Cebu

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

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.

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!

I was debating between a shared boat and a private charter, but considering that the shared boat costs the same for adults and children, chartering ended up being significantly cheaper. The shuttle arrived on time, and upon arrival at the port, a member of the association guided us to the boat. We also paid a port tax (10 pesos per person). The weather was unfortunate when we set sail, and no one wanted to snorkel at Hilutungan, so we headed to Pandanon. On the other hand, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves at Pandanon, and they still wanted to snorkel, so we asked the captain and he kindly returned us to Hilutungan. I think the freedom of a private charter is a plus. As for meals, the bungalows are given priority, so we had to eat on board, but that was also a great experience. The sea is somewhat controversial due to the amount of seaweed growing, but I personally think it's the most beautiful beach I've ever been to, second only to Shell Beach in Australia.

I really like Cebu Zoo. They take great care of the animals, and even in the open environment, there are no unpleasant smells. I highly recommend visiting.

We went there on Christmas Eve. The atmosphere was great! There was even a surprise inside the aquarium, which was fun. The four-course meal was more than enough. However, we took a taxi there, but had trouble catching one on the way back, so it's a good idea to have a Grab or similar transportation available.