Lake no other | Camotes Island, Cebu (Part 3)

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It was our first day on the island and we just visited Mangodlong Rock Formation and a majestic cave (will share in another post). For today, allow me to share another Lulinghayaw sa Cebu destination in the island of Camotes. Shall we?

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Last minute tour

I shared before that we rented a scooter and it helped us easily move from one destination to another. It was late in the afternoon when we traveled to Lake Danao one of the attractions on Camotes Island which you shouldn't miss.

Although my boyfriend had previously visited Lake Danao, it was his first time driving. We made use of Google Maps to find our way to Lake Danao but unfortunately, connectivity ain't Camotes' strength. So yep, we got lost somehow but thanks to kind locals who helped us find the right way.

I super love the roads in Camotes. Either I could see vast green fields or roads lined up with Acacia trees and other kinds of trees. The ride to Lake Danao made me closer to nature.

In no time, we arrived at our last destination for the day. I was starting to worry about the weather and how it might affect our tour. I've noted the sky's turning gray and I felt the cold wind whistled against my skin.

I've been to another lake with the same name located in Leyte and just like that one, Lake Danao in Camotes is surrounded by huge trees. Signs that the area is a part of a protected landscape and seascape as confirmed by one of the signages there.

We paid the fees required and moved towards closer to the lake. If you're worried about where to eat in case you arrive for lunch here, I spotted a few food stalls offering snacks and there's a restaurant too if you'd go for a meal. If you're in the Philippines,you don't have to worry about food as we love to eat! You'll find food easily.

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Fear to fun

We waisted no time and immediate rented a paddle boat good for two for only $2 with unlimited use. I'm pretty sure this has not always been the case. I mean the unlimited use of the boat but since the pandemic less and less tourists visited the place. With less demand they can just allow tourist to use it until they're tired. Again, it's just a theory. I'll confirm it from my boyfriend later. 😂

The highlight of this tour is my hesitation to try the paddle boats. Simply because I have a fear of lakes. Yup, it's specific as that! The reason is that I'm scared of what's underneath the surface. Unlike the ocean where some part you could see the seabed but in lakes, there's no way to check what's below. It's too mysterious and murky. And that's something, I don't want to deal at all. Period.

But we were already there and despite not saying how scared I was, I'm sure my boyfriend will take care of me. So we rented one and made the most out of it.

My boyfriend was beside me so it's less scary. He'll probably just pull me out of the water in case a random creature takes me haha

We started to get the rhythm and without even trying we felt we were already moving. We had to make sure we move from the dock to the middle of the lake or else our $2 will be spent in vain.
There we started seeing the other portions of the lake. That's when I realize how huge this lake is that even if we try so hard to move across one end to the other, the entire afternoon would not be enough.

We were told to avoid moving eastward of the lake. They didn't tell us why and this led to many speculations inside my head. "Maybe there are crocodiles there or huge snakes" and so on and so forth. So my boyfriend and I did our very best to stay near the front part of the lake.

I thought, "As long as we can still see the dock, we're good". You can only imagine how I tried to fight a battle deep within. 😂

We continued chilling in the lake. That's the point when we stopped paddling altogether and just allowed the boad to be carried by the current or movement of the water. We just rested, observed what our eyes were able to see and just felt that calm breeze of that afternoon.

The moment I got a hold of my thoughts and convinced myself that no one's gonna drag be to the bottom of this lake, I immediately felt a relief from the week's terrible circumstances. It was so relaxing to the mind and spirit. Exactly what I needed at the point in time.

Here are more photos of us enjoying the rest of the afternoon:

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A sunset, a blessing

Perhaps, the universe worked things out in our favor. Remember I mentioned it was gloomy that afternoon? Thanks to that we don't have to endure the hotness of the day when we were paddling around. Then all of a sudden, sunset arrived and these photos could probably tell everyone why Lake Danao's worth the visit. I'll just leave these photos here:

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Time to go home

Before the night could fall, we decided to go back.

We were already i near the floating restaurant but then the caretaker of the boats told us we should park on the other side.

So we forcibly paddled until we got to the other end. It was so near yet so far as we found it difficult to park the boat this time. We took our time but finished the task on a high note! 😂

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What else?

There's a floating cottage, too! This serves as the dining area of the restaurant nearby.

There are also other small open cottages just like the ones below:

There's a restaurant and tables and benches under the trees right before you'd reach the other end of the lake.

As it was my first time here, I moved to the other end of the Lake and took a couple more shots. There's this old dock which looked it was being repaired at the moment.

Then I discovered another one where swan shape paddle boats lined up.

The finally what is tourist attraction without a signage, right?

And this sits beside the signage. It's very attractive and there's no way you wouldn't be captured of those vibrant colors! It's the only one tho; it would have been nice to see more.

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Overall, I'm happy and grateful I survived Lake Danao. One for the books indeed! Have you visited this lake or any other lake in your area? How was your experience? Was it as scary as mine to begin with?

Appreciate you sticking until the very end! We're not done with Camotes so you better stay tuned! See you fellas! 😁

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