With declining Covid-19 cases and the removal of RT-PCR tests in some provinces, drives to the long and winding roads are too tempting to pass up. Cebu Province, which dispensed with this “visa-like” requirement, is a virtual drive track with over 1,000 kms of roads and irresistible snapshot-worthy spots which is a delight to circumnavigate.
Dotted by biodiversity-rich bodies of water and mouth-watering dishes, it is the perfect haven to drive, dive and dine with your household.
To cruise around with boldness, there is Kia Seltos, a head-turning compact SUV with muscular curves which can easily negotiate steep climbs, rough roads and unexpected bumps. With a spacious rear, a scuba diver can easily fit in his crate of underwater stuff, luggage, and the obligatory pasalubong.
Below are some must-see places for an epic driving, diving, and dining journey in Cebu’s southern corridor.
Pitstop 1: Samboan. The shipping gateway 146 kms from the city, it is the jumpoff point to ports in the Visayas and northern Mindanao. Its top attraction is Aguinid Falls, a water adventure with eight levels, icy pools, and lush greeneries which shut you out of the outside world.
More than being Instagrammable, it brings out your inner warrior as you frontally scale the rocks stepping onto the toeholds and voluminous water gushing right into your face. The climb is more of a mind game, and not as difficult or risky as it may seem.
Making the reverse canyoneering climb more fun are the amiable and skillful guides who will give you the physical and moral boost to conquer your fear and make it to the topmost level.
Because of Samboan’s hilly terrain, turning around the curves can be tricky. You need not worry as Seltos’ 2.0L Dual-CVVT engine is custom-paired with Kia’s Intelligent Variable Transmission for driving precision, while its passive safety systems give passengers peace of mind on the blind turns.
Pitstop 2: Oslob. Famed for the presence of whale sharks, the world’s biggest fishes, this bucolic town is also the home of Sumilon Island, the archipelago’s first marine sanctuary nurtured by the Silliman University for decades.
Now under the care of the posh Bluewater Resorts, diving or snorkeling at the sanctuary is a must-do for a consummate escape, aside from basking at the resort’s amenities, recreational facilities, luxe lodging, and feasting on tropical gourmet food. The rock island has a white sandbar with gin-clear water and a panoramic vista of Cebu and nearby provinces.
Oslob also boasts of a landscaped promenade heritage center with the Spanish-period Immaculate Conception Church, military barracks ruins, a cemetery arch, a baluarte watchtower, and a municipal museum.
Despite its sturdy look, Kia Seltos can easily blend with remnants of the town’s checkered past, in the same manner it blends with the urban jungle or the great outdoors.
Pitstop 3: Alegria. Don’t be deceived by this town’s obscurity, as it has lots of adventure surprises up on its sleeves. It is the entry point to the sought-after adrenaline-pumping canyoneering adventure which winds up at Kawasan Falls in neighboring Badian.
Just a few meters beneath the sea is the Guardians of Alegria, an underwater gallery at a marine sanctuary put together by British instructor Lee Ricketts of Alegria Dive Center. This spot has captured the fancy of scuba divers and freedivers for the submerged sculptures of religious and mythical characters which have become coral ecosystems and a favorite for underwater pictorials.
Pitstop 4: Moalboal. This urbanizing town is of special interest to scuba addicts with its “sardine run” where tens of thousands of sardines swirl like a whirlpool just a few heartbeats away from Panagsama Beach. Underwater aficionados can marvel at this amazing and dizzying run, along with an assortment of aquatic life, just a couple of meters below.
Frequented by foreign divers before the pandemic struck, it also boasts of Pescador Island and a host of dive sites spread across Moalboal Bay.
It is also a culinary haven for the diversity of food and beverage it offers to guests who seek a hearty surface interval meal after an exhilarating underwater plunge. A relaxing watering hole is Quo Vadis Dive Resort, a five-star PADI dive center, which serves tasty international dishes at its restaurant overlooking the vast cove.
Further up north is an infinity of driving adventure where Kia Seltos’s safety and style features can make family fun trips a norm once more.
Road warriors itching to explore Cebu’s vast expanse can check out the Kia Cebu NRA dealer at the New Reclamation Area, and get the chance of cruising boldly with the Seltos.