Cebu Trip: Mangrove Trees in Sayaw Beach, Barili

I had a quick vacation in Sayaw Beach Barili, Cebu, when I went out with a former colleague’s team for an activity to bond out of town. I didn’t have plans of joining as I was bent on spending my weekends at home in order to work. But I soon gave in when it turned out that the number of heads that the original trip had didn’t turn out quite as expected.

Cebu Trip: Mangroves in Sayaw Beach, Barili
October 1, 2011

sayaw barili
Sayaw Beach, Barili

Team Building in Barili, Cebu

To be honest, the place didn’t fancy me the first time because I was expecting a nice beach available so I could directly head out for a swim. However, here’s the scene that greeted me when I went to the shore.

barili cebu
boat and trees

It was an overnight stay in a resthouse and I was surprised to see mangrove trees that gave out a different view as time passed.

barili mangroves water
water knee-deep

Sunset and Silhouettes

We had a very late lunch at 3pm and afterwards, we used the chance to lounge around. I was busy checking the place out and when I turned to one side, the sun started to set. Silhouettes formed and I happily clicked away.

sayaw barili sunset
porch on a tree

I asked two people to start dancing and I don’t know if it turned out alright. I didn’t even know these guys well enough to choreograph them. But what the heck, they willingly obliged. Thanks Al & Donna! 😀

sayaw dance barili
sayaw means ‘dance’

Night Spotlight

As the skies turned dark, I had to get some shut eye for I was awake for more than 24 hours and my body longed for rest. When I stepped out for dinner, the water rose and I saw that these mangroves were given their own spotlight.

green trees barili
night light

These trees definitely deserved their own light especially when this is the scenery that awaits you. A bummer for me that I left my tripod at home and my shots became limited to a certain angle.

barili night
calm waters

After hours of card games and karaoke sessions with people I barely knew, I finally went to bed to sleep.

Morning View

Morning came and it was already 8am when I woke up. The water subsided and here’s another scene that I saw on the beach.


lone tree

I was reluctant to join this team activity at the beginning because I was bent on saving money for a travel adventure next year. But given the budget of this quick vacation and since all I had to do was drag myself in the process, I had no regrets. Maybe one of these days I’ll get invited to spending time on cheap holidays and just chill without thinking about plans too much. For now, the trees were already enough for my fascination.

mangroves barili
low-tide

Sometimes we have this ‘standard’ that a good view of a beach would only be that of powdery white sands, crystal clear waters and a vast shoreline. I admit that it’s still what I long for whenever I head to a destination with water. But during this trip, I learned to appreciate what’s been presented to me. You don’t realize how beautiful a place can become until you let it grow with you in time.

no other woman
‘No Other Woman’ daw

Was planning to create a better write-up out of the photos but my mind has been totally blank lately.

Barili is 1.5 hours South of Cebu City.

*Special thanks to Team Pia. 😀


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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Now based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and working to earn a living, he takes time to enjoy the city and travel during weekends.
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For questions, advertising, and other concerns, shoot an email to ed@soloflighted.com.


26 thoughts on “Cebu Trip: Mangrove Trees in Sayaw Beach, Barili”

  1. i like the silhouette and the night light photos. ang ganda!
     i have a friend who lives in cebu pero baguio base na sya at nagiipon ako para makapunta sa cebu soon with her! i cant wait.

    Reply
  2. @jayson: thanks for dropping by.

    @supertikoy: mga 1-2 hours from Cebu lang. haha. onga di ba? i had to make do with the ground as the tripod. 

    @jelly: thanks jelly!

    @asiong32: daming mapupuntahan dito sa cebu. thanks!

    Reply
  3. wow! kumo-choreograph na! 🙂 love ko din ang mangroves, great subject,  pero my funny moment ako na naaalala. haha yung tuwad shot mu sa my mangroves ng Palaui. super effort ka sa pagkuha ng anggulo noon, i wonder kung anu naman position mu sa pagkuha neto. haha joke seriously, like everyone else here, i love  the shots Ed. I'll never get tired of watching the sunset and even the sunrise. 🙂 ang yomon yomon mu na, lahat  tlga ng post kumikita! 😉 

    Reply
  4. @gladys: updated the post. thanks gladys! it's located South of Cebu. timing lang talaga ito sa Barili. didn't expect it at all 😀

    @bonzenti: magalaw kasi kamay ko sir! hehe. 

    @thepinaysolobackpacker: haha. choreograph para emo effect. haha. wag na yung tuwad shot ko. haha. ito, di naman ako nakatuwad ngayon. mabuti na lang. hehe. wag ka sa mga weird shots kasi marami ka ring mga ganun! lol .thanks gael! lapit ko nang mabayaran full ang utang! hehe thanks uli! 😀

    Reply
  5. Your experiences on this beach remind me of my time in Costa Rica.  I was in a small town so I could surf on the beach.  The beaches were ok, but not as good as I was expecting.  But as time went on they grew on me.  It was just a matter of getting used to them and not compare them to my idea of what a beach should be like.  I have to say that those mangrove trees look really cool against the backdrop.

    Reply
  6. Hanganda! Definitely a different kind of beach experience. Great idea to shine a spotlight on the mangroves at night. Oh, and you have yet another talent pala – choreographer! Blog god ka na nga – you can do everything. 🙂
    And how sexy to go beaching with peeps you barely know.

    Reply
  7. @Pia: thanks for letting me join your team Pie! 😀

    @Steve: Costa Rica, I've got teammates working there. They're more or less the same as the Philippines. Thanks Steve!

    @AJ: haha. choreographer. di naman, hehe. I just told them to hold their hands and then act as though they were dancing. hehe. toinks. wag na yang 'doing everything' kakatakot, damin expectations. haha. As for peeps I don't know, I usually do that. I'll create a separate entry on how many teams I've joined despite barely knowing anybody. Thanks AJ! 😀

    Reply
  8. hello! Nice travel shots. AM glad i finally found a blogger/traveller from cebu. Just got relocated here 4 months ago and am dying to explore the city but haven't found travel buddies yet! haha. See you around

    Reply
  9. wow ha, wala pang tripod yan pero ang ganda na 🙂
    Eeek, preho tau, I always wanted fine white sand pero now kahet ano basta nature at maganda ang scenery 🙂

    Reply
  10. Great shots Ed! At ang kulit ng last pic. Pang "No Other Woman" nga. hehe. I agree with you that sometimes it's not just how beautiful/grand  the place is, but it's also on how we appreciate the place. I think this beach has a beauty of its own and the mangrove trees give a serene and relaxing atmosphere to the place. 
    By the way, I'm really happy to hear that you are planning to leave the corporate world and travel full-time soon. Kainggit naman! I really miss traveling esp. for a long period of time. Ngayon kasi weekend na lang ang meron ako para  mag-lagalag. But I really wish you all the best Ed! That means we would be reading more of your awesome travel adventures and we would be seeing more of your crazy stunts and  headstands. hehe. I'm really looking forward to that! God bless and more power! 😀

    Reply
  11. I agree, a beach need not be all white sand with swaying palm trees or else, they will all look the same 🙂 Mangrove trees play a very important role in the health of coastal environment – and besides, just as you captured them, they look amazing too when the light is right!

    Reply
  12. @tina: thanks tina! yan ang maganda sa pagtatravel, nag eevolve. 😀

    @my lovely adventures: thanks lovely! appreciate the kind words. natatakot nga ako pero dapat magawa ko na toh kasi antagal ko na rin tong pending na dapat kong gawin. hehe. baliktad na rin tayo, ikaw na ngayon ang weekends gumagala. good luck din sa career mo. 😀

    @the nomadic pinoy: thanks dennis! hope to capture more shots like these!

    Reply

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