Moalboal, Philippines (Week 3)

After two long travel days and one wrongly booked flight (cough cough Corbin), we found ourselves in the small seaside town of Moalboal on Cebu Island. Excited to be back on the beach we spent the first day lounging and getting acquainted with the area. We rented our first motorbike (a very popular way to get around in Southeast Asia) and had a blast zipping around the backroads surrounded by banana trees, local homes, and seaside views. 

One of the main draws to this area, and the primary reason we decided to add Moalboal to our list of destinations, is Badian Canyon. Unsure if it would live up to the hype, we threw on our swimsuits and headed for the canyon. We spent the next 3 hours hiking, scrambling over boulders, swimming, cliff jumping, and giggling our way down a beautiful green river in the middle of the jungle. There were 7 major jumps, the highest being about 35 feet. We felt like little kids again and laughed during the whole experience. The canyoneering ended at the famous Kawasan falls where we enjoyed diving into the blue water.

Moalboal is known for its scuba diving and snorkeling, so we did both! We enjoyed a morning dive at Pescador island where we saw star fish, tons of brightly colored fish, scorpion fish, and frog fish. The next day, we rented snorkel equipment for three dollars and walked down to the beach. After 5 minutes in the water Corbin spotted a huge sea turtle and within 10 minutes we were surrounded by thousands of silver sardines. We swam with the swarms of sardines for a bit and then let the current take us down the coast where we gradually saw 4 more sea turtles. It was remarkable snorkeling and a highlight of the week. 

During a day without plans, we hopped on the motorbike and drove down the coastal highway in search of some less visited waterfalls. After about an hour and a half drive, we stopped for gas. As the gas station employee began to fill our tank, the motorbike key broke off in the ignition. So, we found ourselves an hour and a half from ‘home’ with motorbike/key problems... oh and did we mention that it was also raining? With the help of some kind locals, and their plyers, we started the ignition and drove to the nearby hardware store where we ended up buying our own set of plyers to turn the motorbike on and off. 

Eventually, we did make it to the waterfall and had a great time. Upon arrival to the falls, our two young guides (brothers named Raymond and Roland) began showing us all of the jumping spots. One of these cliff jumping spots involved rock climbing (more like being hoisted up by Filipinos) up to a small hole overlooking the pool and pushing/propelling our bodies out of it. With some hesitation, cursing, and the bird being thrown around (Tatum towards Corbin and the giggling Filipino guides below), we both completed the jump and were all smiles. 

Other highlights in Moalboal included Tatum getting her first massage for a whopping nine dollars and we finally got to sing karaoke. One night we found ourselves in what must have been the dirtiest dive bar in town and heard singing coming from the ‘karaoke room’.  We were greeted with smiles and high fives upon entering, making fast friends with the slightly intoxicated locals. We picked out our song, “Friends in Low Places,” a classic, and belted out a shockingly good performance; more accurately, the microphone just shocked us throughout the entire song. 

We can’t believe that our time in the Philippines has come to an end. We had a blast exploring the islands, visiting with the friendly locals, and enjoying the sunshine (especially when we heard how effing cold it was back home). Thailand... here we come!

With Love,

   Boots Abroad

Corbin’s

   Highs: Canyoneering, Waterfall, sardines, driving the motorbike

   Lows: Realizing that we are leaving the Philippines.

Tatum’s

   Highs: Canyoneering, Waterfall, Sunsets at the Beach, 1st Massage

   Lows: None; You will all be relieved to find out that my shoes stayed especially clean this week :)