Camiguin Island is a paradise you’ll definitely fall in love with at the very first sight. As it is said to be “Born of Fire”, what makes it quite unique is that it is home to 7 volcanoes, 5 of which are active. It is a tiny pear shape island of lush green forest, soothing hot and cold springs, majestic waterfalls, black and white beaches with serene surrounding inhabited by peace-loving and hospitable people. So if you haven’t been there, then it’s about time to discover the splendor of this island..
Getting there
A variety of route can be taken and since I belong to the south, the way I took was leaving Gensan by a bus to Davao City then Davao to Cagayan de Oro. When we reached Agora Terminal at Cagayan we took a bus going to Salay since we will be staying in my father’s hometown for a day’s rest.
It was a bright Saturday morning, I had a little apprehension about the weather hoping it would not rain. Our starting point was in Salay, a small town of Misamis Oriental and around 45 minute drive to Balingoan. We left there at around 6am and took a multicab ride to Balingoan which cost 20 Php/passenger. We were a bit delayed since there were lots of road reconstructions along the way which were quite frustrating. When we reached Balingoan Port we immediately took a Super Shuttle Ferry 6 to Camiguin ticket that cost Php170/pax. And as the barge left, I couldn’t help myself from being excited as I really enjoyed our one hour trip of taking a lot of pictures..
Port of Balingoan, Balingoan, Misamis Oriental
Balingoan’s Nature at its Best
Port of Benoni, Benoni, Camiguin
As soon as we stepped foot into the island, there we lots of tour guides already waiting for their clients and some were offering package tours so going around wouldn’t be as difficult. The best way to roam around the island is to rent a multicab. It would cost you 1,700 Php a day. So for us we had our very kind tour guide and driver Kuya Junior.
The Itinerary
DAY 1 – Cost Php 1700 for a multicab ride
* Pick up at Benoni Port
* Island tour:
-Katibawasan Falls-Php15/pax;
-Walkway to the Old Volcano-Php5/pax;
-Sunken Cementery-Php20/pax,
-Sto. Cold Spring– Php35/pax,
-Old Church Ruins-free
-Ardent Spring Resort-Php30/pax.
DAY 2 – Cost Php 800 for a multicab ride
* White Island Tour – boat ride cost Php400 and another Php20/pax as terminal fee..
*Going back to Benoni Port
The Map
It would be helpful if you bring a map with you to familiarize more of the island. There are many maps available on the net. I have a printed copy for this. So here’s mine 😛 :
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This was our first stop at Mambajao, Camiguin to have a lunch at cozy restaurant. We had Kuya Junior our kind tour guide and driver seated next to us(he wore a light green shirt on the 1st pic). The multicab we rented was spacious enough for the five of us. We were sitting comfortably at the back.
Katibawasan Falls
And now, let us have the first slice of paradise at the island’s enchanted Katibawasan. It is a 250 feet waterfall surrounded with rocks and tall trees. The place was so refreshing ideal for cooling down on a hot summer day. When we got there, lots of tourist were already taking a dip on the chilly water. They also have tables, benches and ‘salbabida’s for rent. Definitely, I will be back here for a whole day of plunge!
The Road
Camiguin has a concrete two lane road around the island. So getting a bumpy ride to every destination is not a problem.
Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross
It’s where you will see statues depicting the 14 stations of the cross. This spot is very famous for its its PANAAD during Holy Week or Lenten Season where devotees walk around the island 64 km as a sacrifice to fulfill their vows. Unfortunately, we did not bother to go up since I was having two senior citizens with me who cannot afford to go upstairs..haha 😛
Sunken Cemetery
Who would not know the famous large white cross of Camiguin, The Sunken Cemetery was installed in 1982 to mark the community cemetery who was swept into the sea by Vulcan Daan’s eruption in 1871. The huge cemetery can be reached via small boat.
Sto. Nino Cold Spring
Another haven, ideal for avoiding the scorching heat of summer was to take a dip into the crystal clear cold spring of Sto. Nino. Cold as ice, they said to have a therapeutic effects on your body. There were small fishes that lives on it and if you stay motionless, these fishes will come and pick off the dead skin cells of your body. The place has also nicely arranged park with large and small pools and picnic huts. A perfect summer getaway to relax with family and friends.
What makes the place so memorable to me was when I was having a quite time with myself, I was enjoying my feet soaked into the cool water expecting for fishes to come and pick those old dry skin cells of mine. Out of the blue, one of my pink flipflop was swept away into a small hole of canal going outside the resort. I was a little anxious not because of shame on going barefooted, but because it was a favorite souvenir of mine from Bohol. To cut the story, here’s what happened.. 🙂
Guiob Old Church Ruins
A few kilometers away from the Sunken was the 16th century old Guiob Church Ruins. It is said that the church was destroyed by an eruption of Mt. Vulcan in 1871 leaving only the church walls, belfry and convent.
Ruins of the Convent
Century old tree near the ruins of the convent
Mt. Hibok – Hibok Ardent Hot Spring Resort
One of my major favorite attraction while staying in Camiguin. The hot spring is considered to be the most popular in the island with its seven natural pools of varying depth and warmth of about 36⁰C – 38⁰C coming from the bowels of Mt. Hibok-Hibok. Locals claimed that dipping on its warmth proved to have a therapeutic effect for ailments since it contains sulphur. Indeed, I could easily attests to that, taking a plunge gave a soothing and relaxing effect to my extremely tired body. We had a couple of hours playing around the waters with my niece. It was a joyous moment that I was able to forget all the worries in life…
Ardent was the final stop for the day. We were supposed to visit White Island but the rain already started pouring. We arrived at the resort around 4PM and immediately arranged an overnight stay. We planned to avail of its dorm since it would cost us less. Sad to know that there were only two duplex available. It’s an airconditioned room for two with a bathroom. You will be paying extra 175 Php for additional person. All in all, we paid at the expense of 1,300 Php (Senior citizen discount is included for my dear folks.. 🙂 ).
The room was neatly and comfortably arranged. Spacious enough for the five of us. We had a sweet night rest.
Early morning and late afternoon is the best time for swimming in the resort. When I woke up around 5:30 AM, I decided to take a last dip. Thinking of its warmth gave me the reason to scratch an itch of excitement for another plunge. And to my wonderful surprise, these were the things I saw..
They were having a pool cleaning. It happens every Wednesday and Sunday morning from 6:00 – 12:00 noon. And so I just ended up taking pictures of these.. 😦
White Island
It is such a delight to behold the splendor of this haven. Indeed, it is what makes Camiguin so special about. White Island is actually a C – shaped uninhabited white sandbar. Which means that there were no people, shelter and even trees inhabiting the place. It’s size and shape varies depending on the tide. It is an ideal place for swimming, sun-bathing, and snorkeling since there were many interesting things to discover on the seafloor. More than that, what makes it a sight to behold is the spectacular view of Camiguin’s Mt. Hibok-Hibok and the Old Vulcan from a far.
Aerial view of the White Island Sandbar borrowed from Wikipedia files
The magnificient Mt. Hibok – Hibok and Old Vulcan as viewed from White Island
I was hoping with fingers crossed for a sunny weather. We left Ardent at around 7 AM with a light downpour of rain. Shortly after 15 minutes, we arrived at Yumbing — the entry point to White Island. It was still rainy, we rented a boat that costs Php 400 with additional Php20/pax for terminal fee. The boat is good enough for 6 persons. It took us to the island for about 10 minutes which is a kilometer away from the entry point.
Luckily, as we were heading to the island the rain eventually stopped but it was still cloudy. To our surprise, there were already a lot tourists playing around the islands haven..
Quiet crowded, isn’t it? And yes, there were already booths which caters different foods to choose from,
you can also rent big umbrellas and snorkeling gear!
The left side of the sandbar (as seen on the picture below) is covered with a huge forest of “Black Coral.”
We were lucky enough to experience the island in a cloudy day. They said that is very hot at around 9AM – 3PM on a sunny day and so it is advisable to bring anything that will protect you from the scorching heat unless want to get there out sun-baked.
We had a fun time enjoying White Island at its best..
This is a place surely I’ll not get tired of coming back!
I shall return!
It saddens me to say that a day and a half is not enough.. but one thing that makes this trip a memorable one is that I got to experience the enchanted beauty of the island with my beloved family! It’s something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
🙂 🙂
The Wanders of Joy 