Traveling Alone is I guess the pinnacle of every traveler. “Self Liberating, fulfilling, and redeeming”-these are the words to describe it. BUT, we cannot deny the fact that it is scary and dangerous too.
There was a time in my life that I felt empty, alone, and without a purpose. Everything was too common. Nothing’s new. The same routine. It felt like I was dying inside. Those thoughts led me to the most dangerous decision that I’ve done so far. TO GET OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE — it was crazy
I decided to travel alone in South Cebu. I did it without the help of any travel agencies or package tours. I did it all by my self. I rode a bus from the South Bus terminal without even knowing where to go to. I remembered looking outside of the window and thinking “what the hell have I done. I still have some time to go down and go home. I still have enough time to cancel my plan“. But I didn’t! I was glad that I didn’t!
I got off at the Oslob, Whaleshark watching area. As I was walking, a lot of drivers were asking me about my plans. “San kayo, sir?” (Where are you heading, Sir?) and then I answered, “Di ko alam, sir. San pa ba pwedeng puntahan dito maliban sa mga main attractions?” (I don’t know. Where else can I go besides the main attractions here?).
Then they replied, Chasing waterfalls! I don’t have any idea about that, but I just said, “YES!” The driver was asking, why the hell am I alone. All I said was “Wala po kasing forever” (Nothing lasts forever). He just laughed at me and assured me to keep me safe while on the trip. There’s this strong feeling of trusting someone you don’t know. Sometimes, talking to strangers is way more interesting than talking to your old friends.
We went to different locations. 3 waterfalls for only P900.
- Tumalog falls
- Binalayan falls
- Aguinid falls
It was all amazing. Each area, they will be providing a guide for you for safety reasons (except for Tumalog falls). The only challenging part for me was the amount that I will be giving to the guides. The last time that I went there, they won’t be asking for a fixed rate of their service. It’s all up to you on how much would you give. I don’t know with others but for me, it’s harder to give in that kind of offer. You are not sure if you are giving them enough amount or what.
During that trip, I learned that DIY Traveling/ traveling alone WON’T SAVE YOU MONEY! In fact, I think I spent more than I should for the entire trip. You have to pay for everything all by yourself, but the experience is definitely worth it!
Sometimes, going out of your comfort zone will bring you to better places, and better opportunities. If you have the time to get lost, ENJOY IT! Because at the end of the day, YOU’LL FIND YOU!
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