In a municipality with a population of 28,000 ++, of course you'd already think that this place must have some private getaway where you can LITERALLY get away from killer stress. You got that right, dears! Catmon is a place you have to drop by when you come to beautiful Cebu. It's about two to three hours away from the city proper, by car, that is. It's situated in the Northern part of Cebu. Personally, I prefer the north to the south because I think that the south is just too rowdy. They have better and more pristine beaches than the north, but there's just too many people that it feels like you haven't escaped the bustle the city already provides us too much of. The road to Catmon made me take a quick walk along memory lane, back when my family and I were on a road trip from Ilo-ilo to Boracay. Lateral to the road is the magnificent view of the sea and it seemed endless. It gave me a sense of peace just looking at it. No city turmoil, no smelly garbage, no traffic.
Days before the trip we called ahead to make our reservation. P350 per head. This includes the cottage, trek guide, hot spring use, life jackets and entrance fee. You can bring your own food. They have a grilling area, just bring your own stuff . They don't charge extra for food brought it. No corkage fee. If you wish to cancel or reschedule, you can inform them a day or days ahead. Don't forget to make a reservation. They follow a no booking, no entry policy.:)
We headed for Esoy's Hot Spring. It is owned by Councilor Celso "Esoy" Bustamante. He is very friendly and accomodating to all guests! It is a secluded place in Duyan, Catmon. It's 5 kilometers from the main road. It's easy to spot because they placed a signage (landmark: JM Enterprise). If you don't have a private car, you can ride a bus from North Bus Terminal. It's not a bumpy ride, it's all easy breezy because getting there, the route's already cemented. No more getting nauseous and dizzy! It's a whole lot of unforgettable adventure as you behold of the ever green scenery! Just what we need after a whole week's work! You have to go 150 flights down the stairs before reaching the hot spring though. It's what we needed to get ourselves all warmed up.
Do you want to relax in the warm waters? We happily lolled without a care for time. Then river trekking we did. Huge chunks of rocks, dried up snake skins in the uneven corners and fishes in the fresh water. This fuels up your thirst for adventure. You have the choice to go further up (ala rock climbing??) to the top and carefully descend down to the top of the waterfall, take a deep breath and jump. It is an experience in it's own kind.
