Osmeña Peak and Obong Spring Adventure on a Shoestring

The scorching heat of the sun in the city has been unbearable and one could only dream of snow or the cool Baguio temperature. For people who have very little to no budget for travel, a summer adventure other than the beach or pool that city living offers is only a dream… or so you might think.

After years of just envying all of my friends’ posts on how they conquered Osmeña Peak, I finally did it! Together with Brenda and Harvey, I was determined to tick this must-do item in the bucket list.

Planning

Harvey and I, together with another friend, Silver Lloyd planned a trip to Osmeña Peak some weeks back. Having a couple of friends who already went there, we already had hints as to the budget that we must set, the trip itself and the other things that we can do. So the date was set for May 10.

Adventure Begins

Lloyd, who just came from Manila to watch his crush Katy Perry’s concert, stood up on us. He missed half of his life. :P

At 4:00AM, Harvey and I embarked on one of our best Cebu adventures in years. We met Brenda at Cebu South Bus Terminal and as I promised her, there will never be an awkward moment between her and Harvey because we are friendly like that! *wink*

Before heading to Dalaguete, we ate breakfast first at 7/11. We also bought supplies also known as FOOD and water. Who would go on adventure without food and water? Definitely not us! LOL

The Journey

We rode a Ceres bus with the Dalaguete-Oslob route. The good thing about taking a morning bus ride in the terminal is that there are not as many people as it would be later in the day. We had good seats which were much needed for a 2-3 hour journey.

Brenda and I were seatmates so we spent the first few minutes (or hour) catching up (as if we don’t talk often). Harvey was on the other side of the bus which he preferred because he wanted to sleep. Later on, Brenda also took a nap. I was left to marvel the view outside as the bus passed by.

I have always loved long trips because it gives me a window to see different places even if I am just sitting still. It also gives me time to think, which I needed much these days.

Back to the trip, if you are not familiar with the place just tell the ticket seller because he knows the places really well. Since we are not familiar with Dalaguete, we just told the ticket seller that we are headed to Osmeña Peak. We paid PhP105 per person which is already a good deal for an aircon bus.

If you are the type to pee every hour or so, you can just tell the ticket seller so the bus can stop and you can do your thing. Chances are, there will be at least one stop along the way for those who needed to use the comfort room. We stopped in a convenience store somewhere in Argao or Dalaguete because the driver ate his breakfast. Those who needed to use the bathroom are relieved because they are well-maintained. After less than 10 minutes, the driver is done with his breakfast! WOW!

Finally, after two and a half hours, the ticket seller told us that we have already reached our destination: the junction of Dalaguete’s Barangay Mantalungon. We eagerly alighted and geared up for the trek.

We asked the habal-habal drivers (habal-habal is a motorbike for hire which are popular in many mountainous places) if they can take us to Osmeña Peak’s drop-off point. There is no need to worry about overpricing because the drivers waiting in the junction are members of an association. They already follow protocols for both their and the passengers’ convenience.

Since there were three of us, we hired the bigger habal-habal for a hundred pesos each person.

It was a 30-minute habal-habal ride through 9 hills but the good thing is that the road is paved and the ride was so smooth, all you need to do is sit, hold and look at all the greens you see along the way.

You will pass by Mantalungon market where many of the freshest vegetables are sold. It is also a favorite drop-off point of those who chose to trek to Osmeña Peak as there is supposed to be some mini-buses that ply the Carbon-Mantalungon route.

When we finally reached the starting point of the trek, the sun is already up so brightly but you can barely feel the heat because the cold wind is blowing constantly.

Cabbage plants along the way.

The white road on our way up.

We needed to sign in the log book which is another proof that the people who push for the tourism of Dalaguete makes it a point to organize everything.

The habal-habal driver said that since he was the one who took us there, he will also be the one to take us back. For a hundred peso waiting fee, that is not a bad idea.

We are lucky the driver shares a lot of information about the places we passed by. When we asked about the name of Osmeña Peak, he told us that stories have it one of the members of the prominent Osmeña clan of Cebu used to go there. That person became so fond of the place that they had a cross built to mark the area.

We didn’t ask for a guide because that’s where all the fun is and also because there are already so many people that we can simply just follow their trail and we are sure we will not get lost.

The hike began.

I felt ashamed that my legs almost gave up on me just a minute into the hike. LOL. I had really bad cramps probably because I didn’t have time to stretch as we were seated for almost three hours in the bus and the habal-habal. The good thing my companions had the patience to wait for me to get better as they took selfies. LOL

My legs felt better and so we pushed through with the hike. The trail is not difficult at all we reached the peak in just a matter of minutes. And you know what that means? Picture-taking. LOL

Since it was Mother’s Day, Harvey asked me the night before to print a “banner” which served as good props when we were taking pictures. Here are our three shout-outs to our pretty mommas (even if we ditched celebrating with them that day).

We enjoyed taking lots of photos in the peak. It was such a lovely place to see more than just mountains but also the sea, islands and islets of Cebu and Negros. It does give you a 360-degree view of Cebu (or Dalaguete).

There is signal up the peak!

The trio.

It is an adventure that I would love to tell my children in the future. But I still wonder where the “cross” supposed to be.

Harvey's "I conquered the peak" pose.

After a couple of minutes, we left the peak and headed to Obong Spring.

When we reached the junction, it was almost lunch time. We bought lechon manok and puso first before going to Obong Spring.

Obong Spring

Obong Spring got plenty of visitors since it was a Sunday.

Under this tree is believed to be where the spring is found.

To reach Obong Spring, ride a motorcycle in the old municipal hall (it is just a walking distance from the junction of Barangay Mantalungon). You will be charged PhP10 each.

There is a PhP5 entrance in Obong Spring which I believe is used for the maintenance of the area. That is really cheap compared to other springs in Cebu.

Since it was Sunday, there were a lot of people who came- families, barkadas, lovers were everywhere.

It was high tide when we came so the water was really deep that it reached the table we rented just at the side of the pool. Tables are rented out for PhP100.

Enjoying lunch. Instant friends.

If you want to change clothes, take a shower or use the comfort room, you need to pay for PhP3 per use.

The water is very cold that Harvey, the only swimmer among us three, said he could not stand it for too long. It was perfect for the hot summer weather indeed.

Hot summer? No problem because the water in the brackish spring + beach will totally cool you down.

After a couple of hours in Obong Spring, we packed up and looked for a bus so we can go back to the city.

Since the spring is just a few minutes walk to the highway, we didn’t have a hard time finding a bus. The trip back was more than three hours because of traffic somewhere in Carcar. Thankfully, all three of us got the chance to nap. We reached the city a little tired but definitely happy with our adventure!

Good points:

-Both Osmeña Peak and Obong Spring are managed well. The associations who manage the places make it easier for first-timers to find their way.

-The people in the area are very approachable. You can ask them for directions and other information and they will gladly share what they know. So if you don’t know what you are doing and where you are headed, ask!

-The kids in Dalaguete are very friendly and polite. During our hike to the peak, we met a couple of them and they cheerily greeted us “Maayung buntag ma’am/sir/ate/kuya” bet you don’t find a lot of kids like that in the city.

-The habal-habal driver is very accommodating and he also serves as a “guide” as he entertained our questions.

Bad points:

- Osmeña Peak has become too crowded. Yung magmo-moment ka sana pero sila din. Hehe. Honestly, there were just too many people you’ll have no space to “moment”.

-Obong Spring is also very, very crowded. If you want a silent place to dip, go to the public beach just a few meters away because there you will have a good swim without fear you’ll bump into someone else.

Photo credits: All photos are from Harvey's Facebook account.