This has got to be one of the most creepily beautiful places I have visited so far. I was struck in awe upon seeing it. The experience was scary yet magical. Thanks to Travel Now Magazine for including my photo of this cave in its 2016 Bucket List Issue. 📍Linao Cave, Calicoan Island, Guiuan
🇵🇭EASTERN SAMAR TRAVEL PRIMER🇵🇭
✈🛳🚌 How to get to Eastern Samar:
⏺ OPTION 1:
📌Take a plane from Metro Manila to Tacloban City, Leyte (e.g. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia).
📌Ride a taxi or jeepney to get to the terminal of vans bound for the municipalities of Eastern Samar.
📌Transfer to a van to reach the towns of Eastern Samar.
⏺ OPTION 2:
📌Ride a bus from Metro Manila to Matnog Port, Sorsogon (e.g.i DLTB and Philtranco; travel time: 15 – 16 hours depending on traffic condition and number/duration of stop-overs).
📌Take the RORO ferry from Matnog Port en route to the port of Allen in Northern Samar (travel time: 1 – 2 hours depending on sea condition).
📌Ride a bus or van to reach Tacloban City (travel time: 5 – 7 hours depending on traffic condition and number/duration of stop-overs).
📌Transfer to a van to reach the towns of Eastern Samar.
Eastern Samar is probably one of the most underrated provinces in the country when it comes to tourism. But the natural wonders here are actually my personal favorites. 📍Loding Beach, Calicoan Island, GuiuanSo if you wanna know if this place is really worth exploring, stay tuned and read on. I am more than happy to showcase what you can discover in this province. 📍Ge-Puroe Tidal Pool, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityI bet some of you haven’t actually heard about the existence of these natural gems. Even with the advent of social media, these places still seemed off the radar. I could still remember how difficult it was for me creating our itinerary for this trip. The pieces of information which could be found online about these places were too scarce. 📍Ban-awan Falls, LawaanMy friends and I explored the province of Eastern Samar in April 2016. We were already done ticking off Northern Samar and (Western) Samar on our list. 📍Locsoon Cave, Jagnaya Beach, SalcedoWe were already on the last phase of our Samar adventure leg and Eastern Samar would conclude our trip. 📍Kanpirugdot Tidal Pools, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityComing all the way from Lulugayan Falls and Langun-Gobingob Caves of Western Samar, we hastily washed up and checked out of the lodging house where we were staying in Calbiga. 📍Jagnaya Beach, SalcedoWe had to wait for quite some time by the national highway before a passenger van finally showed up with enough space for the four of us. 📍Amandaraga Falls, LawaanUpon reaching the van terminal in Tacloban City after traveling for less than two hours from Calbiga, we transferred to another van that took us to the town of Lawaan. 📍Kanpirugdot Tidal Pools, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityThe tourism officer of Lawaan (I contacted him beforehand) welcomed us when we reached the town late in the afternoon. We rode a tricycle to get to one of the homestays where we would be spending the night. Lawaan is a 5th class municipality and there were no available hotels yet during our visit.
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
⏺ Waterfall circuit in Lawaan (Ban-awan, Amanjuray, Amandaraga and Pangi)
📌Ride a van bound for Guiuan and alight at the town proper of Lawaan (travel time: 1 – 1.5 hours).
📌Ride a tricycle to get to the jump-off.
📌The trek to get to the four waterfalls takes about 3 – 6 hours depending on your pace.
⏺ Locsoon Cave and Jagnaya Beach of Salcedo
📌Ride a van bound for Guiuan and alight at the town proper of Salcedo (travel time: 2.5 – 3 hours).
📌Hire a tricycle that will take you to Locsoon and Jagnaya.
⏺ Linao Cave and beaches of Calicoan Island of Guiuan
📌Ride a van bound for Guiuan (travel time: 3 – 3.5 hours).
📌At the town proper, hire a tricycle that will take you to Linao Cave and beaches of Calicoan.
📌You can also try surfing in Calicoan Island.
⏺ Divinubo Island and Baybay Boulevard of Borongan City
📌Ride a van bound for Borongan (travel time: 3.5 – 4 hours).
📌Hire a tricycle that will take you to the small port of Barangay Lalawigan.
📌Ride the public boat to get to Divinubo Island.
📌You can also charter the boat if you are travelling with a group to save on time.
📌You can try the different food stalls in Baybay Boulevard in Borongan City proper.
We woke up early the next day and hailed a tricycle that took us to the jump-off. It rained the day before so there were parts of the road en route to the trailhead that were slippery. 📍Amandaraga Falls, LawaanThe four of us and the tourism officer waited for our guide before commencing our trek which started off quite beginner-friendly.We continued walking and reached the lush portions of the trail. We were not prepared for this, to be honest. I may be a seasoned hiker but I didn’t condition myself that it was going to be extra challenging. The established trail was destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda and since there were virtually few tourists venturing here, there was no need to do some clearing operations of fallen trees.Aside from the technical trail, we had to deal with gargantuan millipedes. I mean, they’re harmless and slow but they were almost everywhere. They’re so big as if they were on steroids. I thank the gods of the multiverse that they didn’t make millipedes as quick as centipedes. That’s how we knew that this forest is so healthy with minimal human intervention. I was not able to take any photos of these ginormous creatures because I was too scared to take a rest so the difficult trail seemed like a piece of cake for me as if I were a ninja maneuvering through fallen tree logs.Introducing one of the most grandiose waterfalls I’ve seen in this part of the country, Ban-awan Falls.We trekked closer to the waterfall and I decided to scrambled my way closer to the main basin of Ban-awan Falls where its water cascades.I would have wanted to get under the main drop of the waterfall but it was virtually impossible considering the slippery rock walls. Besides, we didn’t have any safety gears with us to pull off that stunt.We headed next to this top portion of Amandaraga Falls overlooking its natural pools. We were extra careful while we took our shots.Getting closer to this main tier of Amandaraga Falls was as challenging as our trek to Ban-awan Falls since we had to walk the same trail to get here.We made use of our surroundings here for epic fun shots just like this one.There was no one else aside from us so we took advantage of this opportunity to relax and capture a lot of pictures.Amandaraga Falls may not be as majestic as Ban-awan Falls but it still is beautiful and lovely in its own right. We just took a peek of Amanjuray Falls from afar but it was impossible to get near it anyway (my bad, I didn’t have any photos of it though).We completed our waterfall circuit here at Pangi Falls. Jumping into Pangi Falls’ pool was sort of mandatory (kidding!) so I had to give in.We spent the rest of our time here at Pangi before going back to the town proper to eat lunch. We washed up at the homestay and packed up our stuff for the next phase of our adventure. One of our friends had to leave for Tacloban City for her flight back to Manila while the three of us hopped on a van en route to the town of Guiuan. We just rested at our chosen lodging house in Guiuan as soon as we arrived. We explored the town proper and bought some supplies in the afternoon then decided to have our early dinner before returning to the inn.
⏰⏳ SAMPLE ITINERARY:
DAY 1
8:00 AM ETA Tacloban Airport
9:00 AM ETD for Lawaan
10:30 AM Check-in
11:00 AM Start of waterfall circuit (Ban-awan, Amanjuray, Amandaraga and Pangi)
5:00 PM ETA Lawaan town proper / dinner
6:00 PM Back to lodge/homestay
DAY 2
5:00 AM Wake-up call
6:00 AM ETD for Guiuan
8:30 AM ETA Guiuan / check-in
9:00 AM ETD for Linao Cave and Calicoan Island
1:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM ETD for Locsoon Cave and Jagnaya Beach
5:00 PM ETA Guiuan / dinner
6:00 PM Back to lodge
DAY 3
5:00 AM Wake-up call
6:00 AM ETD for Borongan City
8:00 AM ETA Borongan City / check-in
9:00 AM ETD for Divinubo Island
2:00 PM ETD for Borongan City
4:00 PM ETA Baybay Boulevard
6:00 PM Dinner
DAY 4
5:00 AM Wake-up call
6:00 AM ETD for San Juanico Bridge
9:30 AM San Juanico Bridge Photowalk
11:30 AM ETD for Tacloban Airport
2:00 PM ETD for Manila
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 8,000 –Php 10,000 (exclusive of airfare)
***Expenses may vary depending on the type of accommodation you will avail and personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees, tricycle/motorcycle transfer and tour rates and boat transfer rates.
I already contacted our caving guides beforehand so they picked us up early morning the next day. We reached Calicoan Island on board our tricycle service (this island is connected to the mainland by Pagnamitan Bridge). We stopped by a portion of the road then trekked through a short trail of sharp limestone rocks to reach the opening of Linao Cave. Thank the gods we got our dry bags with us since it was high tide so we had to walk through chest-deep water. I eventually got impatient feeling the rocks underwater where we should step on so I just swam across to the other side. Lo and behold, this enchanting cave finally welcomed us. Boy was it so surreal.I was really a bit hesitant to swim farther near the rock wall. I could see the outline of huge rocks underneath plus the huge log of a tree. For someone who has submechanophobia, submerged objects like this would definitely trigger anxiety. But I had to conquer my fear for this shot.Before ending our long exposure photography session here at Linao Cave, we captured some pictures at this portion. This is the other side of the cave which is equally amazing as the main cavern. It is believed to be connected to the ocean. This is where we passed through from the entrance to get to the main cave, the one with bluish natural pool.We went back to the portion of the road where our tricycle was parked. We were supposed to return to the town center but our guides decided to take us to some nearby beaches just like this one.This long strip of sand is facing the mighty Pacific. The sand is not super fine but the place is beautiful nevertheless.We weren’t able to get the name of this beach though. It’s open to the public and there are no establishments constructed along its shoreline.Our guides took us next to this piece of paradise here in Calicoan Island, Loding Beach.We were so amazed that this place is not yet in the tourism map since I haven’t read a blog about this beach yet.Beaches like this make Filipinos’ standards in beaches too high. Frolicking on the creamy fine sand and turquoise water is quite normal for us. But what is so special about this place aside from its clear water? There are no other tourists, no photobombers, no nuisance and there is no entrance fee! The best things in life really are free.I would have loved to stay in this beach longer. After all, we got it all to ourselves. There was no one else at that time. Imagine swimming alone in its turquoise water. But we still got one destination to visit that day so we only swam and took photos for about an hour or so.We hopped on our tricycle and bid goodbye to Loding Beach. If it weren’t for the time constraint, we could have explored more beaches here in Calicoan Island. ***This was shot using my friend’s phone hence the difference in the sand’s hue.Our guides took us back to the town proper of Guiuan where we had our lunch. Our contact (I messaged him beforehand as well) is a tricycle driver from Guiuan but he pretty much knows the next destination in our itinerary which is located in the municipality of Salcedo. 📍Jagnaya Beach, SalcedoWe drove from Guiuan to its neighboring town, Salcedo where our next stop is located. The shore was actually populated with lots of coconut trees but were destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013, hence the name Yolanda Beach. It is also locally known as Jagnaya Beach.We were greeted by some locals swimming and enjoying the perfect sunny weather whilst we walked towards this hidden gem of Jagnaya Beach, Locsoon Cave.We reached the mouth of this cave and checked what’s inside. There were still a couple of locals swimming in the natural pool so we had to wait for our turn.As soon as we finally saw our opportunity for some shots, we immediately took a dip in this tidal pool in front of the other opening of Locsoon Cave.Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) may have destroyed the coconut trees dotting Jagnaya’s shoreline, but this tidal pool connected to Locsoon Cave remained intact even after the catastrophe.The natural pool may not be that spacious for a huge number of visitors but we were lucky that we got a chance to have our solo shots taken. There are also small corals underneath which you can see if you have your goggles with you.My friend and I decided to explore the farther side of Jagnaya Beach while our other friend decided to stay by the cave to chit-chat with some locals. As we walked farther, we discovered some more smaller tidal pools just like this one.We were then welcomed by this huge rock formation which resembles a slot canyon.We shot a few pictures of this natural wonder before agreeing to walk back to Locsoon Cave.Levitation Photography Skill Level: 999… After all, it’s all about timing and skills of the subject and photographer.My friend and I used our surroundings for some levitation photography shots and other awesome pictures just like this one before walking back to the tidal pool.We went back to the tidal pool of Locsoon Cave and pulled off some more levitation shots.Who wouldn’t want to swim in this natural infinity pool facing the Pacific Ocean? Just be cautious since there are some sea urchins lurking below.We spent the rest of our day at the tidal pool, swimming and enjoying the weather, the awesome view and soothing temperature of the pool’s water.
📜✏ Tips/Reminders:
📌Always check the weather first if you plan on exploring the waterfalls of Lawaan. The trail to get to Ban-awan Falls is not advisable for first-timers. Bring enough hydration.
📌Waterproof your belongings if you will be going to Linao Cave. Your stuff might get wet especially if it’s high tide.
📌Expect rain and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
☎ Contacts:
📌Waterfalls of Lawaan: Bryan Gacho (09272234795) – he can guide you to the waterfalls of Lawaan.
📌Jagnaya Beach and Locsoon Cave: Kuya Allan (09474380855) – he is a tricycle driver from Guiuan and you can also hire him to get to Linao Cave and beaches of Calicoan.
📌Linao Cave and Calicoan beaches: Kuya Jayson (09056038451) – he will accompany you to Linao Cave.
📌Divinubo Island Tour Guide: Kuya Ramil (09216017828)
We woke up at dawn to catch the first trip of van en route to Borongan. We traveled for roughly three hours before reaching the capital city of Eastern Samar. 📍Kanpirugdot Tidal Pools, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityAs soon as we reached the city proper, we hailed a tricycle and asked the driver to take us to a cheap lodging house. We then had our quick breakfast at the city’s Jollibee before setting off for the last phase of our adventure leg. 📍Ge-Puroe Tidal Pool, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityWe chartered another tricycle that took us to the port of Barangay Lalawigan. We waited for some more passengers before the public boat left for Divinubo Island. 📍Kanpirugdot Tidal Pools, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityIt was drizzling and windy as our boat sailed through choppy waters. Luckily, the dark clouds covering most of the sky gave way for our photo shoot. 📍Kanpirugdot Tidal Pools, Divinubo Island, Borongan CityI got the contact info of our guide from one of the very few blogs online featuring this island. We first trekked the manicured trail surrounded by coconut trees en route to this lighthouse.We headed next to this portion of the island with tidal pools with awesome rock formations. I asked our guide and this spot is locally known as Kanpirugdot. I even asked him for the spelling as he pronounced it the Waray way.I actually was not surprised that an island facing the Pacific would look as awesome as this. The place quickly reminded me of the out-of-this-world rock formations of Biri Island.I was uncertain whether I should swim or not. I was too paranoid of sea snakes that may be hiding underneath.But because the weather was hot and the inviting water was too hard to resist, I finally gave in. By the way, this photo was still taken at one of the tidal pools of Kanpirugdot.I’ve been traveling around the Philippines for years now and I gotta say, Samar is one of the most underrated tourist destinations in the country. It has a lot to offer yet backpackers tend to focus more on mainstream ones. While researching for our itinerary, it actually never crossed my mind that Samar has lots of places still waiting to be discovered and explored.We were lucky that the tide was low as we explored this part of the island. There are so many tidal pools here for everyone if you are traveling with a big group.We took some more shots of the rock formations here in Kanpirugdot before continuing our walk towards another great spot in Divinubo Island.We were stunned the moment we saw the wide expanse of this tidal pool, locally known as Ge-Puroe. The scorching sun was already beginning to burn our skin but we didn’t mind at all. I’d rather choose the heat than deal with rain. The beach and the sun will always be a great tandem. I was overzealous in taking a dip.This is one of the reasons I have high standards when it comes to tidal pools. Of all the tidal pools I have been to, the island of Samar has the best so far. They are overwhelmingly wide enough for a huge pool party!We wrapped up our Samar trip by taking photos here at Borongan City’s Baybay Boulevard and eating at a nearby restaurant. I would definitely come back to see more of what this province has in store for its visitors. We traveled early morning the next day for our San Juanico Bridge photowalk before heading to the airport for our flight back to Manila.
***For other destinations in Samar, you may visit this link.
Very informative. Thank you so much for posting this. Ano po pala camera gamit nyo? or if there’s any camera you can recommend from budget friendly to pricey ones.
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carlo
Very nice and interesting information. I hope to visit some of those beautiful scenery…. thanks for the photos.
Riley
Thank you po. 🙂
Michael Dan Magpili
Npaka informative ..👌..safetravelAlways 😊
Riley
thank you po 🙂
Aljhing
Love the Nature. You capture it perfectly. Love it!
Hope to visit here…
Riley
thank you 🙂
Lor
Very informative. Thank you so much for posting this. Ano po pala camera gamit nyo? or if there’s any camera you can recommend from budget friendly to pricey ones.
Riley
hello po. slr, i’m using mirrorless po sony a6000. minsan po yung iphone ko or samsung galaxy phone.