The
breath taking splendid Balabac Island
Dolphin
watching in Balabac Strait
The Philippines is blessed with countless of
wonder and the beauty of a bio diverse nature is one of them. With thousands of
uncharted islands waiting to be discovered and explored, the Philippines is one
of the fortunate countries to have long coastlines, rugged and mystical
interiors and jungles so bounty it produces a large portion of the Earth's endemic
species of flora and fauna meaning there are lots of flowers, greenery and
animals in the country that a nature lover could truly amaze in disbelief.
While Thailand is one of the most popular
tourist destinations in the world when it comes to tropical beaches, nature and
rich, colorful history and culture, Philippines got small attention from the
world and welcome a very small percentage of tourist arrivals compared to the
rest of the world's destinations. Aside from the aggressive promotion and media
campaigns, one reason Thailand is swarmed by tourists is the number of options
available to visitors which also include coolest perks and benefits as well as awesome outdoor activities. Each of
Thailand's famed beaches like Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Phi Phi
Islands has several thousands of accommodations to choose from the cheapest to
the most expensive luxury resort hotel and lots of other stores and venues for
their needs, services and recreation and most importantly, outdoor activities and leisure and other things to do so as not to get them bored doing nothing other than swimming, diving, snorkeling and sight seeing. This is similar to Boracay but the only difference between Boracay
and Thailand's beaches is management and regulation. The now dirty, noisy and
crowded Boracay is the effect of abuse, mismanagement and lack of strict
regulation. I believe that if strict regulation and proper management governed
an island paradise it will keep its pristine beauty for generations to see. I
think this can be done with other Philippines' undiscovered gems of nature. If
political will and right attitude plays the role, thousands of options that
will cater to the needs and service of the visitors shall be put into place
into each of these brilliantly precious destinations. What Thailand or Malaysia
can offer the Philippines do not only double it but three times or four times
their worth and charm.
Visitors and tourists may already have heard and
visited places such as Boracay, Palawan, Manila, Intramuros, Vigan, Cebu etc.
but they never knew that there tropical beaches in the country that is worth
the hype and way much more beautiful than the famed Boracay Island. Here are
some of the stunning beaches in the country which could rival that of
Thailand's finest beaches:
Balabac
shores
Canabungan
Island, Balabac, Palawan
Bugsuk Island, Balabac, Palawan
Sunset at Bugsuk Island
Bugsuk Island is
located in Balabac town, Palawan. This little island jewel located at the
southwest Philippines has an interesting history to tell.
On
August 13, 1944 eight members on board USS Flier reached Bugsuk Island when the
submarine struck a mine while on surface patrol during World War II. They swam
18 hours before reaching an atoll near Bugsuk and spent another three days
swimming to two other island before landing on Bugsuk thanks to the help of
Filipino guerilla. Seventy-eight men died including the seven who escaped the
sub but didn't survive swimming.
Today,
Bugsuk Island is a paradise to behold. Its long stretch of white sand beach defines
the horizon that never ends or boundless. This flat island is home to the
longest and one of the finest white sand beach in the country – finer that
those in Boracay. According to a traveler, the beach in Barangay Sibaring in
the southern part of the island is so fine and powdery it will make your feet
sink. In this expanse lives the local worm called wakwak and for the ethnic group Palaw’an tribe who lives in the area
dipping these crawlies in vinegar means “snack”.
You can try it yourself!
Wakwak, the local worm thriving on the sands of
Bugsuk Island
The catch is life is laidback! No modern accommodations in the island or in the town proper of Balabac or in Rio Tuba in the town of Bataraza and no electricity or restaurant and not even a reliable phone signals or modern villas. This is an ideal retreat for people who wants to separate themselves for a while from the rest of the world. So tips are bring flashlights and/or matchsticks to light fuel for light in the darkness, cook food or to keep you warm the rest of the night, bring materials; tools or ingredients for cooking otherwise bring ready to eat food and most of all, bring insect repellent to keep you from insect bites.
There
are however, small and simple lodging houses in the Balabac town proper just
across the shore of Bugsuk Island. These are:
JD
Lodging House (Sing and Swing Karaoke Bar) in Poblacion, Balabac town proper
MLK
Lodging House also in Balabac.
Here's
what to expect and do in Bugsuk Island:
-
Visit and view the Spanish era Melville lighthouse built in 1818.and finished
in 1892.
-
Enjoy the long stretch of powdery white sand in Barangay Sebaring or Sebaring
Point.
-
Appreciate the bountiful mangrove locations in Sebaring, Bugsuk and Melville.
-
Sunrise and sunset in the island is one of the best
-
Go snorkeling, diving and scuba diving are free (Bring your own equipment)
-
Trek and scale Melville Peak
-
Visit the ruins of a Spanish structure at the mouth of Larindon Bay (below the
lighthouse of Melville)
Other
things of interest in Balabac Town:
-
Other mangrove areas
-
Island and beach hopping in the following areas: Onuk (Roughton), Nasubata,
Candaraman, Matangala, Canabungan, Ramos, Bowen, Siksikan, Secam, Patongong,
Pandanan and several others of the 31 islands, islets and sandbar in the town.
-
Visit the gorgeous pink sand beach of Comiran Island
-
Dolphin watching
-
See the endemic species of mouse deers, wild monkeys, crocodiles and other
floras and faunas in the wild
-
Balabac is also one of the most ideal spot for bird watching as it is home to
various migratory and endemic birds like Grey Imperial Pigeon, Philippine
Cockatoo, Blue-headed Racket-tai, Palawan Hornbill and possibly even the
Philippine eagle you can see them all there.
-
The cute fireflies at night
-
Immerse with the colorful and distinct culture of the Molbog tribe
-
Trek Italawon Peak and Malaking Ilog Peak
-
Hidden waterfalls in the mountains of Balabac
-
Historical markers in Ramos Island, old Spanish fort in Ulitan
-
Shopping for Malaysian products
How
to Reach Bugsuk Island
Bugsuk
has an airstrip which can accommodate small aircraft but no commercial airline
flies to these airstrips.
You
can travel via Puerto Princesa City.
Puerto Princesa City is connected by air from Manila via Philippine
Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and Zest Air; if you are coming from Cebu, Iloilo
and Davao you can fly via Cebu Pacific, from Busuanga Airport in Coron, Palawan
via Philippine Airlines and from Kota Kinabalu via MAS Wings airline.
By
ferry, 2GO Travel serves Manila to Puerto Princesa via Coron once a week and
Montenegro Shipping Lines and Milagrosa Shipping Lines have regular trips to
Puerto Princesa from Iloilo via Cuyo, Palawan.
From
San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa city, ride a bus or a van going to Rio
Tuba. Buses and vans regularly depart from San Jose Terminal starting at 4 am
to 9 pm daily. Fares is from as low as P275 pesos for non-air conditioned bus
and as high as P450 for air conditioned shuttle van or bus. Travel time is
approximately five (5) to six (6) hours on a non-aircon bus and approximately
six (6) to seven (7) hours for aircon transportation.
From
the port in Rio Tuba, boat ride for two (2) hours will take you to Bugsuk
Island. For boat hires, contact Rene Principe because he own a parcel of land
in Barangay Sibaring part of Bugsuk Island. Camping is allowed for a small fee
and bring your own tent.
Saluag
Island, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi
Saluag
Island is located in the Sibutu island town or municipality in Tawi-tawi, the
southernmost island of the Philippines. Saluag literally is the southernmost
island of the country. It is just 43.3 kilometers east of Borneo. The Tausug
and Sama Dilaut tribes who are the inhabitants of the scenic paradise makes a living
through fishing, boat making and seaweed farming.
It
is an isolated island community of nice and very kind people if you want to
experience and understand their laidback lifestyle. The place is very exotic
and if you enjoy cultures, this one is for you. You can see people’s native
home above the water or living near the shore, how the Tausugs dive looking for coins underwater tossed by people
from the ferries.
How
To Reach Saluag Island
Cebu
Pacific Air flies daily from Zamboanga City to Bongao, the capital town of
Tawi-Tawi.
From
Bongao airport, hire a tricycle to Chinese pier and find a ferry going to
Barangay Tandubanak in Sibutu. It's a 3-hour ride and costs P200 pesos one-way.
For
its alternate, you can look for ferry going to Sibutu town proper for a 4-hour,
one-way ride which cost P250 pesos and from here, hire a motorcycle for a
30-minutes ride and bring you to Barangay Tandubanak.
Ferries
going to Tandubanak and Sibutu town proper doesn't have fixed schedule so it’s
important to confirm trips at Chinese pier.
From
Barangay Tandubanak, a 30-minute motorcycle ride brings you to Barangay
Tandu-owak and from Tandu-owak, Saluag is just 40 minutes boat ride away.
Contact
Details:
For
more assistance, contact Ms. Salve Pescadera of Tawi-Tawi Tourism Office at +63
910 671 6367.
Olanivan Island, Saranggani, Davao Occidental
Aerial view
of Olanivan Island
Another destination of interest is the Olanivan
Island.Olanivan is located in the southernmost part of Davao Occidental, the
newest province in the Philippines and close border with Indonesia. Olanivan
Island is one of the three major islands in the town of Saranggani.It is an 18
hectares of powdery white sand paradise dotted with palms, coconuts and other
plants. This palm-fringed island has a circular white sand beach formation and
is near Balut Island and Saranggani Island. These three (Balut, Olanivan,
Saranggani) make up the island group known as the Saranggani Islands. If you
want to get away from the maddening crowd and from the noise and bustling party
life in other beach, this serene beach is ideal for you.
You will also be delighted in sharing the island
with its gentle locales belonging to the B'laan tribe who modestly dwells on
the island's western coast. B'laans are famous for their bead works, brassworks
and tabih weave which explains for their colorful embroidered native dress
while on the other side is the island's white lighthouse built by the Americans
during the early 20th century American colonial period to serve as a guide for
American warships going to Australia.
One will never forget the calming ambiance of
this pristine island.
Places Of Interests Near Olanivan
Balut Island - Maguindanaoan term for
"island" this tropical beach also known as Sanguil is another place
of interest and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Davao
Occidental. Nestled in the center of the island is Balut volcano
(stratovolcano) rising at about 2, 828 feet high.
Saranggani - Considered as an important island
in the town, don't confuse this island with the Saranggani province. This place
is also as beautiful as Olanivan because of the enticing scenery awaits the
visitors.
Tuke Maklang Beach Resort - also in Balut
Island, tourists can bring their tents for free. There are also open cottages
available for only P100 pesos. Ideal for boat riding and kayaking.
Sabang Hot Spring - still in Balut Island. Just
an hour and a half from Olanivan Island, it has two enclosed hot springs where
tourists can boil themselves up to 80 degrees celsius or 176 degrees Fahrenheit
in temperature.
How to Reach Olanivan Island
As the center of the town, Balut Island is the
common gateway to Olanivan.
From Manila or other cities, take a flight to
General Santos City. From General Santos City pier, there is a passenger ferry
bound for Balut Island everyday except Sunday either from Lion's Beach Port
(via M/V Frederick which costs a one-way ticket of P370 pesos) or Puting Bato
Port (via M/L Nieky and M/L Sabhan, both costs P300 pesos for a one-way ticket)
between 10:00 PM - 12:00 midnight. Travel duration is about 7 - 9 hours depending
on the weather condition.
From the Mabila port in Balut Island, Olanivan
is an hour away using an outrigger boat.
Omapuy
Island, Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
Bod Bongao
peak, Tawi-Tawi
Facing the
endless horizon in Bod Bongao peak, Tawi-Tawi
Foot
Bridge in Bod Bongao greet visitors on the boat traversing the canal that
serves as main gateway of Bod Bongao
An
emerald island part of Sitangkai group of islands located in the province of
Tawi-Tawi in the south westernmost part of the country is another piece of gem
waiting to be discovered and tapped its potential.
Omapuy
Island is an island surrounded by hectares of seaweed farms and stilt houses
floating over shallow waters. Another chance of experiencing cultures by
meeting the local Tausug and Sama Dilaut people harvesting tons of seaweed.
How
to Reach Omapuy Island
Cebu
Pacific has a regular daily flights Zamboanga City to Bongao, the capital town
of Tawi-Tawi. From the Bongao airport, hire a tricycle to Chinese pier and find
a ferry going to the Sibutu town proper
which has a travel time of approximately four (4) hours and cost a one-way trip
of P250 pesos. There's no fixed schedule for ferries going to Sibutu town
proper from Bongao but there are at least three trips per week so it is
important to go to the Chinese pier and inquire about possible trips to Sibutu.
From
Sibutu town proper, Omapuy Island is just an hour ride away by an outrigger
boat.
For
assistance, you can contact Salve Pescadera of the Tawi-Tawi Tourism Office at
+63 910 671 6367 and +63 905 154 7865
Onuk
Island, Balabac, Palawan
Foot
Bridge in Onuk Island
Small
sandbar in Onuk Island During High Tide
Finally,
Onuk Island is another one of the most remote islands in the country located in
the south westernmost tip of Palawan. It is apparently privately owned by Hon.
Shuaib Astami, mayor of Balabac town to which Onuk Island is part of so you
need to ask permission from the mayor so you can visit the beautiful island
treasure.
This
piece of jewel lying at the edge of the Sulu Sea is an endless horizon of
powdery white sand and crystal clear azure water meets the vast expanse of the
clear skies. The only obstruction are the greeneries on the island.
The
shallow water is so clear you don't need any cameras to see the marine life
underwater.
There
are structures on one corner of the island inhabited by the caretakers of the
island. The island is just small yet the picturesque scene is quite huge. This
is also home to the sea turtle sanctuary to protect them from poachers who hunt
them for money selling them to restaurants.
How
to Reach Onuk Island
In
order to gain access since Onuk Island is a private island, you need a
permission from the Office of Balabac Mayor. The permission should be
accompanied by your formal letter of request so it is a must to write your
letter of request early on before asking for permission. Balabac local
government office has a satellite office in Puerto Princesa located at Pajara, Barangay
Sta. Monica in front of Bible Baptist Church.
Once
you have a permit granted by the Balabac LGU, they will assist you or your
group from Puerto Princesa all the way to Onuk. All applicable fees including
boat transfers apply.
Article and Photo Sources:
George Tapan
Harry Limlingan Marcuap, Akrosdayunibers.com
Angel Juarez, lakwatsero.com
Len Jingco, pinterest.com
www.edmaration.com
http://insights.looloo.com/5-super-remote-philippine-beaches/
http://www.akrosdayunibers.com/philippines/palawan-south
http://gregmercadoelep.blogspot.com/2014/06/5-super-remote-philippine-beaches-that.html
http://beautifulmindanao.blogspot.com/2012/05/discovering-new-places-balut-island.html
http://vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Davao-Occidentals-Exotic-and-Beautiful-Olanivan-Island
http://www.lakwatsero.com/destinations/travel-guide-balabac/
http://www.blissfulguro.com/2014/09/onuk-island-beach-balabac-palawan.html
http://www.brookespointpalawan.com
http://www.akrosdayunibers.com/philippines/palawan-south
http://www.akrosdayunibers.com/philippines/revisiting-tawi-tawi-part-2-exploring-sitangkai-and-omapuy-islands
www.pinoyexchange.com
www.thetravelingnomad.com
