FaceCebu | Cebu Blog, Vlog and Content Creation: Merilyn Acierda

Trekking, hiking and some random walks or jogs really is a stress reliever. Cebu has a lot of mountains or hills to climb and enjoy but last weekend, I chose to grace a special invite to do overnight camping at the highest Peak of Bohol, Mayana Peak from a good friend, Geezelle of Geemiz.com who is celebrating her birthday today as I am writing this article. Happy Birthday my Love!

We took the morning Oceanjet trip going to Bohol from Pier 1 of Cebu City Port. And we discovered that if you decided not to bring your car to Bohol (or any regions outside Cebu), you can actually pay an overnight plus total hours parking fee at the St. Joseph Church near Pier 1. The guard is so accommodating!

A group picture before starting the trek to the camp site. Photo by Geezelle Tapangan-Maningo

We arrived in Tagbilaran City, Bohol by before lunchtime and then we headed directly to Geezelle's house in Jagna to do some quick rest and prepare our stuff for overnight camping. Everyone was so excited. When you wish to try trekking and camping in Mayana Peak, it is best to contact Ms. Merilyn Acierda Madridijo (Ate Edith) who will help you book a "Habal-Habal" or a car/multicab for a small group of trekkers. Her mobile contact number is 09129766691. Don't forget to tell her you got her number from Mark Monta, the Blogger. (wink)

Going back to the city already. Photo by Andrew Gil Desabelle [LEFT-RIGHT] Ate Edith, Me, birthday girl Geezelle and her hubby, James.

TRIVIA: Our guide, Ms. Merilyn Acierda Madridijo (Ate Edith) used to work at ABS-CBN and she is the person behind the famous and award-winning Maala-ala Mo Kaya the movie in the year 1994 starring Aiko Melendez, Chin Chin Guttierez, and Richard Gomez. You can click the link to see her works.

Early call time of 5:00 AM to witness a good sunrise but it was cloudy. So, a group pic is a good idea instead. Photo shot by Realme 5 PRO

My Merrel Trekking Shoes at night. Photo shot by Realme 5 PRO

So speaking of Mayana Peak, it is considered as the highest peak in the province of Bohol with 820m above sea level elevation. I can compare her beauty to Cebu's Mt. Manunggal. Before going to the very peak, there's a place where the locals set as the camping site and then you can walk for 25-30 minutes up to the very peak. This is very the same as Mt. Manunggal. But their difference is, Mayana Peak is very very cold at night. I underestimate her by just wearing sleeveless and shorts for overnight camping - such a bad idea! Also, Mayana Peak is very clean! It is well preserved and ate Merilyn really did a good job while she used to work as a Barangay councilor for 11 years.

This is the PEAK! And of course, we need a family photo for this awesome experience. Photo by Andrew Gil Desabelle

What to expect in Mayana Peak?

Everything is special in Mayana Peak. My friends got to witness the strange appearance of a monkey last Saturday. Also, per Ate Merilyn, there are wild cats in the forest which consumed some beans for food. We also spotted a carnivorous plant - a pitcher plant. During at night, you will surely notice a number of fireflies around the camp site. So I think, Mayana Peak has a lot to offer to nature lovers out there! And the plus point here is at the peak, SUN and SMART subscribers are really loving the 4G LTE SIGNAL at the TOP!!!! So, yes, you can do LIVE video or just update your love ones about this beautiful scenery!

My trekking partner, Merrel!!!! Photo shot by Realme 5 PRO

Since the picture paints a thousand words, here are some amazing shots during our camping and trekking in Mayana Peak. Photos were taken by Realme 5 Pro.

Our way up!!!