"No signal here! Looks like nature wants us to enjoy our stay without it."
-Alvi Jane Hatamosa
Just when summer was coming to an end Kuya Steve, my cousin from California, came to visit Cebu and have me and Alvi Jane go with him to a long road trip to Badian, Cebu, with his family and students. I thought that I wouldn't be able to go to the beach this year's summer but thank goodness Kuya Steve came to save me from losing hope. I was working out my body the whole summer just to have a bikini-ready body but unfortunately I failed to buy a bikini. But who needs bikinis to enjoy summer on the beach, right?!
We left Cebu on June 10, 2016 at 11:00am from Quest Hotel heading to Badian with Uncle Cecile's tourist van. In case you want to travel with public transportation, you can always get a bus heading to Badian at South Bus Terminal located in Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City but make sure you get the early ride because it takes hours to get to far south.
We left Cebu on June 10, 2016 at 11:00am from Quest Hotel heading to Badian with Uncle Cecile's tourist van. In case you want to travel with public transportation, you can always get a bus heading to Badian at South Bus Terminal located in Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City but make sure you get the early ride because it takes hours to get to far south.
We had our lunch break in Gaisano Mall in Carcar City, for an hour and endured the city's traffic for a long period of time which was why we arrived in Badian around 3:30pm. We met Kuya Val, Kuya Steve's friend, who escorted us to the resort and of course, we have learned a few things from him about this place. We checked-in in Cebu International Golf Course and Resort. Yes, the resort obviously has a huge golf course and is known for its diving services, judging by the Korean magazine where it got featured. The resort is owned by a Korean which explains all of the Korean stuffs I see there.
Alvi and I finally witnessed the sun setting not at the bottom of the sea but behind the huge mountains of Negros Oriental. I don't know about Alvi but this was my first time to see the sunset on the beach in Cebu because I've been travelling a lot and have been living in the east side of Cebu. There's one thing for sure that we both agree with-- this is the farthest place we have ever been in Cebu, for now.
And this is where we chill after burning all of our energy outside. Simple yet comfortable. There were no wifi connections nor phone signals but we didn't need it because we were already enjoying without it!
On the next day of our stay, me and Alvi decided to jog around the resort first thing in the morning. We were able to see how big the golf course really was but I think jogging around the golf course isn't a good idea because we will never know when the golf ball will hit us! Good thing it was too early that nobody was there playing except the janitors and gardeners doing their work.
The popular place in Badian is the Kawasan Falls, one of the most popular waterfalls in Cebu and is used for supplying power(hydroelectricity). We went there on the same day with Kuya Val's vehicle. It was about 30 minutes ride from the resort to this place. From the entrance area, one should pay P10 as an entrance fee and not to mention the parking fee too. People had to walk for about 1 kilometer from the main entrance to the actual place since vehicles weren't allowed to get in. Since Kuya Val was with us, we got ourselves a special treatment! We didn't have to walk for one kilometer because we got our vehicle to enter inside.
There are numbers of streams and mini waterfalls in this jungle. As we walked our way to the biggest falls in this area,we met numbers of souvenir shops and stores that sell some foods. When we arrived there, we were welcomed with a crowd of people. The place have changed overtime because of its commercialization according to Kuya Val. We were suppose to avail the Badian Canyoneering Activity in Kawasan but due to its popular demand, the price for such activity went up with a minimum amount of P2,500-P3,000 per person. Long ago, inexperienced people would offer such activity to the public with a very low price causing the increase of demand and number of accidents. With that being said, we just spent our afternoon swimming in the cold turquoise waters, having a total body massage under the Kawasan Falls, jumping from the cliff to the deep water (WARNING: Do not jump if water is shallow.), trekking to the top until the dead end of the place and taking pretty pictures. Despite of the crowds from the bottom level, I still got to enjoy for a number of reasons! The first level of the place where one has to climb to the top had lesser crowd than the bottom level. It wasn't difficult to get there. The waterfalls from the top is smaller and shallower compared to the bottom level.
Just like most of the places in Cebu, one should pay a few coins for the usage of the toilet. The renting of a cottage and bamboo raft which carries 20 people both costs P300. If you're not a good swimmer, then fret no more! They offer life vests which costs P50 for people like you so that you too could fulfill one of the things in your bucket list.
There are numbers of streams and mini waterfalls in this jungle. As we walked our way to the biggest falls in this area,we met numbers of souvenir shops and stores that sell some foods. When we arrived there, we were welcomed with a crowd of people. The place have changed overtime because of its commercialization according to Kuya Val. We were suppose to avail the Badian Canyoneering Activity in Kawasan but due to its popular demand, the price for such activity went up with a minimum amount of P2,500-P3,000 per person. Long ago, inexperienced people would offer such activity to the public with a very low price causing the increase of demand and number of accidents. With that being said, we just spent our afternoon swimming in the cold turquoise waters, having a total body massage under the Kawasan Falls, jumping from the cliff to the deep water (WARNING: Do not jump if water is shallow.), trekking to the top until the dead end of the place and taking pretty pictures. Despite of the crowds from the bottom level, I still got to enjoy for a number of reasons! The first level of the place where one has to climb to the top had lesser crowd than the bottom level. It wasn't difficult to get there. The waterfalls from the top is smaller and shallower compared to the bottom level.
Just like most of the places in Cebu, one should pay a few coins for the usage of the toilet. The renting of a cottage and bamboo raft which carries 20 people both costs P300. If you're not a good swimmer, then fret no more! They offer life vests which costs P50 for people like you so that you too could fulfill one of the things in your bucket list.
This summer, I didn't only swim in fresh waters but in salty waters as well! Badian also has its own white sand beach. Lambug Beach is a few walks away from the resort where we stayed. There were no entrance fees collected when we entered. I was glad that there weren't much people on the beach unlike in Moalboal which could get pretty crowded on summer.
We left Badian on Sunday, June 12, 2016, with tan lines on our skins as evidences of our enjoyment in both fresh and salty waters. For my school, summer has come to an end. This summer I swam with all of my heart because I know that I will soon drown with so much school works when summer ends. Knowing what is expected for a graduating student like me, I am indeed happy to end my summer this way and start with a heart full of happiness and memories to look forward to another summer. Thank you Kuya Steve, family and friends!
We left Badian on Sunday, June 12, 2016, with tan lines on our skins as evidences of our enjoyment in both fresh and salty waters. For my school, summer has come to an end. This summer I swam with all of my heart because I know that I will soon drown with so much school works when summer ends. Knowing what is expected for a graduating student like me, I am indeed happy to end my summer this way and start with a heart full of happiness and memories to look forward to another summer. Thank you Kuya Steve, family and friends!