December 29, 2009

For the holiday season, my friends and I decided to take a short trip to the small island of Sumilon.  The entire island, we learned from the Internet and mouth of moounth, is owned by the same folks who own the Blue Water Resort in Lapu-Lapu.  We left Cebu City early in the morning by bus and arrived in Bancogon, Oslob about three hours later.  Our bus ride was inexpensive but quite uncomfortable – as are most bus rides in Cebu.

We walked about a hundred meters or so from the place we left the bus to a small building with a sign that said “Welcome to Sumilon Island.”  Once inside we were offered a welcoming drink that consisted of some kind of lemon grass and lemon concoction.  It was not so delicious, but the long and bumpy bus ride left us parched.  We looked around the area briefly and found nothing of interest, so we waited more than an hour for the boat to arrive that would take us to Sumilon Island.   We were concerned the boat might be quite small and not particularly sea-worthy, but it was larger than expected and more than adequate for the ten-minute voyage to the island.

From the boat docking area you have to walk on a very rocky pathway that was overgrown with bushes and trees, making travel difficult.  If you are accustomed to climbing mountains, then maybe this route would be okay.  We, however, found this trek to be unwelcomed and irritating.

The Sumilon Island Resort is just about all you kind find on Sumilon Island.  I have to say the vista that greets you upon arrival is not quite a picturesque as the images on the Internet would lead you to expect.  “Grungy” and “dirty” are the two words that describe what the reality had, that the Internet pictures lacked.  After observing the dirty pool, limited dining options, and learning the only real venue of interest (a fish sanctuary) located an hour hike away, we decided to opt for the P1,500 day-pass rather than stay overnight.

We walked around the beach, took some pictures, and headed over to the buffet for lunch.  The buffet lunch seemed more appropriate at a company canteen than a beach resort.  All together, for our P1,500 expenditure we received the round-trip boat ride, use of the beach and leaf-covered pool, as well the buffet lunch that I would compare to P100 meal in Cebu City.  If you think that is not much of a bargain, consider an overnight stay at the Sumilon Island Resort will set you back P8,500.  So after arriving at 10:30 in the morning, we welcomed the 3:30 boat ride back to Oslob.

VIEW ALL OF THE PICTURES HERE