Spelunking in Baquitan Cave, Islas de Gigantes

Our last itinerary on our second day in Islas de Gigantes was spelunking at Baquitan Cave. After our exhilarating island hopping activities, we went back to the base camp at a little past 3:00 pm, as Joefer Decano instructed. We just had coffee at the base camp, dressed up and off we went to Baquitan Cave.

From Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn, we had to walk for about 15 minutes until we reached the start of a steep slope which served as our entry point to the cave. Since it was raining that morning, the path is muddy so we had a hard time going up. We were also wearing our ever reliable flipflops (at least we thought so until we figured out it’s not suitable for trekking after all, hehe). Three out of five of us gave up and went down the slope. Thing is, it was harder to go down as it was so slippery and there was no rope whatsoever on the trail. The slope is about six to seven feet high at an angle of about 45 degrees, but it took us so long and tons of courage to go down. Add to that the several twigs on the ground that eventually marked a long wound on my thigh before I was finally able to go back to ground zero.

So, lo and behold, our friends Uly and Bhey continued the trek and was able to explore Baquitan Cave. All the photos from this post are from them. Salamat Uly & Bhey!

According to them, the cave is so beautiful with stalagmites and stalactites just starting to form. The formation inside the cave is quite impressive but they feel it needs a lot of work in terms of preservation.

During their spelunking activity, there were parts were they don’t even know where to step on or cling on to get to the next chamber. So, they had to do it a la Tarzan and Jane and made use of the old vines.

Our friends also saw these human bones inside the cave. Again, we believe that there’s so much to discover at Islas de Gigantes in terms of archaeology and history. It is believed that this cave served as a chamber for soldiers during the World War II. There are also stories about Yamashita treasures that are belived to be buried all around the island, thus, the influx of treasure hunters in Islas de Gigantes at some point in history.

If you’re up to some adventure, spelunking at Islas de Gigantes is perfect for you. It has around 50 caves on the island alone, with varying levels of difficulty. There are five caves that are open for tourists as of the moment. The rest can be explored but with utmost precaution. 

Our friends had to crawl to this opening to get into the next chamber. 

Amazing stalagmites and stalactites can be seen inside the cave. 

This formation looks like a glistening piece of crystal! 

We envied our friends when they had shown us their photos. How we wish we were able to go there, too! So, we promised ourselves that the next time we go to Islas de Gigantes, we’ll go there in summer, bring trekking shoes or sandals and appropriate clothing for this adventure. 

When you go spelunking, your tour guide will be Kojack from Joel Decano’s team. You may reach Joel at 09184685006. Tour guide rate for spelunking is Php 200 per pax.

Ou friends Uly and Bhey crawling out of a small opening inside Baquitan Cave.

When they finally went back to the base camp, the two were enveloped in mud and exhausted but they said that’s one experience they would never forget. You survived, Uly and Bhey! Kudos!

Related Posts:

How to go to Islas de Gigantes?

Where to stay at Islas de Gigantes?

The Parola at Islas de Gigantes

Island Hopping  at  Islas de Gigantes

Snorkeling, Spelunking and Beach Bumming at Islas de Gigantes

Antonia Beach, Islas de Gigantes, Iloilo

Antonia beach at a glance

In my previous post (here), I wrote about the highlights of our island hopping activities at Islas de Gigantes. I focused more on the challenging, leg-breaking stunts we had to do to go inside the saltwater lagoon, climbing the rocks at Cabugao Gamay and doing jump shots at Bantigue sandbar. I promised to write about Antonia beach on a separate note because I feel there is so much to say about this island, so here it goes.

If you’ll ask me which of the islands provide a bird eye’s view of the entire Islas de Gigantes group of islands, my answer is – Antonia beach. The reason for being is that it has a lot to offer besides its pristine white sand and azure waters. No wonder it is where tourists are brought to have picnic lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon before heading back to the base camp.

A view of the nearby islands from Antonia beach

So, what are the things that you can do in Antonia beach? Though it is ideal for beach bumming (the sand here is finer than in Cabugao Gamay), guests can also enjoy lounging under the coconut trees while reading a book or having picnic lunch by the seaside. Its marine biodiversity is also very rich and surreal. Plus, you can go up to a small cave where you can have a nice view of the entire island.

Stunning rock formation

The other side of the beach

 As suggested by our boatmen and tour guide, we had our lunch by the seaside. Our food was prepared by Ate Anggay, the cook at Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn, and was composed of grilled fish and porkchop. Don’t worry about the tour guide and the boatmen, they also have their food and its part of the budget.

Ate Anggay’s Grilled Fish

Grilled Porkchop

 The packed lunch also includes softdrinks and mineral water. The breeze at Antonia beach will definitely lure you to sleep after a sumptuous feast. But please, try to resist it as there’s so much to explore in the island!

Scallop shells in the scallop capital

Again, we noticed mountains of scallop shells on the island. Joefer Decano, our tour guide said this is because the owner of the island is a scallop supplier. We really feel that these shells can be put into better use. I just came from the CITEM event earlier at SMX and saw a lot of world-class accessories made of shells of different kinds on exhibit. Some are even for sale and/or for export. Why not use these shells as a material to create things like that? 

Islas de Gigantes has a very rich marine biodiversity, because it lies at the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the WORLD! Yes, the Visayan Sea has such title so make sure when you visit Islas de Gigantes, you go way, way under just like what we did!

Corals in Antonia beach

 According to Joel Decano (Tourism Officer of Carles, Iloilo – 09184685006), they have identified seven diving sites around Islas de Gigantes, not to mention one site ideal for drift diving. There are no dive shops yet in Islas de Gigantes but for your diving needs, you may get in touch with Joel, as he, himself is a PADI-certified diver and  can accompany you on a diving safari.

The corals at Islas de Gigantes, both in Antonia beach and in Cabugao Gamay, are alive and humongous! Although, more varieties can be seen in Antonia beach. Please be weary though that in some seasons (like when we were there), we saw some tiny jellyfish swimming with us, so the water is a bit stingy. Otherwise, Antonia beach is a perfect spot to snorkel. So sorry to say this, but walang sinabi ang snorkeling site sa Boracay dito! Again, I intended to write that in the vernacular. 

We had brought some bread for fish feeding, and we noticed that the fishes here are not yet accustomed to being “fed” with crumbles of bread. Although, it took only awhile before they got used to it. 

If you’re tired of the underwater scene, you can go to the other side of the island where a small cave is located. You have to climb a bamboo ladder suspended on giant rocks. Again, my fear of heights forbade me go all the way up, but my friends did, so I just took their photo. 

There are more than 50 caves in Islas de Gigantes ready to be explored, but there are five caves highly-recommended for tourists. So, if spelunking is your thing, Islas de Gigantes is heaven for you! 

The cave at Antonia beach is just like a teaser for the yet another challenging activity that we were about to do later that afternoon. 

Meet Joefer Decano, Joel’s brother who served as our tour guide for oue entire stay at Islas de Gigantes.

From the cave at Antonia beach, you will see a nice panoramic view of Islas de Gigantes.

If going up the cave is challenging, going down is more difficult! But, as my friends came down the bamboo ladder, I envy them so much that I promised myself, on my next trip to Islas de Gigantes, I’ll go take the challenge,  so help me God!

Related Posts:

How to go to Islas de Gigantes?

Where to stay at Islas de Gigantes?

The Parola at Islas de Gigantes

Island Hopping  at  Islas de Gigantes

Spelunking at Baquitan Cave, Islas de Gigantes

Island Hopping at Islas de Gigantes

The entrance to Tangke Saltwater Lagoon

And now, for the piece de resistance of our Islas de Gigantes trip (drum roll please!)…

At around 8:00 am, we saw ourselves riding in tandem again on a motorcycle, off to the port where a pumpboat awaits us for our island hopping activities. The boat is smaller than what I imagined (my benchmark being the boat in Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa or in Coron). But, the boat, I tell you, is small but terrible. The regular rate for one-day island hopping at Islas de Gigantes is Php 2,500 for a boat that fits 10 people if you’re coming from Gigantes Norte. You may contact Joel Decano at 09184685006.

Early on, Joefer Decano (Joel’s brother who served as our tour guide) said that we might not be able to go to Uaydahon Island (a very nice snorkeling site) and Tangke saltwater lagoon because of the humongous waves roaring at the Visayan sea that time. We said it is OK to skip Uaydahon but begged to at least try to go to Tangke, as it is the most iconic site in Islas de Gigantes. So, upon consulting with the two other boatmen – Marni and Taboy – they said yes! 

On our way to Tangke, we can already feel the waves were indeed roaring. We thought Joefer  might be right, it’s risky to go there. But then, we kept our fingers crossed. When we arrived at the lagoon’s entrance, the waves got even stronger. Marni tried to jump off the boat and swam towards the huge limestone formation where he would try to anchor our boat but to no avail, he failed.  So we told them if it’s really risky, we should not go inside anymore and instead proceed to our nest destination. We were so sad then. ='(

After the failed attempt to go inside the saltwater lagoon, we cruised the waves to our next destination – Cabugao Gamay Island. There are actually two “Cabugao” islands in Islas de Gigantes: Cabugao Gamay (gamay means ‘small’) and Cabugao Dako (dako means ‘big’). We went to Cabugao Gamay as Joefer had suggested. “Cabugao” means pomelo or suha in the vernacular. It is named as such as there are a lot of pomelo trees within the island, though we haven’t seen one.

Cabuago Gamay from a distance

 The sand is white but not fine, but the island’s shape is an eye candy! If you have been to Bantayan in Cebu or Buntod Reef in Masbate, the sand there is similar to the one in Cabugao Gamay. Perhaps the reason behind is it’s location. Masbate lies at the northeast of Islas de Gigantes, while Cebu (Bantayan in particular) lies on its southeast. 

Coconut trees on Cabugao Gamay

 Cabugao Gamay has rows of coconut trees and sharp limestone cliffs on both sides. Make sure to wear your aqua shoes or flipflops because there are sharp shells (yes, you guessed it right, there are also scallop shells here!) on the sandbar. You can also go snorkeling here, but we were told that the corals and fishes here are less than in our upcoming destination – Antonia Beach.

The waves roar through the picturesque rocks

The sand gets finer as you go farther into the sea. But you have to be careful as the current tends to get really strong, so be vigilant and wear your life vests always.

The other side of the sand bar

Azure waters at Cabugao Gamay

 The water in Islas de Gigantes is so clear and blue. We could just imagine how nice it is to look at during summer when the sun strikes at the white sand and bounces off the clear waters. 

Rock formation at Cabugao Gamay

 The rocks at Cabugao Gamay are comparable to the ones in Coron. I remember seeing a rock formation like this at the far end of Malcapuya Island in Coron. 

The island is so serene. I can imagine the hit reality TV series Survivor doing their shoot here. Islas de Gigantes is like Caramoan in the earlier years. Hmm, I’d love the idea but on the contrary, I’d love my fellow Filipinos to enjoy the beauty of Islas de Gigantes first, bago pag-pyestahan ng mga banyaga. I intended to write that in the vernacular. 

The other side of the other side of the sand bar. =P

 A visit to Cabugao Gamay is not complete without the iconic photo ops atop the rocks. And to do that, you’ll have to climb the rocks, get dirty, and never look back. LOL. Make sure to wear non-skid footwear or flipflops and put your camera on a strap as the rocks are a bit steep and challenging. But, as Joefer said, if  you go caving in Islas de Gigantes, this one is just like a warm up. Though I am afraid of heights, my friends and Joefer gave me a hand and in no time I saw myself on top of the rocks with this panoramic view in front of me! Thanks, friends!

A top view of Cabugao Gamay

 After taking some photos and having a quick dip, we continued our journey and went to Bantigue Sandbar. It is just across Cabugao Gamay so in about 10 minutes, our boatmen anchored our boat to the long stretch of sand.

The sand is not as white as Cabugao Gamay’s, but it’s finer

The sand here is finer, but a bit yellowish in color. The comparison I could think of is that of Misibis Bay in Cagraray Island, Albay. At the far end of the island are about four to five houses inhabited by the locals.

A community lives at Bantigue Sandbar

from Bantigue Sandbar, you can see Cabugao Gamay. This can be a perfect backdrop for the much-anticipated jump shot! 

Do the jump shot here!

 Our next destination is Antonia Beach where we stayed longer for lunch, snorkeling and beach bumming. I will do a separate post on Antonia Beach next, so stay tuned.

Antonia Beach

At Antonia Beach, we saw another boat of tourists docking and overheard their conversation that they had just came from Tangke. And so we begged Joefer, Marni and Taboy again to bring us to the saltwater lagoon, as we believe that a trip to Islas de Gigantes isn’t complete without seeing this natural wonder.

So, excited to go back to Tangke, we packed our stuff and boarded the boat again. When we approached the limestone entrance, the waves were still roaring, but not as strong as the morning earlier. Our knights in shining armor – Marni, Taboy and Joefer – did their best to anchor the boat to the huge rock. It wasn’t as easy as we thought. Marni had to dive again and tie a long rope around the rock so that our boat will be sturdy. Joefer tried to put the wood that will serve as our ladder in between the boat and the limestone but again, to no avail, he failed. So, they tied the boat with more rope, Joefer was able to cross the limestone cliff, while Marni and Taboy held a bamboo which will serve as  a handle where we can hold on to while we cross from the moving tip of the boat to where Joefer was.  

My friends went in first. It wasn’t easy as you have to have a perfect timing as to when to step from the tip of the boat to the rock. I  decided I wouldn’t go. I can’t. I am not good in balancing. I might just end up hitting my head on the sharp rocks. But then my friends never gave up and persuaded me to try anyway. Again, it wasn’t easy. The waves made the tip of the boat move farther away from the bamboo where I held on to. I screamed my lungs out, and the next thing I knew, I was stepping on the rock where my friends are. Wheeeewwwww! Again, thank you friends!

Without further ado, here’s where we’re dying to go to – Tangke Saltwater Lagoon.

The enchanting saltwater lagoon

The lagoon is the best I’ve seen so far. Clear waters, amazing rock formation and serene atmosphere. Enchanting, indeed. When I first saw it, I can’t help but say “Oh my god, ang ganda!” while my heart was still beating fast from the stunt I made in order to get inside the lagoon. 

When we were still researching about Islas de Gigantes, we had read some accounts that says Tangke saltwater lagoon is enchanted. One proof is that you won’t see any leaf on its crystalline waters, something that is unusual as the lagoon is surrounded by cliffs that has a lot of trees ( and monkeys). Some believes that a goddess has been protecting the lagoon. However, Joel Decano shared a scientific explanation as to why there is no single leaf in Tangke. He said the water at the lagoon rises at high tide, and when the water gets low at low tide, all the trash including the leaves are somewhat being suctioned into the sea. Quite hard to believe but still makes sense.

Crystalline waters inside the saltwater lagoon

 Aside from shouting in excitement, the next words I said inside the lagoon was “dapat may photo ako dito!” And so, Joefer got our cameras and we had our photo ops. If you have a waterproof camera, better to bring that inside the lagoon than an ordinary camera because on your way out, you’ll have to go through a small hole in the water. Sort of like the one in El Nido but a bit higher. There goes another buwis-buhay stunt for me, because as you get out of the hole, you’ll have to swim to the boat while the waves are getting in your face as if bidding you goodbye.

Though we were so exhausted with climbing up and down, battling the waves and braving the challenging entrance of the saltwater lagoon, we still went home with big smiles on our faces. Islas de Gigantes is amazing. It is not your typical frou frou beach where you just flaunt your bikini and sip a margarita by the shore. If your dream is to be a part of Survivor, then Islas de Gigantes is for you. It’s definitely worth the long travel time from Iloilo. 

Related Posts:

How to go to Islas de Gigantes?

Where to stay at Islas de Gigantes?

The Parola at Islas de Gigantes

Snorkeling, Spelunking and Beach Bumming at Islas de Gigantes

Spelunking at Baquitan Cave, Islas de Gigantes

The Parola at Gigantes Norte

The Parola at Gigantes Norte

On our second day at Islas de Gigantes, we woke up early to start our fully-loaded itinerary for the day. And by that I mean really early, like we had to get up at 5:00 am so that we can take turns in using the bathroom. At 6:00 am, coffee was ready for us at the verdant lawn of the Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn (contact Joel Decano at 09184685006), and at 6:30 am, three motorcycles fetched us from the inn and chartered us to our first destination – the Parola. Fare is Php 75 per person. Each of us also gave Php 20 to the caretaker.

The road to the Parola is concrete and narrow. On our way, we passed by some forested cliffs. A bit creepy but, well that’s part of the deal! We passed by some sharp curves and stopped at a spot where we had to walk uphill because the road is rough and unpaved so the motorcycles cannot pass through.  Little did we know that this “walk” will serve as our warm up for the coming activities later that day. 

So after about a 10-minute walk, we finally reached the site of the old lighthouse’s ruins. If you have been to Guisi lighthouse in Guimaras, you would notice that the ruins around the Parola at Islas de Gigantes looks almost the same. The Parola is built during the Spanish era to guide the ships going to Cebu and Masbate, passing through the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the world, the Visayan Sea. Though the old lighthouse in Gigantes Norte is not existent now, a new lighthouse was built.  

At the ruins of the Parola

Clockwise: Uly, Bhey, Irog, Me and Lennie

Ayaw namin mag-picture!

You can actually climb your way up to the top deck of the lighthouse as there are sturdy ladders open to the public, unlike in Guisi where you have to go one by one because the old lighthouse is dilapidated and can collapse anytime. The thing is, my fear of heights forbade me to go up, but my friends did. 

Bhey braving the ladders at the Parola

 I must admit, I envy them when I saw them up there! It must have been a nice experience to see a 360-degree view from the top. Oh well, next time I’ll try to conquer my fear of heights!

A bird’s eye view from one of the Parola’s windows

From the top, they saw a nice panoramic view of Islas de Gigantes, and a bit of the island of Masbate.

View from the top

There were several things we had noticed on our way to and from the lighthouse. First, there were no other vehicles at Islas de Gigantes except motorcycles (or at least we didn’t saw any). So, people either ride the motorcycle, or walk. On our way to the Parola, we saw some kids on their way to school, which is located in front of Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn, walking. They do not seem to realize how far the distance is,  or they just don’t have a choice. Imagine, in Manila, when I walk from Ayala to Greenbelt 5, I complain head on, while these kids do not mind walking the distance at all. I salute these  kids – all for the love of education.

Second, scallop shells are everywhere! These tiny shells must be turned into something – like crafts, construction materials or whatever. There’s too much potential in it that it is such a waste to just throw it around the island and let the bugs feast on  it. A kind of sustainable livelihood program using these scallop shells should be implemented. 

And you said you want scallops, huh?

Lastly, at the “entrance” to the lighhouse, we saw a huge hole. If this is something that the ‘treasure hunters had created, we don’t know. Are there still some ‘gold diggers’ looking for buried treasures at Islas de Gigantes? The quest continues.

So at around 7:30 am, we went back to Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn for our breakfast and our second and much-anticipated itinerary for the day – island hopping.

Related Posts:

How to go to Islas de Gigantes?

Where to stay at Islas de Gigantes?

Island Hopping  at  Islas de Gigantes

Snorkeling, Spelunking and Beach Bumming at Islas de Gigantes

Spelunking at Baquitan Cave, Islas de Gigantes

Off to the Base Camp at Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn

Mangroves on the scenic coastline of Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte

After almost 12 hours on the road, hopping from one ride to another (includes waiting intervals at the airport, bus and boat), we had finally reached our destination – Gigantes Norte – one of the major islands in Islas de Gigantes, Carles, Iloilo. We jumped aboard a bamboo raft from the passenger boat to get into the shore. From there, motorcycles were waiting for us. And by that I mean single motorcycles, not a tricycle. This is the only means of transportation in Gigantes Norte. Each motorcycle can transport two people at a time, so we hopped in pairs and off we went to our base camp – Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn. 

Standard fare is Php 10 per pax.

Motorcycle is the major means of transportation in the island

Gigantes Hideaway (as how the locals refer to it) is a short 5-minute motorcycle ride from the port, or 15 minutes by foot, passing by a scenic coastline lined with mangroves, some residential homes and mountains of empty scallop shells. Owned by Carles’ tourism officer, Joel Decano, it is the only established accommodation in Islas de Gigantes as of this writing. It is actually a compound where Joel’s family live side by side. 

The entrance at Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn

The three-bedroom main house was converted into an inn. Gradually, they are adding more rooms to accommodate more tourists. The main house has a clean bathroom with ample supply of water, a dining area and a spacious living room. There is a videoke machine and a sounds system in the house, which the guests can use for free.

The quad room at the main house

The rate is Php 200 per person per night, regardless of how many rooms you want to occupy. Of course, this depends on the season. We were the only guests when we were there, so we got two rooms. One room with a queen-sized bed (fits two pax) and another room with two single beds and a queen-sized bed (fits four pax).

The room good for two pax

Power runs until 11:30 pm only. After that, a generator supports the power requirements of the inn until early morning. So, make sure to charge your cameras and phones before the power shuts down. Also, there is no network signal in Gigantes Hideaway (all networks). There’s only a place they call “call center” where people are literally doing their “calls” and “texts”. So, if you’re hiding from your boss or your ex-lover, go to Islas de Gigantes and they will not be able to contact you for the time being! You’re on vacation, right?

A scrumptious seafood feast

Now that you know how to go and where to stay at Islas de Gigantes, the next question is: where do we eat or buy food? Worry no more as the friendly staff at Gigantes Hideaway can do this for you. The usual arrangement with them is that they will charge you depending on the market value of the ingredients that they will use to cook your food. Yes, at cost. And then, you’ll just have to give a tip to Ate Anggay, the cook.

The food, especially seafoods at Islas de Gigantes is so affordable. Dubbed as the scallops capital of Carles, you can buy a kilo of scallops at Php 110 and can go lower on certain seasons! Fish, crabs, lagang(a kind of shellfish) and all sorts of seafoods are abundant in the island that you can indulge without spending a fortune! Our total bill for the food for our three days and two nights stay (dinner on day 1, full board on day 2 and breakfast on day 3) was Php 1300+ only, good for five pax.

The food is not like the usual resort food as it seems like we were having a feast all the time. Imagine this: sizzling scallops, scallop skewers, fish sinigang, spicy lagang and fried fish on the first night alone! Plus crabs and all sorts of scallop dishes on the succeeding meals! We also have an abundant supply of coffee; and beers and liquors are just within reach.  

L-R: Joel, Bhey, Irog, Uly, Lennie, Me and Jingle

On our first night, we invited Jingle and Joel to join us over a few rounds of drinks. It was a blast I must say! During the conversation, we can’t help but talk about some interesting stories on Islas de Gigantes. Joel shared some stories as to why the group of islands is called “Islas de Gigantes.”

‘There are historical accounts saying it is because of the wooden coffins found buried within the island. These coffins are about 7 to 12 ft in length, so the locals thought the early settlers on the island are ‘giants’, thus the name,” Joel recounts. Two of these wooden coffins are displayed at the dining area of Gigantes Hideaway, in front a huge Balete tree. Interesting. The island has more than the sand and sea for sure. 

the Balete tree at Gigantes Hideaway

One of the two coffins in Joel’s custody

Joel also told us that just hours before we arrived at the inn, they had been digging within the compound because they were putting up another nipa hut and at less than three feet below the ground, they had found some ceramic jars with human bones and some personal belongings inside. They had displayed the jars in a wooden cabinet inside the main house, while they buried the human bones somewhere within the compound. Joel also said that there was a time when treasure hunters flocked to the island to dig and search for Yamashita treasures. Until now, there are still see some evidences of the diggings that they made on the island. 

Ceramics found from less than three feet under the ground

There’s so much to discover at Islas de Gigantes that I think the experts or the government should focus on. Imagine these ceramics and wooden coffins that they had found. I am pretty sure that there are a lot of stuff like these buried beneath the grounds of Islas de Gigantes. These are things that are part of our history – something that we should preserve and document. Hello UNESCO? Come visit Islas de Gigantes to see for yourselves!

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Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn
Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte, Carles, Iloilo

Joel Decano – 09184685006

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Related Posts:

How to go to Islas de Gigantes?

The Parola at Islas de Gigantes

Island Hopping  at  Islas de Gigantes

Snorkeling, Spelunking and Beach Bumming at Islas de Gigantes

Spelunking at Baquitan Cave, Islas de Gigantes

Retracing the Route to Islas de Gigantes

Sa Islas de Gigantes ko natagpuan

 Ang wagas na kagandahan ng karagatan.

Mapa–isla o kailaliman man,

Pangako, ika’y aking babalikan.

Aboard Tiger Airway’s A320 bound to Iloilo at dusk

It was not part of my travel plans for the year, nor was I aware that a sliver of heaven on earth lies at the northern part of Iloilo. Thanks to Tiger Airways (and to my unwavering impulsiveness) and in a snap I found myself off to the idyllic Islas de Gigantes.

Islas de Gigantes is a small group of islands in Carles, Iloilo at the northeastern part of Panay. It has two major islands: Gigantes Norte and Gigantes Sur. The islands and islets of Islas de Gigantes are actually closer to Gigantes Sur. Since there is no established accommodation in Gigantes Sur, it is practical to stay at the Gigantes Hideaway Inn in Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte – the only decent accommodation at Islas de Gigantes as of this writing. Gigantes Hideaway Inn is owned by the family of Joel Decano (09184685006), the tourism officer of Carles, Iloilo.

Islas de Gigantes is accessible via local flights to Iloilo or Roxas. We chose the Iloilo route because there are more flights available from Manila to Iloilo than Manila to Roxas, although it could have been faster if we took the Roxas route as it is only two hours away from Estancia, the gateway to Islas deGigantes. Iloilo City is about four hours away from Estancia. We touched down at around 6:55 am. 

Panay Island (from GoogleMaps)

From Iloilo Airport, ride a van to SM and tell the driver to drop you off at Jaro Cathedral. The fare is Php 50 per pax. This is a cheaper alternative than taking a cab which costs Php 350/trip. From the Jaro Cathedral, board a jeepneygoing to Tagbak Terminal. Fare is Php 8 per pax.

At Tagbak Terminal, there are vans and buses (Ceres) bound to Estancia. If you’re there before 7am, you will be able to catch the aircon bus to Estancia. In our case, we missed it. The next aircon bus would be at 1pm. This left us with a choice between van and an ordinary bus. We chose to board the ordinary bus because we thought the van is too crowded, and we won’t be comfortable for the duration of the four-hour drive. However, based from our experience, the travel time via bus is lengthier than by van (which we took on our way back) because it has to pick up passengers along the way, and the ride is bumpy and uncomfortable as the driver maneuvered the bus as if we were riding the Hogwarts Express! The bus ride took four hours while the van took only 3 hours. Lesson learned, take the van, and if you’re a group of three, pay for the entire row for added comfort. Fare is Php 150 each (be it bus or van), so you’ll just have to add Php 50 each and you’re sitting like a princess already on your way to paradise!

Ordinary Ceres Bus at Tagbak Terminal

When you reach the Estancia terminal, ride a tricycle going to the port, (or the market if you want to have lunch and buy some supplies first). Fare is Php10/pax. The boat “St. Michael” bound to Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte leaves the port at 2pm. This is the only trip to Gigantes Norte, so make sure you are at the port before 2pm. To be safe, go there at 1pm!

Thai Sizzling Chicken at Lucky Sizzling Plate Restobar

In our case, we arrived at the port at around 12 noon so we went to the market first and ate at Lucky Sizzling Plate Restobar. It is owned and managed by Richard, a former assistant manager at a famous restaurant in SM Megamall. There were rice meals ranging from Php 65 to 70, and ala carte meals good for two to three pax at Php 65 to 95. You just have to order rice at Php 8 per cup. We ordered the Thai Sizzling  Chicken (deep-fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves), rice and softdrinks. As far as I remember, my share costs around Php 70. Not bad for a decent meal! If you wish to order food in advance, you may reach Richard at 09072865785. He said he can also help arrange tours to Sicogon Island (an island midway of Estancia and Islas de Gigantes which is said to be the Boracay of the late 70s and early 80s where the movie “Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa” was shot.  Tetchie Agbayani’s Playboy magazine centerfold was also done in this island). However, I cannot vouch for his service since we already have a contact in Islas de Gigantes, and we did not hire him.

Richard in white polo

After eating lunch, we headed to the supermarket in front of Lucky Sizzling and bought our supplies for the rest of the trip. Most of the blogs we have read said we need  to bring drinking water as it is scarce in the island, so we hoarded some bottles, as well as some liquor and chips enough for the duration of our stay. However, when we arrived at Gigantes Hideaway Inn, Joel said that they had actually worked on a good water system so that guests won’t have to bring anything (except for personal belongings) when going to the island. Even the water in the bathrooms is clean, safe and potable. It turned out that the blogs we had read had their base camps in Gigantes Sur, where there is no decent accommodation yet, and the supply of potable water is limited.

The busy port  of Estancia

At 1:30 pm, we were already aboard the boat where we also met Jingle, the assigned tour guide who will accompany us to Gigantes Hideaway Inn. The boat left at a little past 2pm. Should you miss the boat, your options are either stay for the night at any of the resorts in Estancia (there are a few quaint resorts there), or rent a boat which costs around Php 4,500 and up depending on the size. However, based from what we experienced, I wouldn’t recommend renting a small boat because the waves can get really rough. The passenger boat, St. Michael, is already a big and sturdy boat but we can still feel the waves coming from a sort of a criss-cross direction! So, unless you want to feel like clothes in a spin dryer, be at the port before 2pm to catch the one and only passenger vessel. Fare is Php 80 per pax.

The only passenger vessel to Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte

On our way to Gigantes Norte, Jingle helped us in deciphering the map which my friend had printed from the net. He showed us where Sicogon Island is, as well as Mt. Manaphag in Concepcion.  

A fishing vessel backdropped by Mt. Manaphag

From afar we can already see Islas de Gigantes – shaped like a sleeping giant on a bed of raging waves. It took us about two hours to reach the port at Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte.

Islas de Gigantes

 The port, like the rest of the island, is so quiet and quaint, opposite of what the port at Estancia is. There’s no wharf at the port so during low tide, people (and we’re not exempted)  have to take a bamboo raft to reach the shore. From the shore, we took a single motorcycle to reach our base camp for this adventure – Gigantes Hideaway Inn.

The port at Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte

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Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn
Brgy. Asluman, Gigantes Norte, Carles, Iloilo

Joel Decano – 09184685006

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