Cebu on day two was a very different experience from our hectic and sad view of the city the day before. We were picked up at the hotel and went straight to the dive shop where we were fitted with snorkel gear. Our boat crew consisted of three guys, the one who picked us up probably spoke the best English but it was still really difficult to converse with him. The other two didn’t say anything to us the whole trip. One operated the boat and the other was seemingly along for the ride. I think at one stop he even snorkeled with us – not as a guide or anything. Just enjoying the ocean.
We walked down a long and scraggly pier where little kids climbed on the railings and jumped off into the ocean naked or in underwear. Whole families swam between the boats that pulled in and out of the dock. I couldn’t help but think about the sectioned off pristine beaches right down the way. Locals have to settle with swimming in murky water and dodging boats because their beaches have been saved for the tourists who can pay.
We finally sailed off in a large motorized boat that probably could have held 20 people but only carried us. Salty water sprayed us as we flew over the waves, the water so shallow and clear that you could see straight to the bottom. The company we used allowed us to choose our islands – you can do anywhere from 2 to 10 in a day. We chose 4 but so much snorkeling was pretty exhausting – I think we would have been better off doing just 3, spending more time at each.
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| A boat just like ours |
The snorkeling was the best I’ve ever experienced. Corals fanned out all along the bottom, blue fingers, wavy light pink fans, yellow corrugated mushroom-like blobs, housing fish and countless other unseen life. Angel fish with long head fins darted by, and thousands of blue, green and yellow fluorescent fishes floated all around us. We were given bread to feed the fishes on every stop and it was a surreal experience, having thousands of fishes suddenly swarming you all around and underneath where you can’t even see them, grabbing chunks of soggy loaf away from each other.
We did snorkeling at three islands – two of them were marine sanctuaries where locals aren’t allowed to fish (they do anyways but can be fined or jailed for it if they are caught). The diversity of life was outstanding. I’ve been diving and snorkeling before but have never seen so many different kinds of fishes in one trip.
In between the snorkeling we landed on a beachy island for lunch. A small grass hut was rented and our guides told us to go check out the beach while they got our lunch ready. We walked along the perfect white shore and waded out into the water. The water is so shallow around these islands that fishermen stand up on the bottom out in the middle of the ocean - a strange sight.
The meal was the best of the trip. Our table was overloaded with grilled milkfish, pork, squid and chicken legs. Accompanied by a box of rice for each of us it was definitely too much for two people, but after all the snorkeling the grilled tender meat and seafood were perfect. To top it off we had mangoes and bananas. I don’t know what the difference is between mangoes from the Philippines and elsewhere but they are perfectly sweet and tender without any of the bitterness that mangoes can sometimes have. It was my favorite food find on our trip.
This is probably a good place to talk about the food in the Philippines. Being a die-hard foodie, I did a lot of research beforehand about the local food. Lechon (grilled whole pig) seemed to be the big thing in the area. I had a pretty hard time finding much else and decided to just wing it when I arrived. Fast food seems to rule the islands and it’s hard to find a restaurant that looks safe enough to try. We did find one place offering lechon and it was pretty good – the skin crispy and chewy at the same time – almost like candy. It was served with a vinegar and red onion condiment which balanced out the fattiness of the meat well. Besides the lechon and the grilled meat on our snorkeling trip there was no other meal worth mentioning. The biggest disappointment of the trip was the food. I don’t want to suggest that Filipino food has nothing to offer. We just couldn’t find it on the island.
Overall day two was a good experience. It was a little strange to have the whole boat to ourselves but the water and the fish and the beaches were so relaxing, all I could feel was comfort and peace, a totally different feeling from the previous day wandering in the city.
I’m not sure I would go back to the Philippines. It’s a good place for people looking to be pampered or hoping to lay on a beach and drink cocktails, or for those wanting great diving. But if you’re looking for a memorable local experience and great food there are better places I can think of visiting. In fairness I only saw two small parts of one island in a country made up of over 7000, and I didn’t experience any of the waterfalls and nature hikes in the mountains. I didn’t see the small fishing villages. These could be totally worth it.
If you've been to the Philippines or had a great experience with the food and want to share your thoughts, please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear how others found the islands.
hi nova, food here may not be as great as thai and chinese (which are my top favorites) but if you want to taste the local cuisines, try heading up north to Pampanga :-) or down south of Manila to Bicol. Cebu's specialty is barbeque and roast pig :-)
flipnomad - Thanks for the tips! I'm sure I missed out on some good food when I was in the Philippines. We didn't know anyone local so it was hard to figure out where to go or what to try. Hopefully the next time we visit we can try one of your suggestions!