Maldives of the Philippines, White Sandbar Manjuyod
- Maya del Aire
- Jan 29, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 15, 2019
This itinerary is day four of your ultimate 8 day trip that starts in Cebu old city. It includes: Cebu city, Bohol Island, Manjuyod Sandbar, Siquijor island, Apo island,Oslob whale shark watching and Kawasan falls canyoneering. This particular post focuses on most important tips and tricks you must know before going for a trip to Manjuyod sandbar. The itinerary includes all relevant information in order for you to have a smooth vacation, so just get ready and follow my lead.
Click bellow to check out the rest of your ultimate Philippines itinerary
Day 4 Maldives of the Philippines, Manjuyod sandbar
About
For those who don’t know, sandbar is a natural geological formation of sand or other unconsolidated material that rises from the bed of a body of water. Or just simply, place in the middle of the ocean where water is so shallow that it creates a stretch of shallow turquoise water that covers white sand. Philippines has a lot of sandbars around the islands and one of those that you can visit is Manjuyod sandbar, that is easily reachable from Dumaguete.
This place can be considered as hidden gem, because the experience that you will get is unforgettable and the place is still not crowded with tourists. Manjuyod sandbar is known as the Maldives of the Philippines as it has something unique comparing to other sandbars in the Philippines, but also something familiar to the Maldives: its cottages that float on the water.
Be aware that in order to enjoy Manjuyod fully, you have to be well prepared, as your experience will depend on how well you are prepared and also on weather conditions. Sandbar might not even appear if the tide is high, and if it’s raining, you will not have where to hide. Also, if you happen to go there on a cloudy day, you won't be able to take nice photos.
Therefore, I urge you to pay attention to the “tips, tricks and what to bring” section of this post.
What can you do there?
If you are there for a day trip, you may enjoy drinks and food provided from locals. They will have their little kayaks loaded with drinks, including variety of their local rums. They also offer fresh coconut, and food fished from the ocean and prepared on a little barbecue. Don’t expect anything fancy, but just fresh and simple.
If you would like to have more comfort on your visit to Manjuyod, note that cottages can be rented for about 4000 php ( 7.5 USD) for an over night or for less just for a day. Kindly update yourself on prices. These prices were available on March 2018.
If you are lucky, you may spot some sea species, like a starfish!
You can also enjoy snorkeling in deeper water which will be away from the sandbar; just make sure you mention that to your boat men before going on a trip.
Your boat ride should also include dolphin watching. This is usually the main reason why people go for the sandbar. However, you may expect not to see them, as the place where you will be taken is just a spot in the open sea, and no one can guarantee that they will be there at the time you arrive. However, I am sure that it is worth paying for both, dolphin watching and sandbar, as sandbar will give you an unforgettable experience as long as you are prepared well.
How to reach Manjuyod
If you are going to follow my 8 day itinerary for Cebu, you will be staying in Dumaguete for next four days, and you will take bus, tricycle and boat to Manjuyod.
From Dumaguete central bus station, you will have to take a Ceres Liner bus to city of Bais, which will cost you a bit more than a dollar. Bais is just 45 km away and the ride won’t take long, just make sure you get your ticket at the station, and get on the right bus.
From there you will take a 15 min tricycle ride that will take you to the Canibol Wharf or Capiñahan Wharf where you can rent a boat to the Manjuyod. If you haven’t book your ride to the sandbar yet, don’t worry, there will be a lot of people at the station and at the port offering you a ride. The only thing is that you might not be able to haggle, as these will be fixed prices. If you find any agency or contact before ahead, make sure you haggle. Your trip can include a boat ride with other people or just two of you, depending on your choice. It may or may not include dolphin watching, again as per your preference. I have been there in March 2018, we took a boat that included seeing dolphins, and it cost us 2500 php ( 48USD )for for 2 persons.
Tips and tricks you must know before going to Manjuyod***
-Make sure that the tricycle ride doesn’t cost you more than 10 pesos per person. They tend to overcharge.
- If you would like to see dolphins and also enjoy sandbar you have to go there very early. This means 5-6 am is a good time to go, because dolphins don’t go out late during the day, and the water in the sandbar is not that shallow. We have reached sandbar around 10.30 am because our propeller broke in the middle of the ocean, and water was so high, up to my waste.
- Make sure to know what does your tour includes, and what you want to have before going on a tour. Our boat men, to my surprise, barely spoke any English, and it was challenging to communicate with them on a boat.
- Make sure you have checked the weather forecast because sandbar disappears during high tide, and appears only when low tide.
- There are no bars, toilet or shower facilities in the sandbar, and the same thing might apply for your boat. There are toilets and shower facilities at the wharf though. There is no charge for the toilet, but for the shower you will have to pay 20 php for a gallon of fresh water.
- Be mindful about disposing your trash smartly, and try to keep this place clean and pretty.
What to bring
- Make sure you bring dry bags, as your boat will get soaked with water for sure, and you will need a dry towel.
- Considering that there is not much variety of food that you can have there, you might want to consider taking some snacks with you, especially if you are not a fan of seafood.
- Lots of coral friendly sunscreen and towels, as your boat will be the only place to offer shade.
- Stack up with cash; that will be your only way of payment there.
- I would suggest bringing some music device, maybe a ball to play or anything that will make your stay enjoyable.
Great info!!!!! Keep it up