hasytraveldiaries

It’s been a year since my last visit in Camiguin Island. I was thankful that I was able to explore Camiguin Island again. I visited Camiguin Island when I was seven years old, and as I look back on those pictures that were taken years ago, I really longed to go back there and see how the Island have progressed. 

After graduating from college, my friends and I were planning on a trip and we decided to go to Camiguin Island because we have some batchmates who were from Camiguin. We stayed at Trisha’s place for FREE! Their place was really nice and privately owned by their family. It is just near the beach where you and your friends could chill and enjoy the great view while sipping some drinks to freshen up your day.

A little background of Camiguin Island

Camiguin Island is a pearl-shaped island located near Misamis Oriental region.  It is the second smallest island in the Philippines after Batanes. The island is known for its volcanoes, Lanzones, pastel bread, and beautiful beach shores. You can enjoy roaming around the island using motorcycles (for solo and pair traveller) or you could also rent vans and multicabs at your own comfort.

The island celebrates Lanzones Festival every October. The locals, as well as the tourists, enjoy the week-long celebration of Lanzones Festival which would be filled with lots of activities, showcasing the rich culture of Camiguin Island.

How we made it to #Camiguin Island…

My friends and I agreed that we would see each other in DV Soria. After that, we decided to commute going to Agora Public Market. Since it was so early in the morning, it was hard to go there at the expected time because you need to wait long for the jeepney to be half filled so we decided to hire a “motorela” driver going to Agora Public Market and agreed to pay 10 pesos each going there (it’s a cheap bargain though).

Other option that I will present to you, if you are from Laguindingan Airport just take an airport shuttle going to Centrio Mall and there ride a “motorela” going to Agora Market (6.50 regular fare/5.00 SP, but prices may vary).

Once you arrive at Agora Market Terminal, look for buses or vans going to the Port of  Balingoan. We opted for van going there and the driver dropped us near the entrance of the port going to Camiguin.

**TIP: When you are commuting, do not ask the driver; instead ask the bystanders or the passengers how much the fare is. This will save you money. Or if you are lost, do not be afraid to ask but just do not let your guards down. You can Google map the place (which I usually do because of trust issues) just be careful and be extra cautious when using your gadgets in public places. There are also tourist police stationed at different terminals, you could also ask them.

Once you are in the port, you need to buy ticket. I am not sure of how much the ticket costs but just prepare 1,000 pesos (two-way). First trip usually start at 5:30 a.m. and we arrived in the Port of Balingoan around 8 a.m. We then rode a small “roro” going there. It was really bumpy ride but it was the fast trip going there. It only took us an hour and a half (9:30 a.m.) travel.

When we reach the port, we had deal a “multicab” driver going to Mambajao. I already forgot how much we have paid but it was way cheaper than the motorela for hire in the port.

When we reached Mambajao, my friend was able to contract the driver that her dad recommended. We agreed 1,500 pesos per eight hours. According to my friends who were from Camiguin, it was the cheapest deal we had during the peak season. Multicab drivers usually ask for 3,000 pesos above for eight hours during peak season. There are still a lot of options for you to choose. It is up to you how to bargain.

Going around Camiguin Island…

DAY 1

Our first destination was at Mambajao. It is a small town in Camiguin, we decided to shop and buy all the things we need (toiletries, foods, drinks, load, and medicine). We also ate our brunch at the local market and there were a lot of “Calenderias” or eateries there. The food there was cheap and I assumed that it was clean because we did not experience any gastrointestinal disturbance or any discomforts.

**TIP: If you are not sure of what kind the water you’re drinking, do not hesitate to throw it out. Buy bottled drinks or you could buy 5L of water in the supermarket. There are grocery stores in Mambajo. We bought two 5L of water and we individually bought 1L of bottled water so that we could refill those bottles during our entire stay at the island. Remember the saying, “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Camiguin has a law about using plastics. You can only use plastic if you are purchasing wet products. People there use paper bags for dry products. So do not ask for a plastic if you are purchasing dry goods, you could be fined there.

We stayed at Trisha’s place in Mambajo. We stayed there for free! Thanks to Trisha and family. There we decided to take some rest and freshen up ourselves before going somewhere else.

On the afternoon, we decided to go to our friend’s house located at Catarman. It was a funny trip going there because we just told the driver of the multicab that we were going to my friend’s house and the driver just drop us off at front of their house. I witnessed a beautiful sunset and scenery going to Catarman and I instantly fell in love with the place.

We agreed to spend the rest of the day at Sto. Niño Cold Spring to escape the summer’s heat. It was really a refreshing feeling to dip in cold water in the middle of summer’s heat. Our friend, Irish, has a car so we had a free ride going there. You could hire a “habal-habal” driver going there. The entrance fee costs around 25 pesos per person.

Enjoying Sto. Niño Cold Spring with these gals!

DAY 2 

I could not really recall the time and days of the itinerary because I was not the one who made them. The pictures I have stored on my phone and the pictures posted by my friends were the only guide I have

1. Katibawasan Falls (Mambajao)

It is one of the well known falls in Camiguin Island. It is located in Mambajao area. It only took less than 20 minutes to reach Katibawasan Falls from the place we stay. The place was nice and clean. There were only few tourists who went there since it was early in the morning. From there you can enjoy the refreshing feeling that Katibawasan falls has to offer. As I can recall, the entrance fee cost about 25 pesos (as of 2016). Please do not to throw trash everywhere and let us discipline ourselves to throw our garbage properly. Remember the principle “Leave no trace.” If you are travelling alone, you could hire a habal-habal driving going. there but it will be pricey.

The current of the water was slow because of El Niño.

2. Casa Roca Inn – B&B (Naasag)

Casa Roca has a nice view and it is a great place to chill with. Though, we did not stay there but we went there to witness its beautiful scenery. My friend recommended the place. They have drinks there to order as well as foods. I ordered mango shake just out the summer heat before going to our next destination. They handed us a business card stating their contact number and address. You can reach them through landline +63-88-378-9500 or through their website http://www.casarocacamiguin.com

3. A great view along the way!

Our driver dropped us in a beautiful spot near Casa Roca. It was a beautiful place to stop for a while. I forgot the exact location but you can spot that place when you are roaming around the island. The heat of the sun didn’t anymore matter to me nor to my friends. We were amazed by the beauty of Camiguin Island. We had our pictorial in the middle of the heat of the sun because it was really the best time to take a lot of pictures and flaunt our OOTDs. It was indeed an Instagram and VSCO worthy scenery.

Along the way, my friend pointed out Mt. Hibok-Hibok. I was really amazed by the scenery. Its natural beauty taught me what real beauty is. Though it may not be as flawless as it used to, but still, it remained beautifully sculpted as if someone took care of it for a longest time.

4. Old Guiob Church Ruins/Old Spanish Church Ruins (Bonbon, Catarman)

This church was built during the 16^th century but on 1871, it was destroyed due to earthquake and the eruption of Mt. Vulcan. Today, some of its structure beautifully remained. It is now surrounded with trees, which served as a roof of the church. You can peacefully pray and meditate inside the church if you want to. You can also sit there quietly. Aside from that, you can also light a candle beside the cross.

At the back of the old church, there stand a tall and old tree. The person who took a photo of us told us that the Centennial tree existed for years and it was known to be one the oldest tree in the place. It was said to protect the people used to live there when a great earthquake took place.

5. Sunken Cemetery

If you are looking something new, Sunken Cemetery is the place for you! It is near in the walkway to the old volcano. The entrance is free but if you go to the lighthouse, you can rent a “Bangka” going there. As for the rental, I do not know how much because we did not go to the lighthouse. It is a cemetery before but it was destroyed when Mt. Vulcan erupted during the 80s. You can never tell that it was a cemetery because it was covered with rocks and it is now part of the sea.

Tourists/travellers can go snorkelling around the Cemetery. There were tourists who went snorkelling around the area assisted by the local guide. As for the price, you can rent the gears for only 150-200 pesos. There are also local guides there if you want to hire guides during your stay in the island

6. The walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross

After the Sunken Cemetery, we went directly to the walkway and station of the cross. There, you can enjoy hiking up the volcano. You don’t have to worry because there are stairs and trail to guide you. You can also do station of the cross if you want to. In each station you could see statues of Christ and his people. The long uphill walk maybe tiring but I tell you, all of it will be wiped away by the majestic view at the hilltop.

7. Blue Lagoon (Lawigan, Catarman)

My friends and I decided to have lunch at Blue Lagoon’s restaurant. A friend told me that the pool’s shape looks like a genital of a male but unfortunately we were not able to see it because the place was only exclusive for its guests. The food there was great and the price was reasonable. The waitress told us that our food would be served for about 15 to 20 minutes so we decided to explore the place. We headed down the resort which is a trail leading to the sea side of the resort. It was about a 15 minute walk down until we reach a beautiful spot.

We decided not to go further since we only have a limited time to explore the place. We took pictures and we posed at the top of the big rocks.

The sharp edges did not scare us nor stop us from climbing the big rocks (in the name of Instagram worthy pictures). It was worth the risk!

8. Giant Clams Sanctuary & White Beach (Guinsiliban)

After lunch, we then went ahead to the clam sanctuary and take a dip at the beach. We paid 25 pesos for the entrance and we opted not to rent cottages because our friends told us that there’s a spot there where you can enjoy swimming and at the same time securing your stuffs. The bathroom/restroom there is not as what you expected (please do not expect too much from the facilities there).

I wanted to go snorkelling but it was a bit expensive because you need to rent the gears by pieces and a tip came from my friend that it is not really a good place to snorkel and dive. There are a lot of places in the Island where you dive and snorkel at a reasonable price.

We went to see small clams as well as big clams being cultured in a big open aquarium near the beach. According to the local who entertained us during our stay, the aquariums are only temporary shelters for the baby calms and once they mature or be able to sustain their own lives, they will be placed in the deep sea by the marine biologists. I did not recall paying 175 pesos for clam viewing though because we only pass those clams along the way.

After clam viewing, we took a dip at the beautiful white beach in the area. It was clean and the place has a great view. It was high tide at that time so I really enjoyed swimming. Just be careful when you swim, you might step on sea urchins. After a great dip at the sea, you should not forget to bring with you foods because for sure you will get hungry and the foods there are quite expensive. We ate boiled bananas dipped in “uyap” or shrimp paste, which our friend brought.

9. Ardent Hot Spring (Mambajao)

Our last stop for the day was at Ardent Hot Spring. After the swimming in the beach, we decided to end the day at Ardent Hot Spring for some refreshing hot bath before going home.

The water from the spring came from Mt. Hibok-Hibok. Each level has its own degree of hotness. I remember that, when I was a kid when we had our family vacation, me and some of cousins did not really enjoy the spring because it was really hot. My cousin complained about its hotness that he requested for an ice. The spring was really nice and the hotness did not really hurt my skin (it was probably lukewarm). We enjoyed the lukewarm bath at Ardent spring and just chill there for an hour.

DAY 3

1. White Island

During our third day in Camiguin Island, we visited the very famous White Island. It’s a ten to fifteen minute boat ride. Again, I am so sorry I could not recall how much we paid for the trip.

If you are a solo traveller, you could join other traveller with you. Just be mindful of asking them politely if you could join them. The White Island is a beautiful sandbar where you can really enjoy swimming and getting tan at the same time. The best time to go there is around 6 a.m. in the morning till 9 a.m. because the heat is still tolerable around that time. There is a small tent there were you could shield yourself from the sun.

My friends and I rented snorkeling gears. We rented the gears (per set) for 150 pesos. We really enjoyed snorkeling around the island and I just witnessed how beautiful the island is. Before I left the island, I decided to get a henna tattoo. I paid 100 pesos for it – it’s quite expensive knowing I could get a henna tattoo for only 50 pesos but let us help the locals’ livelihood.

There were locals who sell “suawake,” a type of sea urchin that can be pick using your hands without get hurt or being pricked by its thorns. I remember what my Mama told me about sea urchins, they are expensive in Japan but here in the Philippines it only costs 20 – 50 pesos per bottle (can you imagine how cheap sea urchin is here in our country). It can even be harvested/picked during low tide for FREE!  But… be careful eating sea urchins. It is not advisable to eat and harvest sea urchins during red tide. These sea urchins may be delicious but they also produce toxins during ride tide like any other sea creatures.

2. Luna Ristorante

We were all exhausted and hungry after our island tour that day. Our team decided to eat at the Luna Ristorante (owned by an Italian national). They served pizzas and pastas, as well as alcohol-containing beverages. The place was not crowded when we ate there.

The place was perfect for those pizza and pasta lovers because they really served Italian-like tasting foods. I ordered lasagna because I am not a fan of pizzas. I could not tell you exactly the taste of pizzas we ordered because I am not a pizza fan.

3. Vjandep Pasalubong Center in Mambajao

It is always been a tradition of Filipinos who travels to buy “pasalubongs” for their family and love ones. The term “pasalubong” is a term of bringing gifts when coming home after being away from sometime. I decided to buy some “tinagbuan” (in Cebuano) for my family. Camiguin is known for their delicious pastel bread. Aside from pastel bread, the island is also known for Lanzones fruit.

And…

During our stay in Camiguin, we had a side trip to Viola’s located in Mambajao. Viola’s is known for their special Halo-halo, a popular Filipino dessert with mixtures of shaved ice which added with various ingredients topped with my favorite ice cream “Ube.”It is one of the most refreshing food during summer time, to ease out the summer’s heat.

Unfortunately I did not have a chance explore Mantigue Island because we were all exhausted due the very hot weather. We did not go to Soda Spring because we do not have time to go there. Along the way going to Tuasan Falls, we witnessed forest fire and landslide. The rocks were falling down which blocked the road leading to Tuasan Falls.

But still I enjoy the entire Camiguin trip with friends. It was one of my most memorable trips ever because it was my first time going on a trip with friends. Plus, the house we stay in during our entire trip was free – thanks to Trisha 😀  I remember spending less 5,000 pesos during our Camiguin trip.

We ended the day at the beach side, chilling out and took some pictures. During our stay we had a mini bon fire the beach. I always treasure those moments.

Endedn