and I explored the shore as we waited for David and Tim. 3 hrs later the guys finally make it back and we set off for home straight away. Another successful day completed.

Cebu

Day 4 in Cebu. ISLAND HOPPING

This is our last day in Cebu and we want to make the most of it. So we went to a spot recommended by our faithful taxi driver, which was a private range. Little did we know that this place does not take anything but cash and charges per round. Oh, and Gabe and I are only permitted to shoot a .22 rifle and shotgun. Bwahahahahaha! I admit that I was a bit irritated about this rule at the time considering that I have military experience and extensive private firearms training. But, considering that this is not why we came to Cebu, I just shrugged it off.

Now time for our Island hopping experience! Some helpful tips:

• Try to be friendly with the drivers and locals. They no somebody, who knows somebody, who owns a boat and can give you a good rate.
• Ask around and keep track of who you talk to. The rates can change drastically between the people you talk to.
• Ask your hotel/host if they have any connections and can help you.
• Be nice to the boat captain and crew because they will do their best to make your trip an unforgettable experience.

The boat that we wound up hiring for the day cost us 3,500 pesos and could fit 10-15 people. This boat also had a primitive bathroom which is better than nothing. We opted to buy our own food at the grocery store which our taxi driver recommended. This gave us the opportunity to purchase snacks, drinks, ice, marinated meat, fruits, and whatever else we might want or need for our trip.

   The reason we did not go island hopping with a hotel coordinated tour guide is that one person would cost 6000 pesos! There were 5 of us. I think for this whole island hopping experience where we had our own private boat and had to pay around 300 pesos for 2 of the islands we stopped at, we paid about 7,000 pesos. This included the boat, food, tip, and island fee of 300 pesos each. Totally worth it!

     Each time the boat stopped and we were allowed to jump in, one if not all of the crew kept an eye on us. They were all very nice and respectful, trying their best to stay out of the way, but always ready to help. During lunch, they cooked our meal right there on the boat while the kids and I were enjoying the water.

     The water was so warm and clear that you could easily see the sea creatures 30+ feet below. The kids kept taking off their vests and jumping in. We all had a blast! Despite having the boat all day, we only used it for about 3-4 hours because we were so tired and our flight was close to midnight.

• Remember keep putting sunblock on!
• There are so many boats just sitting, hoping for a customer if you would only look. They would be more than happy to help.

Airport experience. Leaving this time.

This was another aggravating and tedious experience. We wound up spending nearly an hour at the check-in line because for some reason anytime they tried to process my ticket, they kept getting a message to detain me. We did not understand this because I was able to fly into the country, had a valid passport, visa for South Korea, itinerary, etc. but they would not let me pass. 

     At about the 35-40 minute mark, an agent came up to us and told us our kids were not allowed to sit on the scale by the counter while they used our phones. Well, I can tell you that after having nearly 8 agents trying and failing to do something about my ticket, and our kids patiently waiting at this time (midnight) David and I were not in the mood for this. We turned on a dime, knife hands out, and started energetically asking where they would sit considering we had been here for nearly an hour, with no end in sight?

     At around the hour mark, someone finally came up and gave me a manual boarding pass so that we could all get someplace where we could sit and wait for our plane while they tried to fix this problem. Let me tell you that a Manual Boarding Pass here is a pain in the butt.

     The agent I was trying to pay our exit tax to disregarded it completely and placed it aside after I handed it to her. I had to explain its purpose. Then when we were going to the security checkpoint, I was stopped by an agent, then by a security guard because of this Manual Boarding Pass. I finally got my official boarding pass about 30 minutes before our scheduled flight. Then our flight was delayed nearly an hour.

Mactan Airport

This airport may look nice in the pictures but it is a different story on the inside. Here is why:

• The place is small considering it is an international airport.
• The bathrooms, at least in the female section, had half the stalls out of order.
• The waiting area we first stayed at was pretty smelly.
• The seats are uncomfortable and stained.
• No place to charge electronics while you wait for your flight.
• There were only two places to eat and very limited seating. Like 10 people max.
• Small smoking room.
• Nothing for kids to do is why you need to carry some type of entertainment for them.

Despite these airport experiences, this was an amazing family trip to Cebu.