Manjuyod Sandbar---The Tide is High

When April, a friend of mine who came home from the UK, told me that she wanted us (varsity friends) to join her for a day trip to this famous sand bar in Negros Oriental, I couldn't say NO even if my finances already drowned before I even got the chance to take a dip in the gorgeous beach waters of the place we were about to visit. And I guess this answers the question about how I could afford all these travels now that I don't have a full-time job :-D A big thanks to my kindest friends. 

Sunny day, clear skies, and calm waves were what we hoped for during this day. While we were on a more than an hour trip from Dumaguete (the provincial capital) to Manjuyod (where we departed en route to the sandbar), our hopes were the same. But I guess God wanted to be fair to everyone. It wasn't that sunny to get a perfect tan, but warm enough for us to swim. The sky was filled with clouds, but there was no rain. The waves danced to the tune of the wind's music, but were little, keeping us away from a nauseous ride. 

I heard about this magnificent place when I was in grade school, but that was the time when all I could afford was Mr. Chips and Fanta from the nearby store. I guess nothing has changed though. Hahaha :-D I still couldn't afford it now. If not for this gratis trip, I would have just gone straight to my hometown thinking about what the most appropriate penitence for the Holy Week would be. But if you were to go there in a group, the financials involved will surely be lighter. I just got lucky in my case.

HOW TO GET THERE?

From Dumaguete, you can take the bus from the Ceres Terminal. Ceres is the biggest bus company in the whole of Negros and it can take you to Manjuyod safe and excited. :-P In our case, April and her hubby rented a van from Bethel Guesthouse for a discounted rate of Php 3,000.00. It can accommodate 13 -15 people including the driver so if you go there in a group, each person will only contribute a hundred or two. 

Make sure to communicate with Manjuyod tourism office so you will be allowed to use one of the cottages and will be provided with a licensed boat. For those who go there through other channels like the city of Bais, they will not be allowed to use any of the cottages. However, their boats can just anchor somewhere around the sandbar and then they can just jump off and swim or walk along the long stretch of white sand shore. 

You may get in touch with Sherree at 09056443439 for the package as, I think, the price vary per season (Php 3,000.00 8am to 5pm). I would recommend that you contact her the day before and give specific instructions about refilling the boat's gas tank because when we were there, we had to wait for an hour or so because the gas wasn't enough and they needed to ask someone to bring some of those liquids just for us to start sailing. The waiting and unpreparedness surely pissed April off, but the gorgeous waters and laughter we shared saved the mood. :-D

This is the view of our cottage from the balcony. It isn't fancy as you can see, but it's architecture adds more dose of that tropical feel. It has one bedroom. There is one big table provided and sitting areas for guests. The toilet and kitchen are next to each other. 

WHERE TO EAT?

There are no restaurants in the area so you might as well want to bring your own food if you don't live nearby. April and Erwin prepared everything the night before and we, the guests, just had to be on time, prepared and up for an adventure. In my case, I didn't worry about being late as I had a four-day free accommodation in April's house. Hahaha :-D 

Our boat men provided us with clean water, which we used in cooking our food. For convenience's sake, everything prepared was all grilled. We just brought cooked rice with us, soft drinks, some chips, hard drinks, and chicken and pork ready for grilling.

DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING

If your group has enough time, you can go dolphin and whale watching too and this is recommended before going to the sandbar. We didn't do this anymore and I didn't fancy doing it either as I've had whale shark watching already in Oslob a few years ago before it became too commercial and I had my dolphin-chasing experience in Panglao, Bohol. Check this link for more details DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING Just make sure to call the contact numbers indicated to confirm the price as they may vary from time to time. 

I always try to convince myself that I'm not a regretful kind of person because every experience for me from every decision made always has lessons molding us to become the better person we are today and tomorrow, but for this occasion, I think the only regret I have was not praying for low tide. Hahaha :-D The sand bar was supposed to be the highlight, the center of attraction for this trip, but the tide was high when we were there. The clouds covered the sun every now and then. We could somehow see the sky occasionally too. There was no heavy rain, but we probably felt a little drizzle. The water was gorgeously cool and clear. But the sandbar :'( Hahaha Bummer! Lesson learned: be more specific and detailed in ones prayers! :-D

XoXo,

Red Eye

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