Cebu Reprise
Being almost physically smack dab in the middle of the Philippines, it stands to reason that there is much to see in do around Cebu. To cap off our visit to my homeland, we motored our way to Kawasan Falls and did a half day island hopping tour off Mactan.
It’s great to have local connections and with my mom being “home” during our visit and plenty of other relatives to assist, getting to and from our various adventures was made that much easier. Mom used her local knowledge and took care of our transportation to Kawasan Falls, which for a group of 9 or so people is no easy feat! The mini-bus or mega van ride was a long 3 hour drive from Cebu City and with the usual traffic conditions, nearly double that on the way back!
Once at Kawasan Falls, there is a walk up to the falls about 10 - 15 minutes or you could opt to go via “habal-habal” - motorcycles that take you to the falls entrance in about 2 minutes for about 50-100 pesos. The walk up is nice with photo ops along the way and the sound of the stream and birds to keep you company. If you’re carrying a cumbersome picnic pack though, motorbike might be the way to go.
Once at the falls, the clear yet emerald/azure waters are quite a sight to behold. Though unlike the tourist brochures depict, it was quite busy and whistle-blowing of the “life-guards” was quite shrill but unfortunately necessary as some visitors don’t follow the safety rules. And because of this, rafting next to the falls is no longer available.
The picnic area was also a bit tight and and in need of a power wash. And as with any tourist destination, nothing was free (park entrance, table rental, even change room charges!) Another thing to note is that the shallow parts still have a strong current so be vigilant with the kiddies. And bring water shoes - the bottom was quite rocky and surprisingly not dulled by the waterfall’s action. The water itself is cool and refreshing and offers plenty of Instagram worthy shots.
Next up, a nice afternoon island hopping in the Mactan area.
Nice to have a cousin and her partner who happen to have a beautiful beachfront house. From here, we hired a “bangka” - a motorized, wooden catamaran styled boat. Pack a lunch or buy fresh offerings from the local vendors who will sidle their canoes alongside the boat for you to shop. A nice white sand beach and snorkelling in a fish sanctuary were some of our stops during our quarter day of island hopping.
It was so much fun making great memories with family. There is so much more to see and do around here - swimming with the whale sharks, canyoneering, and city touring, just to name a few -that there are surely more wonderful memories to be made next time. Scroll down to see our favourite memories from this trip!
