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:: Camiguin Island ::
Tiny
white island off the coast of Camiguin and Hibok-Hibok volcano & Mt.
Vulcan rising above the island, Philippines, 2005
Scattered
around off the north coast of Mindanao (the vast island in the very south
of the Philippine Archipelago) lie a range of smaller islands such as The
Siargao Archipelago, Dinangat Island and Camiguin Island. Amongst these,
Camiguin is probably the most diverse as it offers trekking on active
volcanoes, bike rides in lush and hilly landscapes, clear and remote
waterfalls in jungle settings, hot and cold springs, and both black and
white sand beaches. Wow…! It is not to be missed if you are in
Mindanao.
Camiguin
Island beautifully exemplifies how the Philippines really is a hidden
paradise in SE Asia, quite unknown to the common backpacker and way off the
tourist track. You can have the whole island almost entirely for yourself,
and a few days are easily spent on this secluded island.
Engaging the ferry in
Balingoan on Mindanao
Ferry ride to Camiguin
– Mt. Timpoong in the foreground
Getting to Camiguin and staying at Jasmine by the Sea
By
bus, we crossed the northern coast of Mindanao from Surigao to Balingoan
via Butuan and Gingoot. From Balingoan, we engaged the ferry towards Benoni
in Camiguin Island. The trips across the sea was rough but the sun was
about to set, displaying crimson colors in the sky. What at perfect
encounter with beautiful Camiguin.
In
Balingoan we bumped into a drunken pick-up driver and his even more wasted
friends, who were keen on driving us around the island to look for a cheap
and proper place. After checking 2 places we found “Jasmine by the
Sea” in the village of Bug-ong. This place is really nice and
recommendable. A singe mother (and her two sons) owns the tiny place, and
the grandma cooks good, authentic Pilipino dishes (the chicken adoba is
amazing). They offer two rooms, a pool table, cold beers and a hammock
right on a beautiful stretch of volcanic sand beach. Furthermore, the owner
can arrange motor bikes, plane tickets and the like. A friend of hers took
us atop the Hibok-Hibok volcano. Sweet!
Jasmine by the se,
black sand beach & Hibok-Hibok
Cristoffer on the
summit of Hibok-Hibok volcano
Hibok-Hibok volcano
In
Camiguin we were glad to do some trekking up Hibok-Hibok, also called
Catarman. Hibok-Hibok is an active stratovolcano, and it has a symmetric
dome complex, stretches 1.332m into the air and displays a base diameter of
approximately 1000m. Furthermore, being a stratovolcano, it has steep
slopes and its eruptions are especially aggressive and explosive.
Hibok-Hibok erupted several times in modern history (1827, 1862, 1871,
1897-1902, 1948-1952 and 1953). It is one on the 22 active volcanoes in the
Philippines, and is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire – similar to
the 21 other active volcanoes.
A
friend of our hostess arranged the trek, which was great, because normally
you have to obtain a permit from the DENR office in Mambajao. We started
the trek at Ardent Hot Springs around 6 a.m. so as to avoid the hot midday
sun. The path was quite over-grown with forest and fringed with rushes, and
the last 500-600m was somewhat steep. Atop the volcano it was a bit cloudy,
but we could se the surrounding volcanic landscape, the outline of Camiguin
island and the tiny off-shore island, White Island. We were told that in
good weather you can see as far as Bohol and Siguijor.
 
Katibawasan Falls - right on the road
Snorkeling at Sunken Cemetery
Tuwasan Falls – hidden deep in the jungle
Stilt village
Motorbike trip around the island
Three young men – living in “our” village, Bug-ong
– each had a motor bike, and we could easily rent them for a couple
of days. This was very convenient, as we could ride from beach to beach,
waterfall to waterfall, etc. without relying on public transport. We did a
clockwise ride around the island, and visited Ardent Hot Springs,
Katibawasan Falls, Taguines Lagoon, Santo Niño Cold Springs, Tuwasan
Falls and Sunken Cemetery.
Katibawasan Falls & Tuwasan Falls
The two waterfalls in Camiguin are very
different. Katibawasan Falls offer a very clear stream of water dropping
about 70m to a plunge azure-blue pool. It’s refreshing to go for a
dip, and if you want to get beaten up try to “throw yourself”
under the water stream… It hurts! Conversely, Tuwasan Falls is
unspoiled and remote. You have to follow a small dirt-road from Cartarman
village and continue until the track becomes impassable. From here, you
have to hike for 30 minutes down into a valley and cross Dinangasan River.
Try to find a spot in the river with less current. Next, you have to hike
north for another hour, sort of following the river. We got a bit lost, but
a local – supposedly living in a bamboo shelter in the jungle and
completely unable to speak anything at all – helped us navigate to
the spot. The falls thunder into a plunge pool, which is swimmable, as
well.
Sunken Cemetery
Between the hillsides of the Old Camiguin Volcano and Bon-bon
village an enormous white cross has been planted on a pontoon in the ocean.
This marks the spot of an old cemetery which slipped into the sea following
the earthquake of 1871 – Same year as Hibok-Hibok erupted. We
snorkeled the sunken cemetery, and found that is has abundant fish. If you
want an adrenaline rush, swim to the pontoon, go into the cross through the
small gate and crawl up the rusty ladder towards the uppermost of the
cross.
View towards Cataan
Lagoon
The remote and pristine
Cataan Beach
Coral reef at Cataan
Beach
Rice field at Benoni
Beach
Beaches, coral-reefs and lagoons
Following the paved road around the island, you can take plenty
random turnoffs, some of them leading to hidden beaches and coral reefs, and
others directing you to stilt villages with friendly talkative locals. We
did a random turnoff and found magical Cataan Beach offering coral reefs in
good shape. Remember to bring your own snorkeling gear in such remote
locations.
We also stopped at Tanguines Lagoon, to watch how locals dive for
pearls. Tanguines Lagoon is a so-called volcanic maar, i.e. a phreatic
eruption from Hibok-Hibok has caused the formation of a crater which,
subsequently, has been filled with water to form the lagoon.
Arrival by panga to White Island
Jakob is enjoying White
Island
Panga trip to White Island
Tiny White Island is located off the northern coast of Camiguin, and
displays a pure, white-sand bar. You can walk around it in 3 minutes. We brought
snorkeling gear, but there was nothing to see at all. There is nothing to
the island, really, except from clear turquoise waters and magnificent
views towards Camiguin and the on-shore volcanoes. Additionally, it was
nice with a white-sand beach as opposed to Camiguin’s black sand
beaches.
Again, our friendly hostess helped us as se knew a man who had a
panga. He did the trip very inexpensively.
 
White Island
Mambajao – internet café and market
Mambajao – capital of Camiguin
This is the largest settlement in Camaguin Island with 30.000
inhabitants. Here, you can change dollars, arrange diving, check your
email, and arrange plane tickets and the like.
Make sure to visit the exotic meat and vegetables market, and
remember to buy some lanzones, the tasty and strange fruit from the
lanzones tree. The fruits are covered by thick, leathery skin and
underneath the skin the fruit is divided into slices of transparent, juicy
flesh. Camiguin is widely recognized as having the sweetest lanzones in the
entire Philippines Archipelago, and the island even has a lanzones
festival.
Near Mambaiao lies Ardent Hot Springs. These are around 40 degrees
and are comfortably to dip into, e.g. in order to cure hangovers from the
local discotheque in Mambajao.
Sunken Cemetery
Old man diving for pearls in Tanguines Lagoon
Local Farmer in Tupsan Village
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