Kalanggaman Island Experience

Kalanggaman Island can be reached via Tacloban, Leyte or Malapascua, Cebu.

We chose the Leyte route. 

From Tacloban airport, a three-hour land trip will take you to Palompon, the gateway to Kalanggaman Island. Fare per way is 150 pesos. 

According to the locals, the earliest van leaves at 4 o' clock in the morning. That may be true for some months of the year, but when we arrived the UV express station at 5 o' clock in the morning, we were informed that they will leave the terminal at 7, or when we reach a group of 18 passengers.  We were only 6 then. 

Since the water was said to be rough after 12 noon, we agreed to divide the total fare among the six of us, so we can arrive before the coast guards cancel the trips after noon time.

We arrived Palompon around 9 o'clock in the morning, had a quick breakfast at the back of the tourism office, and boarded our pump boat to the island. A private boat ride is 3,000 pesos. Other boats offer group reservations. We chose the private boat.

At Palompon, take a photo of the welcome sign before the tourism office registration, as you may forget about the existence of this sign when you get back. 

 

We left Palompon at 9:30 a.m. and the water was little bit rough and sharp.

After an hour of a bumpy boat ride, this sign welcomed us.

 

A few steps to the right lead us to this paradise.

 

 

The sand bar at the eastern side of the island is a long stretch of white sand with bits of white stones and broken corals.

We chose a Tipi (Teepee) house with a bed, instead of a regular tent for an overnight stay. The tipi houses are located at the western side of the island and is a little exclusive compared to the eastern side. Tipi house costs 1,000 pesos a night. Bed sheets can be rented for 300 pesos. We brought our own.

 

A pretty tree house and a nipa hut can also be found at the western side of the island with banana boats, kayaks and bicycles for rent for 150 per head per hour.

 

 

We rented a bike to the eastern side of the island where the rest of the other campers are.

 

 

 

 

The eastern side also has the longest sand bar.

 

 

It only takes an hour or less to travel the whole island by foot.

 

 

 

 

Just like most camp sites, there's no electricity in this island.

 

We had solar-powered bulbs, flash lights and the moonlight to help us see and do things throughout the night.

 

You may need to bring extra blankets as it was  really cold when we stayed there. It may vary on some months, but it really was cold at this time of the year.

We had our early morning coffee with the moon setting on the west.

 

The other sand bar on the western side also appeared at dawn time.

 

The tide was low until 8 o' clock in the morning.

 

Star fishes and other sea creatures can be seen in the shallow areas of this part of the Visayan Sea.

 

 

There's a lot of dead corals and there's very little fish.

 

We left the island at 9 o'clock in the morning after our breakfast.

For me, an overnight stay is just enough to have an overall island experience. Another night in this island would bore me.

It was a good island camping experience. 

Until our next trip. 😎

Zambales Coves - Weekend Roadtrip

It's another weekend. 😎

While everybody else enjoys the snow and the cold weather in various places of the world, our thirst for salt water resurfaced. So, off to the beach, we went. This time, we hit the coves of Zambales.

We left Antipolo at around 5 o' clock in the morning and had some sweet stop overs in Quezon City, Clark and Subic. A road trip cannot be complete without a coffee break. 

Who wouldn't agree? ☕️☕️☕️

Below is my frappe with Olaf's key rings - Tigger from HK Disney and my 1988 Los Angeles chain from Gift Creations.

 

We arrived Pundaquit at 11 o' clock in the morning - just in time for lunch.

Our rice meals were consumed swiftly, but this rare dessert (below) found a room in my camera phone. 

 

This is a view of the West Philippine Sea (above) from our cottage with this famous dessert - iced buco salad.

We capped the night early after an afternoon stroll to the beach and a little bonding over beer. 🍻 

 

 

Here is a view of the West Philippine Sea at sunset (below).

 

The next day, we went island hopping to the coves of San Antonio, Zambales. We left at 6 o' clock in the morning. 

 

Our first stop: Nagsasa Cove. It is an hour away from Pundaquit. 

 

There are several campers and this campsite caught our attention. The sand is gray but is clean and powdery. You can walk with your bare foot.

We had our breakfast at this island. 

 

Our next stop: Anawangin Cove - thirty minutes away from Nagsasa Cove.

The sun was scorching hot so we didn't bother to walk around. 

 

We stayed at the shades of the trees near the camp sites and had pinipig crunch by the fence.

 

The sand here is also gray but is cleaner and more powdery than Nagsasa.

Next stop: Capones Island - thirty minutes from Anawangin.

This, for me, is the best of the four islands in this trip.

The sand is white but is not powdery. You would hurt your feet if you walk without slip ons. So, it's better not to take your aqua shoes off.

The sea is deep blue and the rock formations are breath taking.

 

 

Our next stop: Camara Island - twenty minutes from Capones.

 

The floor of the island is coated with these pebbles and tiny shells that are pleasing to the eyes and are foot friendly. 

This is the smallest of the four islands.

After a few minutes, we went back to Pundaquit and had our afternoon mango shake.

We went back to MNL the next morning. We left at 5 o' clock.

Here's Olaf (below) parked at SCTEX.

 

Until our next trip! 😎😎😎

My Bbeyb's Birthday Trip. 😎

This trip was drafted early this year to celebrate my beyboss' birthday. These, for me, are seven great reasons to visit and revisit El Nido in no particular order:

1. Seven Commandos Beach

 

The polvoron-like sand in the Seven Commandos beach is so pure that it seemingly melts when you rub thru your skin, same as salt scrubs. Bbeyb enjoyed the foot scrubbing part. If we didn't have time limit, she may have stayed longer. ✌️️

 

This island can be reached via motorized boat and is 15 minutes away from El Nido Town Proper. If you are availing the tours offered by the hotels, this is part of Tour A. 

2. Talisay Beach

If you wish to swim and still enjoy the powdery white sand, this is the best place to go.

 

 

Book the Tour C package being offered by El Nido hotels. Most tour providers also cater their free picnic lunch here as part of the package. 

This is bbeyb's favorite part: buffet lunch by the beach! 🍴

 

3. Lagen Island Resort

If you are booking this resort, choose the water cottage. It's pricey, but is definitely worth the pennies. This is her personal choice of room. 

 

Here's why:

 

The water cottage also has the best view at night.

 

They offer packages that include buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner with access to all motorized activities and access to all resort amenities.

This again is her favorite part: buffet meal. 

 

They also provided a slice of cake for the birthday celebrant.

 

Happy birthday, bbeyb. 😘

4. Dibuluan Island Beach Club

This island is 15 minutes away from Lagen Resort via speed boat. We were lucky that nobody else was there when we visited.

It's like a birthday gift to the gorgeous celebrant. 😘

 

We feel like we owned the island for that day. They have sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards and other motorized activities in the island. 

 

When you're at Lagen, make sure that you book this tour as part of your itinerary.

5. Big and Small Lagoons

These are part of Tour A and can be reached via motorized boats from the town proper. 

The birthday celebrant enjoyed this part of the tour, and added, "no filter needed" on almost every posts she had.

 

There are also kayaks for rent.

 

6. Secret Beach

From the name itself, you wouldn't know it exists from the outside as the opening is really unnoticeable. To reach the beach, you need to swim through the rocks until you reach the other side.

So that's the celebrant, tired from catching her breath from the long swim.

 

7. Matinloc Resort

This newly opened resort is the latest apple of our eyes in El Nido. 

 

They have beachfront rooms, forest rooms, mountain villas and a lot more. 

 

The rooms are spacious and follow a modern interior design. The infinity pool and the beach areas are also commendable.

Their restaurant also serves the best food choices.

They also offer snorkelling activities where corals are abundant.

 

This, so far, for me, is the best part of this trip. What made this trip better, is that, I am spending it with the birthday celebrant, my beybabe, my partner, my beyboss and my lifetime food and travel buddy.

Happy Birthday, bbeyb. 😘 I wish you all the best of everything. I hope you're enjoying this trip as much as I do.

 

Until our next trip. 

 😎😎😎

Love,

Beybabe ❤️