Cebu Day 2 Oslob Whale Sharks

Oslob Whale Sharks came on top, when we were researching for our Cebu family itinerary.

It is on many folks’ bucket list after they see the Social media photos (or maybe BBC Planet Earth orΒ  Natgeo). It is easy to understand why.

Measuring 10m easily, with a huge gaping mouth, this gentle giants are magnificent. Oslob might be one of the places where whale shark spotting has been commercialised.

Image credit Google
Image credit Google

There is another famous spot at Donsol, which offers a more natural setting to view the gentle marine creatures.

For those interested to visit the whale sharks, Oslob is about 125km South of Cebu City. Traveling time would be easily 3 to 4 hours. As we stayed at Moalboal, it was still 80 km away.

Most would need to leave at around 3 or 4am. As whale Shark feeding time is only during the morning, you might need to leave early to beat the crowds.

Our package came with breakfast. Hello Mango sticky rice at 0630 πŸ™‚

All visitors must undergo a briefing session before going into the water.

T&C for swimming with Whale sharks πŸ™‚

1. Stay 5m from the whale sharks (very difficult!)
2. Do not touch the whale shark, or get a fine and jail
3. No sunscreen, as we do not want to contaminate the water.

whale Sharks snorkeling rules
Whale Sharks snorkeling rules

Visitors will then proceed to the beach area and wait for their boats. Each Oslob Whale sharks session is 30 minutes.

You can opt to stay on the boat (Why!), but we strongly recommend you to snorkel (life vests available).

And Oslob Whale Sharks are only 50m from the shores! They are domesticated and know when food (shrimps) are available from the fishermen.

With our legs dangling from the boat, it feels like the scene from the Mag (Megalodon) attack scene Hainan Sanya beach :p

We were lucky. There were no whale sharks just a day earlier. The typhoon must have affected the whale shark’s schedule.

Oslob Whale Sharks
Oslob Whale Sharks

We spotted 4 among our midst. And these are just the juveniles. Full adults can grow beyond 12m and weigh 20 tons easily!

Oslob Whale Sharks video
Oslob Whale Sharks video

Awesome experience, watching these gentle giants up close. They just opened their mouths and sucked in plankton. In this case, shrimp and krill from the fishermen.

They can come very near to you, which can be intimidating haha.

Some folks will voiced disapproval that Oslob Tourism is exploiting the gentle giants. Whale Sharks’ natural migratory paths have been altered, as they have now made Oslob one of their regular stops.

Whale sharks are already accustomed to fisherman’s feeding schedule and appear daily at the beach. We will let you decide whether Oslob Whale Sharks would be suitable for your families.

Although we only snorkel for 30 minutes, it was an experience of a lifetime.

Watch our Youtube Video here.

After our whale shark encounters, we were brought to another nearby attraction.

You can walk towards Tumalog Falls, but it will be hilly and 20 min walk. We chose the motorbike options. The motorbike trip is 500 peso and thrilling, checkout our video !

There is a small pond for hungry fishes to nibble on your toes.

Otherwise, the water “fall” was not fantastic during our visit. Only a small sprinkle. We were told that drought might have turn off the tap at the top hee hee.

Most tour agencies will not provide towels, do check and bring own towels if necessary.

We had our lunch at 0915, a bit early.

We got our Oslob Whale Sharks package from Klook. Thank you to our guide from Island Trek Tours, Marlene and Robert.

Klook Cebu Package
Klook Cebu Package

 

Additional Oslob Whale Sharks tips:

1) Tour agencies are available at Oslob too. But we will recommend you to reserve your slots before you even reach Oslob. You can expect 500 visitors during peak hours!

1a) Oslob Whale Shark rates are from 1000 peso (SGD $25) onwards. Some will charge additional for snorkel and life vests. This fee is not inclusive of the return-transfers.

2) Just bring your GoPro and waterproof-pouch for your phones
If you are comfortable, do away with the life vest. It is difficult to selfie with whale shark when you have a life vest. Not to mention at least 50 humans photobombs

3) Check with your vendor whether towels are inclusive. Otherwise bring your own. There is only a small area with taps to rinse off the water, no shower facility. Some might wish to change back to comfortable clothing for the return trip (3 hours again)

4) There is only Whale Sharks at Oslob. Consider side trip (Google Map) to Tumalog Falls or Osmena Peak (short 30min hike) on your return trip

More photos are uploaded in our Fanpage albums :
–Moalboal Panagsama stay
–Whale shark at Oslob
–Kawasan Falls
–Half Day Cebu City Tour (and nice food Sugbo Mercado)
–Danasan Eco Adventure Park
-Free & Easy SM Seaside

Cebu Blog posts:
* Cebu Family Itinerary
Day 2 Oslob with Whale Sharks
Day 3 Kawasan Falls canyoneering with family
Day 4 Free & Easy
Day 5 1/2 day Cebu city tour
Day 6 Danasan Eco Adventure Park (more adventures!)
Day 7 Free and Easy
Day 8 Fly home

 

Do pop by our Instagram Hashtag #SengkangbabiesCebuΒ  and Story for our summary. The links to more photos and other blogs are at the end of page.

Moalmoal attractions

FUN Cebu Family Itinerary

This is our Fun Cebu family itinerary! We spent 8D7N snorkelingΒ  with turtles and sardines, gawking at massive whale sharks and jumping 10m from waterfalls!

Do pop by our Instagram Hashtag #SengkangbabiesCebuΒ  and Story for our summary. The links to more photos and other blogs are at the end of page.

Moalmoal attractions
Moalboal attractions

Cebu family itinerary breakdown by days :

Day 1 reach Moalboal
Day 2 Oslob with Whale Sharks
Day 3 Kawasan Falls
Day 4 Free & Easy, Moalboal travel back to Cebu city
Day 5 1/2 day city tour
Day 6 Danasan Eco Adventure Park (more adventures!)
Day 7 Free and Easy
Day 8 Fly home

Adventures overload!

After touchdown, Rain, jams and Lechon welcomed us.

Our driver brought us to House of Lechon (franchise) .

You will definitely spot Lechon (roasted pig) and Jollibee every corner in Cebu downtown.

Malls are deck out and ready for Christmas.

If you are still unsure about Philippines culture. Say HELLO to Jeepneys, trishaws and traffic jams πŸ™‚

We book a private transfer from Airport to Moalboal, where we will stay for three nights. Refer our custom Google Map link (black markers meanΒ  attractions which we did not visit)

Journey was a slow 3 hours, as roads are jammed and packed with slower traffic like trishaws. (Click on custom Google Map link)

3 Nights at Moalboal

Moalboal, more accurately Panagsama area is famous for snorkeling and diving.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Lee (@sengkangbabies) on

Snorkel out 50m, and you will witness a sudden dip. This is the best stretch to watch the sardine runs!

We spotted two turtles, unfortunately my Gopro 7 did not record the second clip. Turtle was just 1m away from us, grazing the sea glass!

This one below was easily 1.5m by 1.5m in dimension.

Panagsama street, filled with dive shops and F&B options. Each meal here is 250 Peso+, more expensive than Cebu City (maybe 100 to 150 peso).

The turtles and sardines are easily reachable! Snorkel rental is 100 Peso per day, excluding fins and life vests.

Our Greece-like stay at Moalboal, D’Gecko.

Have not visited Santorini yet, so this will have to do :p

Our preferred mode of transport. AllΒ  can squeeze into this trishaw! Forget about shock absorber or rain shelters :p

And there are plenty of potholes!

Panagsama front and white beach is famous with visitors.Β  And of course turtles and Sardines too!

Just look at Instagram Hashtag #PanagsamaBeach . These magnificent sights are just 50m away from coast!

Do catch the mesmerising sunsets too.

If you can free dive, go disturb the millions of Sardines like @evelynnnn_1021Β  wow!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by πŸ”±PEI XIANGδ½©ζΉ˜πŸ§œβ€β™€οΈ (@evelynnnn_1021) on

Day 2 Whale sharks at Oslob!

After seeing the video below, most would be in awe. I mean, this gentle Whale Sharks are easily 10 m long with a HUGE mouth!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Lee (@sengkangbabies) on

Front and behind, we spotted 4 of the majestic creatures. Kids were initially apprehensive, but quickly snorkel out to get a close up view.

We must try our best to avoid touching the whale sharks. I heard human touch could damage whale shark’s surface membrane, exposing them to infections.

15 min away from the Whale Sharks venue, everyone hitch a Motorcycle to Tumalog Falls. Whee! quite dangerous but thrilling

Tumalog Falls has only a sprinkle of water, perhaps this is the dry season.

Day 3 Kawasan Falls is epic!

From the trail head, one can walk 45min (1.5km) to the first waterfall.
We would recommend the Badian Zipline! (500 Peso per pax).

“Superman” took 1 min to zip down. Say YES to adrenaline!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Lee (@sengkangbabies) on

Everyone can play “This-is-Sparta KICK” at the falls! Beside the water thrills, the emerald water was a sight to behold.

.. But safety first. Everyone must suit up with Life jacket and helmet. Just bring your Gopro or waterproof phone, NOTHING else.

There are 7 to 8 jumps to conquer, from 4m to 15m!

You can see the JUMPs in our IG story (link).

Yee 10m jump Kawasan Falls
Yee 10m jump Kawasan Falls

Video of Yee 10m Jump!

 

recommend family friendly activities Cebu
Recommend family friendly activities Cebu

Besides taking care of our safety, the crew/guides are excellent photographers too!

The Unsung Hero award goes to Mummy Mengchoo. Although she hates stunts and hikes, she was GAME to join for the sake of family πŸ™‚

Kawasan Falls is the No1 Cebu Family Itinerary for us πŸ™‚

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Lee (@sengkangbabies) on

Day 5 Half Day City Tour

Philippines is a Catholic country. There are many Cathedrals and churches on every island. Our guide shared how the first Spanish settlers converted locals to Christians.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Lee (@sengkangbabies) on

We started with the iconic Cebu Taoist Temple. The location itself is in Beverly Hills. Yes, the same as the one in California.

The richest folks will live on this hill overlooking the city.

Magellan’s Cross is revered by Catholics.

Fort San Pedro

Day 6 Danasan Eco Adventure Park

If you are seeking more adrenaline, you will not go wrong with Danasan Eco Adventure Park.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Lee (@sengkangbabies) on

We did ATV, GoKart (improvised) and even cycled in the sky.

The rain did not stop our FUN!

Sugbo Mercado (Cebu night market)

Surprisingly, there are no night markets (food and souvenirs) like those in Taiwan or Thailand. If you are looking for nice food, try Sugbo Mercado.

And it is located right in the heart of Cebu IT Park (Call Centers heaven)!

We would like to thank Klook and Kawasan Canyoneering forΒ  sponsorship and discounts for enriching our Cebu Family Itinerary.

Oslob Whale Sharks
https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/3643-snorkel-whale-sharks-oslob-cebu

Half Day Cebu Private Tour
https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/8013-private-rediscovery-tour-cebu

Danasan Eco Adventure Park
https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/17962-danasan-adventure-park-pass-cebu

Cebu Moalboal transfers
https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/12419-private-city-transfers-between-moalboal-mactan-cebu

Wifi router
https://www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/16561-4g-wifi-philippines

Badian Zip line and Kawasan Falls canyoneering!
https://www.facebook.com/kawasncanyoneering

We are still working on the rest of the blog posts, meanwhile do drop your queries to andy@sengkangbabies.com

More photos are uploaded in our Fanpage albums :
–Moalboal Panagsama stay
–Whale shark at Oslob
–Kawasan Falls
–Half Day Cebu City Tour (and nice food Sugbo Mercado)
–Danasan Eco Adventure Park
-Free & Easy SM Seaside

Cebu Blog posts:
* Cebu Family Itinerary
Day 2 Oslob with Whale Sharks
Day 3 Kawasan Falls canyoneering with family
Day 4 Free & Easy
Day 5 1/2 day Cebu city tour
Day 6 Danasan Eco Adventure Park (more adventures!)
Day 7 Free and Easy
Day 8 Fly home

 

Really happy that the whole family is game and adventurous, we tried many activities beyond our comfort zone πŸ™‚

Oslob Whale sharks. Wow!

Kawasan Falls canyoneering, JUMP JUMP!