Cebu

We were picked up at our hotel in Cebu City at 2:45 AM by a Mactan Islander who said we'd be picked up at 2:00 AM. Our tour group consisted of eight people, including Japanese, Taiwanese, Europeans, and Americans. We arrived just before 6:00 AM and the guide there told us our number, 127. We then went to the breakfast venue and ordered our own meals before the 7:30 AM meeting time. We had requested a Go Pro, so we weren't sure when we'd receive it, but it was given to us just before we entered the water. It's a good idea to check with the guide just in case. After that, we headed to the Blacktip Reef Waterfall, where we each rode motorbikes individually to the viewing spot! We were given lunch boxes along the way to the spot where we could see the sardine schools and sea turtles, and we boarded the boat with them! While the sardine schools weren't quite tornado-like, we could still see them clearly below. After that, we changed locations to see the sea turtles. Since they're wild, it was hard to tell whether they were there or not, but our guide found them and took photos with us on his smartphone. In the end, I didn't know when to eat the bento, so I ate it in the car after the meal. On the way back, I was dropped off at the hotel in Cebu City and returned to the hotel around 5:30 PM. By the way, I went on a Sunday. I can't speak English at all, but I managed to get by.

From the time we were picked up at the hotel at 3:00 AM until we returned at 8:30 PM, our driver, ABAM, was incredibly considerate and wonderful. 100% perfect. Our guide in Oslob, GALZIA, was also fantastic. She worked hard to take photos and videos of us. The local guide in Moralboal was also really nice. She filmed us swimming with sardines and turtles. This time, we used the service as a family of three. She also took us to Simala Church. It was truly the best day ever. Thank you to all the staff.

I was picked up in Cebu City at 3:30am. It’s a long drive, so try to sleep — the sunrise on the way is beautiful. We arrived around 6am but our whale shark slot was 7:30, so the driver took us to the waterfalls first. It was cold that early, but the waterfall was stunning. Then we changed into swimwear and went out by boat for the whale sharks. They come so close and you can even hear them underwater — an unforgettable 30-minute experience, even for non-swimmers. The guides are lovely and very helpful. Traffic back took 4–4.5 hours, so starting early helps. I also had a flight the same evening and the agency kindly stored my luggage on the car and dropped me at the airport. Tips: wear swimwear under your clothes, bring a change, don’t expect super clean changing rooms, and water shoes help, eye mask if light disturbs you and want to sleep. A must-do experience!

Our driver greeted us at Tagbilaran Port, holding a sign with our names. We got off the ferry and followed the group, and we quickly found our names. Afterward, we enjoyed a Loboc River cruise lunch. It was hot and delicious! We also had shrimp and tuna, though not sashimi. The views here were amazing. Next, we went to the Tarsier Sanctuary. We saw tarsier sharks both sleeping and wide-open. There were several staff members near the exit, and if you hand over your phone, they'll take a perfect photo of you. Next, we headed to Chocolate Hills. We were blown away by the first view we got from the car. We climbed the stairs to the observation deck. The view from here was also amazing. (It might be difficult to climb the stairs with a walking stick.) On the way back to the port, we visited the Mahogany Manmade Forest. Our driver took some photos for us. We departed Cebu Island's Pier 1 at 8:20 AM and left Tagbilaran Port at 5:40 PM, and the tour ended. It was a packed schedule. Just tell the driver where you want to go and he'll take you. There were two other Japanese people with us, but we weren't interested in optional activities like buggies, so we passed. It depends on the tour participants, but whether you do it or not is up to you. If we had spent time here, we might not have had enough time to see the other attractions. There are mosquitoes, so it's a good idea to bring insect repellent, drinking water, and toilet paper, as there isn't any. Most of the tour is included, but you'll need to pay for beer or coke at lunch, buy souvenirs at the sanctuary, and tip the driver (if you do). Unfortunately, there were blind people giving massages at both ports, so I wish I had gone to the port earlier and asked for them. I forgot the price, but it was incredibly cheap. This tour made my trip to Cebu even more wonderful. Thank you to the driver for driving for so long.