After a long pause in confinement to the four walls of your room, the rest of the year can only get better, right? While you plan for your first post-quarantine holiday, take a look at this list of some of the finest natural wonders in Cebu, whether you like worshipping the sun or something more extreme.

KAWASAN FALLS

Standing in the mountains of Barangay Matutinao south of Cebu island, Kawasan Falls is a beautiful multi-layered turquoise waterfall system. Two central cascades will lead you to cold, crystal-clear spring waters that are perfect for a refreshing swim. If you’re into more rest and relaxation, work your way to the second level, and find a spot to rest your head with nothing but the most instagrammable waterfall on earth above you. And for you extreme-sport junkies, the destination is also a dive site with free-falls higher than 20 metres, canyon caverns for water jumps and slides, and zip lines with sweeping views of the lush wilderness below.

How to get to Kawasan Falls: Take a three-hour bus ride from the Cebu South bus terminal to Badian, and summit up to the waterfall from Barangay Matutinao entry point. If you’re hiking in the area at Osmeña Peak, you can make it to the waterfall in four hours by foot.

OSLOB

It feels something undeniably Cebuano, and we can picture all the holidayers who have been there and done that. But, yes, taking a dip with the whale sharks is something that you must tick off your bucket list when visiting this coastal town in the southern tip of Cebu Island. Like the attendants, we’re also opposing animal cruelty, so that’s why there’s a strict set of rules that prevents us, humans, from disturbing the world’s biggest fish too much. For example, they allow only 200 divers per day and only until midday feeding hours, and visitors touching or feeding the sharks can go to jail. So, abide by the rules, and have your underwater camera ready for a close-up.

How to get to Oslob: The city is 120 kilometres from Cebu. You can get on a bus at the Cebu South bus terminal (3.5 hours) or take a public van from the GT Express Terminal (3 hours).

MALAPASCUA ISLAND

While Badian and Oslob are located in the southern tip, Malapascua is a tiny island north of Cebu that is just 2.5 kilometres in length (yet, there are more than 8,000 inhabitants). The island is known as a world-class scuba diving and snorkelling destination for its prismatic coral reefs and thresher sharks. Relax. Newbie-friendly waves and peaceful beaches are synonymous with the island, followed by windy nights under coconut palms. And what about the food? You’re as close to the sea as you can get, so use that to your advantage. Iconic dishes, such as the dried, crispy, vinegary rabbitfish and pickled papaya, highlight the local ingredients.

How to get to Malapascua: Find your way to the Cebu North bus terminal and ride 4 hours to Old or New Maya Port. From there, you can walk to the docks and buy a boat ticket for a 40-minute ride to Malapascua Island.