#itravel Series # 4: Excursion To Gilutongan Channel

It was a non-working day holiday last Tuesday, so it was definitely a day out for me. For a long time in 2 years, I had gone to an island-hopping again. It was definitely relaxing, and helping me gain composure, the kind of thing I want and need.

I got that island hopping invitation from a best friend a few weeks ago. It was a holiday, I didn't have to work. So I gave it a full nod, of course!

It was my best friend's uncle's 50th birthday. The original plan was to just have a simple gathering in her uncle's residence. However, when the day was nearing, there was a change of plan - from their residence to a beach adventure.

Moving forward, this is how we spent the holiday.

We left home at 9:30 in the morning and headed directly to Marigondon port in Lapu-Lapu City. We are all just from Lapu-Lapu City, so it only took us less than 30 minutes to go there via private cars.

So here are the things:

• If that would be your first time in Lapu-Lapu, you can just take a taxi directly to the Marigondon Port, which means a lesser hassle on your end.

• Or, if you are on a more budget trip, you could just ride a jeepney to Marigondon. Just tell the driver to drop you at the Marigondon crossing. And from there, take a Tricycle to the port.

From the crossing, it would normally take 5 minutes to reach the port.

The port was packed with boats and people, all sailing for island hopping. It was like the COVID is over. But despite the little anxiety, I somehow felt happy seeing a big crowd all trying to get back to normal - no shield and mask in the water.

Our boat was already there when we arrived. "Giobani" is its name. It was a medium-sized boat that could cater to a maximum of 20 persons, and we were just 18, so it's much better.

We still waited for about 10 minutes to finally onboard the boat. There was like light traffic at the sea, the boats scattered everywhere while waiting for their guests. Every boatman too was waiting for their turn when could they dock closer to pick their passengers.

As everyone was finally settled on the boat, we right then started drifting away from the port. The sea vibe was just so therapeutic - the breeze that was so calming, and the water splashes that were so entertaining.

As we continued to drift to our first stop, the gradual shift of the tint of the water from all the shades in between blue and green fascinated me a lot, like really! It made me appreciate more the majesty of God, and the wonders of His hands. How majestic are His creations!

Also, as we were getting farther from the port, the water had become clearer that the colorful fishes under were very much visible. What a sight to behold.

I never knew the entire itinerary, all I knew was we would be all routing from islet to islet in the Olango group of islands.

So after more or less 30 minutes of floating away from the port, we reached our first stop. It was somewhere in the Gilutongan channel.

Like the other islet in Olango, Gilutongan is also known for its fresh, clean, and unspoiled water. It is also very much considered a good site for diving. It boasts its vibrant marine life that one would surely enjoy, especially the divers.

When we reached the place, all except for the senior ones, were like having no second thought, and immediately jumped off the boat. We had our life jackets and snorkels tho.

Swimming with us were the fishes in different cheerful colors. They were very much entertaining that I had been tempted to try catching them, but good thing I failed. So I just grabbed some bread to feed, and there, I had gathered them nearer me.

After some time in the water, we climbed back into the boat and took our lunch. We rested for a while, and went to swimming again. Then, a boatman from afar who was like boastfully dragging his Banana boat around, came closer and offered us a ride for $5 per head for 30 minutes. We grabbed the offer right then.

We were in two batches since the Banana boat could only accommodate a maximum of 7 persons at a time. So I was in the first batch.

And here's what happened.

Moving forward, after the ride, we went into the usual - swimming and fish feeding. By the way, we were supposed to be hopping from an island to another, but decided to just stay in the Gilutongan channel as we were running out of time.

At 4:00 in the afternoon, we went back to the port, and headed home.