BOHOL PART 1: Going to Bohol

This is the first part of a series of posts about my Bohol Trip.

Starting point: Cebu City
Destination: Tagbilaran, Bohol

We came early (around 8am) to the Port of Cebu to catch whatever boat is travelling to Tagbilaran. Lucky there was a schedule at 9am via Weesam Express and will arrive in Tagbilaran at approximately 10:40am. The ticket costs P500.00 per person. After getting our tickets, we proceeded to the terminal, paid our terminal fees, "checked in", and waited for boarding. Sounds like flying, huh?

Is it just me? Or this really looks like a CebPac for the sea?

Other trips from Cebu to Tagbilaran are offered by Ocean Jet, Supercat, and other shipping lines. If you want to travel with ease, you might want to know the schedule of your preferred shipping line. When we went to the Port of Cebu, we had no actual shipping preference: we just wanted to go to Bohol with what's available and Weesam was right there fit on our schedule. If you're looking to Cebu-Tagbilaran trips, there is a schedule posted here.

The trip takes one hour and 40 minutes in a Fast Craft. I've been to Bohol before but it was via Cebu Ferries, Nasipit-Jagna route and it took us 6 hours. This time, the trip would be faster and it was my first time to ride a Fast Craft so I really did not know what to expect. It did not help that a week before our trip, there was a storm and some of the previous week's trips have been cancelled due to bad weather and huge waves.

Generally, our cruise was peaceful and I actually had a great time sleeping for almost an hour. However, around thirty minutes before our scheduled arrival, huge waves were rocking the boat. I wasn't really afraid at first but when I saw my window getting splashed with seawater, I got terrified! Hahaha! I could laugh at myself now but during that time, I was really scared and praying that we could arrive at Tagbilaran safely. I think I was the only scared passenger that time because most of the passengers were not really affected with the waves. I took photos of the "turbulence" as shown below:

Gladly, we arrived in the Tagbilaran Port safely. 

By the way, if have not yet booked a hotel beforehand, the Port of Tagbilaran has an Information Booth which is really very helpful. A tourist was even given a map when she asked for it. There are also a lot of information on the tourist destinations and even package deals for guided tours. Also, vans are parked outside and ready to transport tourists to their selected destinations. As for us, we wanted to travel the Boholano way: we boarded a tricycle that would take us to the jeepney terminal for Panglao. But that's for another post. Stay tuned.

Cebu Jam

My first time in Cebu! My stay was a short one - less than 24 hours. Our main goal was to go to Bohol and since there are no direct flights from Davao to Bohol, we decided to stay in Cebu overnight.

Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines. I was not able to roam that much but I noticed how their streets could get so tight with cars and public transportation. Traffic is heavy specially on Friday night (and because we're that lucky, we went there on a Friday night). To make things more complicated, it wasn't just an ordinary Friday night, it was also a payday so it is expected that a lot of Cebuanos would be going out for shopping and leisure. I also noticed that Cebu's streets are narrow, and I blame it for lack of urban planning. But I don't think urban planning is a thing of the past. Cebu, after all, is a very old city.

My Cebu experience is good. There are rumors about Cebu being a haven of snatchers and some of our friends warned us beforehand to be extra careful and vigilant. Fortunately for us, we did not experience anything terrible or troublesome. One thing that's difficult to decipher, though, is their jeepney route. I had a hard time looking for the correct jeepney to ride on because their routes are coded alphanumerically: like, 17C, 12A, etc. I think it's hard to memorize those codes! Lol!

The photo above was taken at around 7am in Mango St., Cebu. The street is almost empty - completely opposite from the traffic jam the night before. By the way, I think there is a nice souvenir store in Mango St. but I was not able to get its name.

Should I go back? I think I would. I loved the IT Park, the Death by Chocolate, Ilaputi. I know there are more places worth visiting in Cebu. Maybe next time I can also visit Magellan's Cross and other tourist attractions Cebu has to offer.

Club Asiano Resort

sunset at Club Asiano Resort
photo by SSantos

Model: CZamora

OHANA
2 bedrooms
2 living rooms
with comfort room, jacuzzi, kitchen,
terrace, and veranda

Ohana's Interior:

rooms upstairs

view from the living room no. 1 upstairs

room no. 1

terrace

room no. 2

going up/down?

kitchen/dining area

living room downstairs

t/b with jacuzzi

DUPLEX

Duplex Cottage Interior:

Other Accommodations:

Small Cottage Interior

Open Cottage

Seashore Cottage

Seashore Cottage Interior and Views:

These days, it's hard to find some private time in resorts because it would almost always be crowded. There are a handful of private resorts in Samal but you know that you should also be ready for their steep prices. It's good to know that there is one alternative resort that could offer your some private time without breaking the bank - that's Club Asiano Resort located in Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal.

A friend, Don M., recommended this resort for our high school reunion. I must say that it exceeded my expectations. The resort is small but it has everything that you need: ample and secured parking space, comfortable and clean accommodations, cooking and grilling area, function hall, and it even has a private videoke room. We Filipinos love to sing! I like it that the videoke room is private so you can still sing without waking up other resort guests. Hehehe!

At Club Asiano, you don't need to worry about overcrowding. It's semi-private (or you can have it exclusive!) and you need to make your reservation first so it's guaranteed that you will be accommodated properly (no waiting time for other guests to check out before you get your own cottage, how's that for a treat?). The place is simple and peaceful so if you want some downtime and just want to relax, Club Asiano is the best place for it!

Another plus: a part of the beach is shaded. Thanks to the big tree along the shore. The beach is also perfect for little kids as there are no waves in this area (Camudmud faces Davao City). By the way, the resort is just around 7 kilometers away from the Babak Wharf. It is best to bring a 4-wheel drive vehicle when going there as the road going to the resort is downhill and rough. Although there is a cemented portion, you might not be able to track it if you'll be going there for the first time. The place is also accessible via habal-habal so don't worry. And, it's not that far from the main Circumferential road, it wouldn't hurt to exercise your gluteal muscles and hamstrings for a 5-minute walk.

We were housed in the Ohana Cottage (Php 7,000 or around $150), the biggest in the resort. The structure is mainly wood but I really find it beautifully crafted (I wonder who their architect is?). Twenty-two (22) people were there for our reunion and although there were only two bedrooms, Club Asiano was ready for the bigger crowd. There were extra mattresses and we utilized the spacious common room upstairs.

I must say that Club Asiano is perfect if you want to host exclusive parties. Rates as of 10/15/2011 are as follows:

Ohana Cottage (1): P7,000

Duplex Cottage (2): P2,500

Small Cottage (1): P1,500

Seashore Cottage (1): P1,000

For a more complete information about the resort, please visit them at http://clubasianoresort.blogspot.com/