Moalboal - Osmena - Kawasan and back in Less than 1000 pesos

Osmeña Peak

So finally, you got that leave or vacation you've been wanting to for months. Now that you have the time, you are probably thinking of places you want to visit. And poof! You think of Cebu. What are the things you can do in this island down south? If you are in a tight budget, then you're in luck! this is the ultimate guide for one segment of South Cebu Trip; Moalboal - Kawasan - Osmeña in less than 1,000 pesos. 

Background

Moalboal is a 4th class income municipality. It offers various activities like swimming with sardines, watching sea turtles, and island hopping. It is approximately 2 - 3 hrs away from Cebu City. 

Kawasan Falls  is probably most famous because of the canyoneering activity here. It is located in the municipality of Alegria. For the purpose of our itinerary, we will track our travels from Moalboal instead of Cebu City. Kawasan Falls is approximately 30 - 40 minutes away from Moalboal. 

Osmeña Peak, the highest peak of Cebu towering 1,013 MASL, is located in Badian, Cebu. This peak is about 1.5 to 2 hour - motorbike ride from Moalboal. 

Usually, travellers pair up Osmeña Peak and Kawasan Falls, or Moalboal and Kawasan Falls. But now, we will give you a definitive guide to hit all the three destinations in one day. 

How to go to Moalboal

1. Book a flight going to Cebu, then from Cebu International Airport, ride a taxi that will bring you to the South Bus Station. NOTE: Tell the driver to drop you off on the terminal of Ceres Bus. In our case, we were dropped at Librando Lines. Well, you can ride this bus but it has smaller leg space and non AC.

2. Alight in Moalboal Town Proper, then ride a trike to your accommodation. It is better to reserve a room in advance to get better deals. 

3.  Drop everything at your accommodation. You have to travel a bit light since the next leg of your travel will be exhilarating. 

Where to Stay in Moalboal

There are lots of accommodation in Moalboal, catering both local and foreign visitors. People here speak English so language barrier will not be a big issue. For us, we stayed at Roos Guesthouse 

It has AC rooms, WIFI, and free breakfast. Probably the best thing about this guesthouse is its owner, Werner and Hanna. Both are good conversationalists, helpful and kind. Be sure to talk with them if you visit. Aside from all of this, Roos Guesthouse is just a short walk away from Panagsama Beach. 

Negotiating your Ride

Upon arrival, we just dropped our bags in our room before heading out. It's time for your negotiating skills come to play. Riders will definitely flock around you offering to take you to different places. There will be no fixed price, so be wary of those who will try to milk away your budget. 

It's okay to turn down offers, just be sure to be polite in doing so. We were able to negotiate a good deal. We were able to get 2 motorbikes with drivers for me and Pearly for only 1600 pesos (800 pesos per head). The deal was to take us first to Osmeña Peak, then to Kawasan Falls and finally back to Moalboal.

We shook hands and off we go. 

First Leg: Osmeña Peak

From Moalboal, it will take you about 2 hours to reach the highest peak of Cebu. This is quite exhilarating since the motorbike will take you to rough roads, coastal roads, twisting mountain passes, and forests. It is definitely a feast for the eyes, but sadly, we were not able to take any pictures since we were holding to the motorbike for our dear lives. 

NOTE: Motorbike riders here do not usually wear helmets. I suggest that you ask for one. Do not do what we did. We pushed through without helmet and was immediately praying for a safe trip after we realised how fast we are going and how adrenaline pumping the road will be. 

We arrived at Osmeña Peak at around 11AM.  You are required to pay an environmental fee of 50 pesos. Getting a guide is not mandatory since climbing the highest peak of Cebu is actually very easy. In fact, it is the easiest hike of my life! From the registration, you only have to walk 30 - 40 mins to reach the summit. In our case, 20 minutes because we have to hasten a bit. 

Rules and regulation in Osmeña Peak

NOTE: There are some local kids who will offer to guide you to the summit. It is against the policy to hire them so just say no. But you can give them sweets if you have extra. :)

The trail going up is a bit rocky, with few houses selling variety of products. 

Bilbo's House in Osmeña Peak

Cebu's version of the Chocolate Hills, but with pointy peaks

We stayed at the peak for about an hour, enjoying the view. From the summit, you can see Cebu Strait. As a Lord of the Rings fanatic, I can't help but to think that the view atop Osmeña Peak is reminiscent of the Middle Earth. For the locals, this is the Cebu version of the Chocolate Hills but with pointy peaks instead of round. 

We descended the mountain briskly as the sunlight became more punishing. 

Second leg: Kawasan Falls

Let the inner child play once in a while

We did not stop for lunch but rather have a quick bite with anything we can lay our hands on before we went for another ride going to Kawasan Falls. The ride going there from Osmeña Peak is about 1 to 1.5 hours. The usual rate for that trip is around 1,000 to 1,500 pesos from Osmeña Peak to Kawasan Falls. Good for us!

Entrance fee to the falls is 50 pesos. You have two choices of activities in Kawasan Falls. First is to do canyoneering, or just swim in the turquoise water of the falls. Since we are not very keen in jumping to water in great heights and their is only two of us, and both of us do not actually push each other, we decided to just swim in the cold water. 

If you are a "good" swimmer like us, life vests are available to rent for only 50 pesos each. You can only rent lockers to put your belongings into for 100 pesos for whole day.

Just one of the puddles before reaching the falls

We really enjoyed our dip in the turquoise water of Kawasan. It was one of the hottest days in summer, but the water was refreshingly cold. We could have stayed longer if only our room is nearby.

We spent two hours just enjoying the water when we decided to call it a day and head back to Moalboal. We decided to cut our Kawasan trip short because we do not want to ply the highway with our speeding bike without a helmet at night.

After 30 minutes of exciting ride, we were back in our room. We slept early for our exciting activity the next day.

Third Leg: Sardine Run at Panagsama Beach

We woke up early, around 6 in the morning. Hannah served us our breakfast of rice and corned beef which we downed with gusto. Another good thing about staying in Roos Guesthouse is that they are willing to lend snorkelling equipment, free of charge.

Snorkelling equipment are also available for rent on the beach. You can rent a life vest, and snorkelling equipment for 200 pesos.

Panagsama Beach has fine and white sand. However, it is quite narrow so it is not so popular for beach bumming. But the great thing about this beach is the SARDINE RUN. You do not have to go very far from the beach to watch as millions, as in MILLIONS of sardines, swam.

Panagsama Beach

Swimming with the sardines! Too bad, we do not have an under water camera to capture the majestic sardine run. (Aww men!)

We spent a great deal of our morning watching the sardines and enjoying the waters of Panagsama Beach. Aside from the sardines, be mesmerised by the very diverse aquatic life. Coral reefs, colourful fishes, and other marine life are present in this place.

Snorkelling in Panagsama Beach

Around 11am, we finally decided to go back to dry lands for wash up before heading out again. And that concludes our Moalboal, Kawasan and Osmeña Trip. Watch out for the next segment of our Cebu-Bohol Trip.

CIAO!

NOTES

1. LNT is not limited in the mountains. Practice Leave No Trace Principle in beaches and falls. Pick up litters and throw them in proper garbage cans. 

2. Everyone wants to save money in travelling. But always remember that economical choice must give way to humanity. Though this guide highlights that we were able to get our ride in less than 1000 pesos each, always remember not to haggle so much. We are travelling for leisure, they're working for a living. 

3. Request to wear helmet for safety. 

4. Underwater cameras are available for rent in both Moalboal and Kawasan Falls. Price ranges from 500 - 1000.

5. You can find cheap food around the town proper of Moalboal. If you are a foreigner, try eateries and local restaurant instead of visiting fast-food chains. 

6. Reserve your room in advance. Moalboal is a booming spot for international and local tourist so hotels and transient houses tend to be full during peak season. 

Gallery

Yehey! Love this shot

Model Pose atop Osmeña Peak

How high is the sun? 

The bloggers in Panagsama Beach