Tired of the usual beach outing this holiday? How about trying an eco-cultural tour in Aloguinsan? It’s a small town along the southwestern coast of Cebu island which is gaining renown for its nature tours that advocate sustainable and responsible tourism.

Bojo is one of the 15 Barangays in Aloguinsan and since the river is located in the barangay, it was named as such. The term “Bojo” is actually a Spanish word which means “river ceiling”. But in Visayan dialect, it simply means a “hole” where the river exits the sea.

This eco-cultural tour is run by the Bojo Aloguinsan Ecotourism Association (BAETAS) and was funded by the local government unit which also serves as alternative source of income for the community. The ecotourism movement started in 2009 and started training 400 participants which comprises of Aloguinsan locals. And in 2015, they won the Best Community-Based Initiative Award for their efforts.

What Does Eco-Cultural Means?

Eco-cultural tourism is a concept in which ecological and cultural aspects of a landscape are combined to create a site for tourists. It is proposed as a way for communities with otherwise marginal cultural or ecological resources to develop.

Source: Sagepub

The River Cruise

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a warm welcome by the locals with a Visayan song number. Each one of the guests will also be given a welcome lei (which was made from plant stalks), and a fresh coconut juice as a welcome drink. A short orientation about the cruise and the place will also be given before prepping for the cruise.

The Bojo River is about 1.4 kilometers long. The river near the station is 3 meters deep during high tide and the river mouth is 8 meters deep. The river cruise would take more or less than an hour. The river cruise is dependent on the tides, so it is better to book in advance or ask ahead before coming to Bojo River.

The river is a mixture of fresh water from the natural spring and saltwater from the sea, so you’ll absolutely enjoy swimming there because it wouldn’t strain your eyes that much. The cruise is super safe because the water is very calm and most importantly, there’s no crocodiles in the area, haha confirmed!

The design of the banca or small boat is also stable because of its katig or support arches on both sides. Life vests must also be worn at all times. (Though in my case, I took it off while swimming coz it made me feel uncomfortable and so hard to swim while wearing it.) They also have a mirrored-floor boat that is perfect if you want to see what’s under the water during the cruise (see the image below). Unfortunately, it can only be used during high-tide.

During the duration of the cruise, it is also advisable to minimize or lower your voices to give way to the guide’s lectures about the river and to also not disturb the mythical beings coexisting in the river like the local folklore of Maria Tang-an, a river fairy that let the town folk borrow things during fiestas and weddings.

Our Experience

We didn’t hire any agency for this tour, instead we made our own bookings and had our own private vehicle for this trip. We were divided into two groups, our group started as early as 6AM and arrived at Aloguinsan after an hour and a half. We also made a mistake because we went directly to the Bojo River Cruise instead of registering and confirming our booking at the “Farmhouse”. Haha, good thing we arrived there earlier than the desired time of the cruise which is 9AM so we still have an hour to relax and take some pictures.

One thing I noticed when we enter the “Farmhouse” was the cozy ambiance. We were greeted with those gorgeous passion fruit vines and environmentally friendly place. The staffs were also very friendly and our bookings were a success, though the staffs and including us were in a little chaos because both of us had the hard time finalizing the members of our group, haha. But no worries, all were properly sorted out.

My favorite of this trip was the food (who wouldn’t eh?). The food served during this trip is far beyond what we were all expecting. I already got the feels after that warmest welcome, and I was really, as in really happy because their foods are not those packed lunches that was normally served on a package tour. And not to mention, their food was so yummy! I have to remind you that we have 1 walk-in member so the food was only good for 8 persons. But to our surprise, they serve too much food. I mean, we also had a takeout eh? Haha. And also, did I tell you that while eating, we were serenaded by those sweet folks in the Bojo River? When it comes to service, these guys are really superb!

After the river cruise, we are supposed to go back to the “Farmhouse” for our snacks, but since we’re on the way to the Hermit’s Cove and we are still full, we decided to proceed to the said place. But that was after the last part of the cruise (which we actually didn’t have any idea about, haha), which was the “puso” making tutorial (which actually differs on different tours, some had pandan weaving, etc.). It was such a fun and great way to end our time at the Bojo River right? So yeah, after that part, we proceed to the Hermit’s Cove, which I will be covering in my next post.

We finally indulged ourselves with the cold water at Hermit’s Cove and all our stomachs we’re grumbling for more food, so right after that, we decided to head back to the “Farmhouse” and claim our free snacks and to also free ourselves from the scorching sun.

When we arrived there, we were greeted by this homely place and with the staff offering us those refreshing lemongrass and calamansi juice, and a cold towel to refresh ourselves. Our snacks consisted of those yummy and healthy delicacies.

Overall, my experience with Aloguinsan River Eco-Cultural Tour was great and worth every penny I’ve spent.

Btw, as usual, I’ve taken a massive picture of the place and you can view all of them in our Facebook account.

Facilities

Both the Farmhouse and Bojo River have comfort rooms, and an information area where you can confirm your bookings or ask some questions. They also have a small stall where you can buy some memorabilia, shirts, keychains and the likes.

At the Bojo River, you will also see an information tarp that is composed of the habal-habal (motorbike) fare for each designated area you want to go. How convenient is that?! They also have a small parking space available which you can utilize for free.

Getting There

We used a private vehicle for this trip, so I am going to provide two ways on how to get there.

Through Private Vehicle

Just navigate with Waze and search for “Bojo River Aloguinsan”. There’s a parking space available in the area without fee.

Through Public Vehicle/Bus

1. The first step would be going to the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) and riding a bus that is heading to Aloguinsan. If you’re in a hurry and there’s no available bus that is heading to Aloguinsan, you can freely take a bus that is bound to Pinamungajan and from there, you can take a habal-habal (motorbike) to take you to Aloguinsan Farmhouse.
2. If you are riding a bus to Aloguinsan, your drop off point would be the Farmhouse which can easily be detected for its signboard is just at the side of the street. Or you can just tell the bus driver or bus conductor to drop you off in Aloguinsan Farmhouse. And from there you can hire a “habal-habal” driver to take you to Bojo River.

Travel Tips

1. As of March 7, 2016, the “centralization” of the tours in Aloguinsan will be implemented. Which means all bookings and transactions should be made directly to the Tourism Office. You can book online or through the phone. You can find their contact details on their official Facebook Page.
2. If you commute to Bojo River through habal-habal or motorbike, you can ask the driver to come back for you at a later time (set a specific time or just ask his mobile number) to avoid the probability of being stranded at the place or to wait for any available public transportation.

General Information

• Place: Aloguinsan River Eco-Cultural Tour
• Location: Bojo, Aloguinsan Cebu
• Opening hours: 8AM to 5PM
• Entrance fee: Php20
• River cruise: Php900 (inclusive of lunch, snacks and with free tumblr minimum of 6 person) Php550 (river cruise and tumblr) for walk-ins
• Date of the trip: April 2016

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