Camiguin: The island born of fire

Camiguin is known for its Lanzones, the sunken cemetery, the Pastel and its hot and cold springs among others. So what comes to mind when we hear people say that I'm from Camiguin or I'm going to Camiguin ?
An island full of excitement and with a lot to do, right? We immediately think, Boracay or any island that has gained its popularity among travelers and bakasyonista alike.
I guess that's the thing with expectations, too much could be a bad thing. If you're a city girl/boy and is expecting an exciting nightlife from Camiguin then you'd be in for disappointment. But if nature is more your type, then you probably fall in love with this small island in the Bohol sea.

How to get there?
You can reach it by plane or by boat.
As for us, we were in CDO first (information on how to get to CDO, refer to the previous post) then we went to Agora Bus Station and boarded the bus to Balingoan, Misamis Oriental. It's not airconditioned so the fair is Php60. The distance between the city and Balingoan is 88km or 2 hours of land travel. I guess this depends on the stops the bus makes and how fast it runs.  We left the city around 2pm and arrived in Balingoan around 4pm. But if you want to travel comfortably, you can ride in the airconditioned bus for about Php140, one way.
The bus terminal is a five-minute walk from the wharf but if you have a few bags, you can always ride in a motorela for Php7. We made it just in time for the ferry to Benoni port in Mahinog. I think there are actually 3 ports in Camiguin situated in different towns. Last trip to Camiguin is at 5pm, or so they say. If you couldn't make it to that, they said there are Lantsa or wooden vessels available. The ferry trip to Camiguin usually takes an hour to an hour and a half.
Upon arriving in Benoni, we immediately went inside a jeepney to Mambajao. I suggest you take the jeepney since it's only Php23 or you can rent a multicab for about a Php100 or Php200 depending on how many you are. Mambajao is a 30-minute ride from Benoni.

Where to stay?
There's a GV hotel in Mambajao but if you prefer to stay near the beach, go to Yumbing, a 10minute motorela/multicab ride from Mambajao. There are a few cottages/houses for rent there. There's also a resort called Paras and it costs a bit expensive than the houses which is around Php700 per day.

How to get around the place?
There are motorelas, multicabs and jeepneys. You can commute or rent the whole thing. Commuting is cheaper. Drivers tend to overprice people who appear to have no clue at all about the place.
Minimum is Php8. Don't agree to go to Yumbing from Mambajao if they're asking you more than Php10 each.

What to see?

• White Island- a sand bar located off the coast of Agoho. To get there, if you're not staying in Yumbing, secure a ride to the place and ask the driver to take you to White Island. Then pumpboats are on queue there and it will take you to the sand bar in 5minutes for only Php400 plus entrance of Php20. I think the maximum people allowed in the boat is 6. Go there early in the morning to witness the sunrise. There's not much to do there but snorkel, swim and walk around the sand bar. I think it would take you less than 10 minutes to walk around the whole place. Picture-taking is a must. There's a scenic view of Mt. Hibuk-hibuk and Mt. Vulcan. Jump and tumbling shots would look great with them in the background, trust me. 

• Ardent Hot Spring- we rented a motorela for Php300 roundtrip to this hot spring. We went there at night to make most of our time in the island. The entrance fee is Php30. There are cottages there and I think about 5 pools each with different temperatures ranging from 29-40 degress centigrade. There are also rooms for rent in case you're too scared to go back to town since the way there is just too dark, even for me. And if you want a massage, they have a hut there that offers services.
• Sunken Cemetery-i think the pumpboat costs around Php500 when you go there from Yumbing. This is just near Yumbing. 

There are a lot of places to see in Camiguin. Unfortunately, we didnt have the time to explore it all. I would have loved to see the waterfalls, climb Mt. Hibuk-hibuk, Mt. Vulcan, Mantigue Island.

If you're a nature-whore, you'd love Camiguin. The place is just too quiet especially when the clock strikes at 7pm. It's almost a deadtown, Mambajao. It's too quiet, even for me.

All in all, I had a good time. A visit to the place won't be complete without tasting or buying some Pastel for pasalubong. The ones by Vjandep are the best. Just so you know, it was really hard for us to look for a place with delicious food to eat. Everytime we ask people restaurants, they'd always take us to carenderias. Sad, sad. 

But I especially like the dishes in Vjandep restaurant, a five-minute walk from Vjandep bakery.

Should I go back to Camiguin?

hmmm. maybe 10 years from now. This place is best for families who are traveling together or just wants to have R and R and to those who are into diving and nature. 

The CDO Misadventures of Super Daloidoi

We had been planning this trip for weeks and originally, there were five of us and it ended up with just the three of us who pursued the trip to Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental. We were supposed to leave on our 4:15pm flight to CDO last Tuesday, November 22, 2011. We got left behind, reasons as to why, are better left unsaid.

There are daily flights to CDO from Cebu. (okay, I am not really sure.) But please do check out flight schedules just to make sure. 

There are also ships going to CDO like Cebu Ferries and Trans-Asia. Both ships are clean and big enough to withstand mild to moderate waves. Fares range from Php800 to Php1030 per head not including the terminal fees which varies from which terminal you are in.

We stayed in the Tourist section of the boat so our tickets cost Php1030 plus terminal fee of Php25. The cot and restroom is clean and food is available in the canteen. The boat was scheduled to depart at 8pm and arrived at around 5am. 

Now here is the tough part, there are taxis inside the pier but you really have to be careful since the one we rode in said that the minimum for the fare inside the pier is Php 100. We only asked to be driven to McDonald's and it was just a short distance from the pier, a mere 5-10 minute ride without traffic. I suggest you walk outside to look for motorelas or taxis. But of course, if you don't mind that, then just fall in line.

Cagayan de Oro is such a beautiful place early in the morning when everyone is still asleep and only metro aides are around cleaning the streets. However, there are quite a number of people, young and old, sleeping in the park. It saddens me to see an infant being exposed like this.

 The name Cagayan De Oro translates to the "City of the River of Gold" according to Wiki. It is also dubbed as the City of Golden Friendship. What I love about the city is that it doesn't get any warmer before 8am. I think this is because of the presence of trees.

 We stayed at The Park Cafe to wait for our ride to the river. The jeepney ride to the location is about 45minutes from the city. I am not sure about the exact figures in Kilometers.

So, if ever you are planning to go on a trip to CDO, look up a few things online first or if you have friends who hail from the place or around, then ask about the fare, how to get around, etc.
So the minimum fare in jeepneys is Php7. I forgot about the taxis. It's very important to ask the driver first if they're going to use the meter because some are just so swapang to suggest add-ons when your inside the car and it's moving already. You can also try to act like you know the place or just drop hints that you're going to report them to the authorities. But I doubt you're going to get out of the cab alive, though.
Our only activity in CDO is white water rafting. G took care of that already. They said it's Php1000 per person but we managed to haggle the price down to Php800. Then we haggle a bit more for the photo price. We got ourselves a great bargain. For those who are planning to go rafting, you should try CDO Bugsay River Rafting. They have an office located in the city. For more information, you can contact them at 0917-BUGSAY or visit their website at www.bugsayrafting.com . We chose the advance course since the beginner's is just sisiw. You can arrange for a meet-up/pick-up.
In white water rafting, there is no dress code. But I suggest donning on a long sleeved wetsuit, a pair of leggings and those aquatic shoes. But you don't have to buy them if you don't have any. But you can wear just about anything, except pants, though. It tends to get heavy. And please don't forget to apply on sunscreen or else you'd end up like me, lobster skin all the way.
And to those who have no idea how to paddle, no worries, since before you're going to start rafting,you are all taught the basics. Trust me, even kids 5 years old and above can follow directions.

While on stillwaters, you can take in the scenic river views and if you get lucky, you'd see some wild life out there. Not too wild, I hope. You'd get to see wild horses, wild cows, etc. (inside joke).

FOR BETTER VIEWS, CLICK ON THE PHOTOS.
It looks scary in the pictures but trust me, it's totally safe. You have to wear a life vest and a helmet. No ropes to hold you in but you can always stop paddling and hold on for dear life. You only get nervous and scared at the beginning but when you get the hold of it, you'd be enjoying every minute and would be asking for more after. Sure, three to four hours is a long way to go but you won't notice the time because I'm pretty sure, you'd be looking out for the next rapid because it's as exciting as the previous or the next one. And if you get hungry, there's a restaurant waiting for you at the end of the activity. They have value meals and super meals. Prices range from Php120 to Php 180 per meal inclusive of drinks (Coke Sakto and iced tea).
This is definitely one experience I will never forget. We can not stop raving about this experience even when we were on our flight back home. Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss this.

xoxo,
dee

I also made a blog about my trip on my personal account.