I like traveling without itineraries. I like the flexibility that allows me to be open
to unplanned adventures and other exciting possibilities. I like going with the flow. Good thing I have
friends who are spontaneous and fun.
I recently posted photos of our Kalanggaman and
Sambawan Islands trip on my facebook account and Instagram (@kellyaustria), and
I got a lot of queries about our itinerary.
I had to explain several times we didn't follow one. So, I am recounting here now how our trip
went.
These two islands are two of the most
photogenic islands in the region, and we managed to squeeze them in one
trip. Kalangggaman is in Palompon,
Leyte. Sambawan is in the province of
Biliran.
Mind you; we only had 4 days. We initially had 5 days, but I had to move my
flight to Tacloban City because of an important event. Rotary Club of Paranaque
St. Andrew bestowed on me their Peace Award.
So, my two traveling companions went ahead. I followed the next day.
So, here goes…
Day 1
Flight to Tacloban City
Travel to Palompon
It was already mid-morning when I arrived in
Tacloban City. My flight was
delayed. We had brunch in the city then
went to the bus terminal to take a van going to Palompon. Van fare was P 150.00
per person, and it took us three hours.
Since we didn't have anything planned, we
headed out first to the tourism office to inquire about the boat trips going to
Kalanggaman Island and get recommendations on where to eat and sleep.
We were almost tempted to camp out on the
island for the night, but we didn't bring our own camping gear, and we thought
sleeping in a hotel room would be more convenient. We were already tired.
We got a dorm room at Pacci House, which is a
stone's throw away from the tourism office.
I can't remember now if we paid P 300.00 or P 400.00 each. We had the whole room, with six beds, all for
ourselves.
The rest of day 1 was spent eating, sleeping
and drinking. Vacation, right?
Day 2
Kalanggaman Leyte
Travel to Naval, Biliran
We wanted to have full control of our
itinerary, so we decided to rent our own boat for P 3,000.00.
The rest of the fees we paid are listed here.
We brought to the island fishes for grilling,
a case of beer and some cooked meals.
Yes! We didn't want to be hangry (a new word we learned in Tacloban
City. Hungry + angry = hangry).
After less than an hour of boat ride, we were
in paradise.
It was exactly as mesmerizing as I thought it
would be with its clear turquoise water, verdant coconut grove and long stretch
of white sand. It was perfect. No wonder it got the attention of
international cruise liners.
I spent my first hour in Kalanggaman Island
enjoying the sandbar. It was bliss being surrounded by the crystal blue waters
on a ridge of white sand with a patch of green in the distance.
I later joined my friends who already started
preparing our lunch. We got a small
cottage where we had our little picnic.
After that, we had our perfect beach moment – with our toes dipped in
the sand, an ice cold, and lots of good stories. A nearby group of campers had their guitar,
and they provided us with the fitting background music, the right kind of
chill.
Note: Aside from the cottages, there are also
comfort rooms and grilling areas on the island, which makes beach outings a
little bit more convenient for everyone. No rooms available. There are also solar panels in the area,
which I guess for lights at night.
We left the island at 2 PM, did a quick
freshening up and boarded a van to Ormoc City.
Since we were not familiar with the van routes,
we asked a lot of questions on how to get to Naval. The locals were very friendly and
helpful. There were no vans going
directly to Naval, so we took one going to Ormoc then we went down in Libungan,
as advised.
It was quite a long wait in Libungan, so when a van headed to Tacloban stopped in front of us, we asked for
alternatives. They agreed to drop us off
Lemon, where there are more vans headed to Naval available.
True enough, there were more vans, but most
were full. We thought we would be
stranded. It was already dark, and we
were already considering asking for homestay options in the area. Since we were traveling without an itinerary,
problems like that bound to happen but we knew it would work out in the end. So, it did. A driver offered to take us to
Naval for P 150.00 each and we gladly accepted.
By 8:00 PM, we were already in Naval and
inquired at the first lodging we found.
Good thing the first one we spotted was TJ Pensionne.
TJ was a good choice. Our room was only P
700.00, good for two and we just paid P 100 for the extra person since we didn't
get an extra bed anymore.
We were tired, so we just had dinner at the
nearby diner called Gelo's then called it a night.
Day 3
Maripipi Island
Sambawan Island
We researched online and learned that boats
bound for Maripipi Island leave at 10:00 AM.
We went to the port early, but we found out boats do not travel on
Sundays. Strike 2!
Good thing we found an alternative. As I said, things always work out in the
end. We took a multi-cab to Kawayan,
about 30 minutes away from Naval where there are boats available for rent.
We hit strike 3 at the port of Kawayan. We got
into a little bit of a situation at the port.
But again, it turned out well, at least for us.
Operators were pressing us to rent a boat from
them, which we thought was too pricey.
We started negotiations at P 3,000.00 for a round trip journey, which
then went down to P 1,200.00 for a one-way trip to Sambawan Island. But we saw a boat bound for Maripipi, which
had room for the three of us. We really
wanted to stay in Maripipi Island and take a boat to Sambawan Island from there
because it is nearer the port and the boats leave for Naval very early in the
morning.
Anyway, the passenger boat allowed us to join
them, which was when the heated discussions between the locals began.
On the bright side of things, it was a cheaper
mode of travel, as we only paid P 100.00 each and we met Mr. Jun Salas, who
owns a lodging facility near the port.
We got a nice room for only P 1,200.00. But the room was not the best
thing about staying at El Paseo Homestay (09173111368 or 09176734632). It was the hospitality of Mr. Salas and his
wife, Wilma. They made home staying
really feels like a homestay.
We later found out that boats can be arranged
from Kawayan to Maripipi, or vise versa for P 500.00. Boats to Sambawan Island rents for P 1,500.00
from Kawayan.
The best option really is to take the ferry
boats from Naval to and from Maripipi Island, then just rent a small boat in
Maripipi Island to Sambawan Island.
Mrs. Wilma Salas assisted us in getting a
habal2 (P 30.00 each) to Olog Village, where boats to Sambawan Islands can be
arranged. It was actually easy. We only
waited a few minutes for the boat. We
paid P 500.00 round trip.
Compared to the serene feel of Kalanggaman
Island, Sambawan felt a bit more rugged, with its mountainous coastline. But, it was equally stunning. Also like Kalanggaman Island, Sambawan Island
is not too commercialized, which is perfect for travelers like us who want the
feel of getting away from it all.
The highlight of the island is a view deck,
which offers a panoramic view of the island. It reminds us of Gigantes' Cabugao
Island, but this one has more features to boast. The view deck requires a bit of trekking
though.
We stayed a bit long at the view deck to enjoy
the moment.
Note: there is an entrance fee of P 80.00 and
an environmental fee of P 20.00. It is quite cheap for a stay in this piece of
paradise. There is a store on the island
that sells soft drinks (no beer) and chips; a few picnic cottages; an
accommodation good for a big group for P 2,500.00 a night; and a comfort room.
After a few hours, we went back to the Maripipi
Island and resumed our socials.
Day 4
Travel back to Biliran Island
Tacloban City
Flight back to Manila
At around 3:00 AM, I already heard the voice of
Mr. Salas waking me up. I moved to the sofa outside our room because it was
already a bit warm inside. Electricity
in Maripipi Island is only up to 12 midnights.
He then walked us to the port.
I was prepared for a long, nauseating boat ride
but it turned out to be my most magical voyage ever. The boatmen recommended we stayed on the open
deck of the boat where I opted to lie to get a good sleep.
As soon as we started sailing, I felt the
chilly breeze then I opened my eyes and saw the stars. There were millions of them cloaking us, a
tiny vessel in the big dark blue. It was
breathtaking. Then, after a few moments,
we saw the moon setting. Then, the
surroundings started changing colors as the sun started to rise letting us sea
beautiful Biliran Island and its surrounding islets. The whole experience was so surreal.
By 6:30 AM, we were already at the Naval
Port. We had breakfast then we rode a
van to Tacloban City, where we killed time by café hopping.
So, that was it. We boarded our plane back to Manila at around
8:00 PM with a truly worthwhile traveling experience.
Yep, traveling without an itinerary can be a bit difficult, but it is the best!
4 comments
Nice pictures and very detailed blog! Gonna try these soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHi Ms. Kelly... Does the Salas Homestay can accommodate 3 person per room? And it isn't hard to get a habal in 3 in the morning to fetch you in the port going back to Naval? We will visit Sambawan this November.
ReplyDeleteSorry for late reply. Notifs probably went to my spam mail. Anyway, hope you had a good trip. To answer your questions, yes, up to 3, also port is walking distance.
Delete