Cebu’s natural wonders: Rein in summer spending with budget-friendly trips

CEBU, Philippines - While taking summer trips could sound so pricey, the province of Cebu actually has a lot of wonderful nature attractions that are budget-friendly and perfect summer itinerary for the locals or even foreign tourists who want to keep their summer spending at bay.

Having only enough to spend is not a problem as there are vacation places--resorts, falls, springs and parks for outdoor activites--in the city and province of Cebu that cater to tourists.

Some of these nature’s places are newly discovered while others are starting to make a name in the tourism industry and to grab the awareness not just of the locals but the foreign visitors as well.

While people have the freedom to go to their favorite destinations this season, several families, friends, organization members and even neighbors look somewhere to enjoy the summer’s atmosphere on a tight budget.  

Cheap fun

Find the cheap place and never fail to enjoy the outing, this according to Gelbolingo family who recently visited the famous Obong Cold Spring in the town of Dalaguete.

At the South Bus Terminal, there are two routes for the buses: Oslob and Carcar (both pass by Dalaguete). The fare is just P95 per head.

With 20 people comprising of family members, friends and neighbors, Gelbolingo family in the town of Argao only spent more or less P2, 200 for transportation, food, cottage and entrance fee.

The entrance fee to the spring is only P5 and the rental fee for its cottage costs P150: “Low cost gyod siya kay una ang bayad pa lang sa pagsud barato na unya mag-enjoy gyod ka, di ka magmahay,” said Sunshine Gelbolingo, who is based in the city.               

Obong is a fresh water spring located near the sea and is now deemed as Dalaguete’s pride and has been included in the destination list of Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, the provincial government’s tourism advocacy program.

“I would say it was inexpensive fun,” Gelbolingo shared. “I guess what truly matters is you are with your family. The place is just secondary.”

The FREEMAN has compiled some of the low cost summer getaway destinations in Cebu specifically for the local tourism market:

1. Obong Spring. Located in the southernmost part of the town of Dalaguete, the cold spring has been a chosen trip destination for most domestic tourists who are looking for an inexpensive summer getaway. The entrance fee is obviously low: P5 for adult and P2 for kids under 10. The huge 400-year-old dalakit tree makes the atmosphere in the spring very cool amid the sunny, hot days.

Quick facts: Dalaguete is known as the “Vegetable Basket of Cebu” because the town’s foggy hillsides are right for growing healthy greens. Tons of fresh vegetables are harvested in Dalaguete’s farms everyday and transported to Cebu City’s Carbon Market.

2. Island in the Sky. People can actually escape the sweltering heat this summer by going to the mountainous part of Cebu like the Gaas in the town of Balamban, known for its chilly uptown barangays. This is where the other Queen City of the South’s “Little Baguio” is located--the Island in the Sky resort. Entrance fee to the mountain resort is P60 for adults and P25 for children.

“The cool weather is the best thing the place can offer,” said Kulet Estrella, one of the resort investment assistants. “This is God-given place although part of it is also man-made.”

Guests can enjoy various outdoor activities such as the cable car which is close to 400 meters long and costs P150 per ride. Visitors can also experience the cold pool for P50. The place can  be reached by riding a Van-for-hire from JY Square in Lahug heading to the topmost Trancentral Highway of barangay Gaas; the ride would only cost P60. 

“The temperature here is 8 to 10 degrees lower than in the city,” Estrella told The FREEMAN. “You can fully see the whole city, you can’t see that in other places.”

3. Adventure Café. Aside from the food it offers, this café also offers zipline ride which costs only P150; wall climb is P100; and stress wall activity (where a person throws and breaks plates to relieve anger and stress) is P25 per plate.

Rodrigo Manrique, the zipline’s officer in charge, said if an individual rides twice, the second ride would only cost P100, giving their customers a discount.  

4. Tumalog Falls. Considered to be a newly discovered eco-tourism destination in the town of Oslob. Also called as “Toslob Falls” or “Mag-ambak Falls”, the Tumalog falls are visited by more and more local and foreign tourists because of its primeval look and, of course, the cheap entrance fee: P20.

Mother and daughter Ting and Bea Gomez, 19, recently visited the must-see nature attraction spending only a practical amount of money but was able to enjoy the beauty of nature.

The road going to the falls is just along the highway. So from the main road, the mother and daughter rode a habal-habal for only P30 heading to the topmost parking area and took a 5-minute walk down to the hidden paradise.

5. HK Resort. It is located in the municipality of Moalboal in the southwest coast of the province of Cebu. The public white sand resort’s entrance fee is only P25. But the resort’s caretaker Jhoey Abella said if a group or family rents a cottage which costs P600, the entrance fee is already free.

6. Tubod Flowing Water Resort. This has been a regular summer stop for most local tourists because of its budget-friendly amenities fee and the “pang-masa” trademark, said 37-year-old Mary Joy Bienes, Tubod’s senior receptionist. Located in Minglanilla, Cebu, Tubod resort’s entrance fee is reasonably affordable to the mid-earners: P120 for adults and P60 for kids. Aside from enjoying the pool, visitors can also roam around the resort’s Bird Sanctuary to see for themselves the different indigenous birds in the Philippines.

Different leisure activities can also be done inside the resort such as basketball, billiard and videoke. It offers 20% discounts for senior citizen clients.

Apart from these spots, the province of Cebu still has a lot of nature offerings waiting to be discovered. (FREEMAN)