How to Get from Oslob to Dumaguete and Back (Oslob Diaries Day 1)

April Fool's Day has been a busy one for me that I didn't even celebrate it by pulling a prank on someone, tsk, tsk. I haven't had any sleep since the day before because I had to pack and take a 4:20 am Cebu Pac flight to Mactan, Cebu. 

Kawasan Falls and Beach in Badian, Cebu

I'm currently in Siargao right now for my 15-day vacation. I'm enjoying my vacation so much that I barely find the time to update my blogs. But maybe I can post some of my travel photos here just to update you where I have been and what I have been doing.

 That's me. the one wearing an orange life vest at the right side of the frame.

The other day (March 13), I was in Cebu for one whole day. Instead of just staying at the airport to wait for my flight, I decided to visit the town of Badian instead, located at the Southwestern part of Cebu. You can just take one of the Ceres buses at the South Bus Terminal located along N. Bacalso St. Fare costs Php131 for aircon and Php126 for non-aircon.

Cebu - Where to Go and What to Do

I'll be dropping by Cebu for one whole day before I head off to my paradise in Siargao for a 15-day vacation. Then back to Cebu again for another night before I head back to Manila. At first, I was just thinking of staying in a hotel or visiting my in-laws as I wait for my Siargao flight. I've been to Cebu so many times, especially when my sister was living there, that I feel like I've already had enough of what Cebu has to offer. Then I thought, why not try squeezing all the activities that I can, this time, by myself (no hubby in tow) and see how different this experience can be?! Hmmmm... quite scary since I've never done that before except in Boracay last summer when I did my one month vacay all by myself. I guess there's always a first  time for everything. ^_^

So I went through all my previous posts about Cebu to see if there's anything I'm willing to do again. If you haven't explored Cebu yet, you can refer to this list of awesome activities you can do in Cebu the next time you visit.

Where to stay in Cebu?

I know I usually stay in places that are affordable but for some reason, when it comes to Cebu, I was fortunate enough to have stayed and/or visited some of the most wonderful 3 to 5-star hotels. Here are some of them that you might want to visit too:

Tagbilaran and Cebu Detour on the way to Siargao

I've got so many pending travel posts to do, I figured one way to shorten the list is to start posting as soon as I can. My husband and I are currently on a one week vacation away from the city. First stop was Tagbilaran, Bohol. When I bought our promo fare tickets from Cebu Pacific early this year, my first thought was to visit Siargao which we have been wanting to do since we missed our boat from Surigao to this enchanting island back in 2005. We were doing our 3-week Visayas-Mindanao tour then and somewhere along the way, Peter caught a traveler's flu which made us miss our boat to Siargao. So when Cebu Pacific offered cheap roundtrip flights for Manila, Tagbilaran, Cebu and Siargao, we took them. We figured it's the next best thing. We can just take a ferry from Tagbilaran to Cebu and allow some time for transfers and stuff.

My Radisson Blu Experience @ Cebu

I was at Radisson Blu in Cebu from Feb. 23-26, 2011. However, I was not there on vacation. I was once again part of Train Station (formerly Motivating Minds) and I was there as their assistant. The first time I assisted this amazing team of trainers was on January 2010, for the Kotex Youniversity. My next experience with them was last December when we went to Malapascua and Moalboal to train the hotel staff. My Radisson Blu experience with them is my third time and we were there to train the key personnel of Toyota from all over the Philippines. But this time, I am doing it with pay. Yipee! When I told you before that I am exploring another career path, well, I was pertaining to this. Who knows, I might end up like one of the greatest trainers I know (Carelle Mangaliag) and if not, I'm still happy to be part of a team that makes an amazing difference in the lives of people they train.

Speaking of the MMC team, I was with the following amazing people:

L-R: Lissa Romero, Martin dela Paz, Dennis Temporal, Ian Monforte, PJ Lanot, Carelle Mangaliag, RR Herrera, Khristlin Caballero, Elaine Francisco-Ledesma, Kris Bacani
PJ Lanot is missing in the group photo above... Now, I know why. ^_^

Let me give you the highlights of my Radisson Blu trip last weekend including videos of the following: when we checked in, by the pool and the concert during our last night (with Nikki Gil, Geneva Cruz, KC Montero and JR)...

Sardine Run @ Pescador Island in Moalboal, Cebu

It was supposed to be the last day that our team, Motivating Minds, will train the staff of Club Serena. However, when Carelle and RR decided to stay late the previous night to finish the training, we had the whole morning to ourselves. It was a perfect set up which means my friends get to dive while I get to snorkel at no other than the most famous marine park in Moalboal, Cebu --- Pescador island.

Carelle, RR and Ian were all raving about it. I just hoped it wasn't like my experience at Gato island where I couldn't see anything underwater because of the illegal fishing going on causing the water to be murky with dead fishes floating. On the other hand, I was still excited. They were hoping to catch the sardine run on video and I was hoping to catch it too from the surface where I'll just be snorkeling.

The boat ride from Club Serena to Pescador island was about 30 - 40 minutes. The boat docked near the shallow part of the coast where I can already see the beautiful and colorful corals from where I was sitting. I thought I'd snorkel there too. Unfortunately, as soon as all the divers went underwater, the boat moved to the deeper part of the coast where the water was so choppy. I was scared to snorkel at first. But thinking that we'll be going back to Manila later that afternoon, I gathered enough courage and just went into the water.


I was dumbfounded with what I saw. There were like a billion sardines swimming all around me! I snorkeled right into the middle of the sardine run! I couldn't explain how I felt. I was just too happy that I didn't have to dive just to see this! I was one with the multitude of sardines swimming all around me.

Club Serena @ Moalboal

enjoying the view of the sea...

If at Malapascua, I never woke up on time causing my roommate, Ian, to suffer the loud noise coming from my alarm clock, here in Club Serena, I made sure I was awake at the break of dawn. I wanted to see for myself every nook and cranny there is at Club Serena before we finally head back to Manila the next day.

Club Serena has 8 rooms – Beach Front Suite, Raja Room, Treehouse 1 and 2 (where Ian and I stayed) , Cottages 1 and 2, and Casita 1 and Casita 2 each with its own character. The Honeymooner’s Suite has its own sala and dining area; while Treehouses 1 and 2, bearing aqualife motif, boast of their own azotea or balcony overlooking Tañon Strait. Cottages 1 and 2 are fusion of Oriental and Western inspirations; while the Raja Room speak of indigenous Oriental motif.

This is me enjoying the balcony of our treehouse.

The place is very private, away from the city’s maddening crowd; appropriate for family bonding as well as corporate team building if you exclusively booked the whole place. Or for one used to solitude, one can spend time by one’s self while enjoying the ringing of the wind chimes in Treehouse 1 or 2.

enjoying my swing...

It can accommodate up to 30 guests. Club Serena also has swimming pools. The resort offers Spa Services, Scuba Diving Certification, Kawasan Waterfalls Picnic, Dolphin Watching, Island Hopping, Canyoning and is also ideal for Wedding Venues.

Illegal Fishermen at Gato Island in Malapascua

I'm back to my regular programming now. Teehee. My goal is to finish blogging about all those travels I did in 2010 so by the time I live in Boracay come summer, I can finally do a near real time travel blogging. I've never done that before. I always wanted to enjoy my travels first then just blog about them much, much later.While this method of blogging has been very enjoyable, it's also been time-consuming for me. Since it's a brand new year, I figured, I can try doing a more real time type of travel blogging starting this summer.

Anyway, moving on, here are snippets of my visit to this not-so-wonderful marine sanctuary that is Gato Island. I'll tell you why...

Seeing Gato island from afar...

Gato Island is supposed to be a marine reserve which is about 1 hour boat ride from Malapascua Island. I went there together with our team of divers (Carelle, RR and Ian) for their Monad shoal dive. They were excited to see white tip sharks! Gato island boasts of a cavern that runs through the island, about 25 meters in length. Since I'm no diver, I thought of just snorkeling instead.

RR ready to dive...

Unfortunately, by the time I hit the water, I couldn't see a single thing. The water was so murky and dark. When I did see a pair of huge lapu-lapu, I thought they were sharks so I panicked and went back up the boat and just sunbathed instead.

That's me catching some sun...

I thought the murky water was the worst of it. By the time my friends came back to the boat, Carelle was cryings coz she saw some dead nemos and dead swordfish (photos below).

Bonding with a new British friend in Malapascua Island

Unlike Boracay, Malapascua has a very quiet night life. There's only one "happening" place at night and it is located at the right-most end of the island (if you're facing the sea). I forgot the name of that resort. It's the one with a blue and white concrete hotel and has a disco downstairs during weekends.

As for Exotic Dive Resort where we stayed, the quiet dining ambiance of their restaurant kept us company at night.


One evening, I was setting up my virtual office, hoping to get a lot of work done, when Stephie approached me, thus, starting a long and interesting conversation about places we've been to, things we've done, thoughts about politics, etc.

Stephie is a freelance British lifestyle journalist from the United Kingdom who frequently writes for travel magazines, sharing her experiences in the places she visits. She was introduced to me by Carelle earlier that afternoon after I went snorkeling. Considering that I can be a very shy person without meaning to, we didn't really talk much when we got introduced. I was having major leg cramps at the time (caused by a false jellyfish attack... yes, I'm now paranoid in the water) and I just needed to get back to my room.

Anyway, going back to that evening, I was quietly sitting there, hooking up my netbook to the restaurant's wi-fi, and quietly enjoying my cocktails when Stephie approached me. At first, she was asking about the little Asus eeepc I was using since the pc she brought was quite big and bulky. Then, we just started talking about everything, including what she has to do with these bunch of local kids asking her for some cash for their party.

The Amazing Training at Malapascua

We arrived at Malapascua island on Dec. 1 and checked in at Exotic Dive Resort. But it was only on the second day that my volunteer work there really started. If you want to read everything I've blogged about so far during this trip, please head to Malapascua 2010.

Anyway, I'm not just describing the training we did there as amazing but I am also telling you that Carelle Mangaliag and RR Herrera of Motivating Minds (now called TRAIN STATION) train people HOW TO BE AMAZING in all aspects of their lives! In this particular instance, they shared their expertise in neuro-linguistic programming and its proper application to both work and family life so the locals can achieve their goals for their community.

Malapascua Highlight: Exotic Dive Resort

I gave you a bit of a background before about this whole 1 week Malapascua-Moalboal trip. This is the continuation. But if you'd like to see everything that I've written so far about this trip, head to Malapascua 2010.
~~~oOo~~~

front view of Exotic Dive Resort

As I mentioned before, our team was accommodated by the most high end resort in Malapascua Island, which locals call "Exotic", short for Exotic Dive Resort. The last time I was in Malapascua (November 2009), Peter and I checked in at one of the more affordable resorts (Hippocampus). Even then, we already noticed how nice Exotic Dive Resort was, we were just not willing to stay there since it was out of our budget and we had no plans of diving anyway, plus, we were out most of the time exploring the nearby islands. So I was really happy that I got to try staying at Exotic Dive Resort this time around.

Exotic offers air conditioned concrete apartment cottages with balcony.

Malapascua - Moalboal Trip with Carelle Mangaliag: an Introduction

This very enriching vacation/volunteer work I did at Malapascua and Moalboal in Cebu started last Dec. 1, 2010 right after our trip to Dumaguete from Nov.26-30, 2010 (which I will just blog about after this Cebu trip).

me inside PAL's Boeing 747

One day, as I was finishing all my tasks at work before heading to Negros Oriental with my hubby, my friend RR Herrera (yes, the former child star ^_^) called me asking if I know how to dive because their company, Train Station (formerly Motivating Minds), is looking for a diver who can help document the training they will conduct among the locals of Malapascua and Moalboal as well as the staff of the dive resorts they will be staying at (the very accommodating Exotic Dive Resort in Malapascua and the beautiful Club Serena resort in Moalboal). Excess funds from the office of former DOT Secretary Ace Durano (he's amazing!) will be used to cover the plane fare and food while accommodations and dives at Malapascua will be handled by Exotic Dive Resort. In Moalboal, Club Serena will take care of the dives, accommodations and food. All of these things will be provided to the team in exchange for the training that will be provided to the people there which will be based on Neuro-linguistic Programming principles being taught by Carelle Mangaliag and RR Herrera of Train Station.

Malapascua Island Weekend in Cebu Day 3

You might want to check the previous posts on this Malapascua travelogue:

Malapascua Island

~~~oOo~~~

On our third and final day on this exotic island, Peter and I woke up early to catch the sunrise. Malapascua island is just so beautiful that early morning, as the sun's rays cast its golden glow on the powdery white sands of the beach. Most of the boats were still docked by the shore while a few were out in the ocean, catching some fish, to supply the various resorts lining the island.

We stayed there for a little while, simply admiring the picturesque view of the blue sea and enjoying the calming effects of the gentle waves. Aaaahhhh... if only I could live like this everyday! Hopefully, when I retire, I'd be lying on a hammock, sipping my buko juice, enjoying my time lounging at a beach as beautiful and peaceful as this.

Malapascua Island Weekend in Cebu: Day 2

You might want to check the previous posts on this Malapascua travelogue:

Malapascua Island

~~~oOo~~~

After 4 long months, it's only now that I found the time to continue blogging about this fantastic trip we did in Malapascua last Nov. 28-30, 2009. It was just two weeks after our Cagbalete Island Getaway and we were off to another destination onceed again. I was browsing at the photos which I didn't even get to review after the trip and man, not only did I miss this wonderful island, but I missed my long, wavy, sunburnt hair! Haha!

Malapascua Island in Cebu: Day 1

On Nov. 28-30, 2009, Peter and I decided to spend the long weekend somewhere we've never been to before and Malapascua Island popped in my head. Though we've been to other parts of Cebu like Marigondon, Moalboal (this one's in the Southern part, near Badian), Mactan, Sogod & Bantayan (this one's going up north), and Cebu City itself, there are still many places in that region that we have yet to discover and Malapascua is one of them. To get to this place, please review my other posts on Malapascua:

Malapascua Island

~~~oOo~~~

The first thing I wished for that day was for Cebu to have a good weather. It's been drizzling on and off in Manila last November 2009 and I wanted this vacation to be perfect. It might be our only time alone together before that year's Christmas holiday begins to kick in and Peter will start sleeping again in the office (which actually happened last month). Anyway, my wish was granted because the moment we hit the road, all I saw and felt were blue skies and cold breeze. Whoopee!!!

Cebu - Kotex Youniversity w/ Carelle Mangaliag

I took this trip last January 29-31, 2010. For those who missed reading Part I, please click the link below:

My Stay @ Cebu Waterfront Hotel

 ~~~oOo~~~

Looking back on this trip makes me feel so much more blessed. Just when I expected to do some grueling assistant work, I was actually given a day off on my first day. Like I shared on the first part of this travelogue, I just spent my afternoon eating, bonding with my new acquaintances from DECS and Kotex and basically just lazing around the hotel. And so on my first night there, I decided to come see my sister who currently lives in Cebu. They were kind enough to pick me up from the lobby of Waterfront Hotel and from there headed to a laid back food place that sells very affordable seafood. It was pig out time once again! And can I just say that Cebu really has the finest tasting dishes I know. Whether they be hotel-made or straight out of a grillery, they just never cease to satiate my starving soul… err, tummy. ^_^

After our fantastic meal, Abba and Chris decided to hang out in one of the bars and have some drinks. I obliged. After all, I did want to enjoy my night there in case I won’t have time the next day to spend with them.

My Stay @ Cebu Waterfront Hotel

Jan. 29, 2010, 7:00 am, I was already at the Centennial Airport with my hubby waiting for Carelle and RR. I guess we were pretty early since they were still on their way and our flight was scheduled at 9:30 am. I’m usually like that. Better be early than get stressed about being late. ^_^ To make the most of our time, Peter and I shared breakfast at Le Bistro located at the ground flooor of the airport. It used to be Figaro. But I guess Ms. Chit Juan turned all her Figaro franchises intoLe Bistro instead. Smart move! ^_^

We ordered a  big cup of  hot Mocha drink and a slice of carrot cake. Yum! Had I known that there was Jollibee upstairs, I should’ve ordered Pinoy breakfast instead. I was still kind of hungry then. The carrot cake stimulated my appetite. Hehehe.

Then we met up with Carelle and RR outside Jollibee. As soon as we got our tickets, we checked-in  our stuff and spent the rest of the time napping. Well, I tinkered with the available free wifi at the airport while Carelle and RR caught some zzzzzs. They haven’t slept yet.

Edge Coaster and Skywalk @ Cebu Crown Regency Hotel

If you want to check out the rest of my vacation in Cebu, click the link below:

Sky Adventure and A's Bar in Cebu

Edge Coaster and Skywalk @ Cebu Crown Regency Hotel

Ayala Mall and The Arcade in Cebu

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Unfortunately, the weather was not very friendly the next day, Chris still had to review for another exam so we just decided to sleep the entire morning. Since I was waiting for word from some of my business prospects, I managed to do another round of online work. Early that evening, we visited Tito Ped and Tita Anne and spent time with them. Tita Anne prepared this scrumptious herbed pasta soup and toasted garlic and basil bread.

Afterwards, we finally decided to give the Sky Adventure a real try. We once again headed to Crown Regency, with our hearts pounding and minds racing. It was then or never so I might as well do it! Lo and behold, as we were buying our tickets, one of my good friends was there — John Aguilar! Of course, he never failed to scare me further. OMG! I hoped to survive that night! The view was so spectacular up there. It was windy and cold which didn’t help calm my nerves. But it was all so worth it!

Ayala Mall and The Arcade in Cebu

If you want to check out the rest of my vacation in Cebu, click the link below:

Sky Adventure and A's Bar in Cebu

Edge Coaster and Skywalk @ Cebu Crown Regency Hotel

Ayala Mall and The Arcade in Cebu

~~~oOo~~~

 

Naturally, I woke up in the afternoon the next day. Since Chris had to be in school for her exams, Aba and I just went to Ayala Mall and checked out Terraces. The last time I was in Cebu  in July 2008, this part of Ayala Mall was still nonexistent. It took less than a year for the new wing to be built. And it was huge! It’s like Trinoma and Greenbelt rolled  into one. The architectural structure was so beautiful it was like I never left Manila at all. I felt so at home. Hehehe.

We checked out Mooon Cafe. It’s a restaurant that originated in Cebu. In fact, I don’t think we have a Mooon cafe branch in Manila. They offer Mexican inspired dishes so we ordered quesadillas, coke zero for Aba and Revitalizing Smoothie for me (made of mango, pomelo and some other fruits). The taste of the quesadillas was okay and the ambience was cool. On our way home later that evening, we  passed by the original branch which was a house turned into a restaurant somewhere in the city.  It looked so awesome, like one of those cool restos in Bali, Indonesia.

Sky Adventure and A's Bar in Cebu

If you want to check out the rest of my vacation in Cebu, click the link below:
Sky Adventure and A's Bar in Cebu
Edge Coaster and Skywalk @ Cebu Crown Regency Hotel
Ayala Mall and The Arcade in Cebu
~~~oOo~~~

At the airport, I was missing Peter a lot that I was just reading my book when I finally decided to eat at Chaikofi… our fave dining place at NAIA 3. Little did I know that back in Ortigas, Peter was also having breakfast at Chaikofi in Robinson’s! Awww.. He even sent me an MMS photo of him. *Melt*

I arrived in Cebu on a Tuesday afternoon, around 1:30 pm. The flight was uneventful except for minor turbulences as we were ascending. I really can’t explain why these things make me so scared… Maybe because I was again traveling alone, Peter was not with me and all those images of scary airline flicks I watched before came rushing back to mind. I should really try to relax and just enjoy the flight. Heck, I’ve been traveling since I was six years old and these things should get petty boring as I grow old. But anyway, let’s just say that too many discovery channel airline disaster movies coupled with lots of caffeine in my system made me this paranoid. Teehee.

Top photo: Relaxing for a little while in my sister’s house together with her girlfriend Chris (in white uniform); Bottom photo: photo op with my sis, Aba, at the lounging area of Crown Regency.

Moving on, this Cebu trip of mine would serve as a precedent for many other business trips that I would make in the near future. I figured, since I love to travel and I am currently getting busy with my Vita Plus business, I might as well mix the two, right? It also helps that my two full time VA jobs only require me to be online and considering that the entire country is practically hooked to the net, my life today has become the kind of life that I’d always wanted it to be — productive, carefree, fun and with a sense of purpose.

Hanging out at the 19th floor of the Crown Regency Tower… Yeah, I was already trying to psych myself at this time to do the skywalk and edge coaster ride before I leave for Cagayan de Oro  in a few days.