Kwenscapades

Cuatro Islas (Inopacan, Leyte)

7:03 PM

Long weekends basically shouts getaway. And thank God, I badly needed one.

There are a lot of beautiful, white sand beaches in Eastern Visayas --some widely known, some undiscovered. Cuatro Islas is one of those hidden gems of the region. Located in Inopacan, which is only a two-hour drive from Tacloban and an hour and a half from Ormoc City, this concealed tourist destination would definitely surprise you.

panoramic view

You can easily reach the municipality of Inopacan, that's for sure. But the more challenging part is going the the islands. You need to rent a pump boat for a day. It will take you to and fro the island. You can also do island hopping with the same boat. I won't recommend going alone since pump boats are chartered and there are no daily, scheduled trip; thus, it would be quite expensive.

No pier whatsoever. Take a chartered boat at a dock right behind the municipal hall of Inopacan. Pay Php30.00/person as entrance and environmental fee.

Large boat good for 15-20 persons would cost at least Php3,000.00-Php4,000.00. In our case, it was Php 3,500.00 (11 pax)

We arrived in Inopacan at around 9 in the morning and started our island hopping at 9:30am. The sun was scorching hot, but would have mind the heat when all you can see are natural wonders. We can't help but smile as we enjoy the pristine waters and captivating scenery.

Cuatro Islas (four islands) is a group of islands under the political jurisdiction of Hindang and Inopacan namely Digyo, Mahaba, Himokilan, and Apid. Our first stop for our island hopping was supposed to be Himokilan Island which is actually a fish sanctuary and the one nearest the main land. However, the boatman told us that recently, docking in the island was prohibited.

Himokilan Island from a distance.

We decided to go to the 3rd nearest island which is Mahaba Island. As the name suggests, the island is elongated in shape and is the second largest among the four islands. We were all at awe at the beauty of the island. I had no plans of swimming or even getting wet but my mind immediately changed as we were approaching the island.

crystal clear waters

After our dip and photo ops, we proceed to Digyo Island where we will spend the night. We didn't go to Apid Island anymore as the boatman commented that it is highly populated and is the least appealing among the four.

On our way to Digyo Island, everyone was complaining that they were already hungry. But, upon arrival on the island--instead of preparing our lunch--we instead took out our cameras and started taking pictures. Well, we can't be blamed. The island is just so beautiful!

shoreline just in front of our cottage

Digyo Island is far from being a commercialized destination. No hotel rooms, no restaurants, no beach pubs. We even brought our own drinking water as well as tap water for our bath! This place is for those who are after serene and relaxing environment.

overnight cottages at Php 500.00/night

open cottages at Php 300.00/day

rentable spaces for Php 50.00/day

MY THOUGHTS: Definitely a go-to beach. I personally prefer serene environments, which makes Cuastro Islas my number 1 choice by far. But if you're after comfort and luxury, this destination definitely won't do. As mentioned earlier, go with a group for everything to be less expensive and more secure. Bring enough food and water. Remember. No restos. No convenience store. Nothing.

So gather your friends and pack your sunblocks and sunnies. And be ready to gorge on the beauty of Cuatro Islas.

the gang ^^

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accommodation

Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort and Restaurant (Marabut, Samar)

9:42 AM

Samar is a hidden, undiscovered gem of the Philippines. How can I say that? Simply because the island offers a lot of beautiful places that is yet unknown to most. Pink sand beaches, rock formations, caves, and many other natural wonders--the island of Samar has that. In one of our (mis)adventures, we were able to try the most popular resort in Marabut, Samar--Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort.

Marabut in itself is famous for having eye-catching rock formations and beaches--but Caluwayan was a great addition the magnificence of the place.

Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort is located at Brgy. Caluwayan, Marabut, Samar. It started its operation last 2005. Since then, it has been a go-to place not only by foreigners but by local tourists as well. Being a resort, guests can do a lot of exciting activities. The resort offers kajaking, island hopping, videoke, and many other water sports.

It was raining hard when we arrived in Caluwayan. We were quite disappointed--not with the view--but with the weather. If only it wasn't raining hard, then our foreign friends would have witnessed the majesty of the place. Nevertheless, they were still amazed by the beauty of Marabut. They even compared it to the famous beaches of Vietnam and Thailand.

the view from our cottage

It was past 2pm when we arrived and we were already very hungry. So the first thing we did was to eat. We ordered snacks from their restaurant. I don't know if it was because we were already very hungry but the service took very long. I think it was more than 30 minutes before our food was served.

The resto is quite far from the cotages. But no need to go there to order, waiters will come and take your orders.

After having our snacks, my friends rented a pumpboat to go around the the nearby rock formations. An hour rent costs 500php; and it is already good for 4 people. But since we were short of time and we neded to get back to Tacloban by 6pm, they only took a 30 minute-ride (250php). It only took them about 20 minutes to see the nearby rock formation. And what did they do with the remaining time? They dived and swam in the water. The boat just waited for them until their time was up.

You can rent a pumpboat or paddled boat to see the rock formations.

Kayaks (single and double) are also available..

If you are planning to stay overnight, you can do so. They have a lot of rooms and room types you can choose from. Rates ranges from 2200php-4900php.

Rooms along the coast.

Photo not mine. Grabbed from the resort's website.

Since we only stayed for the afternoon, we just rented a beach cottage. It cost us 500php. They have 8 cottages available.

Beach cottages available

Other amenities in the resort includes a beach volleyball court, wide parking lot, showers, infinity pool and function hall.

Beach volleyball court

Parking space

Infinity pool. Photo is not mine.

How to get there: You can take a van going Borongan and Guiuan and ask the driver to drop you off at Caluwayan. I'm not sure if there are vans going to Marabut Town proper. But if there are, you can also ride that van, get off at the van terminal, and ride a single motorcycle (habal-habal) to the resort. If you're going to the resort by private car, you'll be able to located the resort on the right side along the road to Quinapondan. This would take about an hour drive.

For more information about the resort, you can contact them at +63926-328-0051 or +63917-718-5098. You can also check their website for more information.

MY THOUGHTS: The place was really beautiful. Despite the heavy rains, a lot of people still visited the place. Entrance fee as very cheap, only 20php. However, you are not allowed to bring food and drinks. You really should order from their restaurant--and this is where the bulk of your budget will go. The staff were all very friendly and accommodating. As I mentioned earlier, food takes a very long time to be served; food is delish. The toilets were inconveniently far from the beach cottages. But all in all, this a must-go. You'd feel like in a very high-end, posh resort without emptying your pockets. A nice and comparative;y chepaer place to go with the family.