The Weekend Rush 4: Daybreak at White Island

Note: This is a continuation of Part 3 - More of Camiguin

On our last day in Camiguin… we woke up before dawn today to catch the sunrise at White Island. To get to the island, one can rent a boat for Php450 for a back and forth trip.

White Island is a crescent shape sand bar just off the coast of Mambajao. White sand or powdered corals can be found here. You can also get a nice view of Camiguin Island on this sandy strip…

We had the whole island to ourselves when we got here at 5:30 am…

Watching the sunrise in the east of the sand bar…

…while the moon sets in the west.

The Gathering: The A Girls and I are getting ready for a new day of…

…more crazy  jump shots, what else? Wheee! :0) (shots by Kneil; camera by Jjai)

No, please! Don’t make me quote THAT song…lol!

Just me and my trolly feet

More tourists were coming in while we were getting set to leave. Above pic shows the Old Volcano on the left while Mt. Hibok-Hibok is the one farther into the background on the right.

Goodbye, beautiful island! 😦 (Left pic by Amih)…

Alas, it was time to leave Camiguin…I hope to come back again and get to explore more of this unique island – a day and a half just isn’t enough…

We headed to Benoni Port to catch an 8:15 ferry for CDO’s Balingoan Port. The fee was Php150.

We had to hurry because we still had an adventurous afternoon ahead of us…

Next Post: Rafting Adventure in CDO!

If you wish to visit Camiguin, Adarna Travel and Tours can help you with your bookings. Their tel. nos. are (02) 9344632 and (02) 5717739.

 

The Weekend Rush Part 3: More of Camiguin!

Note: This is a continuation of Part 2 - Enchanting Camiguin...

No time to waste!…We arrived in Camiguin at almost noon on this day and immediately embarked on a tour of this enchanting, serene island…

Our second stop was the Walkway at the Old Volcano site. One gets to walk up the Old Volcano using these steps to visit the 12 Stations of the Cross….

…but the First Station is all we can manage to reach…

Several souvenir stores are also located here.

Third Stop: The Cross at the Sunken Cemetery… You can reach the Cross via a rented boat for Php15 to 20 per head (um, it actually depends on which boatman you talk to).

The Cross up close… We had lots of fun photos taken here, pretending we were having a photo shoot in Santorini. lol

View from the Cross at Sunken Cemetery: This monument has several broken guard rails that need fixing. Someone could have an accident and might fall if he or she is not careful.

Fourth Stop: These old Church ruins were what remained from the devastation caused by the Old Volcano when it erupted in 1871. There is no entrance fee but you could give a monetary donation and tip to the caretaker who can assist in taking souvenir group pictures.

The Belfry of the Old Church ruins…

Yes, the Lanzones of Camiguin: they were selling lanzones at Php35 per kilo only! However, now is not really the time for lanzones (regular harvest for this local fruit is during October) and so these tasted a bit sour. But we bought some anyway!

Last Stop: Ardent Hot Springs is where we capped off our little island adventure with a relaxing dip in the naturally warm waters. Entrance fee = Php30.

We wanted to watch the sunset at the sand bar or White Island but the Coast Guard issued a tsunami warning (from the earthquake in Chile) this afternoon and prevented small boats from traveling. So we postponed the trip to next morning instead…

Next Post: Part 4 – White Island, Camiguin

If you wish to visit Camiguin, Adarna Travel and Tours can help you with your bookings. Their tel. nos. are (02) 9344632 and (02) 5717739.

 

The Weekend Rush Part 2: Enchanting Camiguin

This is a continuation of Weekend Rush in Cebu:

Camiguin was a place I’ve longed to visit for, let’s see… I guess, ten years now. I’ve heard a lot about this island that I inevitably included it in my bucket list as one of my must-see Philippine destinations…

After arriving in CDO, we took the Paras Sea Cat ship at CDO Port. The ship is clean and comfy.  Plus the crew is friendly and helpful, too. We left the port at 8:30 am.

At 10:45 am, we finally arrived! Passing through Macajalar Bay and into Bohol Sea, we finally caught a glimpse of this emerald island called Camiguin. Woo-hoo! (Pic courtesy of Amih)

There are many resorts, cottages, and “homestay” arrangements  in the island. Paguia Cottages is where we stayed. Here, you can rent affordable cottages that are like small houses – each having an airconditioned bedroom and kitchen. It is located in Lumbing, Mambajao.

It would be a good idea if you hire a driver cum island guide to show you around. Ours was Mang Dendo (above) with his handy-dandy yellow multi-cab.

There were not a lot of great places to eat in Camiguin. For lunch, we settled for Kan-Anan sa Parola which was relatively ok. They also sell the famous VJandep pastel (coffee buns) of Camiguin.

Going up the road to the falls…

First stop: Katibawasan Falls (Entrance fee: Php20). It was so tall, its entirety didn’t fit inside our cameras’ viewfinder… so I had to crop and clumsily attach the images together…puede na!

We loved Katibawasan Falls! We had a great time swimming and admiring the view which was really breath-taking! And the water was cold and refreshing. Wished we could stay longer but had other places to visit though…

Having a crunchy snack at the Falls: kiping (wafer made of rice paste) topped with sugary coconut syrup being sold for Php11.

Next Post: More of Camiguin…

If you wish to visit Camiguin, Adarna Travel and Tours can help you with your bookings. Their tel. nos. are (02) 9344632 and (02) 5717739.