Being in Oslob right now makes me want to go to the beach. We live close to the beach but the sand in the shoreline is not fine and so it is not very friendly to our toes. But an island here in Oslob offers great sand and waters - Sumilon Island.
While Oslob is very well known because of the Whale Sharks, there's another spot that has been giving Oslob a name and that's Sumilon.
FREE Trip to Sumilon
At times like this, the waters are harsh due to habagat so going to the beach is not also recommended but during summer, Sumilon Island offers such a great view. So, let's relive a memory of when my sister-in-law won an online contest and the prize was a getaway to Sumilon Island for free for five people!
She tagged us, my husband and I, a cousin, and her best friend. This was my first time setting foot on Sumilon Island and we didn't have to shell out any cash so of course, we got to go, I am a sucker of anything free so I have to make sure I'd be able to document our trip there.
Fun fact, my husband who had been born and raised in Oslob has never been to Sumilon Island. This island can be seen from afar, it looked near but a trip towards the island takes some time too!
Since this was a short notice trip, we have to cancel our scheduled to-do lists for the next day which was a Saturday. We had a few errands to do in the city but just decided to ditch all of them for this invitation.
Also, we traveled to Oslob from Cebu City at midnight, my husband was still working at eight in the evening and there's a long line of passengers traveling to the south too because it is a Friday. We reached Oslob at three in the morning.
Enroute to Sumilon Island
Both my husband and I were still sleepy but there's a briefing scheduled at six in the morning so we have to get up and go to where the briefing area would commence.
We waited for a while but the person in charge of the briefing was late, she came by around eight. Since we were hungry, we ordered some pizza in a nearby restaurant in Tan Awan.
Upon the arrival of the personnel, we headed to Bangcogon, this is where the boats that go to Sumilon Island were docked. We have other companions too, they were also winners of the said contest.
The sea was a bit harsh, it was a sunny day though. At Bangcogon, we waited for the boat to take us to the island. It was another long wait but finally, we had a glimpse of a boat, and off we went. We have to wear life jackets of course.
It took around 10-15 minutes for us to arrive at the island. We were around 20-30 passengers in all.
Sumilon Island
From afar, I could see the white sandbar, there were tourists flocked around it, perhaps taking photographs, there were boats specifically tourist boats also docked at the side. The waters were clear and it looks clean!
I couldn't help but appreciate this beauty. As I understand, we are only limited to this public beach. There are resorts in Sumilon Island as this is a big island. One of the very famous resorts here is Bluewaters and most celebrities would even check in there and stay for a couple of days.
Since it's still low tide, the sandbar was very visible. Stepping on the fine white sand made me happy. I thought we can take photos later on after lunch because I was hungry already.
As we started walking towards the island, I realized there's no proper seats or cottages to stay away from the scorching heat of the noon sun, the foreigners were enjoying the sun, they were sunbathing at the shoreline. The Filipinos on the other hand were at the rock island as there were trees around, they found comfort from there. Since we don't want to be exposed to the sun because we don't have any sunblock with us, we forgot to buy one before traveling to Oslob, we headed to the rock island and looked for some flat area to sit and place our things.
Unfortunately, it was hard to find one, so we resolved to a random spot, used our slippers instead, and just sat there. That was the least favorite part of this trip.
There are so many ways of keeping us entertained while on the island.
1. Swim
That's given. Going to the beach and not swim? Well, perhaps the girl got her monthly period but seriously, there's no reason to reject the invitation of the clear blue waters and white sand beach! We got to feel the saltiness of the water and the sun in our skin!
2. Sun Bathing
For those foreigners or even Filipinos who are fans of exposing their skin to the light of the mighty sun. Since there are no cottages around, sunbathing is a good way of just chilling on the island.
Notice though that the sand may be covered with water during high tide. And it doesn't just cover the sand bar but the entire shore, the waters reach the rock island.
3. Island Exploration
If you are interested in exploring the island, you can book a night's stay at Bluewaters Resort. The resort offers different activities which can suit those who are adventurous enough.
They got kayaking activities as there are also rivers inside the island. Plus, it won't be crowded over there.
4. Snorkeling
Our cousin used my GoPro camera to take some pictures and videos of the things underwater. He found Nemo!
I bet there were more sea creatures, if given a lot of time, we'll surely find more.
5. Be a Paparazzi
With a zoom lens, I was able to take random photographs of the people and visitors around. I was happy with the fact that I can just sit and take photos from afar! It makes shooting very enjoyable because the random subjects don't have an idea that they are being filmed!
Summing Up
Obviously, it was a good decision that we accepted the invitation for this free trip to Sumilon Island. Although going back to Oslob was a challenge due to the change in the weather, it rained and the waters were harsh on our way home, we were thankful we got to experience this beauty. I wish we can go back soon.
Check out other related travel topics:
xoxo,
mommy jean of momentswithmatti
Love harder than any pain you've ever felt.
Gusto ko yung paparazzi photo number 2. Hahahaha. This is the first time that I hear about Sumilon Island. Ang ganda nung island at may sandbar. 😍 ako din basta libre, gorabels ako. Hahaha. Kaso minsan nagpipity-pity ako.