Part 9 of a series.
DAY 2.
A fountain within a lake, interesting…
Lake Sebu fisherman
Punta Isla Lake Resort’s Floating Restaurant
Food is transported from the main kitchen to the floating restaurant via this pulley, amazing!
Lake Sebu fishpens
After our tilapia lunch party, Eric and I explored the resort and while we were doing that, we discovered that the resort had its own boating service. Without any qualms, we were quick to decide to avail of the boating service! We were just too excited and wanted to see how big the lake really is right then and there.
Each boat can comfortably seat up to 20 individuals!
For that, we informed one of the resort personnel of our intention to do the lake boat tour. Regardless of how many you are, boat rental costs P400.
Actually, Lake Sebu is also the name of the town where the lake is located. Originally, it was part of Surallah, South Cotabato. At present, the town currently has a population of at least 50,000.
Catholic Church in Lake Sebu
The tour brought us around much of Lake Sebu and the fee already includes a guide, an authentic T’Boli at that, who shared the essential information about Lake Sebu and pointed out some places of interest around the lake.
Our tour guide for the afternoon. Lake Sebu is the home of the T’boli tribe which is famous for their colorful costumes, intricate beadwork, woven work and brass ornaments. They are very-well noted for their T’nalak, a sacred cloth made from abaca which is exchanged during marriages and used as a cover during births. Mind you, the tour guides are accredited by the Department of Tourism, so you get a lot of information, and not just a lot but accurate ones as well.
TRIVIA: Sun Cellular subscribers can reflect all the way while in Lake Sebu as only Globe (left) and Smart (right) have communication towers in Lake Sebu. LOL!
The placid Lake Sebu is actually just one of the 3 lakes in the town of Lake Sebu, but it is the largest at 354 hectares! The others are smaller, Lake Lahit at 24 hectares and Lake Seloton at 48 hectares. While on the tour, I really relished the cool and VERY fresh mountain breeze and listened to the relaxing sweet tweets of the birds. It was definitely a feast for the senses and the soul!
Lake Sebu is surrounded by rolling hills and forested mountains and it is, by the way, a protected area so it can be assured that you’ll be enjoying the untouched forest at its best. And having said that, I think that everyone who plans to visit Lake Sebu should keep this in mind: “Take nothing but pictures, bring nothing but memories and leave nothing but footprints”. Let us all help in protecting our environment for a brighter future!
Viewing the lake from afar is one thing and being on the lake itself is another. The boat tour was one worthwhile experience and if you’re planning to visit Lake Sebu, it must be among the priorities in your itinerary! The tour takes less than an hour and you won’t even notice it as you’ll be too occupied taking photos and twisting your head left and right to fully appreciate and digest the sights that appear before you. Lake Sebu is one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve visited and you should too, NOW!
The “tabingi” Lake Sebu shot
The Majestic Lake Sebu
Punta Isla Lake Resort, as seen during the boat tour
(…to be continued)
