NORTHERN SAMAR [Biri Island]

🇵🇭BIRI ISLAND ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭

✈🛳🚌 How to get to Biri Island, Northern Samar:

⏺ OPTION 1:
📌Take a plane from Metro Manila to Tacloban City (e.g. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia). Alternatively you may fly via Philippine Airlines from Clark to Catarman Airport or via Cebu Pacific from Clark to Calbayog City.
📌Hail a taxi/jeepney/tricycle to get to the terminal of vans/buses bound for the town of Allen or Lavezares.
📌Transfer to a bus or van to reach Allen or Lavezares.
📌If coming from Allen, charter a tricycle to Lavezares Port.
📌Ride the public boat to Biri Island (travel time: 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on sea condition). You can hire a boat if you are traveling with a group.
📌Hire a motorcyle that will take you to the rock formations.

⏺ OPTION 2:
📌Ride a bus from Metro Manila to Matnog Port, Sorsogon (e.g. 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 (travel time: 1 – 2 hours depending on sea condition).
📌Charter a tricycle to Lavezares Port.
📌Ride the public boat to Biri Island then hire a motorcycle that will take you to the rock formations.

Four times.
I have visited this island four times. It was 2015 when I first set foot in Biri, an island of Northern Samar province, tucked away in eastern Philippines facing the Pacific that has been considered an off-the-grid destination among backpackers.

The month of April 2015 called for a road trip of a lifetime. Because most of us are corporate slaves, we took advantage of the long weekend in observance of Holy Week. It was Tuesday evening when we left Manila. We didn’t want to be stuck in rush hour gridlock if we would be leaving by Wednesday evening, considering Maundy Thursday is the start of the long weekend.

A butt-numbing ride for 15 hours or so took us to Matnog Port in the province of Sorsogon. The town of Matnog serves as one of the gateways to Visayas where Biri Island is located. If you’re down for a long ride and you’re on a tight budget, you may consider this route.

The sunny weather welcomed us as we boarded the ferry. Unfortunately, we had to wait for three to four hours (if my memory serves me correctly). We were so pissed but we got no choice. We asked the crew of the ship but they couldn’t give us the exact details regarding our delay. Now our itinerary was ruined. I was even looking forward to watching the sunset at one of the rock formations.

Right after we docked at the port of Allen, we quickly made our way to the terminal of tricycles near the exit gate of the port. Another 30 minutes passed and we finally arrived in the town of Lavezares. If you’re traveling with a group, you may hire your own private boat just like what we did in order to save on time.

It was almost dusk as our boat neared the shore. At first, I thought our ordeal already ended but wait, there’s more! It was another motorcycle ride to get to the town proper. Boy was I so bloody exhausted.

Bus. Ferry. Tricycle. Boat. Motorcycle. Almost a total of 24 hours of travel time to get to a seemingly extraterrestrial paradise.

We checked in at one of the island’s homestays then filled our hungry bellies for dinner before washing up. There are no fancy hotels or restaurants in this island so don’t expect too much. They have small eateries where you can buy your food. Our guide and motorcycle service would be picking us up at 5:00 AM the next day which meant waking up earlier before they arrived.

🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
Caranas Rock Formation
Bel-At Tidal Pool and Rock Formation
Puhunan Rock Formation
Macadlaw Rock Formation
Magsapad Rock Formation
Magasang Rock Formation
Giron Rock Formation
Suliran Snorkeling Site
Cagnipa Snorkeling Site

As the cold breeze of the morning sliced through my still-sleepy face, I asked the motorcycle driver if the rock formations really are as amazing and beautiful as the blogs are saying. “Just see for yourself, Sir,” he proudly responded.

Our first stop was Bel-At, Caranas and Puhunan. We strolled through the wooden walkway for a few minutes to get to the tidal pool. The horizon of the Pacific was already beginning to exude the orange tint of sunrise. Waking up at 4:00 in the morning to witness the sunrise whilst waiting at one of the rock formations was all worth it.

We went to the top of Bel-At and I fell in love with this place right away that’s why Biri still owns my heart up to this day. If you’re standing atop Bel-At facing the Pacific, you’ll find its tidal pool below. Farther on your right is Caranas whilst that rock formation beside Bel-At on your left which pretty much reminds me of Tsunade’s huge slug from the anime Naruto is called Puhunan.

My bad for the quality of some of my photos. Back then, I never planned on being a travel blogger so I used to compressed the images taken on my trips, hence the low quality.

The scorching weather didn’t stop us from seeing more of this island. We proceeded to Magasang Rock Formation then the grassy plain on top of Magsapad. I always have a thing for grasslands overlooking the ocean. It always feels as if everything in this multiverse makes sense.

It was heartbreaking when our guide said that we were only able to see four of the rock formations up close. He would have wanted for us to stay much longer. Because we had to alter our itinerary, we couldn’t afford to stay that long in Biri. We still needed to travel to Leyte for our Kalanggaman Island trip the next day. It seemed as though we were only able to see a small portion of the island because we were pressed for time.

By lunch time, we were already on our way to Lavezares. As our boat was cruising back to the port, I felt a faint heaviness in my chest as if I were leaving my comfort zone for some place of uncertainty. I wanted to go back.

⏰⏳ Sample Itinerary:

DAY 1
8:00 AM ETA Tacloban Airport
8:30 AM Taxi/jeepney to bus/van terminal
9:00 AM ETD for Allen (van to Catbalogan, then van to Calbayog then van to Allen)
2:00 PM ETA Allen; hire tricycle to Lavezares Port
2:30 PM ETD for Biri Island
3:30 PM ETA Biri; ride motorcycle to homestay/hotel
4:00 PM Check-in
6:00 PM Dinner

DAY 2
4:00 AM Wake-up call
5:00 AM Ride motorycle to rock formations
6:00 AM Whole day exploration
6:00 PM Dinner

DAY 3
5:00 AM Wake-up call / check-out / ride motorcycle to Biri Port
6:00 AM ETD for Lavezares Port
7:00 AM Travel to van terminal
8:00 AM ETD for Tacloban City
1:00 PM San Juanico Bridge Photowalk
3:00 PM Buy souvenirs/pasalubong
5:00 PM ETA Tacloban Airport
7:30 PM Flight back to Manila

💰💶 Estimated Budget (for a solo traveler): Php 7,000 – Php 8,000 (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 guides fees and motorcycle/tricycle transfer rates.

 July of the same year, I organized a travel event in Bicol and Biri. It was already the onset of rainy season. I never got any lively photos because of the drizzling here and there. Besides, I was only using my action camera during that time so there was really not much to expect in terms of quality.

We arrived late in the afternoon after battling ginormous monsoon waves on our boat. We checked in at Villa Amor Hotel before heading to Magasang and Magsapad. We only stayed for a few minutes as it was already getting late and the tide was getting higher.

Fortunately that afternoon, Mother Nature really expressed herself in surprising and amazing ways through her creations. We got the chance to witness the beautiful sunset in front of the hotel even if the weather rained on us that day.

We first explored Macadlaw and its grasslands the next day. This was my first time seeing this rock formation up close. However, the rainy monsoon weather still ruined the expectations of people traveling with me. I’ve seen the rockies of Biri in its full glory during my first visit so it really was not much of a big deal for me upon seeing it under the overcast weather. We then capped off our Biri Trip at Bel-At. I was glad that my companions still enjoyed swimming at its tidal pool even if it was raining cats and dogs.

📜✏ Tips/Reminders:
📌Expect rain and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
📌If traveling with a group, you can rent a boat to get to Biri to save on time.
📌Inform the tour guide beforehand of your plan to visit Biri Island. He can also book your accommodation.
📌There are no available ATMs in Biri.
📌The eatery known as “Pavilion” across the municipal hall serves different dishes.
📌You can rent snorkeling gears at Biri Dive Center. The tidal pools near the rock formations are rich in corals.
📌If you plan on going to their snorkeling sites such as Cagnipa and Suliran, you can ask the tour guide to find a smaller boat for you.
📌You can join organized travel events online to save on time and cut on costs.
📌Always observe the LNT principles.

☎ Contacts:
📌Motorcycle Driver/Tour Guide: Kuya Jun (09288309396 / 09202512590)
📌Boat: Lance (09098738319)
📌Tricycle Drivers in Tacloban: Kuya Endaw (09463791975) and Kuya Robert (09362081686)

The next month of the same year, I joined my friends in their Biri-Bicol trip. This was the same group who traveled with me the first time in Biri last April 2015. You read it right. I visited this island thrice in one year. We followed the same itinerary we did on our first trip. We woke up early to catch the sunrise at Bel-At the next morning.

We didn’t stay that long at Bel-At since we already got tons of photos here during our first visit. I suggested to see Macadlaw next. I’ve been at this rock formation last July 2015 but because it was raining, I never got the chance to see its raw beauty.

You’re probably wondering why I got balloons in some of the photos. That’s because it was my birthday. The multiverse had been convincing me to spend my special day at my most favorite place.

Biri is really like a piece of another terrestrial planet on Earth. Exploring its landscapes always feels like being on an outer space excursion for a research project in archaeoastronomy. We then made our way to Magasang and Magsapad. I wouldn’t miss out on getting atop Magsapad overlooking Magasang. Just be careful when you do this stunt.

Our itinerary still wouldn’t allow us to stay in Biri for one whole day. In short, we had to skip Puhunan and Caranas again. All the more reason to go back, I reckon. But before the day ended, we rented a small boat to swim at their snorkeling sites, Cagnipa and Suliran. The island’s marine biodiversity is also as awesome as what you can see on the surface.

We returned to mainland Samar late in the afternoon. By midnight, we were already on our way back to Matnog Port. We still got some tourist spots in Bicol to cross off our list.

If you’re the adventurous type (and of course the patient one), you can travel by land all the way from Metro Manila to Matnog Port in Sorsogon. Then cross San Bernardino Strait via ferry. Hire a tricycle then ride the public boat bound for Biri Island. Prepare to get wet especially if it’s monsoon season (June-February). It’s going to be a ride of a lifetime.

Who wouldn’t be tired of getting to Biri the hard way? It would really zap the energy and youth out of you. For my fourth visit (it was April 2016), together with my high school chums, we opted to ride a plane. But wait, it’s not as easy as you think. So we landed at Tacloban City then took a cab to get to the terminal of vans en route to our destination. I was already expecting hell even before we arrived. Our guide warned me that there’s no direct trip from Tacloban to Allen or Lavezares. The closest airport is Catarman but most of the time, the airplane fare is expensive. There was no choice but to travel from Tacloban to Catbalogan City then Catbalogan to Calbayog City then Calbayog to Allen then Lavezares. Depending on traffic and duration of waiting times, it’ll probably take 7 – 8 hours. Oh my gods.

It was a good thing that luck was on our side. Because there were four of us, the driver of the passenger van decided to take us directly to Lavezares Port from Tacloban City. I think each of us paid 500 – 700 pesos (not so sure though). It may be pricier but at least it saved us from the hassle of cutting trips. Besides, we got heavy backpacks since Biri was the first place to visit on our 8-day backpacking trip in Samar.

We reached Biri Island in the afternoon. We didn’t need to hurry as we would be staying in Biri for two nights which meant we got one whole day to explore the rock formations. It was time to try out my newly bought camera so we took some night photos at Pavilion before calling it a night.

Just like a kid who’s about to receive gifts for his birthday, I was ecstatic when my alarm went off. I’d be seeing the rock formations for the fourth time. The rock formation of Bel-At always comes first.

From Bel-At, we traversed Puhunan, Macadlaw, Magsapad then Magasang. We were really lucky as the tide was low during our tour.

Our last stop, Magasang Rock Formation. It’s almost 2:00 in the afternoon. We went back to the town proper to have lunch. We rested for a bit as the scorching sun was way too harsh. Getting roasted under the heat of the Philippine summer sun at noon was never part of our plan.

When we went back to the rock formations, we proceeded right away to Caranas because we just remembered that we haven’t explored it yet since we skipped it early that morning. We didn’t get the chance to see Giron, the seventh rock formation. Our guide said that it’s not really frequented by tourists.

The patterns on the boulders look weird but surprisingly, oddly beautiful. Artsy people who are into abstract art will appreciate these bits of artwork. You can google-image all you want but not a single photo could give justice to its weirdness. Oh yes, weirdness. For humans who love and appreciate abstractions, intricacies, disharmony, enigmas, surrealism, complexities and even chaos, you will surely love this place. And that’s where its unique beauty comes in. That’s why it’s hard to please and impress me with something that people perceive as amazing because Biri already set my standards.

It took us one whole day to explore the rock formations. I was sunburnt and my legs were tired from walking. But for a place as enchanting and overwhelming as this, complaining will never be a part of my vocabulary.

We decided to go back to Bel-At to take a dip whilst waiting for the sunset. Samar really has the best tidal pools. They’re so huge that your friends and other tourists will not run out of space where you can play and swim.

The sun was already below the horizon when we returned to the town proper. It was indeed one of the best trips I ever had. The next morning, it was time to bid goodbye to the island then continue our way to Calbayog City. As we were on our way to where passenger boats are docked, we chanced upon this cute abandoned house along the road. I’ve noticed it before during my first visits so I told our guide to pull over so we could have a look.

We took the passenger boat headed for Lavezares where we would transfer to a tricycle to get back to Allen and catch our ride to Calbayog. As the breeze of the salty wind hit my face en route Samar mainland, I could feel the pain from my sunburnt skin but boy was my heart fulfilled yet pained at the same time. Seeing Biri always made me happy but bidding farewell to the island has always left me in an inexpressible state of melancholy. Bittersweet, indeed.

***For other destinations in Samar, you may visit this link.