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Bogo on Cebu Island in the Philippines - a shopping trip

Bogo is a city located on the island of Cebu in the Philippines. It's the closest major city to the small island of Malapascua, which is why we came here one day to go shopping. On the list was everything we needed for the upcoming adventurous boat trip around the islands of the Philippines.

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From Malapascua to Maya on the island of Cebu

If you go on your own, you can get from Malapascua by regular boat to Maya New Port on the island of Cebu. We were lucky enough to travel with the Filipino family we now know, in their stretcher Dotche II.

Dotche II på Malapascua

It was not only us who were going shopping in Bogo, but also the Filipino family. They would shop for our upcoming boat trip adventure - and for the fact that they are now renovating their beach bar on Malapascua.

Peter och Helena från FREEDOMtravel
Peter and Helena on board the Dotche II. photo: Julia

From Maya to Bogo

Once in Maya, we boarded a jeepny, a collective minibus, and headed to Daanbantayan.

Jeepny

In Daanbantayan we changed transport and jumped on a bigger bus. We then had about an hour's bus journey ahead of us, before arriving in Bogo City.

Buss på Filippinerna

Lunch at the Mang Inasal fast food restaurant

In Bogo, the family had targeted lunch at the fast food restaurant Mang Inasal. This is a place where you can eat, for example, grilled chicken and we understood that the restaurant is popular with many Filipinos, partly because you can add an extra little money to get "unlimited rice". Yes, in this country they love rice!

At Mang Inasal you can also order the Filipino speciality "Halo halo" - a dessert with "extra everything". The dessert can be made in a few different ways, but it usually includes ice cream, ice, milk, fruit, jelly and beans. When you get it, it's nicely served, but according to our friends, you should then mix everything together into a smooth purple mess. The flavour? Sweet, of course, and not bad at all.

Bogo - a city of tricycles

Our first and strongest impression of Bogo is that this is a city full of tricycles, a type of motorised vehicle consisting of a moped and a passenger cabin. We saw these just everywhere, and we also rode them several times. Every time the Filipino family thought we should go to a different shopping centre, they made sure to cram the gang into two tricycles.

Motorised tricycles can look like anything you can imagine. They are often colourful and often decorated with extra bling. Sometimes you see vehicles that stand out in one way or another. The picture below shows a tricycle on a regular bike, with an umbrella as a roof.

Bogo City i Filippinerna

Another thing you see on weekdays, both in Bogo and in other Philippine towns, is children and young people in school uniforms.

Bogo City i Filippinerna

Shopping in Bogo

For us, it was all about shopping. We first went to a department store called Super Metro Bogo. Here we shopped for stuff for the upcoming boat trip in the form of sleeping mats, cushions, plates, glasses and rainwear.

Wifi.se Chromecast

The Filipino family was also shopping for supplies for their bar in Malapascua, which is being renovated and renamed from Lighthouse Beach Bar to Shipwreck Beach Bar.

Shopping

We then travelled by tricycle to a small shop where the family found ropes, nets and materials to make the roof more resistant to rain.

Shopping i Bogo City i Filippinerna

Then it was time to go shopping in the Prince Warehouse Bogo. Here we found all kinds of things like pots, wipes, noodles, chocolate and ... a big pink mirror shaped like an apple. We will have a small toilet on board Dotche and we had talked about bringing a mirror. Why not a pink apple mirror, Peter thought? And so it was ...

Shopping i Bogo City i Filippinerna

Were we ready then? Yes, pretty much. The family also bought an alternator for the boat and a toilet seat.

Do you know how it works in shopping centres? Well, you get help to pack your parcels and then you can leave them in a checkout at the exit where you get a numbered tag, much like when you leave clothes in a wardrobe in a theatre.

Bogo City i Filippinerna

Return journey to Maya

How would we get back to Maya with all our boxes and bags? Taking the bus was not really an option anymore. We could have booked some kind of van, but a cheaper option was to book a car from Prince Warehouse, which drove all the way to Maya. Smooth!

Maya Filippinerna

Here we unloaded all the shopping, which turned out to be a lot ...

Maya Filippinerna

Even the toilet seat made it in one piece, and Micke seemed happy about this. Time to stow everything on Dotche II!

Return journey to Malapascua with Dotche II

The return journey to Malapascua was really nice. A few extra relatives had joined us to get a lift over to the island and we had a great time. lots of stuff, but it was still no problem to fit in.

Filippinsk båt

The evening was incredibly calm and beautiful, with a light pink colour in the sky.

På havet i Filippinerna
På havet i Filippinerna

We could even see the sun setting in the sea. So amazingly beautiful!

På havet i Filippinerna

More to see and do near Bogo

If you're visiting Bogo, you might also want to experience the larger city Cebu City. In addition, you will want to visit the beautiful island of Malapascua with the most famous beach Bounty Beach. For even more tips and inspiration, visit our Philippines page by clicking on the image below.

Our top tips for the Philippines. Click on the image!

Facts about Bogo in the Philippines

  • Country: Philippines
  • Region: Central Visayas
  • Provins: Cebu
  • Name: Officially City of Bogo (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Bogo, Filipino: Lungsod ng Bogo)
  • Established: 1850
  • Population: Around 88 000 (2020)

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