Oslob

municipality of the Philippines in the province of Cebu

Oslob is a small village south of Cebu City, near the southern tip of Cebu Island. It has started blossoming into a tourist stop due to whale sharks that swim close to the coast. This tourist attraction is controversial because fisherman lure them into the coast by feeding them. It is left to the reader to decide if they want to support this.

Understand

Get in

Swimming with whale sharks

It is common to come on a day tour from either Cebu City or Dumaguete, but it is also possible to get there independently. Tour price range is ₱2500-3500 and depends on the number of people in a group, usually minimum of four people is required (2016).

By bus from Cebu City (3 hr), Bato (20 min), Moalboal (first 1½-hr bus ride to Bato, from there another 20-min ride to Oslob).

It's a bit trickier to get from Dumaguete: first take a short jeepney (₱10) or tricycle (₱150) ride to Sibulan port (3 km north of Dumaguete center), get on a jetty to Cebu island (it runs every hour, journey time 30 min, ₱60), from there it's a 20-minute tricycle (₱200) or jeepney (₱15) ride to Oslob. In general, jetties and buses are synchronised so that bus waits and leaves right after jetty arrives. It is also possible to get a bus all the way to Oslob from Ceres bus station in Dumaguete, though you pay separately for the ferry.

Get around

See

  • 🌍 Tumalog falls (“Toslob falls” or “Mag-ambak falls”) (15 minutes drive away). A cascading waterfall. Ask someone in the village to take you there, cost for a ride about ₱120. Entrance fee ₱20. (updated Aug 2013)
  • 🌍 Sumilon Island. Can be visited on organised boat trip which starts regularly at the whale shark-watching point. (updated Aug 2016)

Do

  • 🌍 Whale shark watching (10 km south of town). 6:30AM-noon. Prices include gear, instructor and a boat. Session time is limited to 30 minutes. ₱1500 to dive, ₱1000 for a snorkel and swim, and ₱500 to stay on the boat. (updated Aug 2016)

Buy

  • DPB Bank atm, Tourism Office. 24 hour atm. (updated Jun 2019)

Eat

  • 7-Eleven, N Bacalso Avenue. 24 hours. (updated Jun 2019)
  • Julie's Bakeshop, N Bacalso Avenue. 7am-10pm. (updated Jun 2019)
  • Cocina En Acantilado, a Filipino restaurant which is 300 meters away from the briefing center of whale shark watching.

Drink

  • Aaron's Resort have food and drinks. Their tuna steak is good and the beer is cold.

Sleep

About a dozen hotels exist in Oslob.

  • Casa Bonita Inn Backpackers Hostel, Tan-awan (along the highway), ☏ +63 933-200-0000. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. Hot showers and free Wi-Fi. Dorm bed ₱350 per person. (updated Dec 2016)
  • Sharky Hostel, Brgy Tan-awan, ☏ +63 915-411-6424. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. Has 8 or 10 bed dorms. Free Wi-Fi. dorm bed ₱400 per person. (updated Dec 2016)
  • Island View Pension house, Lagunde Oslob, ☏ +63 9751563939. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: noon. A bed is a 12-bed fan dorm. Free Wi-Fi. Breakfast ₱75. From ₱300. (updated May 2018)
  • Guilly's Place, N Bacalso Avenue. fan single room, free wifi. 300. (updated Jun 2019)

Sumilon Island

Connect

Go next

  • Cebu City, main urban center of the region
  • Moalboal, once just a diver and backpacker hangout, now a more general tourist destination
  • Dumaguete, on Negros Island, large expat community and good tourist facilities
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