Flying Over the Sulu Sea, Philippines
Photo by storm-crypt

Not all of these airports have regular international flights, however. (Bacolod-Silay International Airport and Iloilo International Airport are not included on this list according to the CAAP website – http://www.caap.gov.ph/web/airports.htm). Currently, there are ongoing constructions and plans of constructing more international airports or expanding existing ones as tourism continues to rise in the Philippines such as the Laguindingan International Airport in Cagayan de Oro, the Panglao-Bohol International Airport, the Legazpi City International Airport and many others. Aside from these international airports, there are about 17 Class 1 Airports, 13 Class 2 Airports, and 47 Community Airports scattered all throughout the Philippines.

Let us do a quick review of the leading airlines in the Philippines:

Southeast Asian Airlines SEAIR

Official Website: www.flyseair.com

Southeast Asian Airlines, SEAIR
Photo from SEAIR Facebook Group

SEAIR in the Philippines was established in 1995 and is in its own right, a pioneer airline of sorts catering to destinations not normally served by the bigger airlines. The planes’ are small compared to major airlines in the Philippines but it boasts of being able to reach remote destinations in the Philippines such as Basco (Batanes), Jolo (Sulu), Bongao-Sanga-Sanga (Tawi-Tawi) – the latter two leave from Zamboanga. It also has seasonal flights to Baler (Aurora), Daet (Camarines Norte). El Nido (Palawan), Masbate, Borongan (Eastern Samar), Taytay (Palawan), and Busuanga (Palawan). The regular routes are Caticlan (Hub), Manila (Main Hub), Clark, Cebu, Marinduque and Tablas (Romblon).
We flew to Batanes last November 2009 with SEAIR, and even though I was quite worried at first (this was the smallest plane that I have ever been on), the take off was smooth and the entire flight was actually enjoyable and I wouldn’t hesitate taking SEAIR flights in the future.

Philippine Airlines

Official Website: www.philippineairlines.com

Philippine Airlines
Photo by fox2mike

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is Asia’s first airline the country’s flag carrier. It was established in February 26, 1941 and the maiden flight was on a Manila to Baguio route on March 15, 1941. PAL was also the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific on a flight from Manila to Oakland, California in the United States on July 13, 1946 and for decades since then was one of Asia’s biggest airlines (it leased some of its aircraft to a DC-3 to Japan Airlines in 1951 and this lead to the founding of Japan’s own national airline). However, PAL succumbed to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and was forced to drastically cut down most of its routes, a lot of them were unprofitable and for a period of 14 days, the airline shut down (the first Asian airline to do so) after a period of employee strikes and downright incompetence. This incompetence was shown in frequent plane delays that resulted in Filipinos giving the airline a special moniker – PAL = Plane Always Late. New competitor Cebu Pacific pounced on this and advertised themselves as “On time 95% of the time.” PAL entered a period of rehabilitation and in 2000 finally returned to profitability and slowly restored international and domestic routes that were abandoned and more routes are being planned. Flights were less delayed now than they were before.

Despite the moniker, I have always found my PAL experience actually good. The landings and the take-offs were smooth and the cabin well-appointed. It doesn’t hurt that PAL has an airport terminal (Centennial Terminal/NAIA Terminal 2) of its own. The main drawback for PAL is the relatively high cost of its flights which can be quite a big turn-off for the budget traveler. However, if one can afford it, PAL is actually a good choice.

PAL Express

Official Website: www.airphils.com

PAL Express
Photo by borgy1981

PAL Express is the low-cost regional carrier of Philippine Airlines and is being operated by Air Philippines. The airline operates intra-regional routes and caters to secondary routes to smaller airports that are not able to accommodate PAL’s bigger aircraft.
We have flown with PAL Express from Manila to Busuanga and we found the service okay and prompt. The aircraft was newish and the flight was smooth, and no frills. However, most of PAL’s Express destinations are not exactly missionary routes as other airlines fly to the same destinations. Nevertheless, PAL Express makes the airline industry more competitive and we would not mind taking a PAL Express flight if we need to.

Cebu Pacific Air

Official Website: www.cebupacificair.com

Cebu Pacific Air
Photo by seasonalplume

Cebu Pacific, with its aggressive marketing and selling strategies, effectively took a huge chunk of domestic market especially when PAL’s marketing strategies were still stuck in the Stone Age. Initially positioning itself as “On Time 95% of the Time,” it was an instant hit among domestic travelers who were fed up with PAL’s frequent delays. To sweeten the deal, Cebu Pacific literally brought down the cost of airfares in the Philippines by offering promos like 1 Peso Flights (exclusive of taxes and surcharges of course), which is of course nothing new as similar budget carriers such as Ryanair, Air Asia and Tiger Airways have done the same thing in their own respective markets, but of course this was a novel idea for the Filipino plane riding public who were too exasperated by the exorbitant costs charged by PAL. Finally, this company was brave enough to compete with PAL who up until then had a virtual monopoly of the aviation industry in the Philippines.

Cebu Pacific was aggressive in opening new routes whether they were international or domestic routes with about 40 destinations now under its belt and it has acquired a new fleet, the youngest commercial planes in the Philippines. But the honeymoon ends there. Cebu Pacific in its rush to take the market share forgot one thing that is essential in every company – a competent and reliable customer service. I have experienced several inconveniences at the hands of this airline – not only with flights getting delayed and being moved without due compensation more than one time. Up until now, I am still waiting for the refund of my ticket for a canceled international flight that I booked and paid for back in July 2008. Yes, I bought a ticket that could be refunded, I know and they know about this, because every time I call their so-called customer service hotline, some moron always gives me a stock answer that my refund is still being processed by their Accounting Department. After over 3-4 months of patiently waiting (90 Business Days), I called and I got the same stock answer and when I asked to be forwarded to their Accounting Number, I got forwarded to at least 3 different numbers where no one ever picked up and an email address where no one ever replied. I tried different tacks to no avail. Cebu Pacific, pretty much, stole my money. And I am by no means the only one. The problem has gotten so bad that you actually search for the “I Hate Cebu Pacific Airlines” Group on Facebook. Their website was slow as well, and full of bugs, my French friend got billed twice on her credit card on the same flight and it took her 4 months to get the refund – right after she stormed into their office at the Manila Domestic Airport. There were numerous instances that seats were overbooked too and sometimes details were messed up by their agents and we ended up paying more than twice the amount of the original ticket because of their mistake.

Delays are getting pretty common as well, which is probably the reason why they changed the slogan from “On Time 95% of the Time” to “Now Every Juan Can Fly.” My friend was stuck in the Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro for 8 hours because of “bad weather” which was quite funny because the Philippine Airlines flights were landing and taking off on schedule. And did I tell you that one of their flight attendants on our flight from Cagayan de Oro to Manila last September was a totally rude? We were on our final descent and the crew was telling everyone to put their tray up, and I wanted to, if only they were able to take the trash off my tray after I called their attention for the 3rd time. Then this ugly flight attendant barked at me telling me to wait even when I had already waited for a long time, I swear I could have registered the first air rage ever recorded in the Philippines if I wasn’t too tired by hitting her with my empty mineral water bottle! Some of their flight attendants are not only butt ugly but also need serious charm schooling. I also remember at least 2 flight attendants on an international flight who started literally screaming “Where is your passport??!!!” over and over at a passenger because the old toad who didn’t speak English had sneaked inside the loo to smoke during the flight, triggering the alarm. The flight attendants could have handled it a lot better.

The last booboo was just recently (December 2009) when the flight attendants of the airline refused carriage to a woman and her special needs child on a flight from Hong Kong to Manila. After an hour delay, the kid was eventually allowed to board but to the chagrin of his mom who felt humiliated by the incident and was determined to press criminal and civil lawsuits. The incident made its way to national TV and all Cebu Pacific could do was apologise, BY SENDING A TEXT MESSAGE. How crude is that? Read the story here -http://www.gmanews.tv/story/180943/mother-of-special-child-cries-discrimination-vs-airline.

Another mother of a special needs child also complained of being ill-treated on the same flight – Read here – http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/01/08/10/down-syndrome-mom-complains-cebu-pacific-discrimination-too.

Complaints are rife online – http://www.cebupacificairlines.ph/told-to-address-complaints-vs-service/ and here http://laserboy.multiply.com/journal/item/11 .

All in all, never fly Cebu Pacific unless you really have to and pay in cash as much as possible. Before paying, make sure to check, double check and even triple check the details, because if Cebu Pacific messes up it will cost you.

Zest Airways

Official Website: www.zestair.com.ph

Zest Airways
Photo by kristone

Zest Airways started in September 1995 under the name Asian Spirit. It was sold to AMY Holdings in March 2008 and was renamed Zest Airways and flies to a lot of major destinations and two international destinations – Singapore and South Korea (Kalibo-Korea). I’ve flown with Asian Spirit before and although the flight was smoother than expected, the aircraft was old. In the end, all of the old aircraft were retired and the company started a gradual refleeting. I’ve flown with Zest Airways on its new A320-200 from Manila to Puerto Princesa (and vice versa) in 2009 and I thought the take-offs were a little too uncomfortable for me, there was a gradual climb and then a weird gradual descent afterwards. I regularly fly with A320s but I don’t recall ever having that experience. Same thing happened on our way back to Manila too.

Customer service was okay, the price is competitive and they also fly to a respectable number of destinations as well. I wouldn’t really mind flying with them again, although I have to shake that creepy feeling I get from their takeoffs.

Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz
Photo by bikoy

Located in an area of just about 1 square kilometer right in the heart of the city of Manila, Binondo bustles daily with trade and commerce which the Chinese are known for and it culminates thousands of years of Filipino and Chinese relations dating back to the Ice Age when tribes from Southern China are known to have reached the Philippines through the land bridges. During the Spanish period, Governor General Luis Pérez Dasmariñas created Binondo as a permanent settlement for the Sangleys (Spanish term for the Chinese derived from the Hookien “siong-tay” which literally means “often comes”), converted Chinese immigrants, across the Pasig River from Intramuros where the Spaniards lived. This was meant to replace the Parian where the unconverted Chinese resided. It was under the Dominicans who rapidly proselytized the population to Catholicism and through intermarriages, a new Chinese mestizo class was born. The assimilation of the immigrant Chinese into the fabric and lifeblood of Philippine history is now complete. It was said that the Filipino-Chinese (also called Chinoy/Tsinoy) are the most assimilated Chinese community in Southeast Asia. Out of these Binondo intermarriages came St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the First Filipino Saint – Binondo Church is officially named Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz. A visit to Binondo is never complete without dropping by the church whose original façade survived the massive carpet bombing of Manila by the Americans during World War 2. Check out the floor whose stone bricks curiously come with Chinese characters by the main entrance of the church, these were apparently tombstones of graves in China brought to the Philippines and sold by the enterprising Chinese. Another prominent Chinese mestizo of Binondo is the Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo who is the founder of the first congregation for Filipino women.

Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz and Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz
Photo by webzer

The syncretism of both the Catholic and Buddhist religion is still evident today in Binondo. Just on the corner of Ongpin and San Nicolas Streets is a shrine by the wall of a building called Santo Cristo de Longos where a cross is adorned by garlands of sampaguita (jasmine) and a jar where incense sticks are burned by devotees and curious passersby. According to stories, the site was a former well, and there was a deaf-mute Chinese whose speech was restored after finding an image of a crucified Christ on the shrine’s very spot.

Santo Cristo de Longos
Photo by themollyjayne

Binondo was the main center of commerce in the Philippines before the last World War where Spanish Filipinos, Chinese and the Chinese mestizos conducted business and finance complete with banks, insurance companies and financial institutions from the United States and Great Britain. During the Spanish era, the Chinese in the Philippines were a major lynchpin in linking the Chinese junk trading system and the Silk Road to Acapulco (Mexico) and to the rest of Europe through the two and a half century Galleon Trade. That said, the Chinese in the Philippines were the backbone of the Spanish colonial economy. Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) opened their first Philippine branch in Binondo in 1876 taking advantage of the booming Philippine sugar industry while financing infrastructure projects like railways which connected the rest of Luzon to Manila. Escolta, nicknamed as the “Wall Street of the Philippines” was then the equivalent of Ayala Avenue in Makati now. A stroll through the Escolta today still reveals some of its former glories, while in Escolta, don’t forget to drop by the Escolta Museum which is located on the mezzanine floor of Calvo Building where you can have a glimpse of fin de siècle Escolta and its vicinity through old photographs, newspaper articles, advertisements, vintage bottles and scale models of existing and non-existing buildings located along the short thoroughfare along the Pasig River. A replica of an entire row of Escolta was built in the Ciudad Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan.

Binondo Street
Photo by thesecondbest

The belfry of Sta. Cruz Church from Escolta
Photo by via

Binondo: The Dragon of Manila
Photo by aspirecaptured

The El Hogar
Photo by bleeding_smile_in_front_of_you

Jones Bridge at Night
Photo by d2digital

Filipino Chinese Friendship Arch
Photo by themollyjayne

Good Luck!
Photo by themollyjayne

During the Marcos Regime, the Philippines suffered a major financial crisis around the early ‘80s. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) was found to be broke, the national treasury plundered to dust. Binondo earned the moniker “Binondo Central Bank” as businessmen in the district engaged in a massive US dollar black market which often dictated the actual movement of the Philippine Peso against the American Dollar. To get Marcos off their backs, the Chinese businessmen readily acceded to ‘requests’ of the regime to infuse fresh funding into its drying coffers. Today, despite its gritty façade, Binondo remains to be one of the major centers of commerce in the country.

Eng Bee Tin
Photo by Jsinglador

The Purple Fire Truck
Photo by Dave Ryan

Like other Chinatowns in other parts of the world, Binondo is also known for tastiest Chinese cuisine in the entire metropolis. My personal favorites are located along the tiny alley called Carvajal Street where we would sometimes head out to eat the most savoury Chinese dishes for lunch when I used to work in a bank nearby. During my last visit with Carlos Celdran, performance artist and tour operator, the Stone Lion Food Haus wasn’t around anymore but the row of other Chinese restaurants and the stalls of fruits and other foodstuffs still exist on this street. Carvajal is also known for its Hookien name Ho Sua Hang or Umbrella Alley as the street used to be famous for shops selling umbrellas. Another area of major culinary interest would be the bigger but equally busy Ongpin Street. The Estero (literally meaning estuary as the area is located by a creek) is a Binondo institution where a row of eateries conduct their daily business of feeding its many regular customers. Breaded pork chop is one of the most famous dishes here for being delicious and cheap. Another personal favorite is Mr. Ube Rice and Noodle House, owned and managed by the same people of the famous Eng Bee Tin, which serves yummy Asian dishes like Singaporean Laksa which is definitely worth a try. The Lechon Macau Rice Topping (Deep Fried Pork Belly) was a little bland but was good enough for me. A part of the proceeds of the sales of the restaurant go to Binondo’s Fire Department and other local community projects. One of the most popular Binondo food items would be the hopia of Eng Bee Tin. The hopia is a bean filled pastry introduced by Fujian immigrants to the Philippines around the early years of the American occupation. Eng Bee Tin literally revolutionized this humble pastry by introducing different kinds of filling, the most famous of which is ube, Filipino for purple yam which became a big hit, as with innate marketing savvy, sales soared. The owner of Eng Bee Tin donated a fire truck colored purple to the community in reference to Eng Bee Tin’s famous Hopia Ube. Binondo as a culinary destination is varied and exciting that one is only limited by his or her imagination by the surprises that its streets offer.

Currently there are many Chinatown tours being offered, and even if I was familiar with Binondo already, I took one done by the highly recommended, renowned performance artist Carlos Celdran’s tours (Walk This Way – http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/ )and as usual I wasn’t disappointed. Aside from weaving through Binondo’s main and side streets, we also experienced Binondo in a calesa, (a horse drawn carriage). The Chinatown tour was peppered with a lot of intriguing trivia which Carlos often injects in his tours. There are many ways to get to Binondo, you may take any of the jeepneys bound for Divisoria from Taft Avenue in Pasay City and get off at the Binondo Church or you may also take the LRT and get off the Central Station and walk in the direction of the Manila City Hall, then take the same Divisoria-bound jeepneys. Taxis usually dread going into the part of the city due to heavy traffic. Wear comfortable clothes and footwear and bring extra cash as a lot of shops don’t take credit cards.

Ryan: Carlos Celdran Walk This Way Tours to Quiapo and Binondo are suspended indefinitely due to apparent meddling by the local cops around the Quiapo area. There are other tours that do Binondo however like the Binondo Food Wok (fun@oldmanilawalks.com). They are also highly recommended by some of our contacts in the travel circuit.

Chinese Take-Out Binondo Style
Photo by webzer

Signs of Binondo
Photo by lunacruz

Celebrating the Lunar New Year in Binondo
Photo by jessiefish

To learn more of the Chinese heritage in the Philippines, one can drop by the Bahay Tsinoy Museum at the Kaisa Heritage Center (http://www.bahaytsinoy.org /+63.2.5276083/5266798/5266796/info@bahaytsinoy.org) at Anda cor. Cabildo Streets inside Intramuros. The museum is a repository of the Filipino Chinese heritage tracing the history of Chinese presence in the Philippines long before the Spaniards arrived to the modern times.

Today, Binondo and the local Filipino-Chinese community more than ever remain as an integral part of Philippine history, culture, politics and economy.

Binondo Today
Photo by storm-crypt

Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa Travel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Known worldwide as the home of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – the longest navigable underground river in the entire world and many of its exotic islands, cream colored beaches, a plethora of waterfalls, hot springs, verdant rainforests, fauna and flora that can never found anywhere else on the planet,- the melting pot city of Puerto Princesa City is always an adventure waiting to happen.

Located about an hour and a half plane ride southwest of Manila, the sprawling City of Puerto Princesa which also happens to be the capital of the province of Palawan comes into view where the traveler is first greeted by the many islands scattered all over Honda Bay. The entire city straddles the middle of the Palawan – bordered by the towns of San Vicente and Roxas in the north, Aborlan on the south, Sulu Sea on its east and the South China Sea and the Kalayaan town of the Kalayaan Islands Group in the west. It is by no joke that this city is humungous in size; it is after all the second largest city in the Philippines in terms of area at 2,381.02 square kilometers, next only to Davao City which has a total area of 2,443.61 square kilometers.

Migratory Birds on Pandan Island
Photo by storm crypt

Puerto Princesa got its name from a legendary princess-like maiden, who in the olden times is said to have roamed around the area on certain nights of the year. While others who are too skeptical of such stories point out the geographical advantage of its harbor, which is naturally protected and has a depth which can accommodate large seagoing vessels- thus basically a virtual princess of ports as indicated by the maps of the Spaniards during the colonial era. Historically of course the city was named after the Spanish Princess Eulalia born in 1864. Her mother, Queen Isabel II changed the name to Puerto de la Princesa after Princess Eulalia’s death. After which, it was shortened to Puerto Princesa as it is known today.

As it is the same today, Puerto Princesa was already quite known and recognized for its orderliness and cleanliness way back in 1894. As we walked through the streets of this city (which was still quite scorching hot and humid even during December- we really wished that there were more trees planted along the boulevards of the city), we noticed the absence of litter for such a highly urbanized community. Police and even local citizens (yes, locals can make a citizen arrest) are really quite strict when it comes to waste disposal. There is no excuse to throw your trash anywhere since there are trash bins every couple hundred meters.

Inside the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River
Photo by storm crypt

Now the city is becoming to be known as being at the forefront of Philippine ecotourism campaigns with its various projects in promoting environmental tourism in the country today. Puerto Princesa in recent years has again been grabbing national and international headlines with its campaign to make its most famous feature to date be listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature– the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (more commonly known as the Underground River/St. Paul Underground River) which at 8.2 kilometers makes it the longest navigable underground river in the world. The park is located about 5 kilometers from Sabang Beach in the northwest part of the city and is about 2-3 Hours by public bus/jeepney from Puerto Princesa City Bus Terminal (by the New Public Market).

One basically navigates under the spectacular limestone formations which often resemble familiar things like mushrooms, and other vegetables as well as people – the boatman pretty much doubles as the guide and at the same time the group’s official entertainer. There is a turquoise colored lagoon at the mouth of the cave with ancient trees that basically grow right on the water’s edge. There are three ways of heading out to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – either by boat from Sabang (easiest), or a hike through the Monkey Trail (moderate hike) and the Jungle Trail (difficult hike). Be prepared to encounter a lot of endemic flora and fauna along the way, we probably spotted at least 2 huge monitor lizards along the way, some really nasty ants, and heard birdcalls from different species of birds along the Monkey Trail. Noticing there was an absence of monkeys on the monkey trail, apparently, the pack was already at the beach near the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park opening since there are more tourists (meaning more food for the simians). Around the park, one can find other things to do, you may check out Ethnographic Museum, go on a mangrove cruise using a paddle boat through the Puyoy-puyoy river, or go spelunking in so many of the caves in the area (Lion Cave, Ugong Rock, Cawili Cave, Daylight Hole, Million Birds Cage).

On your way to Sabang, fantastic jungle clad limestone and marble cliffs and karst mountains pepper the horizon- make sure to prepare your camera and that you are seated on the right side of vehicle, then you should be able to capture these geologically significant landscapes which are located at Barangays Tagabinet and Cabayugan. Just before reaching Sabang, is the beautiful Ulugan Bay- a deep channel where a cluster of three islets called Tres Marias guard the mouth of this bay. There is a mangrove footwalk as well as a nearby waterfall (Kayulo) and Rita Island which is located inside the bay is a popular dive spot. There will be more detailed information on the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in my article which focuses more on this wonder of nature. You may cast your vote online for Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park as one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World www.new7wonders.com.

Honda Bay
Photo by storm crypt

Aside from the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Puerto Princesa is also famous for its multitude of beaches. Head out to Honda Bay and go island hopping in its many islands, the most popular ones would be Snake Island (known for its long sandbar and fish feeding area- 45 minutes away from the port), Pandan Island (35 minutes), Starfish Island (35 minutes), Bat Island (known for the thousands of bats flying around dusk- 10 minutes), Cowrie Island (10 minutes), Adobo Island, Arreceffi Island (owned by the Dos Palmas Resort and 1 hour away from the port), Luli Island (15 minutes) and the reefs of Panglima (with its big coral boulders and gray reef sharks) and Pambato (known for medium large fishes of various species and beautiful coral gardens). The islands can also be viewed from Mitra’s Ranch, a privately owned ranch which is open to the public during the day. Mitra’s Ranch sports a house which looked very similar with the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Bukidnon.

Save probably for Snake Island, every island charges a minimal entrance fee. Arreceffi Island however is the most expensive of the lot which at the time of this writing charges PhP500 entrance fees. Entrance fees are paid upon entrance to these islands and the rates of the boats and entrance fees are posted at the port which is located about 5-10 minutes from the Puerto Princesa City Proper. The islands all have cream-colored sandy beaches. The most developed is probably the Snake Island where you can rent open air native huts with tables, and tiny stores which sell fresh seafood to grill and bread which can be used for fish feeding. The fishes on Snake Island are way too aggressive as we found out for ourselves. We literally had to get out of the water after a few minutes as a pink colored fish basically started attacking us by furtively divebombing and nibbling our feet. Of course, it not life threatening and other people will find it cute and amusing though we just felt weird to see such aggressive fish circling us.

Most of the islands are tiny; we basically went around Pandan Island in about 30 minutes and were quite pleased that there were not a lot of tourists in most of its parts. In some parts of the island, the sand was very, very fine which felt almost like silk. Pambato Reef was just gorgeous and very colorful; the reef is one of the most diverse around Puerto Princesa. Make sure you wear fins and not to splash too much when trying to swim and snorkel around as this damages the corals. Also avoid touching or stepping on the corals – a coral only grows 1 centimeter every year and these reefs are already threatened as it is. We saw signs of coral bleaching in some of the corals in the reef – one of the damages wrought by global warming. Also, we were a little concerned as well when we saw a small bucket of conch shells in our boat – collection of shells of any size or specie is not good for the environment and we encourage everyone to refrain from taking home a “souvenir”. Arreceffi Island made world headlines when in May 2001, 20 guests from the upscale resort Dos Palmas were abducted by the dreaded Islamic bandits Abu Sayyaf and one Peruvian-American was later beheaded and another American was killed in the crossfire during a rescue attempt. Because of this, a massive security presence is now deployed and radar surveillance has significantly boosted security and since then there were no more repeat incidents of this kind that have ever happened in the entire province of Palawan. Unfortunately, 9 years later, Palawan and Puerto Princesa City are still reeling, very undeservedly, from the effects of the highly publicized kidnappings, and while there is no immediate security threat in Palawan, it is only lately that tourist numbers are beginning to go back up. This is really ridiculous actually, after the horrific events of 9/11, it did not take 9 years before people started visiting New York. Today, Puerto Princesa and Palawan are some of the safest destinations in the world and the presence of so many Europeans and other foreigners visiting and living in the province that we met during our trip backs this up.

Snake Island
Photo by storm crypt

Aside from the beautiful beaches in Honda Bay, you may also visit the many other beaches on the mainland such as the beaches of San Rafael, Concepcion, Puting Buhangin, Tagbarungis, Kamuning, Pontog, Turtle Bay- all of which front the Sulu Sea and about 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes away from the city proper. On the side facing the South China Sea, you may check out the beaches of Napsan, Tagkawayan, Nagtabon, Talaudyong, and Sabang, While these are more or less the best known beaches, one can actually go and find your own beach which you don’t need to share with other tourists. One of them is a beach which is literally overlooked by a lot of people because it is a nice sandbar which is located right next to the landing lights of the Puerto Princesa Airport. The beach is called Canigaran and you have to literally wade through up to waist deep of water to get there. This is also a place for some locals to go get some edible shells.

Meanwhile, Puerto Princesa Bay is a hub for sunset cruises, and dolphin watching and is also a major port of call for smaller ships and boats that are bound to the different destinations in the Sulu Sea, namely the stunning islands of Cuyo (where the famous, ultra-exclusive Amanpulo Resort is located) and to another UNESCO World Heritage Site the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, magnificent atolls with an astonishing diversity of marine life unparalleled anywhere in the world. Colorful reef fish swim in its shallows while pelagics and sharks swim in its volcanic depths.

Near the port of Honda Bay meanwhile, is the Viet Ville or Vietnamese Village, a former settlement area for the Vietnamese Boat People, refugees who fled Vietnam during the Vietnam War and found themselves washed ashore in Palawan (the first wave of which was in 1979). Being naturally hospitable, the Philippines offered not only a home but a second chance to the Vietnamese refugees. The village was set up by the local government and up until today, these humble houses still stand testament to a peoples struggle for freedom. There is a tiny chapel and a statue to Our Lady of Viet Nam, a restaurant and a souvenir shops. Street signs within this tiny village are in Vietnamese as well. Check out the Sta. Lourdes Hot Springs nearby as well. Another hot spring worth checking out is the Sta. Lucia Hot Springs too.

For waterfalls the most notable are the Sabang Falls in Sabang, Olanguan Falls, and the Kayulo Falls. Halfway going to Napsan are the Salakot Waterfalls where aside from the cool waters of its three layered waterfalls, rare species of butterflies can sometimes be found here. Mountaineers would love the trek to the 1,600 meters high Cleopatra’s Needle which provides a sweeping view of Puerto Princesa City. While it is a challenging climb for mountaineers, one will be rewarded with rivers, streams, fields and lush forests.

Recreation Hall, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm
Photo by Dave Ryan

Aside from the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, and the island hopping, one of the major highlights of our trip would probably be the visit to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm. Spanish authorities during the colonial period had earlier designated Puerto Princesa to be a place where offenders were exiled but it was only in November 16, 1904 under the American Governor General Luke Wright that facilities were established. Vocational activities were made available to the prisoners which include farming, fishing, handicrafts making, forestry and carpentry.

Prisoners are free to roam the hectares and hectares of land within the penal colony which makes this one of the quirkiest prisons in the world. When we drove into Iwahig, instead of guards, prisoners actually opened and closed the gate for us. We had to sign in of course, plate number, name of guests and all. Most of the roads inside the farm are dirt and gravel and it couldn’t be more surreal to see ricefields left and right – yes, the prisoners grow their own food. In the main square, stately American colonial buildings still stand, one is a beautiful building that is used as a recreation hall which is right next to a souvenir shop. Unfortunately, the recreation hall is in a state of disrepair and needs immediate attention; I peeked inside and found the roof is literally falling apart. The souvenir shop sells items such as gavels, baseball bat keychains, nunchucks, canes made from kamagong, a Philippine hardwood, side by side with cute stuffed toys, t-shirts and pearl necklaces. Outside the shop, the prisoners can be a tad pushy selling their wares and seeing some of them are wearing medium security shirts, although, obviously, the guys mean no harm, still the experience was quite unnerving at worst. For a good price, one can even buy government-issued prison shirts (around 200-300 Pesos apiece depending whether it is minimum, medium or maximum security shirts). Another feature of Iwahig is the Balsahan River Picnic Grounds which are also open to the public. Best is to buy some meat and bring it to the picnic grounds to be grilled, the grounds are also tended by prisoners themselves and are open to the public. While at the picnic ground, check out the Iwahig Stone which serves proof that Palawan is one of the oldest islands in the Philippines. Close to Iwahig, along the National Road is the Irawan Crocodile Farm and Nature Park, which is open to the public and aims to preserve and further research on crocodiles.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Photo by Dave Ryan

Within the city proper, there are quite a few places that one should check out as well. You may as well check out the very angular Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Rizal Avenue which is right next to the Plaza Cuartel on Taft Street. Plaza Cuartel was used as an old garrison where more or less 150 soldiers (varying accounts), all American Prisoners of War were herded by the Japanese Imperial Army on December 14, 1944 into three covered trenches and were then set on fire using barrels of gasoline. Those who attempted to escape were shot down, others tried to escape by climbing over a cliff that ran along the site of the trenches but were later hunted down. 10-11 survived this atrocity and it was said that 133-141 were killed. A small statue commemorates the site of the massacre.

Also within the city proper, make sure that you pay a visit to the Palawan Museum which houses the relics and artifacts found in Tabon Cave – the site of the oldest human bone ever found in the Philippines and the oldest known fossil remains of Homo Sapiens in Southeast Asia which are radiocarbon dated to an age of 22,000-24,000 years. The fossil is now housed at the National Museum of the Filipino People in Manila.
Major festivals are the Baragatan sa Palawan and Feast of the Forest (3rd week of June) and the City Fiesta (every 8th of December).

Why Not Go

While the city proper offers a good deal of creature comforts, the hulking malls and the blinding lights of flashy clubs and discotheques of Manila are conspicuously absent in Puerto Princesa so for those on the lookout for clubbing and mall-hopping, Puerto Princesa is not going to be the right place for you.

Why Go

For those who seek leisure and adventure, Puerto Princesa offers a vast array of choices from cruising an underground river, spelunking, diving, island hopping, firefly tours and other eco-friendly pastimes. It is a must for every traveler to and within the Philippines to experience the beauty of this wonderful city.

Best Time to Visit

The city enjoys a year round tropical climate with a relatively high humidity. Early mornings by Sabang Beach however can be chilly around December. Puerto Princesa is mostly spared by the typhoons that ravage other parts of the country and thus makes almost any time of the year the best time to head out to this city.

Where to Stay

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Our favorite place to stay in Puerto Princesa (city proper) would be hands down – Banwa Pension (http://www.banwa.com/), a guesthouse & art café rolled into one. The accommodations are pretty basic, but the service is friendly and ambience is pretty bohemian. The lounge room doubles as an art gallery of sorts and art pieces (for sale) line the walls of the corridor. The restaurant operates on an honesty basis, get your beer from the fridge and write your name on the sheet of paper by the bar and pay later when you check out. Most of the guests who check in here are mostly Europeans and it is pretty easy to meet new friends while lounging around – we ended up talking about the European Union and swapping travel stories and tips over beers around Christmas eve with other guests from Sweden, Germany and Austria. After we came back from Sabang, we had to chill out and get away from the searing midday sun and headed back to Banwa for a couple more beers and some great conversation with even newer friends.

Banwa Pension Lounge Room
Photo by Dave Ryan

In Sabang, Mary’s Cottages (+63.919.7577582) is the no-frills choice, accommodation is really basic and some huts share an outhouse while other cottages have their own lavatories. Like most of the resorts on Sabang, the resort runs on a power generator which is turned off at some point. The owner is amiable, and the staff is helpful, save for the fact that the check-in guy forgot to give us our blankets (which almost left us frozen around early morning). The common outhouse needs more attention as well as sometimes it wasn’t very well kept. Having said that, we liked the simplicity of the resort compared to a newly constructed huge hotel made out of concrete which looked grotesque and uninspiring. Mary’s Cottage has the better beachfront in the entire Sabang strip. Also, the owner can send a carabao cart to pick you up from the port to take you to the resort.

Where & What to Eat

Suffice to say, we left Puerto Princesa with extra pounds. A visit to the city is never complete without trying the Tamilok also known as a shipworm and although it looks, as someone said like an umbilical cord and despite of being called a worm – it is not a worm. It is actually related to the clam family albeit a really, really weird looking clam. It is prepared with vinegar and/or lemon juice, pretty much like a ceviche, and the taste was like that of an oyster with an earthy aftertaste probably much owing to the fact that the Tamilok bores its way through wood around the mangroves and other areas near the waters. Grossed out at first, I almost finished more than half of the plate of Tamilok served to me at Kinabuchs (Rizal Avenue). Kinabuchs is also known for probably one of the best crispy pata (deep fried pork knuckles) I have ever encountered. Once in Puerto Princesa, and you are not a vegetarian, make sure you get hold of their crispy pata! Basically we spent our Christmas Day dinner at this place with Mr. Caesar Yuipco and his lovely family.

One of the most highly recommended places by friends before we went to Puerto Princesa was Ka Lui also on Rizal Avenue. So off we went and after the famous and super delicious seafood plate, it was full on thumbs up for this stylish restaurant (you have to take your shoes off when you step into the restaurant) which also doubles as an art gallery for local artists. We met with owner, Lui Oliva after dinner and we also found out that the restaurant actively supports not only the local artists, but also local producers. Almost everything on the menu as we found out was sourced in Palawan which we think is an exemplary way of helping local communities. Aside from offering great food, it was a great cause and for that we highly recommend Ka Lui.

Vietnamese influence brought about by the waves of Vietnamese refugees settling in Palawan is pretty prominent with its many Chao Long Houses (pretty much the same as Tapsilog places in Manila), eateries which serve cheap but great tasting Chao Long (a rice noodle soup usually served with meat, locals call it beef stew and it is pretty similar to Pho). The noodles are flat and almost translucent in a very savory broth with beef, beef bones, pork or chicken) and served with basil, mint, bean sprouts, chili and calamansi (or Philippine lime). Chao Long is also best eaten with a piece of French Baguette smeared with butter and garlic on one side. The best place to try this is at the Bulwagang Princesa Chao Long House on Rizal Avenue. The Chao Long in this place is so good we had to come back for another round.

Chao Long
Photo by Dave Ryan

For vegetarians, you may check out the Vegetarian House on Manalo Street near the office of the Department of Education. In Sabang, meanwhile, one should never forget to try the fresh coconut juice at Mary’s Cottages located near the entrance to the trails going to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – it was probably the yummiest coconut juice we ever had in memory.

Nightlife

Nightlife in the city is characterized by basically heading out to restaurant bars like Kinabuchs. During festivals and holidays, the place to be is hang out at the Baywalk where colorful lampposts line the harbor which faces the Sulu Sea. Bicycles can be rented while there are a few food stalls around. During the Christmas Season, a giant Christmas tree adorns the park while there are small fairs constructed. The beach in Sabang is mostly characterized by restaurants.

My to do List

1. Go on a cruise through the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.*
2. Island hopping in Honda Bay. **
3. Pay a visit to the Plaza Cuartel and the Immaculate Conception Cathedral.*
4. Go shopping for super cheap pearls at unbeatable prices at Delma’s (+63.48.4341495/+63.919.4988917/by the Old Public Market)*
5. Try the Crispy Pata and the Tamilok at Kinabuchs.*
6. Visit and have a picnic at the Iwahig Penal Farm.*
7. Satisfy your hunger with some good Chao Long at the Bulwagang Princesa Chao Long House after you visit the Vietnamese Village. *
8. Snorkel at the Pambato Reef.**
9. Go spelunking!
10. Take a carabao cart ride on Sabang Beach.*
11. Learn more about the history of the province at the Palawan Museum.*
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

Stay Away From

1. Mosquitoes! – just bring bug repellent to be sure. Palawan is notorious for really awful mosquito bites. Our bug bites are still itching more than two weeks after we left.
2. Drowning – Learn to spot rip tides and make sure you wear a working life-vest during boat trips.
3. Dehydration – always bring a bottle of water especially during hikes..
4. Getting wet, take Ziplocs with you for your gadgets and valuables.
5. Protect yourself from UV rays by putting on sunblock.

Getting There

Puerto Princesa Airport is the main gateway to the Palawan mainland. Talks are afoot of converting the airport to cater to international flights. From Manila, it is accessible by air via Philippine Airlines, Zest Air, and Cebu Pacific. There are flights via Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) from Manila via El Nido/Busuanga. There are also seasonal flights direct from Boracay/Caticlan also via SEAIR. Cebu Pacific meanwhile offers direct flights from Cebu.

Puerto Princesa Airport
Photo by Dave Ryan

By sea, Puerto Princesa is accessible via the Superferry which has schedules for trips to Manila via Coron which takes about 18-22 hours. There are also trips from Iloilo via Montenegro Shipping.

Tricycles are the main mode of transport within the city, and figuring out the right fares sometimes boggles the traveler – you really don’t know whether you are getting ripped off or not. Outside the city proper and to other towns, there are jeepneys and rickety mini-buses available. The best option is to hire a van to take you around and this works out better when you are in a group or have your trips arranged by your tour operator instead to do away with the hassle. Going to Sabang, there are only three available jeepneys (last one leaves at 1PM) and at least one bus a day. A rental van costs about 3,000 to 3,500 Pesos depending on how you haggle. Island hopping is made possible through a motorized outrigger boat. At the Honda Bay port, there is a list of rates and the boatmen never ask for more.

Batanes

Batanes Travel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Things to Bring
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Taming the wind and the waters in the northernmost Philippine frontier, the relatively isolated islands of the Batanes, the home of the resilient and welcoming Ivatans, with its rolling hills, subtropical climate, ancient cultures, windswept traditional stone houses and breathtaking landscapes and seascapes which perhaps make it one of the prettiest corners of the world.

After about 1 hour and 45 minutes SEAIR flight from Manila, we finally caught a glimpse of the northernmost province of the Philippines and from the air, one can see the fields that look like a labyrinthine patchwork of green bordered by tall hedgerows of grass, reeds, piled stones and trees which serve as a crop protection from the fierce winds, and typhoons which commonly pass near the islands as well as huge waves that crash into dramatic cliffs and rocks that jut out into the ocean, which undoubtedly look incredibly similar to the English moors and Scottish Highlands with a Filipino twist. Think Wuthering Heights and you’ll know what we mean. In 1687, English freebooters with a Dutch crew arrived in these islands and named three of the islands in honor of their monarchs- the main island of Batan was named Grafton Isle after Henry Fitzroy, First Duke of Grafton; Sabtang was named Monmouth Isle after James Scott, First Duke of Monmouth and Itbayat was named Orange Isle after William of Orange. The freebooters were led by William Dampier who stayed on the islands for three months but never claimed the islands for the British crown.

Mahatao Hedgerows
Photo by Noli Gabilo

Batanes is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, South China Sea to the west, Bashi Channel and Taiwan to the north and the Balintang Channel to the south. It is composed of 11 islands, of which Itbayat, Sabtang and Batan Islands are inhabited while Ditarem, Adekey, Vuhus, Misanga, Dinem, Mavudis and all others are uninhabited.

We held our breaths as the Dornier plane finally landed at the Basco Airport, with its tiny terminal building inspired by the traditional Ivatan stone house, a refreshingly different architectural and classy take on the many airports that I have went through so far. Under the shadows of the looming Mount Iraya in the distance, finally we had arrived in Batanes.

Early in its history, Batanes already had a civilization flourishing on its islands and was ruled by powerful chiefs who exacted revenues, administered justice, as well as exercised military might especially during times of invasion from other tribes. The idjangs or fortresses of pre-colonial Batanes can still be found all over the islands and they are usually perched on hilltops like the ones that we have seen on Sabtang and Batan Island (Itbud). The idjang in Savidug on Sabtang Island is considered to be one of the most perfectly shaped and the most beautiful among all the Batanes idjangs. Apparently, experts have noted how these idjangs are pretty similar to the gusukus found in Okinawa, Japan. The ancient Ivatans who are Austronesian in origin lived on these idjangs since they first migrated into Batanes about 4,000 years ago during the Neolithic Period. It was during the Spanish Inquisition and the Spanish governorship was established along the coastlines and lowlands which forced the early Ivatans- the people of the islands, to come down from their idjangs and convert to the new system of government. It was around 1686 and 1719 when Dominicans sent expeditions to the islands to proselytize and by 1773, the Ivatans became subjects of the Spanish King. It was only in June 26, 1783, over two centuries after the formal colonization of the Philippines by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, when Batanes was formally annexed to the Spanish Colonial State under Governor Jose Basco y Vargas. The capital town Basco, obviously got its name from the Spanish Governor General’s surname.

Batanes Lighthouse
Photo by xave

The Spanish imprint on the islands became indelible when it was finally decreed that no house should be built more than 2,786 meters (half a league) from the nearest church. The Dominican influence is very much alive today in the similar architectural styles of the Batanes churches – the most notable churches are the gorgeous churches of San Jose Obrero Church in Ivana, Sabtang, San Carlos Borromeo Church in Mahatao (1873), Sto. Domingo Cathedral in Basco (the oldest built in early 18th century), Sta. Maria Immaculada (1845) in Itbayat as well as the church in Chavayan, the latter, is the only church left in Batanes which still sports a thatched roof and probably the only pink church in the Philippines, the church of Itbud.

Limestone technology was introduced to the islands by the Spaniards and is still pretty much evident among the Old Spanish Bridges in Mahatao and Ivana as well as the iconic vernacular houses made out of limestone, stones, corals and a thatched roof which dot the three inhabited islands. The Itbayat houses apparently are built the sturdiest as they receive the harshest winter winds from Siberia from December to February. Walking through the tiny villages of traditional stone houses and quiet narrow streets of Savidug and Chavayan on Sabtang felt like being transported to another world and where time just stood still. Chavayan, which is currently nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List, was exceptionally stunning with the village nestled between the tall lush mountains and cliffs on one side and a sweeping view of the sea where the churning waters of the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. It was also in Chavayan where we met Lolo Emilio, Batanes’ oldest resident at 102 years old going 103. Like most of the houses in the islands, the houses in Chavayan are normally left unlocked while the Ivatans leave for the fields to farm or to the oceans to fish. Batanes enjoys an extremely low crime rate so much that we couldn’t help but pay the local police station a visit. According to the Ivatan’s Finest, the local police force’s nickname, aside from the occasional noisy drunks, Batanes is pretty crime-free. Of course save for the Vietnamese, Chinese and Taiwanese fishermen usually caught illegally entering and fishing in Philippine waters around Batanes. Strangers greet each other on the street. After the first day, we finally caught up with this practice and I ended up greeting every person while I was taking photos by the National Highway.

Chavayan Heritage House
Photo by Dave Ryan

Just as the rains started pouring, we ducked into probably one of the quirkiest and the most refreshing places we went to – the famous Honesty Coffee Shop in Ivana. The rules are simple, you choose what item you want to get, check the price list, and drop your payment into a box The owner who prefers to work in the field leaves the store and basically trusts their customers to be honest and pay the right amount even when no one’s looking. One of the signs on the wall reads “This store is too small for dishonest people.” True enough, not one customer has been dishonest so far.

It goes without saying that there are only about 15,974 (2007 census) people living on the only three inhabited islands, making the province the most sparsely populated in the Philippines and at 219.01 square kilometers, also the smallest province by land area. With the sounds of wind and the waves, there was a utter stillness even during the middle of the day in Batanes and moreso at night where streets are literally empty around 6PM. Electricity is on for 24 hours on the main island of Batan while Itbayat and Sabtang have electricity from 6AM-12MN. In the charming fishing village of Diura (three kilometers east of Mahatao town), which faces the Pacific Ocean and the site of busy arayu (dorado/mahi-mahi) fishing season in summer virtually becomes a ghost town during the cool winter season and from the cliffs in Tukun, one can see the only three lit lamp posts in the area. The fishermen of Diura perform the Kapayvanuvanua (which literally means, “the making of the port”), a ritual opening the port to obtain the favor of the spirit dwellers of the sea and signifies the start of the fishing season.

Taming the Waves at Sabtang Port
Photo by Noli Gabilo

Being master seafarers and boat builders, the Ivatans are known to be well versed in reading the stars and the phases of the moon in relation to sailing between the islands. According to our extremely helpful and hospitable Ivatan guides from the Batanes Cultural Travel Agency (http://batanestravel.com/), Ely Gabilo and Tita Donato, the seas are rougher 3 days before and 3 days after a full moon and a new moon. The boats of Batanes are called the tataya (an Ivatan dory, a smaller boat usually with twin oars), the faluwa, (Ivatan boat, usually motorized as is pretty common with most boats in Batanes now and can accommodate 20-40 people and in some instances cattle and livestock- during our trip to Sabtang from Batan, we had to wait for a cow to be unloaded from the faluwa first before we boarded the last boat for the day) and the chinarem. The boats of Batanes are hardy and in the hands of a good captain, they can skillfully navigate their way through the chaotic waves that are as unpredictable as the weather in Batanes. The way I felt us moving through the waves felt like we were actually surfing the waves ( I could hear similar rushing sounds one would hear while surfing as the boat moved forward and weaved its way through the roaring waves) and eventually my suspicions were confirmed by the boatmen themselves.

The seafaring culture is pretty evident in Batanes even in the pre-Spanish boat shaped burial markers found scattered all throughout the islands (we have reports that one can find such markers at Vuhus Island, an island south of Sabtang facing the village of Sumnanga, another stunningly beautiful village made up of traditional stone houses. Sumnanga is called Little Hong Kong for the number of boats that line the coast of Duvek Bay. There are similar burial markers found on Nakamaya as well as at Nahili du Vutux, an ancient settlement which is characterized with an idjang, boat shaped burial markers, and a gorgeous view of Dinem and the eastern coast of Itbayat Island.

Windswept hills, steep cliffs, and rugged coastlines pretty much characterize typical Batanes topography, as seen in Rakuh-A-Payaman or better known for its nickname as the Marlborough Country as well as the Vayang or the Rolling Hills with the many grazing carabaos (Philippine water buffaloes), cows, horses and goats roaming the areas. The coasts made misty by ocean mists such as what we saw on our way to Chavayan along one lane road that hugs the sides of the cliffs just left us literally speechless for its absolute beauty. From Rakuh-A-Payaman as well as in Tukun, one can see the hedgerows from a distance; the spectacular scenery makes these areas one of the many favorite spots for photography in Batan Island. Tukun is the site of the northernmost Philippine weather station (PAG-ASA) in the country where the province is used as the last reference point of any tropical weather disturbance thus unfairly associating the province with perpetual bad weather. The weather station sits on top of the hill with a commanding and panoramic view of the northern portion of Batan Island where one can literally see both the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean at the same time. Also in Tukun is the beautiful former studio of Batanes’ foremost artist, the late Pacita Abad. The studio which stands on a cliff facing the Pacific is now part of the Fundacion Pacita, a charming bed and breakfast affair run by affable Former Education Secretary Butch Abad and his wife Ms. Dina Abad.

Sabtang Church
Photo by Dave Ryan

Batanes also boasts of stretches of white and cream colored sandy beaches, probably the most famous of which is the Nakabuang Beach on Sabtang with its often photographed stone/rock arch formation where picnics are usually held during the summer months. The smaller White Beach and the nearby Blue Lagoon in Mahatao offers pretty views as well. Swimming is unsafe in Blue Lagoon however, that is if you don’t want to get smashed into the massive rocks while White Beach is a good and passable beach in our opinion (however, we saw a small but growing problem of garbage around the area which we hope would be addressed pretty soon, Nakabuang Beach is in more pristine condition). A private beach, Disvayangan has a row of private picnic houses for rent. Diving (www.divebatanes.com/) is also possible in Batanes with Duvek Bay in Sumnanga having one of the best coral conditions in Batanes as well as in Siayan Island about 5.5 nautical miles from Itbayat which is surrounded by beautiful white beaches and rich coral which teems with abundant marine life.

Itbayat, the northernmost inhabited island in the Philippines, however, does not have any beaches as the entire island is basically surrounded by cliffs. There are other interesting islands in the area, however, they are better reached during the summer months as travel from islands can take a lot of time and the waves can be treacherous. One of the most striking and probably one of the images that we will probably remember about our trip to Batanes would be the Valugan Boulder Beach facing the Pacific where huge smooth stones spewed out by Mount Iraya during an eruption in 400 AD are found right along the beach.

Fundacion Pacita
Photo by Dave Ryan

The formidable looking mountains and hills of Batanes are a great challenge to mountaineers. Mount Iraya on Batan Island rises to about 1,009 meters above sea level and is the highest peak on Batan Island and its spring water is the main source of water for Basco. A good climb for mountaineers, it is also home of the Batanes pit viper, an arboreal snake found only in Batanes and one of the rarest snake species in the world. The Batanes Pit Vipers live on trees and produce their young from eggs hatching within their bodies. They are typically green in color with some others having yellow, black, orange or red markings. Mount Iraya is also home to an abundant number of endemic species of flora and fauna. Some of the flora and fauna that can be found in Batanes are the Indochinese Shrew, Ryukyu Flying Fox, Asian Water Snake and plants like the Voyavoy (a Philippine date palm which is used to make another iconic Batanes item- the Vakul- the traditional headgear for women who use them to protect themselves from the sun, and the rain; the men use the traditional vests called Kanayi and the Salakut as a hat), Kanarem, and Vuhuan. The entire province was declared as a protected landscape and seascape by the Philippine government in 1992.

Cows of Batanes
Photo by Dave Ryan

On Itbayat, there is the Turungan Hill where ancient stone boat-shaped burial markers are found and believed to be the burial ground of the early Ivatans living at the Turungan Cave (believed to be the first landing place of early Austronesians from Taiwan 4,000 years ago) while Mount Ripused, considered as one of the two volcanoes (the other being Mt. Karoobuban – Itbayat’s highest point) that served to be the foundation of Itbayat, has great views southeast portion of the island including the airstrip and Lake Kayaywan. Rapang Cliff, also on Itbayat, is a natural park with rocky hills, cliffs, a forest and a grazing area. One can also find the bonsai version of the native Batanes arius tree which is commonly found all throughout the province. There is a natural stone bell which is a flat stone that lies naturally upon another stone and produces a sound resembling a bell. The stone bell served as warning system for early settlers especially when there were enemies approaching as well as a signal for meetings and goat gathering. There are also hiking opportunities on Dinem Island. Contact Batanes Mountaineers (http://batanesmountaineers.multiply.com/) for more information regarding mountaineering in Batanes.

The province also plays host to many lighthouses, the oldest (but now defunct) of which still stands in Mahatao in front of the Mahatao Church. The Basco Lighthouse on Naidi Hills which is also the site of the American era wireless telegraph facilities until being bombed to smithereens by invading Japanese Imperial Army forces is the best place to catch the picturesque Basco sunset. The Basco Lighthouse is considered the oldest working lighthouse in the province now. Other noteworthy lighthouses with gorgeous views would be the Tayid Lighthouse, on the other part of Batan Island facing the South China Sea as well as the Sabtang Island Lighthouse near Sabtang Port.

Ruins of Sungsung
Photo by Noli Gabilo

One would also find the remains of what used to be a vibrant village in the town of Uyugan, the Ruins of Sungsung, (a group of destroyed lime and stone houses a few meters from the beach) as it is called, are what is left after the village was wiped out in a tidal wave in 1954. While the houses in Sungsung were unfortunate, the UNESCO World Heritage Building House of Dakay (Vahay ni Dakay) in Ivana survived a big earthquake on September 13, 1918 which leveled the entire town. The House of Dakay, which was built in 1887 by Luisa Estrella, is one of the 5 houses which survived the tremor and went on to become the oldest existing stone house in Batanes. The house was bequeathed by Luisa to her nephew Jose “Dakay” Estrella whom the house was named after. The current occupant is Lola Florestida Estrella, a kind and rather frail looking lady in her advanced years seemed pretty happy to receive us graciously inside her home. Our guide told us afterwards that the old lady needs financial help to keep her and her house going. Also even if she is probably the most photographed woman in Batanes, she doesn’t usually get to see her photos as well. Good thing we showed her the photo that we took of ourselves with her. The house which is pretty much in great condition is made up of stone, coral and lime walls and original shutters and hardwood floors. The roof made out of cogon as is customary in traditional houses in Batanes is changed every 30 years. Also when in Batan, make time to explore Imnajbu, the last village from Basco. When residents are tending to their farms, you will probably see all the doors and windows in the village open.

House of Dakay
Photo by lightindependent

Also check the Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel, where the Japanese hid during World War 2. Although areas of the tunnel were heavily vandalized and seemed poorly maintained by the local government it is still worth a visit. One can take a torch and a short guided tour inside the elaborate tunnel. Batanes was the site of the first Japanese landing in the Philippines during World War 2 which coincided with the day Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Going even further off the beaten track, there is the sinkhole which works as a giant drain in Itbayat called Manoyok which is believed to be haunted. The sinkhole was found to be around 45 meters deep with two big chambers and a narrow passage between them and apparently, this was where the ancient Ivatans used to throw witches as a punishment. There is also Kumayasakas Cave and water source, an underground stream in the northwest of Itbayat and the Rakuh-a-idi Springs (also known as the Spring of Youth) on Batan Island. If the weather permits, one may even go to the northernmost island of Mavudis (also called Y’ami), an uninhabited island covered with palms and mangoes which also serves as a refuge for fishermen. On a clear day, one can even see Taiwan. All over Batan and Sabtang we saw possible surfing opportunities for advanced surfers, we even saw a surfboard hanging around in Malakdang!

The Vakul
Photo by Dave Ryan

Batanes Cultural Travel Agency or BCTA (http://www.batanestravel.com) probably offers the most consistent and the most definitive travel arrangements for those planning to head out and visit these beautiful islands. We went with BCTA on this trip, and it was a very pleasant one and we were taken care of by their wonderful staff in Manila and their experienced Ivatan tour guides in Batanes. BCTA’s Manila Office is at Unit 201 Parc Chateau, Onyx Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines. In the Philippines: call (+63.2) 9108801. 6354810, 6342982; Mobile- 0917-811-BCTA; US/Canada – 1-888-808-4123 or you may catch them on Skype ID: bctasales.

Why Not Go

Excessive noise, rudeness and lack of cultural and environmental concern are frowned upon not only by the Ivatans but travelers like us who are protective of the stunning beauty of these islands. Trust, honesty and community spirit are the operative words here. There are no malls here, no clubs, and no fastfood chains. If you are looking for that then Batanes is not for you, so just leave Batanes alone.

Why Go

Batanes is perfect for honeymooners and other couples as the province provides a calm, serene and contemplative respite from the noise and chaos of urban living. It also great destination for serious travelers who are more interested in communing with nature and culture at the same time rather than just taking pretty photos and getting senselessly drunk.

One of the main things that we totally love about Batanes was that aside from extremely pretty scenery, amazing culture, great food and hospitable people, it is still in pretty much pristine condition and has not been ravaged by mass tourism as in a lot of places in the country. Due to its relative isolation and because it’s a little more expensive to get to, Batanes tourism, if administered properly, is poised to create an important niche in the tourism industry. For now, it has generally avoided major and noisy crowds looking to make the requisite jump shots of themselves. We hope that it stays that way for good.

Best Time to Visit

Depending on which weather you are after, Batanes is a good year round destination, save for the stormy months of July – September. The weather is cool, with the coldest months around December to February when the temperatures drop down to as low as 7C-10C. During the summer months from March to June, the seas are calmer, and trips to other islands are easier. When traveling to Batanes however, you must have a very flexible schedule as flights and boat trips can get canceled at the last minute. If you intend to travel and sufficiently cover most of the main destinations just for Sabtang and Batan, a 4 day trip can suffice, if you wish to head out to Itbayat as well, you may as well make sure that you stay there for a week. But trust us, once you get to Batanes, you actually won’t want to leave.

Where to Stay

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For now, there are enough rooms to let in Batanes. We had the pleasure of staying in three different lodgings while we were in the province. While our Sabtang trip was meant to be a day tour, the boatman refused to return to Batan because the waves were really getting rough so we ended up staying the night at the Municipal Guesthouse by Sabtang port. Arranged by BCTA, we had a rather spartan room of two single beds with the window opening to the ocean. With the windows left open to let the cool ocean air in, we slept quite soundly under a blanket.

On the second night, we ended up staying at the clean and convenient Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant in Basco on the main island, run by the very efficient Ms. Lydia Roberto, it is perfect for groups. Batanes Seaside boasts of being the official lodging place of film crews who shot the film Batanes and if I am not mistaken was also the base for the film Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit, a Tagalog adaptation of the film Wuthering Heights.

For our last night in Batanes, we were invited to stay at the sprawling Fundacion Pacita (http://www.fundacionpacita.ph/) in Tukun by Ms, Dina Abad. The well-appointed suites adorned with the artworks of up and coming Ivatan artists all sit on a cliff with private verandahs which overlook the gorgeous Pacific Ocean and the nearby fishing village of Diura. The suites are a beautiful fusion of traditional Ivatan architecture with nice maritime touches and a warm country feel. The atmosphere was incredibly dreamy and perfect for honeymooning couples. The next morning we were even invited for a cup of coffee and jam with toast by the owner herself at their main house, whose balcony has well tended topiary and a stunning view of the cliffs and the ocean. Aside from being a haven for Ivatan artists, Fundacion Pacita is also very active in heritage conservation projects all over Batanes which makes it one of our top choices of places to stay in the province.

We were meant to stay in a stone house in Diura, but due to the delay from our trip back to Batan, it was too late to arrange lodgings there. Meanwhile, Pension Ivatan’s lodgings by Valugan Beach are only open during the summer season.

Aside from these, there are other places to stay in Batanes and you may have to coordinate with them or the travel agency first before heading out there.

Where & What to Eat

Before coming to Batanes, we had no idea of the local cuisine and we did not know what to expect except that we asked BCTA to make sure we get authentic Ivatan fare all throughout our stay. And we did.

Luñis
Photo by Dave Ryan

Sabtang is perhaps known for Tatus, the local name for the Coconut Crabs. While I could not verify whether it is an endangered animal, the locals said that during the cold season, the crabs hide and are harder to catch and while we were in Sabtang, apparently we ate the last coconut crab on the island for the season. We do not support eating of endangered animals, and unfortunately we weren’t informed that it is now included among the list of threatened species and taking the Tatus out of Batanes is strictly prohibited. Skip this one out if you can. The crab gets its diet from eating coconuts thus its name, while the meat in its pincers is very difficult to get, the fat was incredibly creamy and has the slight coconut aftertaste. Also in Sabtang, we had grilled Kanañiz, which is literally a squid which is tougher and thicker than what we are used to eating. If you have sensitive teeth, you may want to pass over the Kanañiz.

Tugi
Photo by Dave Ryan

While dry and a little too crunchy, Luñis or Adobo Ivatan Style was a tasty twist on this famous Philippine dish. Instead of the usual vinegar, soy and herbs marinade, the Luñis only uses salt and is cooked until dry. Due to the unpredictable weather in Batanes, the Ivatans learned to do preserving techniques for their food to last them during the stormy months. We also had Puhug (Winged Beans or Sigarilyas in Tagalog) mixed with meat which was well cooked and all fresh and Tuhos nu Wakay (Camote Tops/ Talbos ng Kamote) sautéed in garlic which was rather clean tasting compared to the ones in Luzon. I was never a fan of the Luzon variety of Camote Tops, but I could not have stopped myself eating my veggies in Batanes. After all, Ivatans don’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides- everything is organic!

Hapa, Ivatan Style Laing
Photo by Dave Ryan

At Rakuh-a-Payaman, we had a massive lunch and extremely delicious too. We almost devoured everything on the table (save for the plates and the cutlery). BCTA prepared such delectable Ivatan food that we are still wistfully thinking of it until this day. Aside from rice, Batanes main staple is root crops which better survive the sometimes harsh weather conditions. This is exemplified with root crop dishes such as the boiled tugi (yam) and the venes, (dried stalks of taro) where the venes is shredded and mixed with meat like beef or pork. Of course there is the hapa, an Ivatan twist to the Bicolano laing where fresh stalks of taro are cooked in fresh coconut milk and sprinkled with tiny dried fish on top, and with the Ivatan classic turmeric rice, it was just heavenly. Interestingly, the Ivatans also grill pork the way I used to, just rub the pork with sea salt and then grill it over charcoal. It gives the meat a more natural flavor and when dipped in spiced silam, (the Ivatan sugarcane vinegar) it is pure joy.

We also loved the fried dibang (flying fish, I guess the fish wasn’t quick enough as he landed on my plate) for breakfast at Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant. Try the arayu (mahi-mahi) as well, which is always freshly caught from the seas surrounding the province. We were on our way back to Batan when we had to stop in the middle of the ocean when one of the passengers caught two big arayus.
For those with a sweet tooth, try their own version if uvi halaya which is a mixture of uvi (yam), dukay, and sugar cooked in fresh coconut milk.

To cap the meal, either fresh coconut juice or a warm Ivatan spirit, the palek, Batanes’ answer to the Ilocos basi (sugarcane wine) is always a great way to finish the meal. For the aged version, try the Minyuvaheng which is dark in color and the Mavaheng which is black.

Nightlife

There is almost virtually no nightlife in Batanes although we spied a karaoke machine next to Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant. The best way to enjoy nights in Batanes is to sit back and relax and admire the views of the sea, the starlit skies and the cliffs from one’s hotel room balcony.

My to do List

1. Have an authentic Ivatan lunch at the Rakuh-a-Payaman.*
2. Visit and have pictures with the many docile carabaos in Vayang. *
3. Go Lighthouse hopping!**
4. Stroll along the streets of Chavayan. *
5. Get yourself a Vakul from the Sabtang Weavers. (PhP 350) *
6. Soak in the waters by Nakabuang Beach.**
7. Go hiking in Dinem.
8. Visit the burial markers in Itbayat.
9. Take a lot of photos! **
10. Take a glimpse at the artworks at Fundacion Pacita. *
11. Go mountaineering and climb Mt Iraya.
12. Share stories with Lola at the House of Dakay. *
13. Sip a cup of coffee at the Honesty Coffee Shop.**
14. Visit the churches of Batanes. **
15. Go fishing! *
16. Witness the Kapayvanuvanua in Diura.*
17. Search for the best surf spot or go diving!
18. Take out your jacket and wrap around your scarf and experience winter in the Philippines! *
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

Things to Bring

• Bring your personal medicines.
• Trekking shoes.
• Cash – ATM Cards, Credit Cards are rarely accepted and used.
• Sunblock, lip balm and sunglasses.
• Bug repellent.
• Jacket, or a scarf to protect from cold during the winter months.
• Extra memory cards and batteries for the camera – we almost used up 3 GB of photos and videos.
• Mobile phone and your chargers.
• Passports for foreigners and valid IDs for identification for locals.
• A well-stocked mp3 player.
• A good book to read while you wait for boats and flights.
• Ziplocs to keep your valuables from getting wet.
• Love for the environment and for the Ivatan culture!

Stay Away From

Drowning – Make sure you wear a working life-vest when swimming in bodies of water! Keep away from raging surfs as some of the areas may have rip tides. The boatmen would usually never travel when the seas are considered rough. Heed what the locals say. Don’t go if they tell you no.

Getting There

Basco Airport Terminal Building
Photo by Dave Ryan

Batanes is accessible through a 1 hour and 45 minute flight from Manila through Southeast Asian Airlines or SEAIR (http://www.flyseair.com/), the only airline that currently serves the Manila-Basco route through its 32-seater Dornier planes. While flight cancellations can be common due to bad weather, the flight was generally smoother than what we expected. It was our first time with SEAIR and we were quite pleased with their simple but efficient service. To book, check out their website (http://www.flyseair.com/) or you may call them +632 849.0100 or visit their office at 2nd Floor La’O Centre, Arnaiz Ave. Makati City, Philippines 1200. Currently, the Itbayat Airport is closed for renovation and improvement. Once it is opened, flights between Basco and Itbayat would hopefully commence and bypass the approximately 3-5 hours travel time between the islands by a faluwa.

Alternatively, there are flights coming from Tuguegarao in Cagayan Province through Batanes Airlines and Chemtrad but these are mostly seasonal flights. For the adventurous, one can take the boat (MISUBI Sea Transportation Cooperative) from Santa Ana, Cagayan which supposedly plies twice a week but we have no confirmation of this information.
Around Batanes, the most common form of transportation is by riding a bicycle, which is no wonder, the province is called the Bicycle Capital of the Philippines. There were very few jeepneys available in all the islands, and if I am not mistaken, there were only or two in the entire Sabtang.

Traveling to Sabtang (45 minutes from Batan) requires one to be up very early in the morning to catch the first, and maybe the only trip for that day. Be at the San Vicente Port by 6AM and you’d be safe. Remember to be flexible with your times here as we have experienced a 4 hour wait for a faluwa going to Sabtang and an 8 hour wait going back to Batan.

A Batanes Faluwa
Photo by Dave Ryan

Prepare to walk around town as there is a dearth of public transportation on all the islands (especially in Itbayat where there still no public transportation). Otherwise, you may want to arrange with your travel agent beforehand so that vans may be provided

Bataan

Bataan Travel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Just about 2.5 hours drive from Metro Manila is the province of Bataan, although more known for its crucial role during the World War 2 in the Pacific is increasingly a shining new eco-tourism destination which offers notable bird-watching sites, turtle sanctuaries, springs, waterfalls and of course countless, and thoughtful shrines to the courage of humanity over the horrors of a not-so distant war.

Mention Bataan and instantly what comes to mind are the horrors of the last World War, after all the infamous Bataan Death March which started in Bagac and Mariveles towns will forever be etched in the annals of world history where Filipino and American soldiers were forcibly marched. Of the 72,000 prisoners, only 54,000 reached their final destinations after enduring the most brutal conditions – while the exact count will never be determined, a lot of Filipino and American soldiers were beheaded, bayoneted, beaten by rifle butts, starved, and disembowelments were commonplace along the route which is now marked by stone markers. According to our Bataeño guides, Bataan locals, pitying the Allied soldiers, would sometimes create a commotion as a diversion so that soldiers would be able to make a dash to freedom and disappear in the crowd. Of course, like most places in the Philippines, there is more than what meets the eye.

Ciudad Acuzar
Photo by webzer

Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula is the province of Bataan in the southwestern part of Central Luzon which faces the South China Sea and forms part of the enclosure of Manila Bay to the east. The peninsula is an extension of the rocky Zambales Mountains to the north and features Mt. Natib (1,253 meters) and the Mariveles Mountains, which includes probably the most distinguishable and most well known Bataan landmark Mt. Samat which is the location of the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) marker which commemorates the heroism and bravery as well as the horrors of the Bataan Death March.

The Historic Abucay Church
Photo by Dave Ryan

Prior to World War 2, Bataan already had its share of a rather tumultuous history when in 1574 Chinese pirate Limahong used the province (Lusong Point) as a launch pad for his attempt to conquer Luzon (which was of course successfully thwarted). In 1647, the Dutch attempted the same where nearly 200 people were massacred mercilessly in the town of Abucay and over 40 (including the Alcalde Mayor and two Dominican priests) were taken as prisoners to the Dutch colony of Batavia. A plaque marker at the over four centuries-old Abucay Church (also known as St. Dominic’s Church) where the fierce battle was fought stands as a mute remembrance to the carnage in its courtyard hundreds of years ago. It was also in this church where the earliest printing presses in the Philippines began their operations. As early as 1810 Tomas Pinpin and Father Francisco Blancas de San Jose printed several books in Spanish and Tagalog. Abucay Church also features and ornately designed main door which features animals, a person and florid designs which immediately capture one’s attention. The Cathedral Parish of St. Joseph in Balanga meanwhile was used as an artillery emplacement during the Japanese invasion to bombard the Filipino and American forces who made their last stand on Mt. Samat.

The Dambana ng Kagitingan (Brgy. Diwa, Pilar) features a gigantic cross on top of a mountain (Mt. Samat) which seemed to be the silent sentinel of this peninsula. The shrine sits in an area of about 73,665 hectares and was completed and inaugurated in 1970 by then the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. By the foot of this imposing Memorial Cross (which towers 555 meters above sea level) is the marble capped Colonnade which includes a stained glass mural behind the altar, 19 scriptural marble at the parapet. 2 bronze urns which symbolize the Eternal flame, 18 bronze insignias and its 18 flag poles with colors of USAFFE Divisions/Units, and several inscriptions of the Battle of Bataan. The cross itself is made of steel and reinforced concrete. It has an elevator and a viewing gallery located on the arms of the cross. From the base, the cross is at 92 meters while the arms are 74 meters from the base. The elevator however does not work all the time as we found out ourselves when we got there, if it is so happens that the electricity conks out while you are at the viewing gallery, you have no other option but to use the stairs coming down. Around the base of the cross are sculptural slabs and sculptural bas-reliefs “Nabiag na Bato” which portray significant historical events and battles by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. From the base of the Cross to the Collonade is a zigzagging footpath on the slope of the mountain and paved with bloodstones from nearby Corregidor Island.

Aside of course from the Dambana ng Kagitingan in Pilar, a lot of other significant historical markers dot the entire peninsula most of which refer to the significant events of World War 2 as well as other historical events. In the only landlocked town of Dinalupihan, one can find the First Line of Defense Marker, Hermosa has the Democracy and the Commemorative Markers, Orani has the Death March Marker, Abucay has the Main Battle Position Marker, Tomas Pinpin Monument and the Maria Canon Statue, Pilar has the Flaming Sword, and Battle Trail 2. Orion has the Cayetano Arellano Monument, Limay has the Alangan Marker, and Balanga City has the Surrender Site Marker (located inside the Balanga Elementary School where Maj. Gen. King formalized the surrender of the USAFFE forces in the Philippines to Lt. Gen. Homma), and the Fall of Bataan markers. Bagac town has the Battle of Toul pocket and the Philippine-Japanese Friendship marker. Both Bagac and Mariveles have the Zero Kilometer Death March markers (the Bataan Death March started at two points- Bagac and Mariveles). Meanwhile, the town of Morong which used to be refugee processing area for the Vietnamese boat people who were fleeing the Vietnam War has Vietnamese Shrines and Monuments dedicated to the erstwhile Philippine guests. The Philippines as a country has a long humanitarian tradition of accepting refugees from other countries from the Malay chieftains fleeing the iron-fisted rule of Sultan Makatunaw in Borneo to the Jewish people during Nazi occupation of Europe and from the Vietnamese boat people to the North Koreans using the Philippines as a transit country to South Korea.

Vietnamese Shrine in Morong, Bataan
Photo by chewychua

Far from just being stuck in the past, Bataan now is a hub of industry and a growing and important ecotourism destination. For its part, Balanga City, the capital, is becoming increasingly noticed in the international bird-watching circles with three known birding sites: the Sibacan-Lote Bird Site, Pto, Rivas Ibaba Bird Site and the Tortugas Bird Site, where we experienced birding for the first time. The entire peninsula lies in the path of the East Asian-Australian Flyway where massive numbers of birds undertake an annual exodus from north to south all around the world during the months of September to March of the following year to escape the harsh winters. As these birds travel, there are several requisite stops along the way, one of these many stops in the Philippines is Balanga where a huge number of water and forest birds from China, Japan, Siberia, Russia and Canada stop over at the wetland, and mangrove forests of the area. January 2009 saw Balanga top the annual Asian Waterbird Census in the Philippines conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines with a whopping total of 15,271 waterfowl count. At least 35 species and 15 families were recorded flying this migration route.

It was quite refreshing to know that the local government unit in Bataan is actively involved in protecting the mangroves, the mudflats, grasslands and wetlands of the region. We spied a mangrove nursery in Tortugas while we were there, nets were also installed along the coasts to catch trash that washes out of Manila Bay. The local government of Bataan and the communities face an arduous and uphill battle, but so it seemed for us, the current crop of Bataan officials does have a great concern towards the environment. The best time to go birding is around 6:30AM-7:30AM in the morning, and make sure you bring with you a pretty good pair of binoculars. There is a little bit of development around the area with an observation deck being constructed in the area. The local government of Balanga is hoping to provide birders, students and tourists a nature walk, trail hiking jogging paths, camping, boat rides, and forest exposure experience in its sanctuaries. Being amateur birders as we are, we spotted egrets, herons and kingfishers during our brief yet exhilarating experience. Make sure you wear earth-tone colored shirts as loud colors may distract and drive away birds.

Bird-watching in Balanga
Photo by Dave Ryan

The Tortugas site which is also home to a coastal community whose main livelihood depends on fishing, and processing fish sauce and smoked fish is also an excellent feeding and roosting ground for Black Headed Gulls, Curlew Sandpipers, Blue Tailed Bee Eaters, Wood Sandpipers, Terek Sandpipers, Great Egrets, Asian Dowitcher, Common Kingfishers, Cattle Egrets, Sunbirds, Little Egrets, Whimbrels, Marsh Sandpipers, Black Crowned Night Heron, Rails, Shrikes, White Collared Kingfishers, White Winged Terns, Whiskered Terns, Chinese Egrets, Intermediate Egrets and many other shore birds.

Sibacan-Lote Site meanwhile is home to Fantails, Shrikes, Flycatchers, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Trillers, as well as the Asian Golden Plover, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Pacific Golden Plovers, Kentish Mongolian Plovers, Black Winged Stilts, and many other insect and flower feeding birds as well as several species of egrets.

Pto. Rivas Ibaba Bird Site is also a stopover meanwhile to Purple Herons, Brahminy Kites, Chestnut Checked Starlings, Wood Sandpipers, Grey Herons, Rufous Necked Stints, White Breasted Waterhens and even the fastest animal in the world was sighted here– the Peregrine Falcon!

Itching to try birding in Bataan? You may contact the helpful people of Balanga City Tourism Office (+63.47.7914008/ tourism@cityofbalanga.gov.ph/ www.balangabirds.com) or the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (Joey Soriano – jotsoriano@yahoo.com).

The Pawikan
Photo by Racaza

Aside from the bird-watching, Bataan is also known for the Pawikan Conservation Center in Nagbalayong, Morong, Bataan where a community moves to protect sea turtles (locally known as Pawikan) nesting and hatching on its beaches. A community organization composed of former poachers, government agencies and volunteers make up the center which is still being run since it was first established in 1999 in stemming the tide of killing these gentle sea creatures where only 1-3% of the baby turtles ever reach maturity. The Pawikan Conservation Center faces a difficult task ahead of them due to the challenges of climate change as well as poaching by Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen and even Filipino fishermen in other parts of the country. This is aside from the perils that these turtles face from their natural predators such as sharks. To read more and know how to help – read my article on Pawikan Conservation here. We had a great time learning a lot about conservation while we were at the Pawikan Conservation Center and you can even join the group patrolling the beaches around midnight to watch out for turtles who come ashore to lay eggs. Make sure you bring a torch, and for beginners, we’d suggest you to take the easier beach patrol to the left of the sanctuary. Skip the part where you needed to take off your clothes to wade in some chest-deep water. I don’t think that would be very safe especially when you do it in the dead of the night.

The peninsula is also a very good place to do mountain biking with its many winding roads hugging the mountains and different terrains and gorgeous vistas along the way, Bataan holds a lot of promise in this area. We have seen a few mountain bikers in Bataan during our stay. Mountain climbing and trekking exists around the Orani-Morong area with the mountains of Sta. Rosa (800 meters), Natib (1,253 meters), Silanganan (910 meters), and the Bataan Peak (1,000 meters) compose the Bataan Natural Park. Near Mt. Natib are the Pasukulan Falls (Abucay) and the Pilis Falls (Samal). For sure, there are a lot of waterfalls that are still undiscovered in these mountains as well as in the mountains in southern part of the peninsula. Pantingan Peak (1,388 meters) in southeastern borders of Bagac, Mt. Limay (946 meters) in Limay, Mt. Bataan (1,362 meters), Tarak Peak (1,000 meters) and Mt. Mariveles 1,388 meters) offers more mountain climbing and trekking opportunities.

Make sure not to miss the Dunsulan falls near Mt Samat and Kairukan Falls in Morong as well if you have the time. Other beautiful waterfalls that exist in Bataan are the Marukduk Falls, Ambon-ambon Falls and Limutan Falls (Bagac), and Tukal Falls (Hermosa). Aside from the waterfalls, there are many ways to cool down in Bataan and one of which is the natural spring water swimming pools of Sibul Spring in Abucay where pools of varying sizes line the side of a tree-covered hill. The crystal clear waters come from a spring which feeds into the pools. Sibul Spring is a popular destination especially for locals during the scorching summer months and this is also where the best swimmers of the province hone their skills in time for the Philippine National Games. There are some open-air huts for rent as well. Unlike other resorts, we found Sibul pretty clean and dainty and perfect for a restful swim. The local government is currently sprucing up the place, and more amenities should be available for all its guests. As of this writing, overnight stays are still not allowed in Sibul. There is a staircase going up to the top of the hill where a statue of a Japanese goddess (we presume to be) was erected. The Maria Canon statue as it is called was erected for the repose of the souls of those who have fallen during World War 2, and for those who perished on the fields of Gabon, Abucay. It was built by Mie-kin Daichi Shichmucho of the Sohtahsih sect in September 1970.

There are other sports activities happening all around the province such as motocross (Pilar-Orion, Mariveles-Bagac), Mountain Biking (Mariveles, Bagac, Orion from November to April), Circuit Racing (Balanga), Airsoft war games (Pulong Bato, Orion), and Practical Shooting (BATAS Firing Range, Limay), Notable events are the Senakulo (Holy Week, Calaguiman, Samal), Bataan Day (April 9, Dambana ng Kagitingan/Shrine of Valor, Mt. Samat, Pilar), Banga Festival (Last Week of April, Balanga), Pawikan Festival (Last Week of November, Morong), Tagak Festival (November 24, Bagac) and the Paskuhan sa Mabatang (December 15 to January 6, Abucay).

A reproduction of an Escolta building at Ciudad Acuzar
Photo by Dave Ryan

The biggest surprise that we ever encountered in Bataan was the 400 hectare Ciudad Acuzar in the town of Bagac where a collection of Indio stilt houses, 18th century Principalia mansions, and stone houses stand. For those who are loyal followers of Philippine TV, the place would have been very familiar because it was where the Philippine version of Zorro was shot. Our jaws literally dropped and I almost screamed with delight when we entered the huge estate. Imagine abandoned and decaying centuries-old colonial houses from all over Luzon faithfully restored brick by brick, plank by plank, and laid out in clusters next to the sea. The streets were made of bricks as well with a tastefully done plaza at the center- just a spectacular study of Philippine colonial architecture that can probably put Vigan to shame (Vigan’s main advantage however was that the houses were all originally built in the same area as opposed to the relocation done with the houses in Ciudad Acuzar). An entire row of Escolta buildings were also recreated straight from an old photograph. Escolta was Manila’s former commercial center during its heyday (this was where the young and statuesque Imelda Romualdez became a saleslady before going on to be one of the most powerful women in the world).

Ciudad Acuzar was the brainchild of Mr. Jerry Acuzar, an architect and real estate magnate and plans are afoot to turn some of the buildings into a hotel and since the project wasn’t finished yet, we were among the first ones to ever see and enter the place. We were literally astounded about how gorgeous the newly restored houses were and wistfully thought how Manila could have looked the same had the last World War not come and ravaged the city. The Ciudad Acuzar project was also a testament in heritage conservation and paying more than lip service in restoring part of our past as a nation. Ciudad Acuzar is still off limits to the general public but should be open around December 2010.

Despite the association of Bataan with large industrial factories and the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (that never opened), I say Bataan is on the right track in its massive efforts in environmental conservation done not only by the local communities but with its very able local government.

Dambana ng Kagitingan
Photo by Dave Ryan

Why Not Go

If you are on the lookout for huge malls or powdery white sand beaches then Bataan is not the proper destination for you, otherwise, the peninsula offers a different experience that seasoned travelers like we are, are going to really appreciate. To keep in touch, however, the local government of Balanga has turned the entire city proper into a wi-fi hotspot.

Why Go

Bataan is an excellent ecotourism destination that rarely sees tourists even if it is very close to Manila. The peninsula offers a lot of lessons in ongoing environmental and heritage conservation as well as the lessons of history and humanity. For those who swing by and want a quick yet meaningful getaway from Manila, Bataan is a very good option for weekend travelers.

Best Time to Visit

While generally Bataan is a good destination the whole year round, generally avoid the Holy Week season around March and April to avoid large crowds, you may however, schedule your trip around the months when festivals are held. Be sure to check the local weather to be sure especially if you plan to trek the mountains. You may also coordinate with the local tourism office and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines for the best times to spot the migratory birds if you plan to go birding. Turtle hatchlings are released into the sea usually in a festival around the last week of November so you may contact the Pawikan Conservation Center as well for that information. Mobile phone signal is quite choppy in Nagbalayong, Morong where the conservation center is located so you may have to contact the Bataan Tourism Office. You can look for the Provincial Tourism Officer Ceasar Cuayson or any of his staff (tourism_bataan@yahoo.com) for additional assistance.

Where to Stay

Save up to 75% on hotels in Philippines

There is not a dearth of places to stay while in Bataan. You may check out these places that we went and visited which seem to cater more to big conference type events.

St. Gabriel Hotel and Resort in Pilar (www.stgabriel-hotelandresort.com) has a log cabin inspired architecture mashed with other influences, the kids would love the swimming pools and the well appointed rooms. Like St. Gabriel Hotel and Resort, Raven Resort & Log Cabin in Abucay (www.ravenresort.com.ph) is also log cabin inspired with many pools that the children would love and is also perfect for huge family reunions or company seminars or team-building activities. Other resorts that are perfect for these kinds of groups are La Vista Inland Resort and the Crown Royale Hotel both in Balanga (www.crownroyale.com) and Vista Venice Resort (+63.916.6737958/Marian de Leon) in Morong another inland resort with pools and great views of the surrounding lush hills of Morong. For a more complete list of accommodations in Bataan, visit: tourism.bataan.gov.ph/accomodation.html. In our case, we stayed in rather austere but comfortable lodgings at the Pawikan Conservation Center. You may contact them through the details listed on our Pawikan Conservation Center article.

Where & What to Eat

Sinigang na Manok sa Ayo
Photo by Dave Ryan

Aside from the famed smoked fish called tinapa, tuyo (dried fish) and bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), Bataan is probably best known for its own version of the classic Southeast Asian sour soup, Sinigang na Manok sa Ayo. Ayo leaves are used to flavor this kind of Sinigang and chicken is best used as meat for this dish. The result is a sweetish sour version of the Sinigang, quite peculiar to the types we have had before. You may try this dish at the Joyous Resort and Restaurant (www.joyousresort.com/) in Balanga who gladly prepared this dish for us upon request.

Nightlife

Bataan’s nightlife is concentrated in the many resorts all over the province. While relatively modest compared with the glitz and glamour of neighboring Manila, Bataan offers a sincere respite from the drudgery of city living.

My to do List

1. Visit the Pawikan Conservation Center. Donate! *
2. Admire the panoramic vistas from the viewing gallery of the Dambana ng Kagitingan..**
3. Spot migratory birds at the bird-watching sites in Balanga City.*
4. Buy a backpack (PhP 1500) from the Made in Mariveles, Bataan! We did and we liked it!
5. Chill out at Sibul Spring.**
6. Taste the uniquely Bataan specialty Sinigang sa Ayo at Joyous .*
7. Visit the many historical markers in the peninsula.**
8. Stroll around the stunning estate of Ciudad Acuzar.*
9. Hit the trail and climb Mt. Natib. **
10. Cool down in the many waterfalls of the province. **
11. Walk the hanging bridge in Morong.
12. Go mountain-biking! **
13. Check out the Dragon Fruit farm (Contact the Bataan Tourism Office for this).
14. Sun by the beach at the exclusive Anvaya Cove in Morong.
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

Stay Away From

1. Mosquitoes! – just bring bug repellent to be sure
2. Drowning – Make sure you wear a working life-vest when swimming in bodies of water!
3. Getting wet, take Ziplocs with you for your gadgets and valuables.
4. Protect yourself from UV rays by putting on a sunblock.

Getting There

Getting Around Balanga
Photo by Dave Ryan

Bataan is now made more accessible via the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and Northern Luzon Expressway (NLEX). There are buses running direct to Balanga and Mariveles through Genesis Buses. Bataan is about 124 kilometers away from Manila. From Olongapo City, you can also take the Victory Liner Buses. Tricycles and jeepneys are the primary modes of transport around Bataan. There was a quicker way via a ferry from the CCP terminal to the port in Orion but the service was discontinued. By air, you may go through the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga or through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals in Manila and make the requisite land transfers.

Bukidnon

Bukidnon Travel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Right in the heart of Mindanao, the highlands of Bukidnon literally explode with breathtaking sceneries from its cool climate to rugged mountains, plateaus, canyons, waterfalls, springs, vast pineapple and rose farms to its extremely diverse flora and fauna and to the colorful tribes of Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and Umayamnon that call this beautiful province home.

Virtually landlocked, Bukidnon is located in North Central Mindanao and is bordered by Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro City to the north, Agusan del Sur and Davao del Norte to east, Lanao del Sur to the west and North Cotabato, Davao del Sur and Davao City to the south. Malaybalay City, the capital, is about 91 kilometers away by road from Cagayan de Oro City. By area, Bukidnon is the 4th largest province in the Philippines and virtually makes up 59% of the entire region of Northern Mindanao. Before the Spaniards came to colonize the Philippines, Visayan migrants settled in neighboring Misamis, thus driving the original inhabitants of the region further inland towards the mountains and these people were eventually called ‘Bukidnon(s)’ which means ‘people of the mountains’, a term derived from the Cebuano language – from which the province got its name. Bukidnon used to be part of the Misamis Province and then Agusan afterwards, Bukidnon became a province on its own in 1917.

Benedictine Monastery of Transfiguration, Malaybalay Bukidnon
Photo by MalNino

Called as one of the traditionalistic ethnic groups in the Philippine south, the Bukidnons are composed of seven different tribes which are indigenous to the province: Talaandig, Higaonon, Bukidnon, Umayamnon, Matigsalug, Manobo and Tigwahanon. The names of the tribes were derived from the areas where they lived (i.e. Tigwahanuns – refers to the people who live along the banks of the Tigwa River). The tribes still practice a lot of their ancient rituals and practices which are enforced by their own Datus (Chieftains) who stand as the political and spiritual rulers of each tribe. Being rich in aesthetic heritage, Bukidnon is rich in oral folk literature such as the Olaging (an epic about the cultural hero Agyu), Bayok-bayok (verses), Limbay (lyric poems), Antoka (riddles), Idangdang (ballads), Nanangon (folktales), Sala (love songs), Basahan (proverbs), Tutalanun (stories of origins of names of places and things), Dasang (debate in verses during settling of the bride price) and the Kaliga-on which are ceremonial songs sung during the Kaliga rituals (the pamamayok which is sung by men, and the tabok which is sung by women while dancing the dugso.)

Rural life at San Isidro Damulog, Bukidnon
Photo by Lloyd Jim

One can visit some of these ancestral territories like the Talaandigs in Barangay Sonco in Lantapan town where an entire community of people are actively working to revive and preserve the ancient ways of the tribe. The customary law is enforced in this area. There is a school in the territory where tribe elders teach their young how to learn and appreciate their traditional embroidery, music, literature, arts, and dance.

For fans of weaving, Bukidnon never fails to impress as traditionally, visual arts are expressed usually in weaving along with crafts, beadworks, and embroidery, patchwork and earth paintings. You may look for the three different kinds of weave- Tinilogas, Tigdaruwa, and Tigtatulo. Bukidnon clothing is usually identifiable by its use of geometric shapes (Binitu-on, Binabangon, and Kinabuka) with strong splashes of black, red, white and blue which is also present with the traditional headdress called ‘panika’. For Bukidnon embroidery, look for the pinamulaan which is made through a process called the panulam.

From mid-February up to March 10 of every year, an ethnic cultural festival is held in Malaybalay City to celebrate the gathering of culture and tradition of the seven tribes during the Kaamulan Festival. The festival derives its name from the Binukid word “amul” which means ‘to gather’. Started in 1974, Kaamulan serves as a gathering of sorts like a datuship ritual, a wedding, a thanksgiving, a peace pact or all of these combined.

Kaamulan Festival
Photo by cliffwinston

Being a multicultural society, Bukidnon also hosts American, Chinese, Indonesian, Koreans and British residents who are engaged in business, trade, research, study, tourism and mission work.
Aside from colorful cultures and traditions of the province, Bukidnon also boasts gorgeous natural sites and probably its most prominent natural landmark is the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park located in North Central Bukidnon, with 31,297 hectares of lush mountain peaks including the peaks which include Mt. Dulang-dulang that can be reached via three trail routes through the towns of Kaatuan, Lantapan, Sumilao, Impasug-ong, Bol-ugan, Lupiagan, Intavas, and La Fortuna. Mt. Kitanglad towers to about 9,511 feet (2,889 meters), and is the fourth tallest peak in the Philippines. Mount Kitanglad is home to virgin forests and has now been declared as a National Park and a Protected Area by the Philippine government. Other peaks that are worth seeing is the Musuan Peak in Dologon, Maramag which has an elevation of 646 meters offers a good early morning climb, Mt. Capistrano in Malaybalay which was used as an evacuation area during World War 2, Mount Pulog in Manolo Fortich which offers great views of the rose farms and the gorgeous Pigsuguan Hills in Siloo, Malitbog. The canyons of Saray (Sta. Ines, Malitbog) and Mangima (Manolo Fortich) also offer spectacular natural views. Mangima Canyon usually is the site for off-road competitions and usually considered as the equivalent of Baguio City’s Kennon Road. Check out the Abyawan Ridge to get a view of the Tagoloan River which snakes through the beautiful canyons through the barrios of Lingi-on, Sto Niño and Dalirig in Manolo Fortich.

Kaamulan Festival
Photo by cliffwinston

Along the boundary of Manolo Fortich and Sumilao are the Palapao Hills (836 feet) which were said to be used as burial grounds during early 19th century with coffins and artifacts tucked in their caves, rock shelters and limestone grounds with designs that were traced back to the Metal Age.

Proving that Bukidnon is one big thrill destination, just recently opened is Asia’s longest Dual Cable Zipline at the Dahilayan Adventure Park in Manolo Fortich with dual carrying cables each stretching 840 meters from point to point with an elevation drop of 100 meters and an estimated speed of 60-100 kilometers per hour!

Being gifted with such amazing natural wonders, Bukidnon, despite being landlocked, is also home to many notable bodies of water like the Napalit Lake- a 36-hectare lake by the foot of the Kalatungan Mountains in Pigtauranan, Pangantucan. The lake is 80 feet deep with about 24 islets of different sizes floating parallel to the direction of the wind. The largest of these islets is at least 50 feet wide. The serene Lake Apo in Valencia City is lined with lush vegetation hugged by the hills and mountains around it. Apo, a 24 hectare lake with depths ranging from 17-26 meters, is a rift lake of circular shape atop a mountain floor and said to be one of the cleanest in the entire Northern Mindanao. Other lakes that abound in the provinces include the Pinamaloy Lake in Don Carlos (50 hectares, guitar-shaped), and the Malagana Lake in Malitbog which is home to wild ducks and teems with fish. Aside from lakes, Bukidnon is also known for its rivers, the most famous is the Pulangui River (Dologon, Maramag) and also the rivers of Siloo (Malitbog) and the Bubonawan River- the latter with a waterfall measuring 100 meters, Check out Monte Shanna Lake and the Mabuhay Lakes and the Badiangon, Tingag, and Bindol Falls of Malitbog too.

Alalum Falls
Photo by kleomarlo

Kalilangan has many springs and lakes like the Panamsamon Spring, Tausa and Panta Lakes, Ulayan Spring, the sulfuric Salty Water Lake, Ticog Lake, and the Tinambacan Spring. In Damulog, numerous springs can be found such as the Malingling, Kapiling, Lagasan, Pangantapan Springs as well as the 60 feet high Minlaya Falls. The Kulaman Falls and Mawi-e River which are regarded as some of the cleanest in the region can be found in the town of San Fernando.

In Malaybalay City (Sitio Lalawan, Barangay Dalwangan), there is a bird watching tower which gives rare glimpses to a Philippine symbol- the rare and endangered Philippine Eagle (one of the world’s biggest raptors) as well as other birds like the giant scops, Philippine hanging parakeets, owls, fly catchers, brahmine kies and many jungle fowls from Mt. Kitanglad ranges.

The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is a giant forest raptor endemic to the Philippines. It is considered one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. Unfortunately, it is also one of the world’s rarest and certainly among its most critical endangered vertebrate species.
Photo by MalNino

Bukidnon is every spelunkers paradise because for the astounding number of caves worth exploring starting off with the Paiyak Cave in the town of Sumilao. This cave is located by the southern wall of the Palao-pao Mountains with many stalactite and stalagmite formations which developed for over a million years! Still in Sumilao is the Basag Cave, with its 8 waterfalls and a good number of stalactites and stalagmites, and it is still hardly explored. Other caves in Sumilao are the Sumalsag Cave (currently holding the longest cave title in Northern Mindanao with 1859 meters) and the Lagundang Cave (with a 225-foot entrance and affectionately referred to locally as their own mini-Niagara Falls). Crabs and fish can be found in the ponds inside the Lagundang Cave. The Salawaw Cave in Valencia City, a must for adventure seekers, meanwhile has calcite formations and a cave pool which is part an extensive cave stream and is home to large crickets measuring 10 centimeters long and arthropods as well as ophidians – a more scientific and less threatening term for spiders and snakes, respectively. Another cave of note in Valencia City would be the Kasanayan Cave which has a river running inside it also contains stalactites, 400 meters deep from the opening. Other caves in the province that may warrant a spelunker’s attention would be the Blue Water, Kabyaw, Sagongsong Caves and the White Mountains and Caves and Rock Walls (Quezon), Quarry Cave (Kitaotao), Liroan Cave (Malitbog), Bogsok Cave (Libona). Borantawan Cave (Talakag), Minsulahog Cave (Baungon), Spiring, Kisolop and the Linking Caves (Kibawe).

The town of Baungon meanwhile is home to two of the world’s rarest flowers- the Rafflesia and the Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius. Species of rafflesia are found all over Southeast Asia including the many islands of the Philippines. Malaysians may be very familiar with this flower as this is considered as Sabah’s state flower as well as the state flower of Indonesia and Surat Thani Province of Thailand. The rafflesia, now found in Baungon (called as “Kolon Busaw” by locals) was said to be extinct as its last sighting was on the Philippines’ tallest mountain- Mount Apo back in 1881.
With all these spectacular eco-tourism sites, Bukidnon also plays host to monasteries. The most famous of these is the Monastery of Transfiguration in Malaybalay City which sits on top of a hill in Barangay San Jose. The monastery which is run by Benedictine monks grabs any architecture enthusiast for its pyramid design- courtesy of the Philippines’ National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin, the same architect who designed the modernist buildings of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City in the National Capital Region. The monastery is also famous for its own brand of coffee “Monk’s Blend” which is grown right there. Another monastery worth mentioning is the Carmelite Sisters’ Monastery also in Malaybalay, which is known for its flower gardens and as a place for rest and retreat.

A visit to Bukidnon would never be complete without a trip to the Del Monte Pineapple Plantation in Manolo Fortich, said to be one of the biggest pineapple plantations in the world. The plantation was incorporated in 1926 and is one of the oldest and largest agro-industrial firms in the country. The majority of the plantations’ products are exported all over world – Europe, Middle East, USA and other parts of Asia.

Why Not Go

Being landlocked, Bukidnon is devoid of any beaches which are characteristically common to a lot of Philippine destinations. Traveling between towns and even within towns in Bukidnon is a major challenge and we found that out the moment we stepped out of the bus into the pouring rain in Manolo Fortich, which looked like a very sleepy town even on a Monday.

Why Go

Bukidnon largely goes unmentioned in most mainstream travel guides because, primarily, the province is all bundled together with the stigma that the mere mention of the word Mindanao carries. This makes the province virtually devoid of tourists or travelers that most other popular destinations in the Philippines usually get. However, this makes Bukidnon even more appealing to the intrepid traveler if one wants to get off the main tourist circuits and take in a whole new experience – adventure, ancient cultures and nature- probably one of the many underrated (and virtually unheard of) travel destinations in the Philippines, not only for foreign travelers but also for a majority of Filipinos.

Best Time to Visit

The province is mostly away from the Philippines typhoon alley and is largely spared from such. Year-round, the province enjoys mostly great weather. Rains do come during the latter part of the year however. The climate is cool due to its altitude and the temperatures are usually compared to those of Baguio City.

Where to Stay

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Since we did Bukidnon only for a day trip, we did not have the chance to stay in any of the hotels, resorts or guesthouses in the province, however, the Bukidnon government site has a listing of places to stay while there. Check this link of places to stay (http://www.bukidnon.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=273&Itemid=358)

Where & What to Eat

Probably one of the things we will never forget while we were in Bukidnon was how succulent and tender the steaks were at the Del Monte Golf Club House. For just over PhP300 we had a set lunch of steak with gravy, fresh garden salad, soup, mashed potato, fresh fruit cocktails and glass of real, honest-to-goodness pineapple juice! From the bus stop at Manolo Fortich, find your way to a queue of multi-cabs and ask to be dropped off at the Kawayanon where you have to walk up a sloping road about a hundred meters away from the main road and then you will find the club house. Tell the guards nicely that you want to have lunch at their club house.

Pineapples of Bukidnon
Photo by christinaestrada

Aside from steaks, Bukidnon is also known for the freshest fruits and vegetables, so never forget to try some of Bukidnon’s produce straight from the many farms and ranches in the province.

A lovely steak meal in Manolo Fortich
Photo by Ryan Buaron

Nightlife

Bukidnon is not known for an exciting nightlife even compared to the neighboring city of Cagayan de Oro. The best place to spend the night in Bukidnon would be staying in mountain retreats, and private farms. There are many resorts as well around the province where one can rest during your stay in the province.

My to do List

1. Try Asia’s longest Zipline at Dahilayan Adventure Park.**
2. Have a hearty steak lunch at the Del Monte Golf Club House in Manolo Fortich.*
3. Get a bag of ‘Monk’s Blend’ at the Monastery of Transfiguration.*
4. Go waterfall/spring/lake hopping!
5. Trek and see two of the world’s rarest flowers in Baungon.*
6. Go spelunking in Sumilao.
7. Witness the Kaamulan Festival **
8. Visit the Talaandig Ancestral Territory. *
9. Take home some traditional weavings for souvenirs.**
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

Stay Away From

Contrary to what most travel advisories say about Mindanao, Bukidnon is a very safe place for travelers (local or foreign). Communist rebels are said to operate in the very remote parts of the province, make sure to check with the local tourism office or your travel operator first before venturing out to hike. For us, the major annoyance was the unreliability of the transportation even within towns like we experienced in Manolo Fortich.

Having said that, terrorism is a real threat all over the world (other countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Spain and the US itself have been victimized by much worse terrorist attacks) and not just Mindanao. The fact that the world has been brainwashed that Mindanao is a warzone is unfair and untrue.

1. Mosquitoes! – just bring bug repellent to be sure
2. Drowning – Make sure you wear a working life-vest when swimming in bodies of water!
3. Getting wet, take Ziplocs with you for your gadgets and valuables.
4. Protect yourself from UV rays by putting on a sunblock.
5. Be aware of your surroundings, report suspicious looking packages or individuals.

Getting There

One can take a ferry to Cagayan de Oro and take a bus or drive all the way to Bukidnon. While in Cagayan de Oro, ask to be taken to the Agora Bus Terminal servicing buses for Bukidnon. Travel time from Cagayan de Oro to the closest Bukidnon town of Manolo Fortich is about 1 hour and 1.5 hours to Malaybalay (about 104 kilometers). The main modes of transport in and around Bukidnon are buses and multicabs. Malaybalay is also accessible from Davao City via Salawagan, Quezon, Bukidnon with an estimated travel time of 3.5 hours (208 kilometers). The nearest airport for Bukidnon would be the Lumbia airport in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental where most Philippine airlines fly. However, a newer airport is set to open in 2012 in Laguindingan also in Misamis Oriental and would be accepting international flights.

About 4 hours away from Manila is the sleepy fishing village of Nagbalayong in the town of Morong on the Bataan Peninsula. Along a patch of sandy coastal road a tiny place fenced with aged bamboo and a driftwood sign with the name Pawikan Conservation Center written on it greeted us. The coastline where Pawikan Conservation Centre sits is home to the original nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtle species. We were greeted by Mr Manolo Ibias one of the center’s leaders, who is a former poacher himself but now one of the staunchest defenders of the pawikans. We were then introduced to a gathering of some of the volunteers having after dinner rounds of local whiskey mixed with congenial and spirited conversations about the challenges of turtle conservation, community development and environmental protection. And thus, counting the hours away before we would join them doing night patrolling the beaches, we listened to their stories.

The Pawikan
Photo by Racaza

Called as Pawikans in most local dialects in the Philippines, the marine turtles are reptiles related to snakes, lizards and dinosaurs. Being cold-blooded creatures, their body temperatures fluctuate with the environment and they have a pair of lungs that need to breathe every few minutes while swimming unknown distances in the vast seas. Marine turtles have powerful flippers which help the pawikans navigate but cannot retract into their protective shells called carapace which sets them apart from their freshwater relatives that can easily hide their heads and legs inside their bony shells.

Most marine turtles (especially the male ones) spend their entire lives at sea while the females come to their nesting beach during the coldest months of the year to lay their eggs (which look and feel like soft and leathery ping-pong balls). If the clutch of eggs is lucky enough not to be eaten by many predatory animals like lizards, crabs or taken by poachers, these eggs will hatch after 40-60 days depending on the temperature of the sand. The volunteers and Department of Environment Natural Resources (DENR) regularly patrol the beaches at night (as this is the time when turtles lay their eggs) to gather them and bring them to the centre’s hatchery where they are more protected until they hatch and are subsequently released back into the sea.

Turtle eggs being buried in sand at the Bantay Pawikan Hatchery
Photo by Dave Ryan

During the Pawikan Festival which is usually held every end of November, involves the release of these super cute baby turtles racing into the sea where they will feed, grow and explore the vast oceans only to return one day back to the beaches where they were hatched when they are ready to lat their own eggs. However, this would have been a perfect scenario if not for the years and years of poaching and gathering of eggs and killing these gentle creatures for meat as a staple for the people of these coastal villages – not only in Nagbalayong in Morong, Bataan but all throughout the world. Likewise, the shells and skins have been used for many illegal by-products like combs, guitars and other ornaments. It is no secret as well that a lot of the Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Chinese regularly poach in Philippine waters and they do so with so much impunity. Sadly, such activities have received a lukewarm response from the Philippine government like the case a few years ago where a boatload of Chinese fishermen were caught entering Philippine waters illegally and fishing in the protected and UNESCO World Heritage area – the Tubbataha Reef. Because of severe pressure from powerful Beijing, these criminals were released with nary a punishment or even an outcry. Next time you sit down in a restaurant in Hong Kong or wherever around the world- remember that the turtle soup or the sharks fin soup that you are having for dinner meant that you are part and complicit in the tacit rape and murder not only of Philippine seas but our Mother Nature as well. With the survival of these creatures already challenged with a lot of these turtles falling prey to birds, crabs, sharks and many other natural predators, the thought of someone having turtle eggs for their misconceived aphrodisiac is just totally sickening.

Bantay Pawikan Inc.
Photo by Dave Ryan

Because of this only 1-3% of baby turtles ever reach maturity. Since 1999 when a Bataan community organization called Bantay Pawikan Inc. (a duly registered people’s organization) was initiated in the town of Morong with just 28 men composed of former egg poachers and sellers, over 40,000 turtles were successfully released into the sea. The program was met with opposition at first, with the local community thinking that this was one of Manila’s antics of taking over their community. Gradually, people were able to realize that this was a valid initiative and that the turtles are one of the major lynchpins in the entire ecological cycle. Soon enough, with the help of the provincial government of Bataan (which I say is doing an awesome job initiating environmentally friendly tourism projects) as well as the United Nations, Pawikan Conservation Unit of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, other communities and groups in neighboring towns followed suit and replicated the conservation efforts.

Today, many challenges remain, though never insurmountable. The group still needs a regular veterinarian, and the costs of medicines for rescued turtles as well as maintenance of the center which could use a facelift. There is also a need for increased support to the communities through better access to livelihood programs and better education for its populace. I hope that by raising awareness about the plight of these marine turtles as well as the communities that protect them, everyone could take positive action and help out in preserving not only the pawikans, or our national marine heritage, but our environment as well.

A very sick turtle which is a recent rescue
Photo by Dave Ryan

How to Help

Share this webpage around. Blog it. Link back. Volunteer. If you are a company, you may want to include Bantay Pawikan in your Corporate Social Responsibility projects. Donate in cash or in kind.

Donations

You may deposit it through this bank account-
Landbank of the Philippines- Balanga City (Bataan) Branch
Bank Account Name : Bantay Pawikan Inc. Livelihood Project
Address: Purok VI-Aplaya, Nagbalayong, Morong Bataan
Account Number : 0441-1942-26

More Information

Bantay Pawikan Inc. – (Nida- +63.928.7185721/ Manolo- +63.906.6155546) bantay_pawikan@yahoo.com ; or if you wish to visit the centre and don’t know how, the lovely folks at Bataan Tourism can certainly help you (+6347.2374476/+6347.2374785) – tourism_bataan@yahoo.com.

Lanao Del Norte

Lanao Del Norte Travel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

From its many majestic waterfalls, relaxing coastlines to rugged plateaus and verdant mountains rich in flora and fauna, the province of Lanao del Norte pulsates with electrifying cultural diversity of gentle and proud people – one of the many windows into the soul of the often misunderstood Mindanao.

The word Lanao came from the Maranao word “Ranao” which means a body of water and this instance- the second largest lake in the Philippines (Lake Lanao/Ranaw) which is while located in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte shares a huge affinity through the indigenous people living around the lake which is considered as one of the world’s foremost ancient lakes (An ancient lake is a lake that carried water without any interruptions for more than 1 million years. Aside from Lake Lanao- other lakes that fit this category are Lake Baikal in Siberia, Lake Titicaca in South America, and Lake Tanganyika in East Africa).

Children playing at Dodiongan Falls
Photo by Ace Reston

Before the separation of the province into Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, the area was only known as Lanao. After the division, the northern part became Lanao del Norte and the southern part became part of Lanao del Sur. Unlike what most people would think, Lanao del Norte is actually predominantly Christian with the people a mix of Maranaos and Cebuanos who along with the many other Christians from all parts of the country settled in the area with a marginal number of Higaunons settling in the hinterlands of Iligan.

Through the hundreds of years of attempting to subdue Lanao and the Maranaos, the region south of Iligan remained unconquered despite the establishment of a garrison in the city of Marawi. However, it was on July 4, 1959 that the province was finally divided into two through Republic Act No. 2228 with Iligan City as Lanao del Norte’s capital.

In 1977, however, the late Philippine strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, under a bill sponsored by then Assemblyman Abdullah D. Dimaporo which transferred the provincial capital from Iligan City to the municipality of Tubod which still currently stands as the provincial capital.

While the province, along with the rest of Mindanao, grapples with image issues associated with terrorism – though unfairly, has largely overshadowed the fact that with the rest of the region, Lanao del Norte has so much to offer to the intrepid traveler.

Maria Cristina Falls
Photo by Ace Reston

Starting off with Iligan City, a city which melds industrial muscle and roaring and gorgeous waterfalls of which Maria Cristina is the most famous. The city alone has over 20 waterfalls – no wonder, it is nicknamed the City of Majestic Waterfalls. Maria Cristina is 320 feet high and spills 130 cubic meters per second of water, its raging magnificence is harnessed to provide electricity (although we have heard locals grumble of the apparent frequent outages in the province- we have not experienced such while we were there). This beautiful waterfall is located at the borders of Barangay Maria Cristina, Ditucalan and Buru-un about 9.3 kilometers away from the city. The waterfall is located inside a property of the power plant and one has to sign one’s name before being let in at the viewing area. Near Maria Cristina is the ancestral house of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who spent part of her childhood in the now National Historical Institute declared Heritage House – The Macapagal -Macaraeg Ancestral House. The house is a modest two-story affair; with fairly sized rooms with pictures of the President present everywhere as well as a painting of her in a very sultry green dress – cleavage and all. Of course, some in our group tried hard to stifle a snicker especially when Philippine media was all agog about the President’s breast implants during our visit.

Tinago Falls
Photo by Ace Reston

Aside from Maria Cristina, another Lanao del Norte pride is the Tinago Falls, which is accessible through a 300-step staircase that is located in the upper part of Barangay Buru-un. The waterfalls feature a curtain-like cascade which falls into a basin-like pool of icy-cold water. Tinago Falls (elevation- 420 feet), like what it names say (Tinago is hidden in local dialect), is literally hidden in a deep ravine about 13.8 kilometers away from Iligan City proper. Access is through the Iligan Tinago Mountain Resort which is managed by the City Tourism Office, and comes with a minimal entrance fee. Other noteworthy waterfalls in Iligan are the Mimbalut Falls (small waterfalls of about 18 feer), Abaga Falls, and Dodiongan Falls. 20 kilometers away from the city proper is a 40 foot high two tiered waterfalls called Hindang Falls and its 6-8 cave clusters with narrow entrances and deep chambers.

Limunsudan Falls
Photo by Ace Reston

Limunsudan Falls which is about 35 kilometers away from the city proper is a breathtaking two-tiered falls with a total height of 870 feet and is close to the boundaries of Iligan, Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. To reach the waterfalls, a trek of two days is required from Kamalamalahan, Rogongon, Iligan City. While some Iligan locals claim that Limunsudin Falls are the tallest in the Philippines, it is actually the second tallest. The current title is held by Aliwagwag Falls in Davao Oriental which is also Southeast Asia’s 2nd tallest. Aliwagwag Falls is 1,101 feet, but this record is going to be contested soon with many waterfalls still undiscovered deep in the lush tropical jungles of the Philippines. In other parts of Lanao del Norte, one may frolic in the Pasayanon Falls (Matungao), Munai Falls (Munai), and the Fairy Falls (Linamon).

Timoga Spring
Photo by Ace Reston

Aside from the waterfalls, Iligan is also known for Timoga Springs (also in Buru-un) meanwhile is well known for its crystal-clear water which flows into many numerous swimming pools of each of the resorts around the area. Likewise, cold and pure spring water gushes out in Kalilangan in the capital town of Tubod, at the Pili Hot and Cold Springs at the foot of Mount Karkum, at Cabongbongan and Inasagan Spring in Salvador, at the Kawa-kawa Spring in Munai, and the Pioray and Babuyan Lake in Pantao Ragat. Lake Nunungan meanwhile is actually composed of three lakes of varying sizes and teeming with fish bred by local farmers.

Lanao del Norte also has its own version of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River albeit in a much more modest scale. Check out Lidpa Subterranean River in Munai where the river bores into a hill and then runs underground for about 100 meters. If you want just chill out, and laze around, go for a Balo-I River cruise whose entry point is at the riverbank by Poblacion, Balo-i.
Thoroughly understated and unassuming, the shores of Lanao del Norte are dotted with beaches, while not as popular and as drop dead gorgeous as many other more famous beaches in the country, they compensate with their genteel simplicity. Check out the many beaches in Linamon, a favorite destination for many in Lanao del Norte.

For those who love mountains, there is the 1600 feet high Mount Agad-Agad, the highest in Iligan City and safe for mountain climbing, camping and trekking and is just 5.5 kilometers away. It has a hanging bridge which connects the main road and the jump-off point to the foot of this mountain. In Nunungan, there is also Mount Inayawan with its rainforest resplendent with rich biodiversity and cultural rhythms set by the Maranao settlers in the area.

Festivals are a way of life in the Philippines, and Lanao del Norte is very much like any other Philippine province. During the Sagayan Festival, a Maranao dance is performed during the Araw ng Lanao del Norte Celebration (Lanao del Norte Day). Sagayan portrays a war dance among the Maranaos complemented by women in very colorful costumes gracefully doing the Kasiduratan, a pronounced movement of their arms. Hudyaka Festival is a thanksgiving celebration in the towns of Bacolod (every January 18) and Linamon (every January 23). There is also the Saguingan Festival (October 17) in Tubod, the Guini-akan Festival (January 21) in Baroy, Niyogan Festival (May 15) in Magsaysay, Alimango Festival in Lala, and the Coconut Festival (January 23) in Linamon.

During Iligan’s city fiesta, the Diyandi (a ritual dance) is performed during the Feast of Michael the Archangel, the city’s patron saint where a dance simulating the battle between Saint Michael and his enemies (Yawa-yawa, literally Devil-devil).

Why Not Go

If one is on the lookout for drop-dead gorgeous white sandy beaches or megacity living, Lanao del Norte would be a disappointment. Simplicity is the key in these areas which makes Lanao del Norte even more charming.

Why Go

Getting off the beaten track is the primary reason to visit Lanao del Norte, its charming and friendly people as well as its gorgeous waterfalls that are rarely seen and experienced by a lot of tourists. By that alone, it is so easy to fall in love with this province.

Best Time to Visit

The province is mostly away from the Philippines typhoon alley and is largely spared from such. Year-round, the province enjoys mostly great weather.

Where to Stay

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Most of the hotels are located in Iligan City, which makes a better base for any travels around the province. For more information, please contact the City Tourism Office at the Iligan City Website.

Where & What to Eat

We probably had the creamiest, the freshest and the best tasting Durian Shake EVER at Iliganon (Quezon Avenue Ext) and any visitor in Lanao del Norte needs to try it as it is a sacrilege to miss it for anything. The Banoffee Pie of Aruma (Preface Building, De Leon Corner Burgos St.,Iligan City Tel. (063)221-7913) is also a must for those who love a sweet ending to any meal.

Aside from these, the crabs and shrimps of the municipalities along the Panguil Bay are another Lanao del Norte pride. However, any Lanao del Norte meal is always best when cooked and served personally by your host family! Otherwise, one can find lechon and barbecue stands everywhere. For something to take with you home (also known as Pasalubong) – do not forget to grab a bag of Cheding’s peanuts – a trademark Iligan takeaway.

Nightlife

Aruma
Photo by Dave Ryan

Lanao del Norte nightlife are dictated by the movers and shakers of Iligan City. It was our first time to go clubbing in Mindanao and we had such a rocking great time with the super-friendly locals. Having started a dinner off with the scions of Lanao’s political families – Arnie Quibranza-Mejia, we had a heavenly Banoffee Pie matched with equally yummy brewed coffee at Aruma, one of Iligan’s sweetest spots, and probably looks more at home in Makati than in Iligan with its whitewashed walls and white furniture, and warm, carefully orchestrated lighting. Aruma’s probably one of the classiest hang-outs in Lanao del Norte. For sure, owners Pempee and Spanky Fetalvero did a great job with the café and its menu. The problem though was the location- this pretty café is an oasis on its own as it sits right in the middle of an area with loud karaoke machines and a bar with an obvious identity crisis – playing heavy metal music in the midst of out-of –control techno lights.

After further rounds eating our way through Lanao del Norte, we found our way to Yom’s, a very casual open-air club in Iligan (dressed down or dressed to the nines are equally accepted). The prices are reasonable and the ambiance is pretty friendly. We had a great time chilling out and tripping the light fantastic with our new Iliganon friends. Making friends here is just too easy.

A San Miguel Beer Can in front of Iligan City Hall
Photo by Dave Ryan

For a more sedate night out, one can drop by the City Hall’s lookout point and watch and just gaze into the bright lights of Iligan, or just hang out with friends.

My to do List

1. Go waterfall hopping.**
2. Try the creamy and luscious Durian Shake at Iliganon.*
3. Go on a river cruise in Balo-i.
4. Laze on the beaches of Linamon.
5. Dance the night away in Iligan.*
6. Go trekking at Mount Agad-agad.
7. Catch up with the locals at Aruma. *
8. Visit the Macapagal-Macaraeg Ancestral House. *
9. Soak in one of the pools of Timoga Springs.**
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

A very sexy Philippine President. A painting done in 1983 now hangs at the Macapagal-Macaraeg Ancestral House
Photo by Dave Ryan

Stay Away From

Contrary to what most travel advisories say about Mindanao, Lanao del Norte is a relatively safe place for travelers (local or foreign). However, there are some no-go areas in the province and travels between towns are discouraged at night. The town of Kauswagan was the site of skirmishes between the Philippine soldiers and the separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March 2000. In July 2009, a bomb went off near the pier in Sabayle Street wounding 7 including two soldiers and twin blasts occurred on April 2009 at the bridge by Maria Cristina. That bridge has been fixed when we went to the waterfalls. The aforementioned blasts were attributed to the rogue elements of MILF although locals usually say that these blasts were actually perpetrated by common criminals out to extort money.

Having said that, terrorism is a real threat all over the world (other countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Spain and the US itself have been victimized by much worse terrorist attacks) and not just Mindanao. The fact that the world has been brainwashed that Mindanao is a warzone is unfair and untrue. We felt very safe in Lanao del Norte.

1. Mosquitoes! – just bring bug repellent to be sure
2. Drowning – Learn to spot rip tides and make sure you wear a working life-vest!
3. Getting wet, take Ziplocs with you for your gadgets and valuables.
4. Protect yourself from UV rays by putting on a sunblock.
5. Be aware of your surroundings, report suspicious looking packages or individuals.

Getting There

Superferry, Cebu Ferries, Negros Navigation serves Cebu, Manila and Ozamis routes. Otherwise, one can take a ferry to Cagayan de Oro and take a bus or drive all the way to Lanao del Norte. Rural Transit and Super 5 Transport are the most dominant bus companies in the province. While in Cagayan de Oro, ask to be taken to the Bulua Bus Terminal serving buses for Iligan. Travel time from Cagayan de Oro to Iligan is about 1.5 hours. The main modes of transport in and around Lanao del Norte are jeepneys, taxis, passenger vans and pedicabs. Iligan has its share of horse-drawn carriages called Tartanillas which usually serve the route between Barangays Pala-o and Tambacan.

The nearest airport for Iligan would be the Lumbia airport in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental where most Philippine airlines fly. However, a newer airport is set to open in 2012 in Laguindingan also in Misamis Oriental and would be accepting international flights.

Misamis Oriental

Misasmis OrientalTravel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Called Mindanao’s nature front, Misamis Oriental is home to fine beaches, fertile mountains and lush forest reserves, interesting dive sites, caves that wait to be explored, and a diverse culture that begs to be experienced.

Misamis Oriental is one of the 5 provinces of Region X, otherwise known as Northern Mindanao with Cagayan de Oro both serving as the capital of the province as well as the regional capital. Misamis got its name from the word “misa”, a Spanish term for the Eucharistic Mass. It was said that during the early days of Christianity in the Philippines, the word “misa” was shouted by converts every time priests traveled around the province. Over time, the Spanish missionaries started called the province as Misamis. As there are two Misamis provinces, the other one is Misamis Occidental (Western Misamis) which has Oroquieta City as its capital. Other stories say that the word “Misamis” came from “Kuyamis”, a variety of sweet coconut which was also the staple food of the earliest known Negrito settlers in the area. The word Kuyamis was corrupted into Misamis when the Spanish conquerors arrived.

A hut overlooking Mapawa Nature Park
Photo by storm-crypt

Aside from Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental has another city, albeit, a smaller one compared to Cagayan de Oro- the city of Gingoog City, a component city which is located in the eastern part of the province.

While adventure tourism in Cagayan de Oro is promoted heavily in the tourism circles, there are other things to see and do in Misamis Oriental. Such as the ancestral houses of Vega Ancestral Home in Balingasag and the Lagbas Ancestral Home in Sugbongcogon. Like in many parts of the Philippines, the province has a lot of beautiful dive sites which are rarely visited by a lot of tourists because of the stigma that the name of Mindanao evokes. This is very undeserving, as the island of Mindanao has a lot of spectacular sights to see, enough to overwhelm any world traveler – and can put other countries in the Asia Pacific region to utter shame. Take the Agutayan Reef in Jasaan, also called the White Island (this is different from the White Island in Camiguin) – it is a little island teeming with a wide expanse of coral reef with a drop-off starting at 50 feet all the way down to 150 feet with heaps of cracks and crevices along the wall. Pelagic fishes such as the barracuda, eagle rays, surgeon fish, tuna, and sharks are often seen here. A shoal of approximately 3 hectares in size with the shallowest depth at 20 feet below the surface defines Constancia Reef. The reef is teeming with colorful tropical fish, pelagic and territorial fish, sponges and sea fans.

View of the town of Bugo, Misamis Oriental where Del Monte cans its world famous pineapples
Photo by Dave Ryan

Sipaka Point is known for its strong current and is only advised for more experienced divers. This natural current feeds the marine ecosystem which resulted in a gorgeous underwater garden where one can find huge sea fans, hard and soft corals, basket sponges, and feather stars which coexist with snappers, stingrays, groupers and numerous colorful fish – which is perfect for underwater photography, The Talisayan shoal meanwhile fronts the town of Talisayan. It takes about 10 minutes from the Mantangale Alibuag Beach Resort. This tiny shoal is covered with a very good coral growth, with heaps of little colorful fish, shells and other plants and animals such as turtles as well as other pelagic fishes. For wreck divers, one must not miss the Sta. Ines wreck at the sandy and steep slope, this old World War Two pontoon wreck starts at depths of 30 feet to about 150 feet. This wreck is now covered with black corals, fan corals, and other marine growth and serves as abode to jacks, sweetlips, red snappers, surgeon fish, bat fish and Lapu-lapu.

In the town of Medina, one can head out to the Medina Springs, a very interesting dive spot also with rich marine life which is located just about 300 yards from the white beach, near the edge of the shallow coral reef. “The Paradise” as it is called, it is about 90 to 110 feet deep with features like a canyon with a lot cracks and holes and a cavern that can be explored with underwater flashlights. “The Aquarium” meanwhile is another place to make that second dive with depth ranging from 20 to 70 feet. In these two spots- you’d be able to spot the underwater springs called alibuag which literally spew out very cold fresh water. The dramatic seascapes meanwhile, at the eastern tip of Gingoog Bay which is part of the town of Magsaysay is Punta Diwata. This divespot meanwhile has a stair step coralline slope with its ledges and walls all beautifully covered with sea fans, sponges, as well other marine outcroppings. Manta rays as well as the usual colorful and interesting Philippine fishes also frequent the area. To wrap up the dive tour of Misamis Oriental, just out front of Mantangale is Manongul reef- aptly named as Manongul which is the word for coral gardens in the local dialect. Manongul is best for snorkeling and long scuba dives where you can spy blue spotted stingrays, lionfish, convict damsels, soft and hard corals, clown fish who all call Manongul home.

Misamis Oriental Sunset
Photo by storm-crypt

Meanwhile, for those who just absolutely love waterfalls, Misamis Oriental never fails to disappoint. See the Libon-lawit Falls 13 kilometers from Gingoog City centre which is composed of three falls actually- Tiklas Falls (120 feet high), Kilubag Falls which serves as its main attraction and the Bangbang Falls (70 feet high). There is also the small Aya-aya Falls in Lugait, the Kanapolan Falls in Naawan, Lubilan Falls also in Naawan, Sinabayan Falls and Mimboaya Falls in Subongcogon, Bakid-bakid Falls of Gingoog City, and the Sagpulon Springs and Falls in Jasaan.

For all its beauty, Misamis Oriental’s main tourist attractions exists in its many national parks with natural limestone formations, ridges, gorges and canyons like the Initao National Park about 51 kilometers west of Cagayan de Oro which also includes a marine ecosystem which is home to various colorful fishes and corals as well as Splitnose bat cave in its two closed caves and one open cave which opens towards the sea. There is also the Lingon-lingon Plateau Park in Balingasag which is excellent for bird watching and mountain climbing and the Sicolon Cave also called Cueva con Agua in Laguindingan (28 kilometers west of Cagayan de Oro); the Magallanes Cave in Jasaan which is still largely unexplored; the Huluga Caves 8 kilometers away from the St. Augustine Church on the east bank of the Cagayan River. This cave was especially important because this cave also serves as a burial site. Xavier University researchers found a female skull dated back around 350 AD by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States. The Huluga open site was an ancient settlement site in the area and according to unverified reports; a huge part of this archaeological area was destroyed in 2003 by the City Hall and today remains to be neglected and exposed to quarrying.

Another popular nature destination is the Macahambus Cave and Gorge located 14 kilometers southeast of Cagayan de Oro in Lumbia and the newly developed Lasang Secret Adventure Eco-tourist Park, which was developed as a learning center for scientific research and biodiversity and consists of 100-meter boardwalk which takes one deeper into a forest that contains century old giant Talisay Gubat trees which are endemic to the region. Also, another famous landmark in Cagayan de Oro is the Gardens of Malasag Eco-tourism Village located in Sitio Malasag in Cugman about 20 minutes away from the city centre. It has a botanical garden showcasing the different tribal cultures of Mindanao.

Macahambus Adventure Park
Photo by storm-crypt

Further away from the Malasag gardens is the gorgeous and breathtaking Mapawa Nature Park, one of the successful stories of how people, livelihood, environment and tourism work well together. We were taken on a hay ride around the sprawling properties which include heavily forested mountains, with waterfalls and rivers buried in its canopy of lush and verdant foliage. The nature park offers several sports attractions such as ziplines, rappelling down waterfalls, scenic hikes, as well as of course the most famous Cagayan de Oro sport of white water rafting- a highlight for any traveler to Misamis Oriental. (Mapawa Nature Park booking office call-+638822725265 or 09081285454).

For beaches, check out Bubotan Beach in Initao, and the stretch of beige colored sandy beaches off Opol.

Every August 26th, Cagayan de Oro celebrates the Kagay-an Festival which features street-dancing competitions and trade fairs, as well as the Hudayaka Festival which is likened to the Sinulog Festival of Cebu as well as the Kadayawan Festival of Davao City.

Port of Cagayan de Oro
Photo by storm-crypt

Why Not Go

The problem of getting around Misamis Oriental is one of the main drawbacks of traveling around the area. One must hire taxis which set you back a few hundred pesos to head out to its many nature parks. Make sure that you arrange for your transportation when traveling to Misamis Oriental. Buses to and from the different provinces, however, are easy to get and surprisingly reliable. Most major Philippine airlinse fly to Misamis Oriental via the airport in Cagayan de Oro City.

Why Go

Misamis Oriental offers the seasoned traveler the chance to get away from the usual tourist track. With its many nature parks, and dive sites as well as a decidedly multicultural population right in the heart of Northern Mindanao, it is also the most convenient jump-off point to the many attractions that Northern Mindanao has to offer.

Best Time to Visit

Like most parts of Southern Philippines (which means basically Mindanao), Misamis Oriental rarely gets the fierce typhoons that plague the rest of the country during some months of the year. However, it is not spared from monsoon rains which swell the Cagayan River and cause flooding in Cagayan de Oro. Head out to Misamis Oriental during the drier months. During rains, it is not advised to do white water rafting nor waterfall rappelling due to the threat of flashfloods.

Where to Stay

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There are many hotels and resorts all over Misamis Oriental and most of them are concentrated in Cagayan de Oro. However, for its environmental significance, we would recommend staying at the Mapawa Nature Park instead. Surrounded by lush greenery and thoroughly accessible to a lot of eco-tourism activities. Mapawa Nature Park, we reckon is the best place to park your butt in Misamis Oriental.

Where & What to Eat

One thing that we will probably never forget in Misamis Oriental was how delicious the Durian in the province is. Save for the stink, the fruit was different from what we tried in Malaysia and in the supermarkets of Manila. Make sure you grab one whilst you are in Misamis Oriental. We also tried the spicy chicken dish called Halang-halang in Balingoan, which though delicious, we felt shortchanged as the chicken barely had any meat on it. Halang-halang is basically a chicken dish cooked in coconut milk, and chili. The word halang-halang is literally a Visayan word that means “spicy-spicy”. The sauce was yummy though, I hoped I’d be able to try it again and next time with heaps more meat!

Halang-halang
Photo by Dave Ryan

Nightlife

Probably the best nightlife in Misamis Oriental gravitates to Cagayan de Oro City. It is of course more low-key compared to heavyweights in the bigger Philippine cities like Davao, Cebu and Manila. We would prefer to spend our nights in Misamis Oriental chilling out up in the misty mountains around Mapawa Nature Park for that truly nature and adventure feel.

My to do List

1. Rappel down a waterfall in Mapawa Nature Park.*
2. Go check out the Macahambus Nature Park. **
3. Marvel at the century old trees in Lasang and admire the biodiversity of the region.*
4. Dive in Duka Bay.**
5. Chill by the beaches of Opol.
6. Go canopy-walking!
7. White water rafting and ziplining.**
8. Indulge in fresh and delicious Mindanao durians.*
9. Go waterfall hopping.
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

Stay Away From

Contrary to what most travel advisories say about Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro is a relatively safe place for travelers (local or foreign). This goes without saying that Cagayan de Oro has been targeted for bomb attacks in the past; the most recent attempt was July of 2009 where two grenades were planted inside a local mall. Security is pretty tight however in Cagayan de Oro and we did not have any troubles going around the province (save for a pesky cab driver in the airport.) Having said that, terrorism is a real threat all over the world (other countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Spain and the US itself have been victimized by much worse terrorist attacks) and not just Mindanao. The fact that the world has been brainwashed that Mindanao is a warzone is unfair and untrue.
1. Mosquitoes! – just bring bug repellent to be sure
2. Drowning – Learn to spot rip tides and make sure you wear a working life-vest!
3. Getting wet, take Ziplocs with you for your gadgets and valuables.
4. Protect yourself from UV rays by putting on a sunblock.
5. Be aware of your surroundings, report suspicious looking packages or individuals.

Getting There

By land, sea and air, Misamis Oriental is very accessible. Major airlines such as Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, Air Philippines fly to the Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro. A new airport however is in the works in Laguindingan which promises to be better, bigger, safer and cleaner than Lumbia. Make sure that you take the taxis outside the airport and not the one inside Lumbia to avoid being scammed. From Lumbia Airport to the Agora Bus Terminal, fare should not exceed PhP150 (at the time of this writing); if in doubt ask a local to make sure you are not getting ripped off. The taxi in the airport wanted to charge us double the amount (apparently he pays a small amount to the airport guard to let him wait for passengers inside the airport). Most taxis in Cagayan de Oro never use the meter, and after arguing with many of them, we decided to give up and just agreed at a contract price for each destination.

Lumbia Airport
Photo by storm-crypt

Several buses travel to and from Cagayan de Oro from almost all major cities in Mindanao. Rural Transit and Bachelor buses are the most popular and we found the most convenient. Via ship, Superferry and Negros Navigation sail to Cagayan de Oro.

Camiguin

Camiguin Travel Guide

• Why Not Go
• Why Go
• Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay
• Where & What to Eat
• Nightlife
• To Do List
• Stay Away From
• Getting There

Rising from the sea just off the coast of Northern Mindanao, is the volcanic island of Camiguin with its lush and formidable mountains, natural springs, sandbars and dramatic ruins that reminds all of the savage beauty of its tumultuous natural history.

Camiguin’s moniker had always been “Island Born of Fire” and the local tour guides on the island could haven’t mastered their tourism manual more as this is what they told me when I asked them what the island is known for. The branding could not have been more appropriate as the island has the most number of volcanoes per square kilometer than any other island in the world – as it is more evident in the fact that there are more volcanoes (7) than towns (5) with more than 20 cinder cones over 1000 meters with the active stratovolcano Mount Hibok-hibok (1,552 metres) as the most prominent. Aside from Hibok-hibok and Vulcan, there is also Mambajao, Ginsiliban, Uhay, Carling, and Tibane as well as the hills of Campana, Minokol, Tres Marias and Piyakong where there are also domes and cones – put them together in a tiny island and you have the most extensively volcanic island in the world.

White Island, Camiguin
Photo by Erick

It was said to be that Camiguin got its name from a native tree called “Kamagong” which thrives by Lake Mainit in the province of Surigao del Norte. With the original inhabitants of the islands being Manobos who migrated from Surigao, it is no wonder that the name of the province was derived from something where the first settlers came from.

The first Spanish settlements were built in 1898 in the area presently called Guinsiliban, which came from an old Kinamiguin word “Guinsilipan”, meaning to look out for pirates from a watchtower as evidenced by an old Spanish watchtower still standing in the area. It wasn’t until 1679 when the first major Spanish settlement was established in Katagman (now called Barangay Bonbon) of Katadman (now known as Catarman). When Mt. Vulcan Daan erupted on May 1, 1871, the town was destroyed and all that remained of the old town were the ruins of the ancient Spanish church, a convent and a bell tower called the Guiob Ruins.

Old Mount Hibok-hibok
Photo by storm-crypt

It was in 1855 when the sleepy town of Mambajao was established. The town which became the busiest port in Northern Mindanao during the early 1900’s, was coined from “Mamahaw”, a Visayan term meaning to start breakfast and “bajao” which meant leftover rice.
It was in 1901 when the Americans took control if the island and the public school system was established in Mambajao in 1903, with the first public school as well as a water system the year after. The presence of well preserved American-era schoolhouses in Camiguin proved the enduring legacy of the Americans in the island up until today. The island was also the site of fierce skirmishes between Philippine forces and guerrilla units against the Japanese Imperial Army which resulted to the liberation of the island during the Battle of Camiguin in 1945. After the Second World War from 1946 until 1958, Camiguin was ruled as a part of the province of Misamis Oriental and eventually 10 years later became a full-fledged province with Mambajao standing in as its capital.

However, whilst Camiguin’s political history moved with the rest of the country, it was nature that basically defined its entire character. A visit to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Hibok-hibok Monitoring Station reveals the turbulent natural history of this tiny island province of only 20 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width. Photos of the destruction and loss of life are displayed in the monitoring station, offering a glimpse of the maelstrom of liquid fire that hides underneath the island. For the years between 1948 until 1951, Hibok-hibok slept fitfully with constant rumbles and smoke being spewed which caused little damage and loss of life. The volcano became more violent in 1949 when its eruption killed 79 people from landslides. The worst, however, happened on the morning of December 4, 1951 when Hibok-hibok unleashed its fury of molten lava, poisonous gases that destroyed 19 square kilometers of land and claimed over 3,000 lives. Today one can hire guides from resorts for a trek up Hibok-hibok which can be a steep climb but you may have to check with the local DENR office in Mambajao for a permit.

Near the Guiob ruins in Bonbon is the sunken cemetery – one of Camiguin’s most famous landmarks. The sunken cemetery which used to be a part of the old capital of the province was sunk by the successive eruptions of Mount Vulcan. The eruption of 1871 eventually sunk Cotta Bato and its cemetery under the sea, and the volcanoes fourth recorded eruption in 1948 buried the remnants further by about 20 feet. To remember the cemetery, a large cross was built in 1982 on the solidified lava.

Sunken Cemetery
Photo by paw_con

Because of the volcanic nature of Camiguin, it is no surprise to find a lot of natural springs around the island, the most popular of course is the Esperanza Ardent Hot Spring, 6 kilometers southwest of Mambajao, a hot spring which is heated by the vents of Hibok-hibok swarms with people around night time (different levels purportedly have different temperatures) and the Sto. Niño Cold Spring, 4 kilometers south of central Catarman, which has doctor fish in its cold pools. There is minimal fee for admission. Aside from these two popular springs, there are other springs in Camiguin as well, like the Tangub Hot Spring (12 kilometers west of Mambajao), which is a volcanic hot spring below the sea bed with water temperatures running from cold to lukewarm to hot depending on the tides. Off shore, about 10-20m, there is scuba diving with a gradual drop off. In the town of Mahinog, one can find the Macao Cold Spring and the Bura Soda Water Swimming Pool in the town of Catarman.

For those on the lookout for white sandy beaches, there are two most notable – the beaches and the dive spots of Mantigue Island which is located about 3 kilometers offshore from Mahinog. The island has a 4 hectare forest with white sand beaches and corals as well as a deep drop off for snorkeling and diving. The most famous strips of white sand in Camiguin, however, are the two white sandbars (called White Island) about 2 kilometers offshore from Agoho and Yumbing with the prodigious Hibok-hibok looming as a backdrop. The white sandbar was quite strange to us seeing that just 2 kilometers on the Camiguin island jump off point is a beach made out of volcanic grey-black sand. The sandbars are popular destinations for locals and tourists for their picturesque and graceful arcs in the middle of the sea. We also spied a flock of birds resting on one of the ends of the sandbars. Boats to and from and White Island are about PhP400-PhP500. Demand a working life vest as the waters between the mainland and the White Island can be very rough. There is no shade on the White Island, so bring heaps of sun protection as well. Camping overnight is not allowed because of the danger of waves. The island used to have structures; however, according to our guide- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who went to Camiguin for a surprise visit, had them dismantled as the threats of uncollected trash were imminent. Now the White Island is being carefully managed by the local government to preserve its beauty. A minimal entrance fee is also required.

Katibawasan Falls
Photo by storm-crypt

Probably one of the most graceful looking waterfalls that we have ever seen – Katibawasan Falls (about 5 kilometers southeast of Mambajao) is a clear stream of water dropping 70 meters down into a rock pool with gorgeous tropical foliage framing this beautiful waterfall. One can rappel down this waterfall as well and take a plunge in its cold water afterwards. There is a minimal fee required and picnic tables are available in the area. Another waterfall worth your trip would be Tuasan Falls, 6 kilometers east of Catarman that can be accessed by a scenic hike.

Why Not Go

Camiguin’s main drawback is the relatively high cost within the island. Accommodations and transportation costs are the main problem. Whilst costs can be contained, so far, Camiguin has been one of the most expensive destinations we’ve ever visited.

Why Go

A sunken cemetery which can probably never be seen anywhere in the world? Gorgeous white sand bars with a towering volcano as a backdrop? Or the graceful Katiwabasan Falls? These are some of the things that convinced us to pack our bags and head out to Camiguin. The sheer lush scenery and the laidback island vibe of Camiguin is a top drawer.

Best Time to Visit

Camiguin is largely spared from typhoons that continually plague the northern part of the Philippines during the wet season. With mostly great year-round weather, probably the best time to visit Camiguin, like any Camiguin local would tell, you is during their yearly Lanzones Festival usually around the third week of October. If you want to skip the rush of tourists however, any day of the year is perfect to visit (it goes without saying that in the Easter Season as well as summer breaks, hordes of tourists come to visit this lovely island).

Camiguin, Philippines
Photo by paw con

Where to Stay

Fancy staying on a really quirky, spacious and maze-like trippy accommodation on top of a hotel wrapped around a century old acacia tree? We did when we ended up staying in the uber-charming, environmentally friendly Enigmata Treehouse (also known as Ecolodge and Sculpture Garden). There are four types of accommodation – the Eagle’s Nest which sits at the treetop and has a great view of the mountains, and forests of the island, a wide hammock, canopy beds (2), a dining area, a toilet and shower. Materials are basically made out of recycled materials, bamboo, found materials and designed with Mandalas art, bamboo wind chimes, and probably the most number of dream catchers of every size I have ever seen. Nevertheless, whether from the sheer exhaustion from travel or from the dream catchers- we had a pretty good, relaxing, dreamless sleep that night accompanied by a friendly house cat in our bed. Eagle’s Nest accommodation costs PhP950 a night for a minimum of two guests. PhP 200 for extra person). Other accommodations in the tree house is the mid level Shell Garden Suite, a midlevel honeymoon suite costs PhP950 a night for a minimum of two guests. PhP 200 for extra person). The thing though is, the tree house is not entirely sound proof, so coupled with the pretty quiet nights in Camiguin, you may have to reconsider to put off THAT honeymoon activity. There is also a backpacker’s dorm (PhP500/night, minimum of two) and the bartender’s dorm (PhP 400/night, minimum of two) both at the ground level. We absolutely loved Enigmata Treehouse especially with its eco-friendly practices and the very restful stay we had. As we support sustainable and eco-friendly travel – Enigmata gets our absolute recommendation when traveling to Camiguin. You may contact them through their website at – Enigmata – Camiguin Lodge

Enigmata Treehouse
Photo by Dave Ryan

Where & What to Eat

Camiguin is synonymous with the beige colored fruit with sweet, fleshy meat called Lanzones which grow abundantly on the island. It must be from the highly fertile volcanic soil of the island that previously Lanzones non-lovers like our expat writer Scott M. Allford was easily converted to a big Camiguin Lanzones fan. Camiguin Lanzones are quite distinct from other Lanzones we have tasted from other parts of the Philippines as they are consistently sweet. The people of Camiguin love their Lanzones so much that they even have a Lanzones Festival celebrating them every third week of October.

Another Camiguin gastronomic trademark would be another one for the sweet tooth. The Pastel Bread of Camiguin, delicious, soft buns with moist candied milk filling is never ever to be missed whilst traveling to Camiguin. It also comes in different fillings like Durian and many others. You may want to grab a couple of boxes just in case, we finished our box the moment we got home to Manila.

Pastel Bread
Photo by Dave Ryan

Lanzones and the Pastel Bread can be easily had at the Benoni Port and in Mambajao.

Lanzones from Camiguin
Photo by Dave Ryan

For vegan/vegetarian visitors, Enigmata Treehouse has a restaurant with a decent vegan/vegetarian menu.

Nightlife

Signs of Camiguin nightlife are concentrated on some of the resort bars as well as some karaoke bars in Mambajao. During our brief stay there, we probably heard locals belting out songs in at least 3 karaoke bars around town. We haven’t checked it out, but just for kicks and some chuckles, Jewish travelers might want to head out to the Bar Mitzvah and Restaurant located along a coastal highway on your left on a drive from Benoni to Mambajao.

My to do List

1. Sunbathe on the sandbars of White Island. *
2. Visit the Guiob Ruins and the Sunken Cemetery. *
3. Dive by Mantigue Island. **
4. Try the Pastel Bread and Lanzones. *
5. Have doctor fish nibble at your toes at Sto. Niño Cold Spring. **
6. Soak in warm water at Ardent Hot Spring.*
7. Catch the local artists vibe at Enigmata Treehouse.
8. Check out Katibawasan Falls.*
9. Climb Mount Hibok-hibok.**
*- Highly Recommended
**- Recommended by Locals

Stay Away From

Contrary to what most travel advisories say about Mindanao, Camiguin is a very safe place for travelers (local or foreign).
1. Mosquitoes! – just bring bug repellent to be sure
2. Drowning – Learn to spot rip tides and make sure you wear a working life-vest!
3. Getting wet, take Ziplocs with you for your gadgets and valuables.
4. Protect yourself from UV rays by putting on a sunblock.

Getting There

There are several ways to go to Camiguin. One can either fly to Cagayan de Oro or Butuan and then take a bus to Balingoan and then a ferry to the island. All the major Philippine airlines fly to these cities. From Cagayan de Oro, one can take the Paras Sea Cat (about 2 hours) directly to the Camiguin port of Benoni. The town of Jagna in Bohol also has a ferry service heading to Benoni as well. Whilst there are three ports in Camiguin (Balbagon, Benoni and Guinsiliban), Benoni is the busiest. There is an airport north of Mambajao but flights are seasonal. From Balingoan to Benoni, the trip takes about 1 hour depending on weather conditions, and if you get lucky like we did, you could even see dolphins swimming alongside your ferry.

Camiguin Motorella
Photo by Dave Ryan

Colorful motorellas are the primary forms of transport in Camiguin, but multicabs are easier and more convenient to hire and should be able to catch at almost all points on the island within the day. Prices, like almost everything in the island, are stiff at PhP1,800- PhP2,000 for 8 hours with an additional couple of hundred of pesos for every excess hour afterwards. Arrange for a pickup with your hotel/resort for your convenience, although we ended up having to hitchhike with a very friendly family in their tiny van just to save a few pesos- which was pretty cool too.