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A deadline to use my stored flight funds and flight vouchers, or else lose it, had me scampering to book flights for me and my family. We haven’t boarded a plane in two years so this was an exciting activity for me. There were a number of options to choose from but family vacations, when I plan it, needs to have a pinch of adventure. So, I booked us a flight to Cebu to enjoy our first family vacation since the start of the pandemic.  Family vacations should be fun, exciting, and memorable. Badian is a municipality on the southwest side of Cebu province that is popular for its canyoneering activity. The tourism icon of the area is the beautiful Kawasan Falls with its teal-colored spring water. Unfortunately, the province of Cebu was brought down to its knees by supertyphoon Odette, and that included Badian. Our visit was good start to re-introduce the place as it recovers from the pandemic and calamity. 5.17am. Touchdown Cebu. Our one-hour flight went very smoothly from Manila. As we landed in Cebu, I quickly fell in love with the new airport. It evoked a tropical upbeat vibe that excites you. It was early morning so we breezed through the arrival area of the airport. We worked our way from the airport to the city’s South Bus Terminal to catch a bus to Badian.  Touchdown in Cebu. The three-hour trip to Badian was uneventful. The trip treated us with urban and rural views of Cebu. I enjoyed the mix of urban and rural vibe of the cities and the relaxing rustic views of Cebu’s hills and coastal areas. It was a bit gloomy but the trip was relaxing and, since it was my first travel out of Luzon, I was in my element. Cuestas Beach Resort was our home in Badian. It was good that I decided to just stay in Badian for this family trip because Cuestas made our three day vacation a relaxing and memorable one. The resort is a peaceful sanctuary along the coast of Badian with its own beach strip. It has a pool, a jacuzzi, and a couple of huts where you can just chill down and enjoy the calm and peaceful surrounding. They have two kinds of accommodation - the aircon deluxe rooms and the nipa fan rooms. All rooms have a beautiful overlooking view of the resort and the beach.
One thing that we really loved and enjoyed at Cuesta’s was the food!!! Everything we ordered and, even, the breakfast that they served were all good. It was so good that we never tried any restaurant in the area. Highly recommended is their squash soup, sizzling bangus, gambas, burger, and their home-made bread that go with their continental breakfast. Everything that we tried was good and what made it better was the homey vibe of the place. It was our home in Badian. Sardines On The Run and An Unbothered Turtle The weather was still gloomy as we headed out for a full day of adventure on our second day. First on our list was a visit to nearby Moalboal to explore the beauty underneath its waters. Moalboal is a popular destination for divers because of its beautiful and diverse underwater scenes. It is a sanctuary for sea creatures which makes water activities more diverse and exciting.
Our first stop was Pescador Island where we got the chance to enjoy its underwater scene. Initially, the waters scared me a bit after seeing the drop on the side of the island. The initial scare subsided after we started enjoying the beautiful corals, teeming with different kind of fish. We got excited after our guide pulled out a puffer fish from underneath one of the corals. It was a perfect opener for our summer escape.
After about 45 minutes of relaxing and floating around, we then sailed off closer to shore to watch one of the most spectacular nature show underwater - the sardine run. I initially thought that we would be able to watch the spectacle in the middle of the sea and I was surprised that it was closer to the shores of Moalboal. Nevertheless, it was mesmerizing to watch the school of sardines swim in a rhythmic motion, shifting from one direction to another in one choreographed movement. The way I described it was hypnotic. It was a nature shown that I want to see again but I would like to learn to free dive first for a better viewing experience.
From the graceful movement of the sardines, we then moved closer to shore to relaxingly swim with an unbothered sea turtle. This was, by far, the closest and longest encounter that I have had with a sea turtle. My previous encounters had me huffing and puffing as we try to get catch up with this gentle sea creature. This was not the case for this unbothered turtle. It was gently munching on sea grass and, occasionally, go up for air like he doesn’t have a care in the world. It was unbothered by the attention and the excitement of the people around it. It was just doing its thing… well… unbothered.  A quick snap with our sea guides before we went to our next adventure. The quick glimpse of Moalboal was for the books. It was beautiful and enchanting that the place is worthy for a comeback. I will be ready the second time around. The Highs of Canyoneering It was the canyoneering that we came here for in Badian and we were lucky that we were able to do it despite the gloomy weather because of a weather system near the island of Cebu. Canyoneering along Canloab River is the main tourist draw in the area. This high adrenaline activity gets you trekking, clambering on rocks, jumping into the river, and floating in the cold river waters.  Getting ready to conquer the canyons of Badian.
Our adventure started with flying down the zipline over the mountain side and forest covers of Badian from the jump off point. The one minute flight saved us around 20-30 minutes of hike to the river trail. Asher initially wasn’t particularly happy about zip-lining but halfway through, she got the hang of it. The “in-flight” rustic views were amazing and it did give us our intial dose of adrenaline.
They say that it only takes one jump to take away the initial fear of jumping into a raging river. It does. We conquered the Canlaob River as we scrambled on its rocks, swam in its turquoise waters, and leaped alongside its raging cascades. It was an experience that gave us different doses of adrenaline high. Yes, one jump made everything a breeze after.
We saw how much damage Typhoon Odette brought upon Badian. Fallen and uprooted trees lie along the canyoneering trail. Our guide shared that the flooding changed the landscape of the riverbed. Some pre-typhoon canyoneering highlights were no longer in place because of the changed landscape. The damage on tourism facilities became more evident as we approached the famous three-tiered Kawasan Falls. The cliff jump area looked barren and the Badian Dam is missing its ethereal vibe, that I often see in pictures, because of the damaged forest covers around it. The ruins of tourist facilities greeted us as we walked down the trail to view its three cascade. It was disheartening to see the damage but the falls managed to keep the beauty of its turquoise waters that it was known for.  It was a tiring adventure but we were smiling the whole time. It took us more than 4 hours to traverse the “canyons” of Badian. It was already dark, with a little drizzle, when we finally made our way to the main highway. It was a tiring but fulfilling day for us enjoying both nature’s beauty and the aftermath of its wrath. It is slowly recovering and I do plan to go back when the place has fully recovered to again witness its old beauty. Despite the changes, canyoneering in Badian still offers the same thrill and rush amidst a changed landscape. POST TRAVEL NOTES Cebu will always be my happy place and I’m glad it was our first family trip, out of Luzon, after two years of limited mobility. I realized how much I missed riding planes, the thrill of experiencing a new adventure, and making a different kind of memory with the family. As parents, we should make sure that we get to do these kind of adventures with our kids while they are young and, most especially, while we can. The memories that we create, with these adventures, will last as our kids grow old.  Dang! We are definitely back! San tayo sunod? It was also good that we also get to share the adventure with you as Badian re-builds itself. The stories that I am sharing with you now is aimed at encouraging you to go out and explore beyond the usual. Encouraging you to visit destinations that are re-building help speed up the recovery process for the locals. It is a different kind of adventure that go a long way to the community. Go beyond the usual. It was also good that we also get to share the adventure with you as Badian re-builds itself. The stories that I am sharing with you now is aimed at encouraging you to go out and explore beyond the usual. Encouraging you to visit destinations that are re-building help speed up the recovery process for the locals. It is a different kind of adventure that go a long way to the community. Go beyond the usual. Check out our Badian travel adventure on my Youtube travel channel: #ByahengOffTheGrid Badian #StandTogetherPinoy #MahalinNatinAngPilipinas #SamaSamangBabangonMuli Getting there: Cebu is a major hub in the country and one can take a flight, or take a ferry, to Cebu City. From the airport, you take a taxi to the Cebu City South Bus Terminal where you take a bus to Bato via Barili. You can ask the driver to drop you off at Badian where you can take a tricycle to your resort. If you are staying at Cuesta’s Beach Resort and Restaurant, you can ask the driver to drop you off at the resort. From the highway, it is just a short walk to the resort. You can book your accommodations through the Facebook page of Cuesta’s Beach Resort and Restaurant. You can arrange your Sardine Run and Chasing Turtles and Kawasan Canyoneering Adventures with Kawasan Canyoneering. You can reach them at (0905) 333 2623 or (0918) 654 4111.
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Marc del Rosario
I believe in education, entrepreneurship, and caring for the environment. 
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