Definitely will come again to Camiguin!

Definitely will come again to Camiguin!

Onset of Camiguin

HOW TO GO THERE

Most jump-off point of many Northern Mindanao destinations is in Cagayan de Oro. From Cagayan de Oro, there are many buses and vans in Agora and Bulua Terminal plying to different tourist destinations in Mindanao.

To reach Camiguin, ride a bus at Agora Terminal to Balingoan Port. You can also ride a van, but bus is recommended because it has more definite time of departure unlike vans where they want all seats to be occupied first before leaving. It will take you at most 2 hours to reach Balingoan Port.

Purchase tickets for the ferry in ticket booths located outside of the waiting area in Balingoan Port. The ferries usually leave in an hour interval. Be sure to take a seat on the left side of the ferry to have a better capture of the whole island. Travel from Balingoan Port to Benoni Port in Camiguin will take 1 to 1.5 hours.

My guide was already waiting outside the port when I stepped on Camiguin. We immediately rode a motorcycle going to Mambajao, the province’s capital and where I booked my accommodation for a night. It took us around 25 minutes to reach my hotel. During the ride, Kuya will already give you useful tips and trivia about touring Camiguin.

ACCOMMODATIONS 

There are many hotels/ homestays in Camiguin but it is better to book at hotels near the White Island so that going to the most popular tourist destination in Camiguin will be just ten minutes away.

I booked a reservation at Pabua’s Cottages for P700.00 per night. The rate is standard for most of the cottages in the area. The room is inclusive of free wifi connection, own shower, and is good for two persons. Other cottages nearby are Pabualan’s, Paguia, and Paras Beach Resort.

ACTIVITIES

Since I arrived at Pabua’s cottages around 4:30 pm, I hastily rented a motorboat to White Island to be able to catch the sunset.

There are many boats waiting for passengers beside Paras Beach Resort for P420.00. This rate is shareable for six persons. There are also many vendors offering rentals of life vests, snorkels, and fins. And the area also has stores selling souvenirs and Tshirts.

View of Mt. Hibok-hibok from the White Island

White island

White Island is one of the most beautiful island and sandbar I’ve seen. It is a very long stretch of white, fine, and clean sand surrounded by very clear and pristine sea water. I wasn’t able to swim farther but they say that the views underwater farther away from the island are spectacular and awesome.  The island also offers a picturesque view of Mt. Hibok-hibok and other volcanoes making up Camiguin. Lying on the sand and wait for the sun to set is the best way to end your day. Truly, it is White Island, Camiguin that will make up to the very long and tiresome travel from Manila to the island.

Pools and water parks

Ardent hot Spring

Soda Swimming Pool

Sto. Nino Cold Spring

Because of the serious efforts of the local government to promote the tourism in Camiguin, roads have already been built leading to the different tourist spots in the island. One of the many water parks in Camiguin is the Ardent Hot Spring. Ardent is a well developed hot spring and worthy to be included in your Camiguin Island Day Tour. Other swimming pools include Sto. Nino cold spring and the unique Soda Water Park where the water tastes like carbonated water.

Falls Hopping

There are two famous waterfalls in Camiguin. These are Katibawasan and Tuasan Falls. Because of the unfavourable weather, I was only able to visit the Katibawasan Falls. The road to Tuasan Falls is still being built. My guide advised me that it will still be an hour trekking to Tuasan Falls. Given the weather, I decided to forego visiting the Tuasan Falls.

Katibawasan falls is a single flowing 90ft waterfall. The walls are solid rocks and are beautifully ornamented by vines and sturdy trees. If fortunate, you will be able to see a group of monkeys playing with these vines and hanging trees.

Historical Sites

The Sunken Cemetery

Aside from its innate natural beauty, Camiguin will also take you to a trip to the past with the Church ruins and the Sunken Cemetery. Based on my guide’s story, the ruins are remains of big church which was buried during the eruption of Mt. Hibok-hibok. The walls of the church are still standing but the ground or floor was obviously elevated. The height of the bell tower adjacent to the church was also significantly reduced.

Similar reason has been attributed to formation of the Sunken Cemetery. The cemetery has already been featured in many TV programs and movies. A fee is required to be able to swim and snorkel around the cemetery. You can also rent  a boat to transport you to the famous cross in the sea.

GASTRONOMIZING

While in Camiguin, it is mandatory to try the hot, freshly baked original pastel in the Vann Depp bakery. Also their sweet and local variety of mangoes and lanzones are available along major streets. Their version of Budbod or suman is also exceptional. Buy and try this budbod from one of the old lady vendors strolling round Mambajao or going around the different tourist spots in Camiguin. 

Bidding goodbye to Camiguin: View from Balingoan Port

Kalipayan sa Sambawan

My Sambawan Island trip is part of my 3-day visit in Biliran.

From Biliran, there are many ways to reach the island. But since we lack the luxury of time, we decided to charter a pumpboat at the town of Kawayan. This made the whole trip faster and more convenient but also a lot more expensive. We paid P3000.00 for the pump boat. The boat does not have available life vests with them so if you’re not a confident swimmer, bring one with you.

The trip to Sambawan was relatively calm--- no big waves, and the water was very clear you can view the underwater life especially at shallower depths. Along the trip, the volcanoes of Biliran, and Maripipi will flaunt their stature. Since the water is calm, we were able to move around the boat harmlessly and we were able to take pictures on our preferred angles.

After a 45-minute boat trip, we were able to reach the island group. Currently, there are already cottages being built along the coast of Sambawan. When we went there, people were tidying up dirt brought by the storm and the high tide. In spite this, the waters are still pristine and clear. You could spot schools of small fishes especially at the rocky areas. The beach is not sandy, it is composed of broken and sharp coral fragments mixed with eroded volcanic rocks.

A 10-minute hike will lead you to a view deck at the top of the island. This is where the classic pictures of Sambawan with a Mt. Maripipi background are always taken. Aside from the awesome and breath taking views, the wind breeze is also soothing and calming. From the top, you will be able to see the high mountains of Samar and Leyte. If lucky, the clouds will not be hiding Mt. Maripipi and the Biliran Volcanic Complex.

After viewing and having a short dip at Sambawan, our boatmen took us to a trip around the group of islands. There are many good diving spots around the area. Aside from good underwater diversity, the islands are also home to different species of birds. The sight of these birds taking refuge on the rocky slopes and in the short trees compliments the clear blue-green water.

We spent almost two hours in the island before we went back to Biliran mainland to continue our Biliran escapade.

Baguio City Trip: Fun in the City of Pines

Being one of the popular escapes from the excruciating summer heat in Manila, Baguio City was our holiday getaway choice.

Fact: experiencing Baguio in a summer holiday means waging a war with the rest of the vacation-minded people. You have to search for inexpensive and less known accommodations, find enjoyment even in crowded parks and wait longer for your turns. All these, of course, are aside from battling the temperature we are unaccustomed of.

GETTING THERE

                People will always take advantage of a very long weekend to visit their provinces. So to avoid long lines and indeterminate seating chance, we have already reserved our seats in Victory Liner two weeks before the scheduled trip. The additional charges are reasonable than relying our fortune as chance passengers.

                Travel from Baguio to Manila will take around 6 hours with 2 bus stops at Tarlac and Sison, Pangasinan. Victory Liner also offers a luxury trip which shortens the travel time from 6 hours to 4 hours. Aside from shorter travel time, these luxury trips have more comfortable reclining seats, food in wheels, and comfort rooms inside the bus.  There are no meal stops for luxury trips. However, because of the holidays, these luxury trips are instantly fully booked even weeks before schedule, so we ended up boarding regular trips to Baguio. We arrived at Baguio at around 12nn, 2 hours more than our expected time or arrival. The delay is largely attributed to the traffic congestion along EDSA and the long lines in the expressway toll plaza.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Burnham Park. Burnham Park maybe one of the most popular park here in the Philippines. There is a wide range of activities that can be enjoyed while in Burnham Park. There is a long stretch of stores offering bike rentals and may be used to roam around the park. But navigating through an enormous number of people makes this activity a hassle rather than fun. Instead, we opted for sailing or paddling the small boats. The rental price of boat was high, but since we were riding in a group, the cost has somewhat lessened.

Sunflower and the sun rays in Baguio

Boat paddling in Burnham Park

For people who are not into physical activity, you may just walk around the park and buy streetfoods such as manga and bagoong, inihaw na pusit, isaw, ODOC (One day old chick), singkamas, balut, kwek-kwek, corn, and lots of other famous street food.  Burnham Park may also provide the flora-interested people a basic meet and greet to the adorable flowers of Baguio.

Tuba Hot/ Warm Springs. Thirty to forty-five minutes from the city proper of Baguio, to the municipality of Tuba, are warm hot springs and resorts. A jeepney can take you to these resorts or you may just hire a taxi for a fixed rate of P500.00. There are greeneries and breathtaking road paths on your way to Tuba. If you are riding a taxi, you may request a quick stop to take pictures of the lush green forests and the majestic morphology of the Cordillera Mountains. Before arriving at Tuba, you may also stop and purchase souvenir materials at some of the authentic wood-carving stores. Prices in these stores are a lot cheaper than those sold at souvenir shops in Baguio. The trip will also let you experience totally dark tunnels. These are really just short tunnels, so there is nothing special about it aside from the minute-long total blindness.

Upon arrival, you will be confused with the plethora of resort choices. Based on travel blogs and recommendation of locals, we chose Riverside Hot Spring Resort because they have more pools, amenities and facilities. For a minimum entrance fee of P100.00/head, you got the chance to enjoy at least four separate warm and wide swimming pools with slides which feeds more fun during swimming. Their cafeteria also offers an interesting and delicious-sounding menu, which you, unfortunately, have to check for availability first. The resort also has rooms for those who intend to spend the night in the resort. 

One of the wide swimming pool in Riverside

Mines View Park. “You’ve never been to Baguio if you haven’t visited the Mines View Park”̶  this is what my first timer friend said upon joking that our Mines View Park will be cancelled. Mines View Park will always be incorporated in any Baguio itinerary especially because of the presence of many and cheap souvenir stores. Because of different themes available in the park, bulk of the pictures we took in Baguio was shot in Mines View Park. One popular photo opportunity is with the big, tamed, and fluffy St. Bernard dog. You may also have a picture with the pink-haired horse or with the native Igorots wearing their traditional costumes. Or if not yet contented, you may transform yourself into a native Igorot by wearing their costumes and posing like a native warrior, complete with spears and shield.

View from Mines View Park

Wright Park. Wright Park is the only park we visited that offered horse riding. The accumulated price for an hour horseback riding trip was expensive. We were just lucky to waive the P300.00 for the guide’s fee and paid only the horse fee worth P600.00/head. The trip is highlighted by the unique protrusions of pine trees from the ground. These are combined with the hazy atmosphere to create an environment similar to temperate countries. The trip also makes you appreciate nature with the vastness of the green forests blanketing the complex topography of Cordillera. 

Horses in Wright

Ukay in Harrison Road. Joining the mob choose garments in a pile of ukay is another experience in Baguio you should never miss. When the clock strikes ten, Harrison Road closses and transforms into a den of second hand branded clothes. Hundreds of tourist and Baguio locals nflock this road-long agora to search a branded garment they can flaunt but paying less than half of its original price. If you are a skilled ukayero who knows to haggle, a branded jacket may cost you only P50.00.  Also, a good deal of original or class A bags, shoes, wallets, and other apparels can be found within the long stretch of ukay stores.

Ukay Ukay in Harrison Road

GATRONOMIZING

The streets of Baguio are proliferated with different street foods. In Burnham Park alone, you can plan a food trip to taste the different native delicacies of Baguio. Within the perimeter of the park, you will be able to buy streetfoods such as grilled corn, isaw, balut, kwek-kwek, inihaw na pusit, bananaque, vegetable lumpia, etc.  The ODOC or the one-day-old-chick is also a must try in Baguio. These are deep fried whole baby quail chicks that have been “harvested” before they could make it to their second day.

Baguio is also famous for its fresh and cheap fruits and vegetables. It is known as major producer of cabbage, broccoli, and beans. Strawberries are also a major product of Baguio and are used in different ways. Aside from the bottled strawberry jams and preserves, strawberries are mixed with caramel and are used as syrup in taho.

The city also boasts of restaurants that offer traditional and foreign dishes. One of the cheapest yet delicious restaurants in the city is Good Taste. It has a great variety of dishes ranging from vegetable to meat dishes such as sweet and sour. Other restaurants which are worth trying are Kubo Grill and Le Fondue that invites amateur bands at night to serenade their customers. The restaurant is a good place to chill and enjoy a few bottles of very cold beer. If you are looking for a restaurant that caters good tasting traditional Filipino food, you must try Kubo Sawali.

Island Hopping: Padre Burgos, Quezon Province

How to Get there

Based on previous entries from other travel bloggers, the trip from Manila to Padre Burgos in Quezon Province takes about 5 hours. With this information, we rode the 6:00 am bus of JAC Liner to Lucena City. There are not much of sceneriesto anticipate while on the bus ride except for the stature of Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal which are best seen when you arrive the town of Tiaong.

It was around 9:30am when we arrived at Lucena Grand Terminal. We then took our breakfast on fastfoods within the vicinity. Aside from fastfoods such as Jollibee and Chowking, you may also trycheaper carenderias inside the terminal. They cater native and traditional viands such as longganisangLucban, adobo, sinigang, and many others.

After eating breakfast, we rode another bus that will take us to the town proper of Padre Burgos. This bus ride took another hour. Warning though, the bus that we alighted seems to be old, rusty, bumpy, and they play loud broken music. However, you may choose a number of alternative buses and vans that may drop you to Padre Burgos. Some buses wait around twenty to thirty minutes before leaving so better ask the dispatchers or drivers first before choosing a bus.

Upon arrival at Padre Burgos Town proper, we immediately asked the tricycle drivers to refer us to any transient house that we may stay for an overnight. The tricycle driver then took us to an informal local travel agent. After a while of discussion, we finally decided an itinerary we planned to start after lunch.

What we did

Borawan Island's long white sand beaches

Our first destination was Borawan Island which was around 20 minutes from the small port. Our boatmen told us that Borawan is a coined term for Boracay and Palawan because Borawan Island has the beauty of the white sand beaches of Boracay and the spectacular rock formations of Palawan. There is a minimal entrance fee of P89.00 upon entry to the island. Cottages and beach huts are available and situated along the beach for a certain price. But if you are not staying for long, just take a stroll to the long white sandy shore of the island. You may also indulge yourself into small and short adventures by climbing the huge coralline boulders and take advantage of the beautiful sceneries on top. Its sands are not as fine and as white as some otherbeaches. Beach swimming is personally not recommended because the beach suddenly deepens which you may not be able to notice once you start enjoying the waves. The waves are also slightly turbulent which may turn off your beach experience.

 
   

An almost rainy afternoon in Dampalitan Island

The Dampalitan beach during a low tide afternoon

              

Sun rising over the beach in Dampalitan

              The sunrise covered by thick clouds at Dampalitan shore

Fifteen to twenty minutes from Borawan Island is Dampalitan Island. The beach here has finer sands and calmer water ̶ perfect for swimming. Because of its clear pristine water and the presence of many shallow beach creatures, the place is also perfect for snorkeling and ecological appreciation. Although we were unlucky to witness the sunset because of the intermittent weather, we enjoyed the fresh buko juice and the stories shared while swinging in the pre-installed hummocks.We have also decided to spend the night in the huts available. For P800.00, the cottages are bit pricey because they are just made up of bamboo and roofed by nipa such that it becomes very cold during dawn (especially that we are not prepared for a camping-type of accommodation). As recommended by our boatmen, we already brought our dinner (plus beer and chips) since meals are not available in the island. We set-up a bonfire, ate our dinner and enjoyed the starry night with a bottle or two of beer. After a long night of stories over beer, we dozed off in our bamboo-floored cottages.

Before last night ended, we contracted our boatmen for another trip to Kwebang Lampas. Normally, the trip would only cover boat ride to Borawan and Dampalitan Island and additional trip to Kwebang Lampas cost us another P600.00, a total of P2400.00. I think we could have haggled the price but the cost actually also included the “service charge” for cooking and transporting our dinner and breakfast from Padre Burgos to Dampalitan Island.

Kwebang Lampas is the best beach among the three. It is a cove with calm and clear water. At one end of the cove is a short cave. There is not much things to do inside the cave but take pictures. Although it is the best beach among the three, be cautious with stinging jellyfish which may accompany your swim. By the way, the beach owner will charge P50.00 per head for the entrance and another P50.00 for a gallon of water if you decide to take a bath in their cubicles.

Because of our pre-dated appointment with a friend in Tiaong, we had to cut our trip short so we can ride the earliest jeep travelling to Lucena City.

Tips:
- If you are planning an overnight at Dampalitan Island, bring comfortable and portable sleeping stuffs.
- There are places to stay in Padre Burgos such as Tamarind tree and Villa Anita, but these are around 10-20 minutes from the beach (based on locals)

- Be careful of the jellyfish floating (:))
- We spent around 2100 per head (we were four) for the whole trip including transpo and meals.