Author Archives: Nisa Zafira

Oslob Adventure with the Blue Whale Sharks

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My venture to swim with the majestic blue whale sharks was the best thing that ever happened in my life. I assure you, you won’t have any regrets in this trip.

Swimming with the Whale Sharks

It was on the 23rd of December when we got into our hotel located by the seashore in Oslob. Oslob is on the east side of Cebu Island. We were foretold that the Swim with the Blue Whale Shark tickets had to be purchased by an agent from the hotel before midnight. This was to reduce traffic on the next day, most of the tourists come early to the center to get tickets for the boats, therefore it was important for us to get the early boat tickets. No one of course would want to penetrate through the hubbub and deal with the pandemonium of noise there. We paid before hand before that evening, and we were briefed that the shuttle would arrive early in the morning at 5 am.

The next morning, we hopped on the shuttle and arrived at the Blue Whale Shark Center in about 5 minutes. By the time we arrived, there was already a long queue. I was dressed in Nashata Sleeveless Body suit and  Nashata Red Heather Top. My mom was dressed in Nashata Sibaha. The body suits provided us with great support and the products did not slip or move about during drastic movements. Upon waiting for the briefing session provided by the staffs, a few salesmen walked around, promoting the waterproof phone cases. I purchased one because I wanted to record the experience in my phone. Hence, they also explained that there were GoPro devices up for rent. We took that too.

 

Poster at briefing session

After a few moments, the staff conducted her briefing session using a small mic and speaker, it was fairly loud but the crowd was really loud. The staff explained that all swimmers must keep a distance of 5 meters away from the Whale Sharks. It was also compulsory for all swimmers to wear the life vest at all times. She also strictly warned us to not touch the fish. As soon as the briefing session ended, we were escorted to the second boat, luckily we were the first few to jump in the water. Why? This is because the early birds would witness the feeding time of the Whale Sharks up close !

Nashata Body suit and Red heather top

Nashata Sibaha

I was extremely shocked to see the whales  at a surprisingly low water level. The water depth was approximately about 15 meters deep. The Blue Whale Sharks would come up close to the shore to be fed, that was incredible ! They were super friendly too, despite the bountiful amount of humans swimming and circulating them, they were very calm. As I dropped my feet into the water, and lowered my head to see the whale shark, I was amazed. They were so beautiful, each individual whale own their own pretty white spots. From the upside view, I could see their shark-like fins that were actually pretty scary. However, from the lower view, they were as calming as dolphins. Their large sized mouths were like vacuums. They did not have any teeth or such, they only had a big mouth that would suck anything in front of them.

Shot taken from the GoPro

Swimming with them for the first time was actually really terrifying. Based on movies and documentaries, the whale is enormous and since it belongs to the shark family, sharks are dangerous animals too. Essentially, I was awestruck when there were no security or life guards provided. Was it safe? What if it tries to swallow me? However, none of that happened, they were perfectly calm and friendly. They had been there for a while and supposedly, they know their whereabouts pretty well. Here is a fact, the swimmers do not need to move around too much to avoid contact with the whale, because the whale would make its way around you. Conversely, the whales do have a blind spot located right in front of their head. This is because their eyes are situated by the sides of their heads. One of the boatmen rendered his assistance to videotape us using the rented GoPro. He was pretty skilled in taking the videos as the outcome was spectacular !

After a good 20 minutes, the boatmen demanded us to get out from the water to return to the deck. The whales did not stay for long, therefore to ensure all the tourists present get the chance to swim with the whales, the boatmen must be in complete control of the flow. As soon as we arrived the shore, an army of tourists were already flushing into the empty boats. I was really glad we had gone early to swim with the whales. After that, I went to the GoPro rent shop to alter the video and pictures into my mobile phone. It took a while for me to do that because the video and pictures were  in large files and ate up most of my storage. Therefore, to all future tourists, please ensure you have a large empty storage in your phone or laptop if you wish to rent the GoPro! After the transfer was completed, I took a peep at the videos and I was very astonished by the quality. It was amazing, I definitely recommend you to get the rented GoPro or bring one from home, it would be a great help !

That sums up my venture to swim with the Blue Whale Shark in Oslob, Philippines. It was one of the best moments in my life, I felt so happy that i wanted to swim with them again !

Journey to Osmena Peak

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On the 22nd of December 2019, I woke up at 4am in the morning to catch the sunrise at Osmena Peak. I got ready and waited for the transport provided by the hotel at Badian area, which is on the west side of Cebu Island. It was pitch black and only a few vehicles could be seen on that dark chilly morning. My family and I hopped on two motorcycles and were foretold that the ride was only a 5 minute ride to Osmena Peak. My mom and I were told to get onto a motorbike with a male rider on it. We agreed and immediately started our journey although I knew my mother was not comfortable to ride a motorbike without a helmet. After a few minutes, the motorcyclist stopped by the road side and told us that they had to stop for gas. Surprisingly they fueled up by the road side using a bottle filled with fuel from a house. I guess they keep all their stocks in the houses for easy refuel. As we continued our journey, it took longer than 10 minutes then little puffs of imaginary light  bulbs started popping up on our heads. Why was it taking so long ? But neither of us dared to speak up because it was super chilly, we were ascending a hill. With the cool breeze slapping and whooshing our faces, all we could do was hug each other very tightly. The roads were also windy and bumpy, it really made an impact on my leg injury that i had the day before.

 

Journey to Osmena Peak

We passed by many houses, villages and a small yet busy town trading vegetables,  and there were surprisingly a great number of chickens and dogs. The animals there were extremely friendly, unlike the ones in my country, they are more ferocious and violent. The animals in the Phillipines do not attack you, they act more like companions. It was so calming to see the village, the people smile and waved back as we passed by. After a good long hour, we finally reached the Osmena Peak checkpoint.

There was a slippery slope that we had to ascend to reach the hut. The morning fog covered the land with cold droplets of water, it was comfortable to breathe but difficult to walk as the path was slippery. We looked like clumsy babies going up the slope, the villagers just smiled. When we reached the hut, there was an entrance fee of probably 100 pesos per person, and if we wanted a guide, it would cost an additional 500 pesos.

The start point

Walking sticks were also available for rent for 50 pesos each, the staff explained that the walking sticks are important during the descend. So, we took 3 walking sticks and hired a guide. We were shocked to see the guide, confidently only wearing a pair of flipflops, draped over with a grey jacket and attired with a simple black colored short. While us on the other hand, were dressed up like mountain hikers, geared up with sports shoes and training attires.

A picture with J.R

The guide introduced himself as “J.R” he was very cheerful and amazingly friendly. He rendered his assistance for photography purposes, so I gave him my mobile phone, he said it would be a piece of cake for him. He briefly told us that the climb would only take about 20 minutes. By that time, the sun was already up. We missed the sunrise but the weather was still perfectly fine, sunny but rather chilly.

As we ascended, i notice that we were going slightly at a slow pace, the rock edges were fairly slippery and covered with growth. The hike was not challenging but the weather factor made it particularly grueling.

The spectacular view !

One crucial element that hikers must take note is not to forget the spectacular view from above. Although we haven’t reach the top yet, we could see the wide range village and heaps of those beautiful green mountains, it was amazing. The piles of grassy mountains were wrapped round with windy routes that almost seemed like a whirlwind. The sun cast its warm beams of sunlight on us, it felt like a fairy tail. The echoes of roosters ring the air as we ascended.

As we ascended, J.R effortlessly took shots and videos of us during the climb, it almost seemed like he was just casually stretching his arms while hitting the record button. But the video quality was really good, it was barely difficult for him to make the ascend, it was like walking for him. He explained that he goes up and down the hill more than 8 times a day to guide the tourists. Clearly he was very experienced in this.

On the peak of the hill, I witnessed a lady running some errands beside a tent she’d built. I was shocked that one would camp up there despite its chilly, freezing weather. J.R guided us to a popular spot for magnificent pictures, it was in between sharp shaped rocks demonstrated with the beautiful sea background. Luckily, the sun was on our side, the lighting features were splendid !

Osmena Peak, at 1013 meter is not the highest peak in Cebu Island. In fact, on the about 20 meter east of Osmena Peak, there is another higher peak perhaps 5 or 10 meters taller, but not easily accessible by public. J.R confirmed our observation!

The many many peaks

Over the peaks is the ocean, the west of Cebu Island

I was dressed in Nashata blue salasa pants and a grey iman hijab,  the salasa pants were really popping its colors in the pictures.

Nashata racerback sports hijab, Heather top and Riada Active Pants

My mother was wearing Nashata hooda racerback sports hijab , purple heather top and black riada active pants. The color of the heather top contrasted the background perfectly, the shots were nicely taken too. The  hooda racerback sports hijab was a great support for the activity because it did not flip through out the venture and was perfectly still but rise is fashion. I felt slightly shaky when I sat on the rocks because it was located by the edge, one small error then I could have fall. However, J.R was superbly jumping from one rock to another, in those worn off flipflops, readily finding a perfect position to take my photos.

Poses J.R suggested

 

He demanded me to do certain poses as he was the camera master. I should say, I was very impressed by his skills. After a bountiful amount of photos, we finally started our descend.

The descend

As we passed by other hikers, we also slip past a few convenient stalls located up on the hill. They sold goods such as soda drinks, snacks and lettuce. They grow remarkably a lot of vegetables. The villagers too, had impeccable English. People there were so buoyant and in good spirits, I admired their characters.

After reaching the hut, we returned our walking sticks and managed to greet goodbye to the amazing J.R, then continued our descend down the slippery slope. However, J.R surprisingly followed us down to make sure we returned safely, how sweet of him. Our transport had already arrive so we hoped on. It took another one hour to return to our hotel, but that was alright. The view and the environment was very entertaining. Although the bumpy road was a bit of a nuisance.

In conclusion, Osmena Peak is a worthwhile hike, staffs are incredibly friendly and environment is simply enchanting. As an advice, hikers should wake up extra early, probably at 3 in the morning to catch the sunrise, else wise, you would be experiencing the hot rays of sunlight. You can also catch the sunset instead. Please note, that every tourist behooves personal belongings to assure that there are no loses or any possible damage.

Canyoning or canyoneering at Kawasan Falls

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Cebu Island is a picturesque land that is surrounded by heaps of beautiful green mountains.  My trip to Cebu Island was definitely a remarkable and enchanting trip for me, most of the adventure activities progressed were the attributes that stamped a check on my ‘ Life to do list ‘. It felt like my life is complete, I managed to accomplish my wish list with ease !

Canyoning at Kawasan Falls

On the 21st of December 2019, around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, my family and I made our way out from the hotel. We were ready for our canyoning or canyoneering activity at Badian,  Kawasan Falls. Canyoning offers you a mixed of different activities going though canyons by walking, sliding, climbing up and down rocks and going through caves and jumping over waterfalls.  Before leaving, we were equipped with safety tools such as the life vest and helmet. Then, we got on two motorcycles to the place. For your information, three people were on each motorcycle. Next, yes, you might be wondering, is Kawasan Falls  attached to the canyoning starting area ? Well, absolutely. Kawasan Falls is the last fall that you encounter when you canyoning at Badian.

Pathway to the canyoning start point

The canyoning starting point is way on top of the hill, and to get down to the sky- blue river to start the journey, we were given two choices. First, to walk 1 kilometer on a hilly pathway till we reach start point, with no porter included. Second, to ride a 1 kilometer zip line to the checkpoint with additional fees.

For the sake of the adventure, we decided to take the first option, which was to walk with a distance of 1 kilometer to the start point. It was not that challenging, however if you carry a heavy load of goods, I recommend you to prepare a lighter weight bag, the back pain can be stingy. As a reminder, if you want to take beautiful pictures and countless videos of throughout the journey, I decisively advice you to bring your own waterproof camera, or GoPro. It will be a total life saver for you! You should tie the camera/GoPro with an empty plastic water bottle to ensure the camera does not sink or be easily lost. Every group includes an instructor/guide whom will be responsible for your well-being and safety. That also involves securing your belongings and assist in photography and videography. That way, there would be no difficulties in snapping your memorable photos there, in addition the guides are incredibly talented at taking photos and videos. The whole package is extremely reasonable as you get to comfortably experience the canyoning adventure while not worrying about the camerawork. Other than that, you must wear aqua shoes through out the activity, the rocks are slippery and covered with fungus.

The cave-like stones

During the briefing session, our guide explained about the falls and adviced us to consistently wear all the safety tools given such as the safety helmet and life vest. There were 7 activities in total throughout the whole canyoning adventure, consisted waterfall jumps of heights ranging from 4 meters to 14 meters and sliding down natural waterslides. If you are acrophobic, hakuna matata! The jumps are not compulsory. All activities are fully bound up to your own free will. However, if you decided not to jump, i must say, it would be a wasteful.

Upon jumping the first few cliffs, my anxiety level gradually arisen. The cold, glacial, chilly river water was really enjoyable. The river was partially covered by huge, beautiful cave-like stones up above, in that way, the temperature down below was cold. Some sunlight managed to penetrate the small gaps of the caves but most of the time it was chilly.

Iman hijab and black ultra top

I was wearing Nashata black ultra top and Nashata black iman hijab. If you are a hijabi, and require comfortable and suitable sports attire for this activity, i highly recommend you to consider  Nashata Products. If you are not a hijabi, rest assured, there are still so many fashionable and sporty products from Nashata  that you can take a peep at ! 😀

During the 4th jump, it was for 7 meters high. It may not sound that frightening but it was actually spine-tingling. The blood curling moment made me hold the line. It took me almost a good 10 minutes for me to finally muster all my courage and took that one inch leap into the midst of air. As my body splashed in the chilly water, a sharp pain started throbbing around my upper back leg area or scientifically called the biceps femoris. It felt more like a cramp but simultaneously felt like a harsh slap. But after a few seconds, the pain faded away, so it was all good. After this tremendous jump, I knew it was going to be way harder for the next few jumps. I expected it to be more challenging for the next jump, so I was mentally ready.

After all the fret and jitters, the moment finally arrived, we reached the 10 meter jump. It was the second last jump, so i knew the adventure was already coming to and end. It was around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Since the sun sets early in Moalboal, the guide adviced us to speed up. For your information, the sun sets at around 6 o’clock in the evening. There were no lights at night, although there were small stalls selling barbecue meat and some other snacks. That jump was the only “run and jump” type of a jump. At that hour, many people were already at that end of their expedition, therefore the place was slightly crowded, however still manageable. After witnessing a few of the other tourists and guides doing the jump, I managed to pull out the brave inner-self and finish the jump without hesitation. I must say, when jumping, the gravity pull force seemed 10 times stronger. It felt like someone was pulling you down, but of course that was just the gravity. When i hit the water surface, i felt the same cramp slap pain on both of my back legs. But this time, it was more intense, the pain started to sting. For a moment there after landing, I could not move my body, I was stiff. The guide quickly asked me to swim aside to let other people proceed with their jumps. Subsequently, I had to force my arms to push the water against the current and swim to the sides. The water current was amazingly strong.

The beautiful blue river water

 

Nevertheless, the stream was the most enchanting scenery ever. It was quite an eyeful. The turquoise, serene balletic streams of water shot me in the state of tranquility. In my opinion, even the best quality camera was not capable of capturing the astonishing sight. I had to snap the beautiful scenery with my own eyes and embed it in my memories. The water was so blue, it was like swimming in a fantasy water park. The compound was also upgraded with a man-made water slide by the small falls. It was simply amazing. The environment was also magnificently maintained.

In addition, there was also a tree rope jumping just like a tarzan, except you fall into a pool. Yes, the one with the long rope tied up to the tree trunks. The rope jump was extremely safe and fun. Basically you would just have to hang on to the rope, bend your knees throughout the jump and let go when you reach the middle zone. The guide warned us to not return back to the starting point once you had already reach the middle zone, this is simply because there is a high chance you would scrape your knee or injure yourself when you hit the starting rock. Frankly, you should just finish what you have started in one go.

 

Moving on with the journey, we reached the last stop, the final jump. It was an intense 14 meter jump. Some of the people ought to skip the last jump because they had enough of the cramp and adrenaline shock. Initially, I too wanted to skip the last jump, but after a long thought, I changed my mind. I knew I would regret the moment, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Where else could I find a majestic river like this? When would i be able to do this again? All those thoughts flushed my brain and subsequently, I decided to take the last jump. The last jump was on top of a fall, yes, right on top. It still gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I recall that moment. I stood on the roots of a huge tree, just a leap away from flying in the air. It was incredibly spooky. With the strong force of the waterfall, whooshing and splashing cold water like a giant creepy octopus, I closed my eyes and held onto my life vest as tight as i could. As soon as I made that jump, my throat voice started to squeak. It sounded like a mouse in the video. As usual, the pain was stinging. It hurt so bad this time, droplets of tears started forming from my eyes. Luckily, there was nobody in line, so i got some time for myself to endure the throbbing pain. After that, i swam to the side and reunite with my family.

 

Kawasan Falls

Considering we finished all the jumps, we finally made it to the last fall, Kawasan Falls. The falls was so pretty but half of it was marked as a restricted area. The guide explained that it was too deep, and there were a number of death cases due to that fall, because the depth was to deep and it was difficult to recover the person’s body. It was kind of scary after he explained that to us. At that stage, there were many stalls and benches. Most of the people who do not wish to do the canyoning would probably just pay an entree fee of about 100 pesos ( if I am not mistaken) from the entrance down below and enjoy that fall. However, I must say that I was grateful to have joined the canyoning from up above, it was more worthy and beneficial, we got to explore more gorgeous rivers and even managed to play  with the man-made entertainments. It was worthwhile.

 

It was around 6 o’clock in the evening when we came out from the park. The 6000 pesos family package also included a complete dinner meal by the beach, we even managed to witness the beautiful sunset by the sea. We got to the restaurant by a tricycle which was also included in the package. The ride only took approximately 5 minutes from the Kawasan Falls entrance to the restaurant.

Scrumptious foods

The food prepared included delicious prawns and a dozen hot mouthwatering spring rolls. You can also order add-on dishes but of course along with some additional fees. After that, we took another 5 minute walk back to our hotel. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that the canyoning activity was totally worth it, i had a jolly time although it was very an extreme sport. I decisively recommend that tourists should do the canyoning venture rather than directly going to the Kawasan Falls. In conjunction with that, the weather factors are crucial in determining the entry of any tourists. It rained on that night, so the next day, the staffs had to close the park due to slippery and dangerous sites.

Green rocks at Kawasan Falls making the colors of the water turquoise green.

For some extra guidelines, during any falls or jumps, do ensure that you cross hold your vest and jump with maintaining a straight leg posture, this is to guarantee no injuries. Never try to attempt a cannon ball posture because this would only slap your lower leg with more pressure and leaves you with non-stop pounding of pain and discomfort. You should also bring a waterproof bag, and place your mobile phones and other gadgets in an air-tight plastic bag. Please note, that every tourist behooves personal belongings to assure that there are no loses or any possible damage.