Cebu, Philipines (26-27 August 2015)
The Philippines was our first port of call! It was very exhilarating to start our around the world adventure in Cebu. Most people have images of beautiful, pristine beaches in their mind when they think of Cebu. Many of us were very determined to enjoy the ocean during our 2-day stay. Some headed to Mactan, the closest decent beach from the port. I truly believe that one has to travel far to access the best beaches so I dragged my friends to…
This paradise was definitely worth the 2-hour ferry ride from Cebu to Bohol. It was quite a journey to get to this paradise!
1. Take free shuttle bus from the place where Peace Boat docked to the entrance of the terminal
2. Take a cab to Cebu Pier
3. Queue and buy ferry tickets outside Cebu Pier (800 pesos round trip, Cebu to Tagbilaran – capital of Bohol. Remember to check the ferry timing as we missed the earlier ferry and had to wait for the next one.
4. Pay terminal fee to enter Cebu Pier and board the 2-hour ferry
5. Sleep on the ferry
6. Take 40-min cab from Bohol ferry terminal to Alona beach on Panglao island
We finally reached Alona beach when it was dark. We managed to find a reasonably priced accommodation by the beach. To reward ourselves after an arduous journey, we feasted in the relaxing beach town!
4 things to eat on Bohol Island
1. Seafood
There are many restaurants offering fresh sea food. Choose what you like and enjoy a plate filled with grilled goodness!
2. Lechón
The word “lechón” originated from the Spanish term which refers to a roasted suckling pig. The Philippines used to be a Spanish colony and Cebu is home to the tastiest lechón. Even though we were full from our grilled seafood feast, we had 2 servings of this delectable dish – the juicy meat and the crispy skin are a match in culinary heaven.
3. Barbecued chicken
The smoky fragrance, the glistening skin, the tender meat – nothing can go wrong with barbecued chicken!
4. Buko Halo Halo
“Buko” refers to young coconut and “halo halo” refers to “mixed together” in Tagalog. A popular summer dessert, Buko halo halo is mixture of shaved ice, ice cream, fruits, red beans, jelly and lot of yummy ingredients nestled in a coconut. My friend loved it so much that he had to take many pictures with this phenomenal dessert.
Other than eating, snorkelling is a must-do in Bohol. There are many snorkelling tours available. A popular half-day tour includes dolphin watching and snorkelling around Balicasag and Virgin islands. As we had to rush back to Cebu, we booked an early morning half-day tour to Balicasag island. With the sun rising above us, we headed to the marine sanctuary on a quaint boat. During the 30-min ride, we saw some dolphins. Once we reached the marine sanctuary, we spent a relaxing them snorkelling with many fishes.
After our experience on Bohol Island, I could not help but wonder about the effectiveness of marine conservation at Balicasag. The corals we saw did not appear particularly vibrant, although I realised that my personal observation was only a snapshot and could not tell the whole story. At the same time, it was clear that tourism plays an important role in the livelihoods of people living on the island.
The Philippines is blessed with an extraordinary number of islands and marine ecosystems. Tourism can provide valuable livelihoods and create incentives to protect these places, but it also needs to be managed carefully. Hopefully, stronger and more structured programmes will continue to develop so that tourism and marine conservation can work together rather than at the expense of one another. We have a responsibility to make sure that the beauty that brings us to these islands is still there for future generations.
Read more about Peace Boat here and what I learnt from travelling around the world here!