Swimming with Giant Whales in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines

WHERE  IN THE WORLD SHOULD YOU BE NEXT SUMMER? 

And why should you start booking now?

Whale shark watching in Tan-awan, Oslob, Cebu has become one of world's best nature encounters. It's true of its name since Tan-awan  roots from the word "Tan-aw" meaning to watch or to look. 

Locate Oslob 

Whale Watching

in google maps

At the present, there are resorts and touring websites you can avail services from to make sure you get the best excursion. Wee hours is the operative word of some sorts for this adventure so you'd likely not want to just go eyeball-ing these acquiescent sea giants on your first date. You'd also want to take the privilege to go swimming with them. Though the local government implements rules to protect and conserve them and there are few etiquette which you have to practice once there. 

Tukis or Butanding, as the natives call it, are more visible in the shores when the temperature is up and the water is clear. You better book your flights before tourists flock during Philippine summer on the second quarter of next year (April- June). 

Take a look at Matt-Tinik and Matt-Takaw Adventures to get a picture of how you'd likely want to arrange your itinerary. 

Gentle giants has probably been banned in cyber space for reason of overuse but you can swear by the remote chances of you becoming the human version of Marlin and Dory. As the phrase suggest, they are, gentle giants. 

Don't miss the next place we like to feature for you in our Bucketlist series : LIKE and FOLLOW The Writing Gypsy on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

                  Photo Credits:                  

1st Photo- www.philbooking.com

2nd Photo- www. enchantingphilippines.wordpress.com

                                                                                   

Finding Freedom and Sailing Off Palawan

For as long as I remember, adjectives were never found to be wanting when it came to describing Asian beach meccas. I had read countless "guides" where people just could not help but recommend every square inch of sand they have found. When I started taking interest in Palawan, the result was no different. "Miles of un-spoilt sands" was heard countless times among other tall phrases. 

photo by Benson Kua

How does one go for an authentic trip in such a place? What about those untold stories from real travelers? In search of the perfect Palawan experience, comes this little story of sailing off the land.

It's easy to aimlessly float away over the lucid corals while you snorkel off the shores of Palawan until you open your eyes and realize that you drifted too far off. Your stark blue and white, close to 100 foot long, Bangka boat that is your home for the next few days is a good way out.

Just as easily you lost bearing, the completely serene waters let you change direction. Take a deep breath and pump your way back to towards where the rest of your companions are peeping into corals bigger than your home furniture (which usually means they are not the lethal variety).

photo by Agustin Rafael Reyes

Being in the middle of nowhere, in a postcard perfect azure that stretches out to the horizon never felt this good. The rule in Palawan is pretty simple: eat, snorkel, laze around. Repeat.

Visiting El Nido- There's more to Philippines than Boracay

For the most people who visits Philippines, they head straight to Boracay. In my personal opinion, while Boracay is all nice, it comes across more as a jazzed up departmental store stocked full of water sports shops and packages. 

Instead, find yourself a van to hitch on and take on and take a ride to El Nido, a charmingly tiny but intensely dense local dive shops skirting the Bacuit Bay in Palawan. This place will give you more than what Boracay can ever hope for. Have patience, though. You'll probably need to dig through; walk and poke your nose for considerable hours to find your own hidden gem. 

photo by Ross Pollack

There's this bangka launching pad where boats set sail to the area's most spectacular islands. El Nido is a particular favorite among backpackers and has this uncanny ability to seem like it just popped out onto the map. You still won't find ATMs and power shuts down come dawn only to return in the afternoon. However, digging for gems does not end here. Most operators will still offer more or less the same itinerary-- some combination of water and crowd. Where did all those personal and authentic stories go? As an alternative, there's this pretty collection of actual trips taken by real travelers to the Philippines, over at mygola that's pretty amazing. Did I mention the smart planner to do all the itinerary building for you in minutes?

I found Tao Philippines to offer something that we all seek -a complete break, even from our digital avatars, -no phone, emails, timeline, and newsfeeds. I can now thank Eddie Brock for being that great bloke who decided people needed break from facebook and dived into the sailing business. He now owns six bangkas  which stow away freedom- seeking travel junkies. What I love the most about these trips is what Eddie says himself, "there in no plan"!

There is usually just one destination on the map, the far off dot of Coron. Between that and your sailing point, all that decides the course and speed are the winds and the currents. If you ever wanted seclusion, this is the place. What adds to the Bohemian air are the flip flops, guitars, and open- air decks. Not to mention the authentic Filipino food onboard. Ever tried tuna adobo and coconut crab curry?

Travel often opens up so many different chapters of humanity. Out here, this hardly known sailing crew in El Nido does much more than just business. The course is managed glancing up the stars by night and the tiny islands that you touch along the way, you just don't touch them physically as a tourist. Portion of the trip's earnings go into making schools and paying for a good education.

Palawan by enggul

When you stop by any of the many dots which make up the archipelago, take a stroll barefoot on the beach which are almost always deserted if you don't count the ghost watching you with watery round eyes. You'll find freedom which is well nigh lost.

WHEN YOU GO:

Give mygola.com a visit to get beyond the tourist traps. The trips featured there are taken by real travelers. Let the planner take care of things like cost, distances, business hours, and the number of days you will have in hand. Tao Philippines runs regular sailing trips off Palawan. 

A Guest Post from (About the Author):

Bodhisattwa Debnath is a travel blogger and editor at mygola.com- the world's largest hand-curated collection of authentic trips by real people which lets you create your own custom travel plans in minutes. You can chat up with him on twitter (@detalking and @mygola).

A Love Letter from Dr. David H.Harwell

I did not think twice. When I read this letter from a link in my facebook newsfeed, I told myself that it's something worth all the words that will surface in my mind. I'm sure that no thing unfavorable will come out of it. 

He was appreciative and respectful with his message. I believe he was also sincere. And for a country whose people are used to the prejudices and humiliating labels of other nations, it's something that is exceptional and liberating. 

Every Juan is hungry for affirmation and acceptance that he, too, is a citizen of the world. And the world is not only for the White and the First World Country. 

Here's a Love Letter to Filipinos from Dr. David H. Harwell:

I am writing to thank Filipinos for the way you have treated me here, and to pass on a lesson I learned from observing the differences between your culture and mine over the years.

I am an expatriate worker. I refer to myself as an OAW, an overseas American worker, as a bad joke. The work I do involves a lot of traveling and changing locations, and I do it alone, without family. I have been in 21 countries now, not including my own. It was fun at first. Now, many years later, I am getting tired. The Philippines remains my favorite country of all, though, and I’d like to tell you why before I have to go away again.

I have lived for short periods here, traveled here, and have family and friends here. My own family of origin in the United States is like that of many Americans—not much of a family. Americans do not stay very close to their families, geographically or emotionally, and that is a major mistake. I have long been looking for a home and a family, and the Philippines is the only place I have lived where people honestly seem to understand how important their families are. 

I am American and hard-headed. I am a teacher, but it takes me a long time to learn some things. But I’ve been trying, and your culture has been patient in trying to teach me. 

In the countries where I’ve lived and worked, all over the Middle East and Asia, it is Filipinos who do all the work and make everything happen. When I am working in a new company abroad, I seek out the Filipino staff when I need help getting something done, and done right. Your international reputation as employees is that you work hard, don’t complain, and are very capable. If all the Filipinos were to go home from the Middle East, the world would stop. Oil is the lifeblood of the world, but without Filipinos, the oil will not come from the ground, it will not be loaded onto the ships, and the ships will not sail. The offices that make the deals and collect the payments will not even open in the morning. The schools will not have teachers, and, of course, the hospitals will have no staff. 

What I have seen, that many of you have not seen, is how your family members, the ones who are overseas Filipino workers, do not tell you much about how hard their lives actually are. OFWs are very often mistreated in other countries, at work and in their personal lives. You probably have not heard much about how they do all the work but are severely underpaid, because they know that the money they are earning must be sent home to you, who depend on them. The OFWs are very strong people, perhaps the strongest I have ever seen. They have their pictures taken in front of nice shops and locations to post on Facebook so that you won’t worry about them. But every Pinoy I have ever met abroad misses his/her family very, very much. 

I often pity those of you who go to America. You see pictures of their houses and cars, but not what it took to get those things. We have nice things, too many things, in America, but we take on an incredible debt to get them, and the debt is lifelong. America’s economy is based on debt. Very rarely is a house, car, nice piece of clothing, electronic appliance, and often even food, paid for. We get them with credit, and this debt will take all of our lifetime to pay. That burden is true for anyone in America—the OFWs, those who are married to Americans, and the Americans themselves. 

Most of us allow the American Dream to become the American Trap. Some of you who go there make it back home, but you give up most of your lives before you do. Some of you who go there learn the very bad American habits of wanting too many things in your hands, and the result is that you live only to work, instead of working only to live. The things we own actually own us. That is the great mistake we Americans make in our lives. We live only to work, and we work only to buy more things that we don’t need. We lose our lives in the process. 

I have sometimes tried to explain it like this: In America, our hands are full, but our hearts are empty. 

You have many problems here, I understand that. Americans worry about having new cars, Filipinos worry about having enough food to eat. That’s an enormous difference. But do not envy us, because we should learn something from you. What I see is that even when your hands are empty, your hearts remain full. 

I have many privileges in the countries where I work, because I am an expat. I do not deserve these things, but I have them. However, in every country I visit, I see that you are there also, taking care of your families, friends, bosses, and coworkers first, and yourselves last. And you have always taken care of me, in this country and in every other place where I have been. 

These are places where I have been very alone, very tired, very hungry, and very worried, but there have always been Filipinos in my offices, in the shops, in the restaurants, in the hospitals, everywhere, who smile at and take good care of me. I always try to let you know that I have lived and traveled in the Philippines and how much I like your country. I know that behind those smiles of yours, here and abroad, are many worries and problems. 

Please know that at least one of us expats has seen what you do for others and understands that you have a story behind your smiles. Know that at least one of us admires you, respects you, and thanks you for your sacrifices. Salamat po. Ingat lagi. Mahal ko kayong lahat. 

 David H. Harwell, PhD, is a former Professor and Assistant Dean in the United States who noe travels and works abroad designing language training programs. He is a published author and a son of a retired news editor.

Dr. Harwell was grateful and I guess for all of us Filipinos, the feeling is just mutual.

I hope this blog was worthy of your time. Happy Sunday. Long live the Philippines!







References:
facebook (dot) com (slash) ASEANCommunity
opinion (dot) inquirer (dot) net

Photo Credits:
erviews (dot) blogspot (dot) com
chroniclesofangel (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Travel Weekend Getaway: Caluwayan Palm Island Resort in Details!

A small vacation place along the pacific coastline hides a panoramic view of secluded coves and coral gardens in the town of Marabut, Western Samar in the Visayas region of the Philippines. 

Photo originally from thefancy (dot) com

Several private resorts settle in the coastal line of Marabut, Samar. But one of the best resorts that will give you a free pass to the secluded coves, coral gardens, and towering rock islands is the Caluwayan Palm Island Resort. 

While I blogged  an overview of this yet to discover scenic view in my previous post, here's a brief history on where the town of Marabut, Samar, that enclaves this small eco-oriented resort of Caluwayan, got its name. 

The municipality of Marabut was a mere sitio of Basey, Samar during the early Spanish era. A then famous and brave revolutionary leader in the name of Bicario Amantillo organized a defense against the muslim bandits. 

After his capture by the Americans in World War I, leader Ysidro M. Ferreras took over and worked for the improvement and welfare of the people in Sitio Lipata (Marabut's former name). 

A proposal was made by Ferreras to President Elpidio Quirino to convert the sitio into  a separate municipality; creating the Municipality of Marabut, Samar, in honor of the late Congressman Serafin Marabut who was a native of Basey, Samar. (source: www.marabut.org)

Caluwayan Palm Island Resort is in Barangay Caluwayan, Marabut, Samar. It is a 45-minute drive by car from Tacloban City. It can also be reached by boat from Tacloban City wharf.

Photo taken from Asiatravel (dot) com

Getting to Caluwayan

Main points of ship and airplane travels:

(Luzon) Manila (NAIA, Ninoy Aquino International Airport)

NAIA Terminal 1 – for all international flights except Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific

NAIA Terminal 2- for all international + domestic flights of Philippine Airlines only

NAIA Terminal 3- for all international + domestic flights of Cebu Pacific, Air Phil Express and code share flights for Philippine Airlines

NAIA Terminal 4- for flights of Seair, Tiger Airways, and Zest Air airlines

All airlines mentioned above accommodate promo fare tickets and schedule domestic flights to Tacloban. Air travel usually takes 1 hour from Manila to Tacloban City (DZR, Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport). 

(Visayas) Cebu (Mactan Cebu International Airport)

MCIA Terminal 1 (International Passenger Terminal)- for all international flights

MCIA Terminal 2 (Domestic Passenger Terminal ) - for all domestic flights

MCIA is divided into right-wing and left-wing.

Right Wing - Philippine Airlines, AirPhil Express, and Seair 

Left Wing - Cebu Pacific and Zest Airlines

Air travel from Cebu to Tacloban City usually takes 30 to 45 minutes.

(Mindanao) Davao (Davao International Airport)

Davao domestically caters to only 5 destinations-- Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Manila, Iloilo, Zamboanga

             

Philippine Airlines - Manila

Cebu Pacific - Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Zamboanga

AirPhil Express- Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga

Upon arriving in Tacloban City (DZR Airport), you can take a ride by jeepney to Tacloban City New Bus Terminal for Php 12.00 or hire a taxi/cab directly bound for Caluwayan Palm Island Resort in Marabut,Samar depending on the price decided between the driver and the passenger. It will however be cheaper if you take a taxi in a group of 4-6 persons. 

At the New Bus Terminal you can ask the driver to take you to North Bound Vehicles and look for trips bound for Marabut, Samar.

PUJ/Route has 4 available trips bound for Marabut, Samar

Mini Bus/Route has 5 available trips bound for Marabut, Samar

Van/Route has 9 available trips bound for Guiuan which pass through the town of Marabut, Samar

Bus fare is around Php25.00 to Php 35.00 while van fare costs around Php 100.00 to Php 120.00.

As blogged in my earlier post, the resort can easily be recognized from along the road as a big signage under a wooden anchored thatch greets passersby along the hi-way. You can ask the driver to drop you at the gate. 

:: Traveler's Note: You'll know when you have to turn off your iPod music or shut down your tab and  get your luggage ready, because you're approaching Caluwayan Resort once you finally see Western Highway Lodge along the road. ::

Side trips

San Juanico Bridge 

Photo taken from Wikipedia (dot) org

All trips by land that are bound for Samar pass through the famous and astounding San Juanico Bridge, it is a part of Pan-Philippine Highway that connects the two provinces of Leyte and Samar across the San Juanico strait.

It is considered as the longest bridge in the Philippines, passing over a body of seawater and islets. Picture takings in San Juanico Bridge though, has recently been prohibited by the local government. On that note, you can take pictures of the bridge itself while your vehicle passes through it. 

One wonderful thing about the bridge is that it forms an 'S' shape (the first letter of the word Samar) when you pass from Leyte to Samar and forms an 'L' shape when you travel from Samar to Leyte. 

The bridge is like  a Philippine version of the Golden Gate Bridge of America that connects San Francisco and Marin County. 

Ancient Town Basey

Photo originally from basey6720 (dot) blogspot (dot) com

While there are a huge selection of bargains found around Samar, from clothes to kitchen wares, you can come near one specific town before reaching Marabut, Samar-- the ancient town of Basey that is famous for its unique caves and wooden mats (banig). 

When to go

Philippine summer season falls between the warm months of April and May. However peak seasons in Caluwayan Palm Island Resort are between January 13-March 14, June 1-September 30, November 10-December 14.

That said, it is best to visit the resort off-peak season, between December 15-January 12, March 15-May 31, October 1-November 9 if you want to steer clear from too much crowd and too much expenses. Teehee!

The price for the accommodation in the resort is cut down to up to 25 %  during off-peak season. 

Rooms and Rates (as published)

Peak Season (January 13-March 14, June 1-September 30, November 10-December 14)

Open Cottage - Php 1,600

Beach Villa - Php 5,200

Beach Villa Suite - Php 5,900

Off-Peak Season (December 15-January 12, March 15-May 31, October 1-November 9)

Open Cottage - Php 1,300

Beach Villa - Php 4,200 with breakfast for 2 pax

Beach Villa Suite - Php 4,800 with breakfast for 2 pax

All rates are in Philippine currency, inclusive of Government taxes. They also accept major credit cards. Check in time is at 2PM while check out time is at noon. Click here for more details.

For our family who went for a 1N/2D staycation, we booked 1 Family Room that accommodated 7 adults (including me) and 5 children below 12 years old for Php4500.00. 

The family room has:

2 king size bed upholstered in white, with comforters

Wooden headboards 

1 side table

Wooden breakfast table and chair for two

Flat screen TV with remote control

1 DVD player with remote control

2 movie DVDs

2 Cabinets with 4 hangers near the powder area

2 lavatories

Complimentary air condition

Modern bath tub and shower facilities

Electronic card lock

Glass slide doors

4 Bath Towels

2 Face towels

Complimentary hotel soap and shampoo

The family room actually makes room for 4 adults only so we added 1 extra bed for Php600.00 to accommodate 3 more adults. The glass slide doors favored us the tranquil and indulgent view of the infinity pool, towering rock islands, and the local fishermen that silhouette in sundown. Aah, breather!

                         

Veranda

A veranda also extends from the room towards the seaside, embellished with chaise loungers and a table. For a bookworm and wellness-hopeful like me, I think the veranda is a perfect spot for reading, late-afternoon chatting, or to simply put it, relaxing. 

The bad side however was that the air condition did not function well. The resort didn't have access to cable TV and internet, and phone signals are hardly. 

The staffs ushered us to the room with 2 bottles of drinking water we thought were welcome drinks, only to know upon check out that we had to pay for them for Php50.00 each.

But well, you see, travelers slash vacationers sometimes need to be ready for superlatives of contingencies without muddling an entire trip. That said, I still highly recommend this Family Room among any other rooms in the resort. 

I consider our family a certified relaxation seeker and beach frequenter, which means that traveling to places, including this trip, will run around 15- 20 persons. We had to make room for the other 8 adults in 1 Beach Villa and 1 Open Cottage. The villa costs around Php5200.00 while the open cottage costs around Php1600.

Did I mention that prices for rooms are cut down to up to 25% during off-peak season? We went there on off-peak dates from October 13-14 this year but we sadly did not avail the 25% off they initially published on their website; for whatever reasons I don't know. 

The beach villa has:

1 Queen Size Bed

1 side table and a wooden lamp

Regular TV with remote

1 DVD player with remote

2 movie DVDs

1 small single refrigerator

1 wooden cabinet

1 lavatory and a powder area

Continental shower facility

4 bath towels

Complimentary soap and shampoo

A second floor with 1 single bed

A terrace with wooden chair and table 

A balcony that is few meters from the sea

The terrace and the balcony afforded us the view of the calm blue waters and towering rock islands. It is situated at the far right side of the resort so it is likewise far from too much noise of people flattering their feet in the pool area. Very tropical!

Photo originally from Asiatravel (dot) com

The open cottage has:

1 Queen Size Bed

1 Pull out Bed that is good for 2 to 3 persons

Side table

1 electric fan

White curtains to cover the cottage when it's time to rest at night

Amenities 

Amenities and facilities in the resort include a bistro bar that offers cocktail and mixed alcoholic drinks, a bistro bar lounge, a souvenir shop which I honestly did not take time to see because I didn't have an idea that it actually existed, a beach cottage made of local woods and weaved thatch, boat rentals  which are available for free when you are checked in to any of their room accommodations, shower house that is good for non-checked in guests (entrance fee has to be paid for Php20.00  and pool use for Php125.00 per pax), and an infinity pool. 

What else should you try to see? :)

The resort also strictly follows swimming etiquette so they require all pool users to wear proper swimming attires.

:: Traveler's Note: Be sure to assert your needs and ask for assistance from the staffs of the resort should you wish to go for a night swimming. The staffs don't stay in the resort overnight so they usually turn off the pool lights at 8PM when they leave the resort. But a request to turn the lights on can be made for strictly up to 10PM only. ::

Caluwayan dining

The resort provides a menu of delectable food to choose from. They offer side orders that range from Php70.00 to Php500.00 depending on the food, to catering services. They serve fresh grilled seafoods everyday. 

Photo originally from tumblr (dot) com

Since our family had to feed 20 tummies in this staycation, we pre-arranged a catering service which the resort offers at around Php5700, all at the guests' food of choice. And that's where it got extremely tricky. Dictionaries defined me catering service as the food or service being catered to the guest (s), most likely a food joint, that can accommodate "several" persons. 

Their catering service however, was unreasonably overpriced; serving only about 2 platters of rice, and 3 different viands (which you can honestly home cook  for no more than Php1000), a fruit salad dessert, and an iced tea without ice. I'm not yet even trying to sound funny about that.

:: Traveler's Note: It is best to make side orders of Caluwayan dishes as it will slack off your expenses to almost three-fourths. They allow bringing junk food without corkage. Pre-home cooked dishes however are subject to corkage charge. You may, slip them under your bags though so you won't have to pay for bringing them in. But of course it's a little unethical to do that. Just figure it to yourself what you think will work best. :) ::

Despite middling negatives and occasional delays, the staffs in the resort were courteous and accommodating.

Adventures

This is the best part. When natural settings intends to give the guests a retreat from the typical set up of the city. 

We automatically had a free access of the paddle boats since we are checked in the resort. Local boat paddlers in the resort served as our tour guide to the towering rock islands that are looming from a short distance from the resort. 

You get to appreciate the calmness of the blue seawater and corals after a few paddles off the coast. Eyes honestly circled and jaws began to drop as we got closer to the rock islands and coves. 

:: Traveler's Trivia: The plant found on the rock island formation in the next picture is locally called Bantolinao/ Bantulinao or otherwise known as Maba Buxifolia. It is a part of the bonsai family. It is a rare specie of a bonsai plant so it is sold at a very expensive price. Picking of the plants is strictly prohibited by the local government as well. ::

Sea kayaking, rock island hopping, boat paddling, cave sightseeing, and diving are some of the enthralling activities we ever had to do. That covers the sad fact that jet skis and banana boats  are no longer functional in the resort.

Was diving into the deep waters ever a problem for the non-swimmers? Not likely. The resort provides life vests to the guests before going for paddle boating. 

The entire Caluwayan vacation was for the most part revitalizing. My nomadic traveler sense of self is hinted again. A lonely planet 6 degrees kind of feel. Something that travelers like Andrew Zimmern and Samantha Brown exemplify in the travels they present on TV.

I felt like sharing this, proudly my copyright, "When you go to a place you've never been to, you either become a tourist or a traveler. These two words mean different. And I choose to be the latter."

Caluwayan Palm Island Resort Overall Rating: 6 to 7

Photo Credits:

All photos in this post are copyright Syril Tañala, pensnpaper unless otherwise stated

References:

Wikipedia (dot) org

Caluwayan Resort (dot) com

tacloban (dot) gov (dot) ph

Mactan Cebu International Airport (dot) org

Davao Airport (dot) com