Glamping and Other Things in Sumilon Island

After our little adventure at the Crown Regency Towers, it was time for us to get up early in the morning and ride a bus from Cebu City to Oslob. We left the hotel at 4am and headed to the South Bus Terminal. When we got there, there was an almost full non-air-conditioned bus just waiting for the last passengers to board. We took it to avoid the long wait; hence we were just able to buy some crackers for breakfast. The bus fare was P150/pax.

The bus left at around 4:45am and we reached Tan-Awan, Oslob by 7:30am. We asked around for the whale watching registration but it turned out that they’re not open during Fridays. So we went straight to Puerto Sumilon (Bancogon Pier) where we waited for our boat transfer to Sumilon Island. We had to walk (about 1km) from Tan-Awan all the way to the pier because there were neither jeepneys nor tricycles at that time. You wouldn’t miss it because there is a huge signage pointing you to the pier. When we got there they gave us welcome drinks which I drank gratefully because I was so thirsty from walking. The first boat was scheduled to leave at 9.30am so we rested for a bit and ate our breakfast.

Registration.

Budget wrecker.

It’s yummy, though!

Our co-passengers.

By 10am we arrived at the resort and the resident manager showed the guests a map of the island and an overview of the activities that we could do during our stay.

10.30am check-in. After check-in we were assisted to our tent and we were the only ones at that day that had a Glamping (“glamorous camping”) reservation, and the rooms/villas were located on the other side of the island so it was like we had the beach all to ourselves. We were also near the lagoon where you can do Kayaking. I was really amused by how the tent looked like from the inside. It has nice beds, clean towels, toiletries, closet, and a mini bar. It looked like a hotel room inside a tent. You also have a little table just outside the tent where they serve your meals. Pretty cool!

The tent from the inside.

1pm lunch. Buffet!

2pm-4:30pm trekking and swimming. One ofthe activities that you can do is trekking. You can either ask for a guide to accompany you or just trek on your own since they provide you with a trail map. You just need to inform them so they could monitor where the guests are. It was just around 45mins of trekking if you pass by the longest trail to the sand bar.

5.30pm kayaking. After a little rest and our afternoon tea, we decided to try kayaking at the lagoon. It was my first time to kayak and I sort of struggled a bit with paddling. Lol.

Wrong way. Haha.

The lagoon area.

6pm-7pm swimming (pool). They have this really nice elevated swimming pool facing the sea. You can’t help but take a dip.

8pm dinner. We were asked if we wanted to have the buffet dinner at the dining area or a grilled dinner. And since we were “camping”, we chose the latter one, and I’m glad we did! It was like we had our own personal cook and waiter. They also made a bonfire to complete the camping ambiance. I was so full from our dinner! We also had appetizers and desserts. The works!

We woke up around 6am the next morning to check out other areas of the resort, walk along the beach, and of course, take some more pictures! Our personal kuya who was attending to us during our whole stay immediately asked if we’d like coffee. Yes, please. 🙂 After our quick breakfast (buffet again! I think I actually got fat from the 2 days I spent here), we got ready to check out and head back to Tan-Awan to try and swim with the whale sharks.

Hands down, Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort was one of the best resorts I’ve been to. What I like about it is that there are other activities which you can do aside from swimming, like fishing, kayaking, trekking, snorkelling and more. The sand bar – especially during early morning when its high tide – has the most magnificent view. The staff is very accommodating and provides excellent service.

Here are the Glamping Discovery inclusions (P9,500 net):

• Overnight Glamping Tent Accommodations for Two Adults and One Child (12 years old and below)
• Fullboard Meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Barbecue Dinner)
• Afternoon Tea for 2 Persons
• In-tent Mini Bar
• Island Camp Activities
• Camp Assistant
• Roundtrip Boat Transfers (Bancogon – Sumilon Island)

Tags: asia, bluewater, cebu, glamping, island resort, phippines, resorts, sumilon bluewater, sumilon island, tan-awan, vacation