Dingayop Cave, Dalaguete Cebu

      Most of the tourists goes to Dalaguete to climb the popular and picturesque Osmena Peak. However, unknown to many, the place has also caves waiting to be visited. One of these is the Dingayop Cave in Brgy. Obo, also known as the Eagle's Cave. 

On our way to the cave

       For me, the challenging part was the long walk to the cave. My advice is to wear comfy, non-slip foot wear since the pathway was not paved and in some parts, there were no defined footpaths. We had to hold on to the roots and barks of the trees to prevent from slipping down. Upon nearing the cave, our guide had to tie a rope from one tree to another so we can have something to hold on to since the pathway was really narrow and on the other side was a cliff leading to the waterfalls.

Cave Entrance

At long last, Dingayop Cave!

      Our two guides have only one flashlight each so it is recommended that you should also bring your own flashlights since the cave is really dark and the cave floor is uneven, and some are even so steep that we need to be assisted by our guides in going up and down. 

"Living" stalactites and stalagmites which are still continually forming.
Thus, visitors are advised not to touch them else, they will "die" or stop growing.

      Dingayop Cave is really worth it. It is one of the most beautiful caves that I've been into due to its numerous and large stalactites & stalagmites. Most of its rock formations are still intact since it is not yet often visited and exploited. My advice is to go there before it becomes popular and while it is still in its raw beauty, not yet much touched by careless tourists. Just bring with you a lot of air especially in the lengthy walk to and from the cave. Whew!

Posing with our guides

   

      P.S. If you want a guide and it is highly suggested that you should get one, contact Erwin Zamora at 09486468129.  In our case, we paid him and his other companion a total of 600 pesos for guiding the three of us. But if there are more members in your group, it is greatly advised that you pay them higher than that because assisting a bigger group is no easy task. We personally experienced the exhaustive walking to and from the caves which is really quite a distance. Some parts are really steep and slippery and our guides have to tie ropes around the trees so we can have something to hold on to and to hoist ourselves up the slope. Plus the cave was not yet developed by the Department of Tourism, so it could really be dangerous inside due to the presence of snakes. In fact, when we went there, our face almost got hit by bats who got surprised by the light from the flashlights.

          

      For transportation via habal-habal, you may also contact Arnel Puzo at 09072242256. He was our driver during our visit there, and we liked his disposition. He was cheerful, easy-to-get along with, and agreeable. :)

Turn-OFF! Mosquito Fever

     Just recently, around the 3^rd week of November 2016, my dear daughter was diagnosed with Dengue Fever. I really panicked at that point. Just a week before that, my husband told me that his officemate’s ten-year old son died from Dengue followed by the latter’s 12-year old cousin. When we went to the doctor, she told us that she believed this year’s dengue is so far the worst for the City of Cebu. Many were afflicted with the fever, and more number of deaths recorded compared to previous years. She even told us that she knew of a 24-year old patient who died.

    We immediately had Willow admitted in the hospital. I am not an emotional person and I don’t get affected easily, but at that point, I couldn’t help but cry. And cried hard, I did. It was so scary. My 5-year old daughter is the sweet, gentle type, and I was thinking that if some older boys (such as the 10-year old and 24-year old) were not able to make it, then how much more a frail, 5-year old girl?

My daughter, Willow, when she was admitted in the hospital

In between tummy aches and headaches, she still managed to smile. We love u so much sweet girl! 

    

    After a stressful and scary week, I really thanked God and my family for all their help throughout Willow’s recovery. However, it is not yet over. That occurrence compelled me to reflect and learn from the experience. As parents, we have been negligent. Prior to Willow’s dengue fever, many kids from our neighborhood had already been hospitalized due to dengue. Although we ensured that all stagnant waters were replaced regularly to prevent mosquitoes from breeding there, I now realized that it wasn’t enough. She may be safe in our home, but this protection did not cover those times when she went out to play with some of our neighbors’ kids. And it’s not like we can keep her trapped in our house forever.

    One can never go wrong in investing in preventive measures. This is why we have decided to keep a supply of OFF! Insect Repellant Lotion so wherever our children will go, they will always be safe from the dangers posed by mosquito bites. Even when at home, I still apply OFF! Lotion on them since some mosquitoes still manage to come inside our house despite various safeguards. 

Willow reading and playing with her little brother 

     As parents, we are trying our best to protect Willow June, our eldest, and her one-year old brother Knight Prince not only from acquiring the dreaded Dengue Fever, but also from the trauma and the pain brought about by the manifestation of the virus such as stomach pains, headaches, and not to mention the daily extraction of blood necessary to determine the platelets count.

    With the help of OFF! Insect Repellant Lotion for Kids, we are assured of this protection for our kids. We all know that prevention is better than cure, and this is one preventive measure that’s worth investing into. We are really thankful to the distributors of this product for making it readily available in stores nationwide as it really helps us perform and enjoy our activities worry-free despite external threats brought about by harmful insects. I believe that to have peace of mind is already a wealth in itself, and no amount of money can top that. ^_^

Club Fort Med, Boljoon

The foremost I can say about Club Fort Med is that it gave me a good impression which didn't quite last.  Upon entering the place, it was quite picturesque but in my personal experience, not worth it. While we were waiting near the entrance, we had to cover our noses and scrambled for fresh air. There was a pile of garbage dumped on the other side of the road fronting the gates! To our misfortune, the wind was blowing in our direction and so we couldn't see how this thing escaped the notice of whoever is running this place.

The Resort's Personnel

    The staff were cheerful and courteous. However, the resort was really undermanned. We had to wait for several hours before the extra beds were delivered. I couldn't help but notice that one personnel was running to and fro just to cater to several guests at the same time. 

    I don't think they are even paying their employees for the latter's overtime services. In fact, the resort's personnel just waited for the last customers in the restaurant, and they were already on their way home. Only one guard was left so if you would be needing some help during the night, don't expect it to be coming from the hotel's staff.

Room Accommodation
   Their room accommodations are as follows:
1) Casita (with private verada, ref & cable TV, see view)
     Published Rate   3,600.00
     March-May        3,800.00

2) Single Detached  (with private verada, ref & cable TV, see view)
     Published Rate   2,600.00
     March-May        2,800.00

3) Row House Type

    Published Rate   2,000.00
    March-May        2,200.00

Extra Person               200.00
Extra Bed (Optional)  200.00

Interior of one of the resort's Row House Type Rooms

    In our case, we availed three Row House Type Rooms for Php 2,200.00 each. For each room, they only allow a maximum of 2 adults and 2 children. We had to pay 200 pesos for every additional person but the extra bed is not yet included. You have to pay another 200 pesos for an additional single bed to be laid on the floor. Thus, you have to pay a total of 400 pesos for every extra person who will be staying for the night.

At our back are the Resort's Casita Rooms

This is the resort's restaurant and mini-bar

The resort has 3 pools. Two small ones, and one regular-sized pool.

Cottages
    Shown below is an example of the resort's Japanese Cottage which cost 500 pesos. However, we stayed here for free since we availed of their room accommodations.

   For lack of any other shot, this is us posing by one of their Open Cottages which cost 400 pesos.

The Beach   

      The seabed was mostly rocky. It was summer but the currents were quite strong, and most of us got rashes and red spots presumably from the jellyfishes in the area. 

Karaoke Rooms   
       They also have 2 karaoke rooms costing 400 and 500 pesos for 2 hours, respectively. It was cozy inside although the songbook's pages were already disarranged, and some of the songs' tempo were not quite right.

 

 

How to get there:

    Club Fort Med is located in Boljoon, Cebu  and is just beside the road. The most practical way of going there that I can think of is to go to the South Bus Terminal and ride a bus heading to Southern Cebu and tell the conductor to drop you at the resort. It's a 3-hour ride and fare is 120 pesos for non-aircon buses and around P128 for the airconditioned ones. However, if you're in a big group, you can also opt to hire a van for a whole day (usually costing 3,000.00 pesos or more) to bring you there and to tour you to other nearby places as well such as the famous whale-shark watching in Oslob, and churches. You can also choose to chase waterfalls near the area.