This is my first travel diary to Moalboal’s White Beach on February 24 and 25, 2016. This include side trips to Carcar, Sibonga’s Simala shrine and Badian’s Kawasan falls.
One day, we decided to go to the beach. Mind you, the last time we went out of the city was a supervised field trip like ages ago. We just wanted to go out, get sand on our lazy feet and submerge our urban bodies in salty water. For this, we decided to head south from our home, Cebu City.
Our trip was decidedly a short one and on a reasonable local budget. We had 3 stops in mind: White Beach at Moalboal, Simala shrine at Sibonga, and Kawasan falls at Badian.
Our first stop: Simala Shrine
How lovely to start your day with prayers and thanks to Jesus and Mother Mary. I’ve wondered what this place may bring. A friend told me that praying at the Shrine allows your most ernest wishes granted.
Some notes on this trip:
- Cost of aircon bus ride (from South bus terminal to Sibonga stop) is Php140.00/person.🚍
- From where the bus stops, you may need to commute by motorcycle/habal-habal to the Shrine. The one way fare is Php20.00/person. For the inexperienced, this may be a butt-staking bumpy ride 🏍🚵🏼
- The site has a public bathroom located nearby the parking space. Mind that this is not a comfortable restroom but a respectable one, enough to do your business. Expect some wet floors.🚽
- There was a morning mass, which I think started 8:30am. ⛪️
- Coloured candles, for specific grants, are priced at Php35.00/each.🕯
We were done by 10:00am and decided to eat before heading off to the beach. This lead to our next destination.
Second stop: Early lechon lunch at Carcar
Carcar is known for its lechon and chicharon. Compared to the lechon sold in the city, this one is served with its dripping sauce and the crispy skin is thicker and crunchier. Yes we travelled back up north a bit for this and was worth it. Notes about this break:
- Sibonga to Carcar non-aircon fare is Php36.00/person.🚍
- The lechon carenderias are at the far end of the public market which you can find by the city rotunda.⛲️
- A kilo of lechon was Php275.00. Buying less will cost a little much at Php300.00. Still about half the price than those sold in Cebu City!⚖
- Chicharon packs (the meaty ones) sold at Php25.00/pack. Bought some, naturally.
- Tricycads charge a minimum fare of Php8.00/person. We rode one from the rotunda to the bus stop for our next stop since we were told that this was a bit further on foot.
- Bus stop to south-bound areas is near Rose Pharmacy. It took us about 30 minutes to wait for the bus. Most rides are already full with commuters from Cebu city.
- Non-aircon bus ride from Carcar to Moalboal was Php59.00/person.🚍
Third stop: White Beach at Moalboal
It is best to tell the conductor that you are bound for Basdaku (location of White Beach). From the stop, you need to take a tricycad to the beach or to your preferred resort and this will cost you as much as a bus fare. We got our tricycad ride at Php130.00 (discounted rate courtesy of Nong Castro).
Meant to be our adventure highlight, we decided to book a place for an overnight stay. After several thumb-clicking research, we contacted Ester’s Homestay located at Basdaku right by White Beach.
Ester’s is pretty casual and reasonable at Php1,500.00/night. We had an aircon room with 1 queen bed and 1 single bed, and it’s own toilet and shower. They even provided us with 2 towels and 1 tissue roll, which was unexpected. No TV, wifi, and personal ref, then you do not really need them.
Somewhere in this Internet universe, there is a blog about some out-of-towners having a misunderstanding about their seafood dinner with Ester’s. I have to say that that allowed us not to set high expectations and prompted proper dining arrangements. Surely enough, we had our wonderful and homey meals.
Dinner for 2 was at Php300.00, with grilled yellow fin tuna fillet and sauteed local veggies. We even had 1 liter of Coke (Php60.00, yes expensive). Breakfast was at Php250.00 for 2 instant coffees, a bowl of danggit and 3 fried eggs (why 3 when there was just the 2 of us? I don’t know 😹). The rice was yummy as this was not the substandard broken rice. To us, the food was great that we just ate without a care to photograph.
White Beach is not quite the prestine white sand beach. But the stay did not disappoint. When off for a swim, it is best to have some aqua shoes to avoid the rocks hitting your feet.
Quick notes:
- Ester’s Homestay room with 2 beds, T/B, AC – Php1,500.00. Contact number: (0927) 578 5983
- Tricycad fare from Moalboal bus stop to resort – Php130.00 (usual price – Php150.00)
Fourth and last stop: Kawasan Falls in Badian
We wanted to head straight to Kawasan falls. So we struck another deal with Nong Castro for a ride from Ester’s to Kawasan for Php300.00. Unfortunately the drop off was by the road side which is about a kilometre away from the falls.
Not to worry, there are habal-habals by the road side and at Kawasan Falls that charge Php50.00/person/ride.
The falls are beautiful, clear and blue. Unfortunately this is surrounded by crowds and stalls, selling life jackets and raft rides. Coconut water was being sold at Php60.00 (in the city these are sold at Php25.00). Bathroom use was charged at Php10.00 and the facilities are substandard. Did not bother to take any photos of Kawasan Falls because of the crowd. Besides there are plenty online.
Good thing we found a secluded part where we waded by the cool waters for about an hour. Then by 2:00pm, we decided to head back home.
- Non-aircon bus ride from Kawasan, Badian to Cebu city is Php126.00/person. The ride took almost 4 hours.🚍
- Kawasan Falls entrance fee for locals was Php20.00/person.
- Kawasan beach resort and restaurant: Delia Capacio (0977) 250 8632. This is located by the bus stop and also serves as a meeting place for Kawasan canyoneering activity. This may be a possible place to stay for our future visits to the south.
Our next trip might involve waterfalls trekking. Need to remind myself to buy local vinegar before heading home.🍶
Road to Somewhere 