“Born of Fire” – The Camiguin Island Adventure

Summer is about to end. The last stretch of our vacation heat is bidding its farewell. As we unpack our bag-packs full of swim wears, we tried to catch up before the summer signs out.
Last May 27, 2016 – our destination was the Camiguin Island. It was a rush! We woke up around 3:00 am to catch the bus ride at 5:00 am. A 2 hour bus ride from Cagayan de Oro to Balingoan and another 1-2 hours of boat ride from Balingoan port to Camiguin Island.

It would personally be my first time setting foot in Camiguin. An island known to be one of the nearest top tourist destination for individuals specially from the Visayas and Mindanao. Away from the busy streets of the city, and the raging heat from the combustion of vehicles – Camiguin is surely a sanctuary for every individuals seeking refuge to the environment.

While riding the boat, you can already see from afar the island – Green at its bottom and the top mountains covered with the sky’s thin clouds.
We landed at the island at last – around 8:00 in the morning.

Transportation
The availability of means of transportation is a very important aspect on every destination traveled.
Transportation available in the island are the following:

• Multicab
• Vans (Hiace)
• “Bangka”
• Motorela
• Motorcycle (“single”)
• Jeepneys

There are no Taxis available. So if you are tourists visiting the place, it would be an advantage if the group have their own private car.

As of us group of six(6) – we rented a multicab for only P1,700 (max 8 people) – good already for eight(8) hours. On the other hand, the sheer number of motorela made it a bit difficult to commute in other areas of the island.
PS: motorela fare is around 10-20 pesos.

Lodging
A place to stay is also a very important aspect on any vacation getaway! The increasing number of beach resorts and Inns, pave the way to an array of choices for tourists. Few of which boasts the “view” of the beach from their Inns. Some also have a reasonable cheaper selections. We stayed at PAGUIA’s cottages, this is a cheap lodging house near PARAS and WHITE ISLAND resort.

For only P1,500 – We have obtained a room good for six(6) and an advantage of having only a walking distance towards the bangka port going the the infamous White Island – a must-go tourist destination in Camiguin.

White Island
The “White Island” is one of the tourist destination found just ashore the main island.

It is an islet of white sand, and provides a great scenery of Camiguin Island. To those selfie addicts and instagram/snapchat whores – this is the place to be!

Casa Roca Inn
One motorela drive from our hotel is a place called Casa Roca. This is just a regular place to chill, hang-out and dine but with an extraordinary scenery.

 

 

This place is best visited around 5:00pm when the sun is about to set. Located at a cliff and on the side of the island where the sun goes down – this place is surely something worth the try.

The Lagoon Restaurant
People calls this restaurant “Lagoon” for a reason. This restaurant is located near the Camiguin port. Anybody could stop-by to dine.

Comparable to the Panagatan of Opol Misamis Oriental, this restaurant also has a sea view and a taste of the Islands delicacies – Sea foods! They have Kayaks and Zipline for P100 AND P250 per ride respectively.

Cold Springs
We went to St. Nino cold spring and it was freakin’ ice cold. Springs like this is sought after by the masses due to its affordability and wallet friendly character. St. Nino cold spring has huge pools ranging from 3 feet to their deepest 7 feet. To combat the heat of the El Nino Phenomenon – the St. Nino caold spring is a go! (how ironic)

Mantigue Island
A new tourist destination, that everybody must try! Few kilometers away from the main island is an islet called Mantigue Island. Just like the White Island, this can be visited through a 550 pesos boat ride.

The island boasts its “Sanctuary” – which people can swim, snorkel and experience the captivating views of huge coral reefs.

ALERT! Every movement you make in this tour sheds money!

My overall experience was quite fascinating. The island, the hospitality of the people and the great scenery. Surely something worth to be called a “Tourist destination” here in the Philippines.

The Camiguin Island is a peaceful and beautiful region. Full of nature’s bounty and great people – let us take care and nurture our environment and recollect our actions. In Lieu of bringing harm, let us preserve what we have and let the future generation see what we saw – thus giving them a chance to savor the experience we have felt.

“It’s more Fun in the Philippines”