This has got to be my most favorite spot in Burias. This rock formation looks like a small spacecraft that has landed by the shore of this island. Just like its sister provinces in the region of Bicol, the province of Masbate doesn’t really disappoint. 📍Animasola Island
🇵🇭BURIAS ISLAND ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈️🛳🚌 How to get to Burias Island, Masbate:
⏺ Ride a bus from Metro Manila to Naga City, Camarines Sur (e.g. DLTB, Penafrancia and Isarog; travel time is 9 – 11 hours depending on traffic condition and number/duration of stop-overs) or fly via Cebu Pacific from Metro Manila to Naga City Airport.
⏺ Ride a jeepney to Pasacao Port (travel time: 30 minutes to 1 hour).
⏺ Take the public boat bound for the town of San Pascual in Burias Island (travel time: 2 – 3 hours depending on sea condition).
⏺ Proceed to the municipality’s tourism office and hire a boat for island hopping.
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
Tinalisayan Island/Sandbar
Sombrero Island
Dapa Island
Animasola Island
Paired with Alibijaban Island, the travel event organized by my friends in June 2015 included Burias Island in the itinerary. Since we were trendsetters, we were among the first groups to combine Burias of Masbate and Alibijaban of Quezon Province in one adventure leg. It was a three-day itinerary and since it was a long weekend, we were already expecting lots of tourists traveling with us. This island was our campsite on our first day, which was also our jump-off point for our island hopping tour. 📍Sombrero IslandAfter eating lunch, we hopped on our rented boat en route to Animasola Island. It was quite a long boat ride from our campsite. One of the things that I noticed in this island is its awesome rock formations. We would have wanted to stay longer but we still needed to include one more island to cap off our day.The golden hour welcomed us by the time we docked here at Tinalisayan Sandbar. My friends and I took a dip after capturing photos of the sunset in the island. It was already dusk when we decided to cruise back to Sombrero Island. There was nothing to worry about while sailing in the dark since the sea was so calm as if it were a lake. 📍Tinalisayan Sandbar
⏰⏳ SAMPLE ITINERARY:
DAY 0
8:00 PM ETD for Naga City
DAY 1
5:30 AM ETD for Pasacao Port
7:00 AM ETD for San Pascual
10:00 AM ETA San Pascual / check-in
11:00 AM Start of island hopping (Tinalisayan, Sombrero and Dapa)
5:00 PM ETA accommodation
6:00 PM Wash up/ dinner
DAY 2
5:00 AM Wake-up call
6:00 AM ETD for Animasola Island
7:00 AM ETA Animasola Island
10:00 AM ETD for Pasacao Port
1:00 PM ETD for Naga City
2:00 PM ETD for Manila
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo joiner of an organized travel event): Php 4,000 – Php 5,000 (inclusive of event fee + food)
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities.
While waiting for our breakfast, some of us swam by the shoreline of Sombrero Island. Unlucky me, I was stung by a couple of jellyfish. It was jellyfish season during our visit. I surfaced from the water and just sat and waited for our departure. The jellyfish really knew how to ruin my mood. 📍Sombrero IslandWe started packing up. It was time to bid goodbye to Masbate. The last island we visited in Burias was Dapa Island where we had ample time to take photos and swim. Snorkeling was a bit challenging though because of the strong current. After playing with the waves of Dapa, we traveled to our new campsite, Alibijaban Island. Another set of exciting activities was waiting for us when we reached the island. 📍Animasola Island
📜✏️ Tips/Reminders:
📌If you will be exploring Burias Island DIY-style, you can hire your own boat for island hopping but it is expensive if you are traveling alone.
📌You can join organized travel events online to save on time and cut on costs. Organized events usually include Alibijaban Island of Quezon Province in their itinerary. San Andres Port in Quezon Province will be your jump-off point for island hopping while Alibijaban Island will serve as your campsite.
📌Burias Island is divided into two municipalities, namely San Pascual and Claveria.
📌Expect rain and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
☎️ Contact:
📌Tour Operator in Alibijaban and Burias: Nanay Lily (09165701397)
Fast forward to summer vacation of 2019, my friend and I joined another organized Alibijaban-Burias travel event. Back in 2015, we were the only people swimming by the shores of these islands but now, Alibijaban and Burias have seen huge changes when they became mainstream tourist destinations. 📍Tinalisayan IslandIt was just only a two-day itinerary so we left San Andres Port in the morning for our whole day island hopping in Burias. We would then be spending the night at Alibijaban Island. 📍Animasola Island Boy was it so hard to get frames without people in it. After all, it was a weekend. Even the boats have become photobombers. I was somehow glad that I was able to explore Burias before the boost in its tourism after year 2015. 📍Sombrero IslandI’m still glad I was able to revisit Burias. At least I was able to get some decent shots considering I was only using a cheap action camera back in 2015 during my first trip here. 📍Tinalisayan Island
***For more photos in Burias Island, please click this link. For other destinations in Masbate and Bicol, you may visit this link.
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