Have you ever been to a place that is so wonderful you are already planning your return even if you haven't left yet? Even if that place is so far away that a weekend is not enough and it would require office leaves, you are willing to come back soon.
Well, these islands were all that, plus because our trip was shortened by an accident, we really have to.
I will get to that later because that is not the point of this post.
We’ve been planning our trip to these islands ever since our boatman from San Andres told us about these lovely islands. It was way before these islands became popular. So, needless to say, it was a much-awaited trip and it was an eventful one.
I traveled with a big group to the islands. We decided to take the San Andres, Quezon route instead of the more popular one, which is Pasacao, Camarines Sur. Also, instead of sleeping in an inn or staying in a homestay in San Pascual, we decided to camp on Sombrero Island.
Oh, and by the way, it was my first time to visit Masbate, my 59th Philippine province.
Sombrero Island was everything we envisioned it to be, except we wanted it less crowded, but it was okay. We were happy to share the island with other happy campers, plus we got a lot of juicy stories. (Hello to the ate and kuya who had their morning delight in their tent!)
Sombrero is actually a twin island. There is the hat shaped island and the white sand island, which are the designated campsites. The sands are white, the rock formations are picturesque and the water surrounding the island is so clear.
We coordinated our trip with Dong of Sombrero Islands who arranged the boat for us, reserved the accommodation and prepared our food. We had our own one bedroom hut with its own comfort room and an open cottage. It included a welcome drink. Sweet, right?
We paid P 2,200.00 per head.
Sombrero was supposed to be our base for two nights but as mentioned, our trip was cut short. Nevertheless, the stay was awesome enough because we had a charming sunset, a good sleep under the stars and a relaxing morning walk. I also got to watch the sunrise again.
We reserve our second day for island hopping and we were surprised to see how more beautiful Tinalisayan and Animasola were. From the boat, we could already see the long stretch of white sand and it was so inviting.
So, despite the scorching heat, we went for a dip. It would be a sin not to enjoy that clear water.
So, despite the scorching heat, we went for a dip. It would be a sin not to enjoy that clear water.
Unlike Sombrero, Tinalisayan has more trees so we thought it was perfect for hammock camping. It also has a male and female comfort room, chairs and tables.
Tinalisayan was also our lunch stop.
After Tinalisayan, we went to the farthest island, Animasola.
Animasola has a much different character from the other two islands we visited. Its rock formations are stunning. The island reminds my friends of the famous rock formations of Biri in Samar. The rocks inspire creative pics so one of our travel companions decided to climb.
Then, it happened.
A loose rock, a fall, an accident.
We rushed back to Manila after. We hated leaving but we were more concerned with our friend’s broken legs. It actually reminded me of my own accident and I knew the pain. It was as bad as we expected but good thing it didn’t require surgery.
So, there! It will not take another two years, I hope, before we can return. Looking forward to it!
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