Cebu

A truly worthwhile and unforgettable experience; despite the distance, it's well worth the trip.

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!