Our tour organizer Ricky Soler Jr., a private boat owner immediately acknowledged us upon his arrival. There were tons of stuff in the back of his pick-up truck that comprised our needs for our seafaring trip to the Manjuyod sandbar. Actually, the cottages on stilts were already visible in the distance.
Weather forecasting the night prior revealed a 33% chance of rain. So, it wasn’t a surprise at all that it started to drizzle a bit the minute we were about to board our pump boat. Well, the timing was perfect indeed. Although, the rain was already battering the dark expanse, lashing onto the roof of our boat that was afloat beside the dock that ran alongside it, we could not help but feel a bit of soothing effect afterwards.
The pump boat itself looked very cozy like a floating home, manned by uniformed personnel that rendered on-the-spot assistance. They had probably done this so many times they were a smooth working team. There were big round tables in the center and comfortable chairs were positioned on both sides facing them. We could imagine ourselves drifting into the sun-kissed horizon and just indulging in a banquet, but reality check we were supposed to eat our lunch in one of those cottages on stilts we just meantioned earlier.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one engine start.”
We nodded in agreement to that statement by our host. The engine throbbed and was then all powered up on the first try. So, we were then navigated towards the sandbar. We chitchatted for a while with other guests, since we only joined a group to save up on the budget. We will reveal later how much we paid for this adventure, but for now let us first describe our first-person account of the trip – the former can wait.
Well, there was this solo traveler from the UK named Ian. He was supposed to join another group to go dolphin watching, but it was cancelled so he had no choice but to join us. He was staying in Bais city during that time. Well, we talked about journeys and travels and we were told by him that he was headed for Donsol to see the whale sharks, passing through Cebu and Masbate and then finally in Sorsogon. We were a bit shocked to be honest, since there’s one nearby in Tanawan, Oslob. To make the long story short, he didn’t like the feeding aspect of how they do it in Tanawan, Oslob (which is located in the southern part of the Cebu island). We had to formulate an itinerary for him later on, including a side-trip to Sumilon island.
We might come up with a cast of characters here, since we were with a bunch of people. There were some girls from Bacolod, a buddy of ours named Sherwin and the boat crew. It was a happy mix; very amusing to finally come together to experience the Manjuyod sandbar.
Manjuyod sandbar
Cottages on stilts at the Manjuyod sandbar
After all that excitement, the pump boat will then head to the cottages on stilts jotting out of the sandbar. We counted 5 of them actually, one still being constructed. It used to be just three, but probably due to public demand, they added some more. Actually this sandbar, which is underwater most of the time (even during low tide), spans at least 7 kilometers. It’s so awesome to see its cliff-like edges leading to bluer waters. There was even a buoy steadily drifting to signal boat drivers to steer away from the sandbar blocking.
We finally arrived at Cottage no. 2. There was a stairway going up and we were warned that it was slippery. Ricky himself was a victim of unstable footing. So we went up to see the place and it was great – nipa hut roofing, a kitchen, a bedroom and benches strategically placed within its confines. Before we forget, there is actually an option for weary visitors to spend the night there. Just make the needed arrangements in advance. After taking in the beautiful scenery, we decided to take a dip in the turquoise waters; mind you, there were many shades of blue present. We grabbed our snorkeling gear, left the Mares flippers in our bag and proceeded to probe the underwater scene.
An extensive list of marine life can be found beneath its waters. It was incredible! We were swimming with Bandit Sea Crates, Lionfish and other fish species down there. There were also rough-edged shells attached onto the stilts of the cottage and we got a few cuts here and there, even though we were warned beforehand to be careful.
Manjuyod Sandbar Underwater Pictures
The White Sandbar
We did a lot of snorkeling that morning, even painted a mental picture or map of the sandbar and even visited other cottages on stilts. It wasn’t really exhausting, since we were enjoying it so much. But then, later on we got out of the water and rested for a bit. Time to socialize with the other guests. We opened up a bottle of local brandy priced at P82 – Ian the foreigner was so amazed by its affordability. He informed us that in the UK it was way more steep and one cigarette pack would cost around P900. Sherwin, our friend took some pictures of the sandbar with his DSLR camera while occasionally sipping the brandy. It was a fun moment. But, the best thing was yet to unfold – food trip!
Lunch at the Manjuyod Sandbar
The Interior and Exterior of Cottage no. 2 on Stilts
We apologize in advance if we’re ruining the element of surprise for future travelers. We can’t help but document what we beheld during our visit. One must see them in real light as these photographs alone won’t do it justice.
The food by itself was well worth our money, but lo and behold, we were given the chance to see the dolphins of the Tanon strait for free! It wasn’t part of the original plan, but Ricky Soler Jr. made the call to make that happen. Again, thank you so much, Ricky! We know you’ll get to read this article one of these days. We really had a blast at the Manjuyod Sandbar.
The dolphins were very elusive at first, we were searching for them, even got too close to the Cebu island. The sea was glass-still and it was raining again. We sat up front, so both me and my wife got soaking wet. There were gusts of cold wind that added insult to injury. My wife was blowing hot breath on her icy fingers, so being the good husband I cuddled with her immediately. What a sweet moment it was. We were never embarrassed by doing it, behind us were the other guests and they probably caught a glimpse of that romantic scene.
Dolphin Watching at the Tanon Strait
On Our Way Back
Alternative Route (if Ricky Soler Jr. is unavailable)
Ricky Soler Jr. doesn’t do this regularly. We were lucky to be invited to join a group and we got to experience the Manjuyod sandbar plus dolphin watching for only P550 per head. We highly doubt he’s gonna offer the same price the next time around, but do check on him by giving him a holler. Cellphone #: 09202947989 or just add him up on Facebook (Ricky Soler Jr.).
Ricardo Soler Jr.
On the other hand, the government boat rates in Bais city cost P4,000 for a group of 20 plus terminal fee of P20 or P3,000 fora group of 15 plus terminal fee of P15. Try to contact the Bais City Tourism office at (035) 402 8338. For your convenience, ask them to cater the food at P100 per head additional. It’s also much better to book a trip one day in advance, because this trip usually starts very early at around 6 am when the tide is low. So, ideally, the pump boat should already be out into the open sea at around 7 am. The itinerary would reveal that dolphin watching is first, so the visitors would be entertained by dolphins of all sizes doing acrobatic tricks and tail-flipping on the water. Don’t get too pushy though, these wild creatures are very sensitive to the sound of the engine, so a good pump boat operator would advise one’s crew to mellow down when these sea beauties are close enough for your viewing pleasure. They congregate somewhere within the vicinity of the Tanon strait, so chances are you’re gonna sea a clear view of the Cebu island.
Then after consuming lunch and swimming, there is an option to visit Talabong Mangrove Forest. That completes the itinerary and the pump boat would head straight back to Capinahan Wharf.
But, we didn’t exactly follow those we just mentioned above. We are a DIY couple and we prefer to save up on our budget, so we looked for other ways. Luckily, there was a post on Facebook by Ricky Soler Jr. He owns a private boat and doesn’t really operate on a regular basis, but is worth the call for inquiries. He charged us an all-time low of P550 for a trip to the sandbar, lunch and even a dolphin watching bonus, which wasn’t the original plan! It’s truly value for money, worth every single cent. We thank him so much for being so accommodating. Such a cool, laid-back guy he is!