Some days of my summer were spent on Camiguin Island. It wasn’t a long stay, but it was enough to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and the noise from the neighborhood. It wasn’t a weekend getaway or a long-planned trip. It was a short notice invitation from a friend who planned to visit his home province in Salay.
Camiguin Island is a 3-4 hour travel from Cagayan de Oro. I waited and took a bus around 4 am from Cugman going to Baligoan. Reyjan and I agreed just to meet-up in Balingoan bus station. I arrived around 6 am and waited for him for 10-15 minutes. Baligoan port is just 5 minutes away from Baligoan bus terminal.
Our excitement were so high that we couldn’t wait to see one of the main attractions of Camiguin Island, which is White Island. However, the thrill faded when we got stuck in the ocean for about 15-20 minutes. There was an issue with the engine power. The crew decided that we will just transfer to another ferry going to Benoni. In summary, 4 hours were taken from our trip. These things can happen though. We were thankful too that we only had that experience, there could been worse.
The ferry 1 was scheduled to sail at 7:30 AM. We were rescued at 8:30 AM. We transferred to another boat at 9:00 AM, and we arrived at Benoni port at 11:15 AM. We had brunch at some karinderya before taking a jeepney to Mambajao. We dropped-off in Bagsakan and then took a tricycle going to Seascape Beach Resort located at Brgy. Bug-ong, Mambajao.
Our original plan was to travel to the signature tourist spot in Camiguin Island within the day and return home tomorrow morning. Since we arrived and booked a room at Seascape at 1:00 PM, we decided to spend our late afternoon at White Island and then go to Ardent Hot Spring after enjoying the scenic sunset view.
White Island Sunset Viewing
And yes, it happened. I can’t get enough of the beautiful view that God let me see at that moment. It was a beautiful sunset.
Although we didn’t stay long, we enjoyed and relaxed enough at Ardent Hot Spring. I forgot to take more pictures though (facepalm). We also had dinner outside the Ardent before returning to Seascape, the most convenient meal of all time: barbecue + ‘puso’. 🙂
And then we rest the whole night. I didn’t even notice that I fell asleep, it was a long day after all.
Day 2 at Camiguin Island was a rush.
Seriously, we planned to take a ferry back to Baligoan scheduled at 1 PM or 3 PM perhaps. But delays can happen.
We were out from our room quarter to 8 to have breakfast. It was a lovely morning especially if you are having a meal with a beautiful view.
We started our tour at 9 AM. If the driver of the motorbike that we booked didn’t approach us, then maybe we would have still been killing time. You can’t blame us for enjoying the morning scenery.
Our first stop was the Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross. We only took some pictures as remembrance tho and so with Sunken Cemetery which our second stop.
The Old Church Ruins in Bonbon, Catarman, Camiguin Island, were worth visiting. It was our third stop for the day. One of the most unique structures I have ever seen, it was built in the 16th century from coral stone. Unfortunately, it turned to ruins when a volcanic eruption in 1871 destroyed it.
When I promised myself just to take some pictures in Cold Spring and Falls, Bura Natural Soda Water Swimming Pool totally changed my heart. It was my first time in the Soda Pool and I was totally mesmerized by it. Ugh! We also tried their soda water which is genuinely safe and free.
Sto. Niño Cold Spring was our second to the last spot to visit before we end our Camiguin Island tour. Indeed, this place is perfectly fit for summer. Feeling cool kids here, HAHA, I mean so refreshing here.
We went back to Seascape to pack our things and change clothes. We checked out at 12 noon. Before leaving, the Seascape staff were so kind to invite us to have some fruit salad. They were having a small gathering for a birthday celebration.
We said our goodbyes and then proceeded to Mambajao to buy Pastel, one of the best delicacies of Camiguin Island. Before heading to Benoni Port, we stopped over at Katibawasan Falls. Nothing beats nature’s beauty indeed.
Going back to reality, thank God, we were still able to catch the last trip of the day going to Baligoan port, which was scheduled to depart at 5:30 PM. We actually arrived at Benoni Port around 3 PM. Phew! We arrived in Baligoan at 7:30 PM, but then I arrived home in Cagayan de Oro at 9:20 PM.
This may help, below is my total expenses.
| Description | Rate |
| Bus (CDO-Baligoan) – Aircon | Php75.00 |
| Baligoan to Benoni Ticket | Php170.00 |
| Terminal Fee | Php15.00 |
| Environmental Fee | Php2.00 |
| Lunch | Php37.50 |
| Jeepney fare to Mambajao | Php27.00 |
| Motorela fare | Php8.00 |
| Seascape Room | Php400.00 |
| Snorkeling Equipment + Life Jacket | Php50.00 |
| Dinner | Php59.50 |
| Motorbike with Driver to Ardent | Php75.00 |
| Pump Boat to White Island | Php170.00 |
| Motorbike Day Tour & Port Transfer from Seascape | Php300.00 |
| Breakfast | Php150.00 |
| Soda Pool Entrance Fee | Php30.00 |
| Sto. Niño Cold Spring Entrance Fee | Php30.00 |
| Katibawasan Falls Entrance Fee | Php30.00 |
| Pastel | Php290.00 |
| Fuel (day tour) | Php100.00 |
| Benoni to Balingoan Ticket | Php170.00 |
| Terminal Fee | Php15.00 |
| Bus (Baligoan-CDO) – Aircon | Php140.00 |
| Total | Php2,344.00 |
Lunch, dinner, room accommodation, motorbike with driver, fuel, pump boat rent, and snorkeling equipment are the items that were paid for by two people, and I just broke it down. The pump boat rent was actually Php510.00, but since there were three of us in the pump boat, we divided it by 3. I hope this breakdown of expenses helps.
Hope you enjoyed my trip. 🙂
Seascape info:
Visit their website: http://seascapecamiguin.otonomic.com/
Visit their FB: http://www.facebook.com/Seascapecamiguin
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “ROY G. BIV.”
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