“nice place! will recommend it to my friends!”
That’s exactly what I said after our eco-adventure tour with Kuya Lolito, our guide for the day. Bojo River is located in Aloguinsan, in the southern part of Cebu, and honestly, I had never heard of this place before so this was quite an adventure for me, especially since it was my first time here.
In just a 5-minute walk, you can already reach the dock. There were other tourists who arrived early and were having a short briefing while waiting for the high tide. While we were waiting, we took a few photos of the place.
While waiting, which took about an hour, I chatted with one of the members of their organization. She said that their organization, BAETAS (Bojo Aloguinsan Eco-Tourism Association), was launched in 2009. Their goal is to preserve and take good care of the beautiful scenery of the river.
She also mentioned that aside from river cruising, you can go island hopping to Kantabogon, a neighboring barangay that has its own eco-tourism organization as well. You can rent a big boat for only 1,000 pesos, which is good for up to 6 people. If you exceed that, you’ll need to pay an additional 100 pesos per person.
For 300 pesos each, you can already enjoy river cruising, swimming with corals, swimming at the mouth of the river, and taking in the view of Mt. Kanlaon. Yes, Negros City is just 27 km away from Aloguinsan, and Mt. Kanlaon is visible from the river’s mouth.
In addition, you can also rent their floating nipa hut for only 500 pesos, where you can enjoy your lunch while taking in the beautiful view and even have a swim in the river.
Now it’s time to cruise the river, as the tide is a little high and enough for the bangka (small boat) to float.
Before starting the cruise, they will still need to brief you on what to do while cruising. Like not to panic, not to touch anything like birds, or not to make loud noises because the place is enchanted.
While cruising, our guide Kuya Lolito was educating us about the different kinds of mangroves, the birds on the area, their scientific names, the stories about the monkeys who once lived there, the myths, the one-eyed fairy and how they preserve the place. They will also explain to you where the 300 pesos will go and how will it be divided. It was fun and very informative at the same time while indulging yourself to the beauty of Aloguinsan’s nature.
Photos below is on our way to the mouth of the river.
Once you reach the mouth of the river, they will also guide you to the corals and the cave, as long as the sea current isn’t too strong. The path to the cave is a little scary because of the kantil, a drop-off or underwater cliff. Imagine this while on the boat: on the right side, you’ll see corals, while on the left, there’s very dark blue water where you never know what might be lurking.
Photos on the cave:
There’s nothing to do in the cave and I’m a little bit excited to swim to the river so I just decided to leave the place after a short time.
me with my remembrance lol
And btw, you can look for Kuya Lolito as your guide because he really is friendly (though all of them are).
More information of the place:
You can book and avail their package for 600 pesos per head and it’s included with lunch and snacks with a welcome greeting once you get there. You can contact Kuya Rudney Carcuevas at 0905-9133-055.