On the other side of the river where the boats for the Loboc River Cruise and floating restaurant dock, is a secret gem of an experience awaiting discovery. Situated among the Fox & The Firefly Cottages is this SUP tour company. It's the perfect alternative to getting out on the Loboc River water and without the annoying entertainment presented on board the floating restaurant boats. The most popular tour is the 1 Hour SUP Tour for P800/ person. Other options (which are longer) include waterfall, full-day, and firefly + full moon tours and even a SUP yoga class.
We were assigned a guide named Niño whose nickname I kept forgetting. Our tour began with a paddle lesson detailing the construction of the board and proper paddling technique. Then we were out on the water! The tour was detailed as beginner friendly, but I don't think the instructor was prepared for in-depth teaching for my friend, haha. In any case, we were able to paddle down the river some while he detailed the natural fauna and flora of the area. We were assured, that there were no paraná or anaconda in these waters! The water was incredibly serene and the environment so calming as a gentle breeze coaxed us along the river. Our tour guide was funny and personable; we did end up singing our own version of karaoke, what we might have experience on board the floating restaurant except ours was better since our guide could SING!
At the end, he encouraged us to swing into the water and even brought us freshly chopped coconut with juice inside. We lounged around a bit at the swinging chairs near where we launched. Had we not already planned to visit the Chocolate Hills (50 minutes away), we might have ended up staying there and napping! I'm glad we opted for a more active experience along the Loboc River, one that ended up being so much more peaceful and that much more memorable. read more