BILIRAN ISLAND: A FAMILY ESCAPADE
Just
early this year, I had the great opportunity to go on a trip with my big family
to Biliran Island. Biliran is one of the three main islands of the Eastern Visayas
Region, along with Leyte and Samar. Unlike other island provinces in Visayas, these
three islands are interconnected by bridges i.e., the Biliran Bridge linking
Leyte to Biliran and the famous San Juanico Bridge connecting Leyte and Samar. Thanks
to these bridges, traveling to the different tourist destinations in this region is a breeze.
Our
Biliran trip was memorable for me because this was one of those rare
get-together moments we had as one complete family. You see, I have seven
siblings, three of whom have their own families already and the rest have
their own lives to live in other cities and countries. So one could just
imagine how occasional it can get to have the family circle intact. If it weren't for my sister's wedding a couple of days before, this trip
would not have been possible. All in all, we were 17 who joined the trip, including in-laws, nieces, and nephew.
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| #TeamBensig ! |
My
family chose Biliran because of its accessibility and proximity from my
hometown, Ormoc City, Leyte (just 2 ½ hours north). Also, we know that there are
a lot of wonderful attractions in Biliran that are just waiting to be
discovered and appreciated. In this tour, we had the chance to visit two of
Biliran's beauties: the Sambawan Island and the Tinago Falls.
Sambawan Island
After
crossing the Biliran Bridge, we headed straight to Kawayan Wharf where our Bangka
drivers were already waiting. They were pre-contracted by my mother's friend
who's from Biliran. And since we're a big family, we rented two boats to take
us to the island on a day tour for only PHP 2,000 per boat good for 8-10 persons. We crossed the sea and traveled for almost an hour before we arrived
at the Sambawan Island, where we were instantly greeted by these bright and
blue waters and white sand.
When
we arrived, we paid an entrance fee of PHP 100.00 per head and rented a beach
hut which can sit up to 8 people for only PHP 500.00. We unpacked our things
and took our lunch prepared for us by our parents. Nothing beats good old
home-cooked meals eaten with a complete family on a tropical island vacation.
After feeding ourselves full, we took some siesta time and just enjoyed the
cool sea breeze and the nice scenery. Then we decided to trek to the watch tower
at the top of the hill overlooking the whole island. The view at the top was
breathtaking! I've never seen such an awesome 180 degrees view of an island in
all of my travels so far. We took photos of the outstanding and picturesque
scenes before going back to our cottage. We all then took a swim and had so
much fun the rest of the day.
We sailed back to Kawayan wharf before it got late in the afternoon because we were told that the sea swells could get really high and dangerous (true enough, they were really scary!). We checked in at Marvin's Seaside Inn to spend the rest of the night. The place was perfect for us because they had rooms that could accommodate big families for only PHP 1,700.00 per night. They also had a swimming pool which was very suitable for family gatherings. You can search for their room rates and other amenities in BiliranIsland.com. The next morning, we did some family bonding time in the pool before we checked out from the hotel.
Tinago Falls
After eating, we all decided to take group and individual pictures with the majestic waterfalls. It was a challenge going near the falls because we needed to hop across and climb huge and slippery rocks. One small mistake on your step and you could fall and break your legs.
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Next, we went to Tinago Falls which was about 30 minutes away from the hotel. Tinago
Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls located in Brgy. Caibiran, Biliran.
The word “Tinago” actually means hidden in English. The name became ironic now
that it was more accessible to tourists after the Naval-Caibiran Cross Country
Road was constructed. When we arrived, we paid a fee of PHP 10.00 for adults
and PHP 5.00 for children before we’re allowed to enter the site. It was
already high noon when we came, so we ate our delicious lunch we bought from
a family restaurant that we’ve dined the night before. From where we’re eating,
we could already see the beautiful waterfalls and feel the cold breeze that was
brought by the waters rushing down from the mountain cliff rocks.
After eating, we all decided to take group and individual pictures with the majestic waterfalls. It was a challenge going near the falls because we needed to hop across and climb huge and slippery rocks. One small mistake on your step and you could fall and break your legs.
When we got the shots that we wanted, we went back to our station. Although the waters were so inviting, we didn’t take a swim in the natural pools around the area because it was freezing cold (we even got our case of beer chilled in the water). We just
packed our things and went home. That concluded our
two-day family escapade in Biliran Province.
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Travel Tips
Now that I have already shared to you my experience in these awesome spots in Biliran, I would like to share to you some travel tips on how to get to the island and summarize some of the expenses that you will incur.
Now that I have already shared to you my experience in these awesome spots in Biliran, I would like to share to you some travel tips on how to get to the island and summarize some of the expenses that you will incur.
How to get to Sambawan Island
From Manila:
· Book a flight going to Tacloban
· Ride a passenger van (can be Duptors, Van-vans, Grandtours) from Tacloban bound for Naval, Biliran – PHP 130.00 fare
· Catch the passenger ferry boat going to Maripipi Island via Naval Port – PHP 60.00 per head
· Ride a habal-habal from Maripipi going to Brgy. Ol-og – PHP 30.00 per head
· Hire a boat to take you to Sambawan Island (travel time is 15 minutes) – PHP 600.00/Bangka (good for 5 pax)
Alternate Route:
· Ride a habal-habal in Naval, Biliran going to Kawayan Municipality – PHP 60.00/head
· Rent a boat and travel to Sambawan Island - PHP 2,000.00 for day tour and PHP 3,000 for overnight stay (boat capacity is around 8-10 persons)
Island Fees:
· Island Fee - PHP 80.00 Entrance fee + PHP 20.00 Environmental fee
· Island Cottage (good for 8 pax) - PHP 500.00/day or PHP 1,000.00 (depends on the size)
· Lodging Cottage (good for 10 pax) – PHP 2,500.00/day (includes Toilet & Bath, Electric, Beddings, etc.)
· Tent Pitching fee – Php 100.00/day
How to get to Tinago Falls
· Once
you’re in Naval, you can already hire habal-habal drivers to take you to Tinago
Falls for a roundtrip fare of Php 500.00.
*All Prices are
subject to change without prior notice.
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