39/81 Catanduanes

Catanduanes, why have I known you just now? 😆

The only reason I booked this flight to Virac, the province's capital, is because there were no other options during that piso promo night. And since I am completing the 81 PH provinces, then heck might as well go! 

Surprisingly, Catanduanes (known to be the happy island and previously the land howling wind), became one of the best provinces we've been into so far! This underrated island has a lot to boot!

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MY 39TH OF THE 81 PROVINCES OF THE PHILIPPINES

Travel date: November 15-17, 2019 (fri-sun)

Via Cebupacific Air - Manila airport terminal 3 to Virac airport

Manila - Virac: Departure 6:30AM; Arrival 7:40AM

Virac - Manila: Departure 8:15AM; Arrival 9:25AM

✔️ Planning: Since we only had 2 full days in Catanduanes, with kids in tow, we decided to visit Virac and its nearby towns. Touring Pandan, one of the towns located in the North of Catanduanes island, could have been perfect after reading about nice places there. But this requires another full day....so next time maybe.

🔹Contact person in Virac: Michael Tanael - +639487423206. Highly recommended from Backpackers of the Phil group. And yes, he's a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. He took care of us during our entire stay, told him before out trip I couldn't complete my itinerary and I just leave it up to him. He willingly agreed saying he'll take care of it. He even called Twin Rocks to reserve our room since I was having a hard time looking for one. I contacted him via text and he replied immediately. Transaction was very smooth. We settled for a tricycle for 2 days tour. He also picked us up from the airport and back going home. 

Just landed at virac airport. welcome to Catanduanes!

✔️ Accomodation: We stayed at Twin Rock resort for two nights. We got the air conditioned nipa hut room with 1 double bed and 1 single bed. Beds are nice. Pillows are just fine, thin blankets. Air Condition works properly. Own shower and toilet. It has a table inside and a vanity mirror. A pair of small soaps and a pair of toothbrushes. No Tv, no hot shower, no access to pool (beach, yes) and no breakfast. This is only 1,000 pesos per night! Pretty sulit! Super friendly staff pa!

Twin Rock beach @ 6AM

a perfect view while enjoying a hot cup of americano

at the rocky side of the beach

line of nipa huts. pitching tent is allowed.

lobby/souvenir/information office

activities

reminders

our nipa room

⚠ I just need to warn future guests that there is no Globe signal here. The resort has a free wifi, the wifi hotspot in in the information office is very strong but the hotspot over accommodations and other parts is very weak to none.

🔹There are tons to do in twin rocks like zipline, kayak, camping, karaoke and many more! And of course waking up with the view of the beach and rock formation are priceless.

🔹They have an upgraded room with breakfast for 2 for 2,500 pesos. We didn't have to upgrade for the breakfast since we left early for our Binurong point and for our early flight back.

✔️ Tours. I asked kuya Michael I'll leave our tour itinerary to him, being a highly recommended tour guide. And so here's how our 2-day tour went.

📍Places we've visited (in order)

DAY 1 : (from the airport we went straight touring)
1️⃣ Sakahon Beach
2️⃣ Bote lighthouse
3️⃣ Poseidon Rock formation and lagoon
.... Lunch
4️⃣ Maribina falls
5️⃣ Twin rock resort (also our accommodation)

DAY 2:
1️⃣ Binurong point (where we stayed the most)
... Lunch
2️⃣ Puraran beach
3️⃣ Balacay point

From the airport, our contact person picked us up. Since check in time in Twin Rock resort is at 2PM, we straight to touring thru a tricycle.

in the tricycle

DAY 1: (VIRAC - BATO)

SAKAHON BEACH

This lies at the foot of the trail going to the Bote Lighthouse. You will surely enjoy dipping in its clear water and yellowish sand before or after your trek to the light house.

BOTE LIGHTHOUSE

A 20-30min steep hike is required to reach the lighthouse, a serious cardio exercise. There is a fee by the way, 20 pesos each and a tour guide for 200 pesos per group.

entrance to the trek going to Bote lighthouse

No one is allowed to go to the top end. There is only a certain point but this already gives you a nice 360 degree view of the sea and mountain. 


POSEIDON ROCK FORMATION & LAGOON

After our trek to the lighthouse, we left sakahon beach thru our rented boat for 1,600 pesos. 

that's our boat with hubby helping push it out to the water

amazing rock formation along the way

tip toeing through these big rocks. better wear foot wear. I suggest aqua shoes. there are tiny shells that pricks when being stepped on.

  

No words are enough to describe this place. What is amazing is not just the clarity of the lagoon nor the the whiteness of the rock formation and what lies beyond it, but the entirety of it all being in one single place... Just be here, okay.. so you'd know what I mean.

I am so happy kuya Michael recommended this and glad that I was up for it considering that this is an extra cost on top of the tour fee kuya offered. Again, this is an extra 1,600 pesos for a boat rental. But I tell you it is all worth it!


MARIBINA FALLS

There is an entrance fee here around 20'ish pesos. I forgot!

TWIN ROCK RESORT

Since this is also our accommodation, we ended our tour here. We brought the 2.4 kilo pusit we bought from Bato after our trek to the lighthouse. We just asked someone from the restaurant and requested to cook it for us. They agreed for a fee.

By the way, we dropped by Bato Church on the way to the resort. After 6 months, it is still under renovation. 

300 year old church. the inclined platform is a bit weird for me. i hope they just kept the stairs.

We ended our night with a tasty pusit dinner. I like that Kuya Michael promotes fresh catch pusit as a way of helping the local fishermen in Bato. So please, buy one. 


DAY 2: (BARAS)

BINURONG POINT

I intended to watch the sunrise as suggested from the blogs I read online. Unfortunately it rained the night before our trip. So no sunrise for us! Our plan was to start with the tour at 4am but instead we started a bit late, around 6am since no catching up to do.

It took us around an hour to reach the jump off to Binurong point thru a tricycle. it is a uphill ride and then became rocky (muddy if it rains) when nearing the jumpoff.

To get to Binurong point, need trek for half an hour. Unlike the trek to Bote lighthouse, this is one is so much easier.

tricycle ride

drop off. paid 20 pesos. souvenir items are sold here

start of the trek

easy trek

the amazing binurong point

Just like the lagoon, photos and words can not give justice to this place. I am glad our guide let us go to the rock formation and closer to the edge. We had to be really really careful though, or else we'll fall and land straight to the Pacific Ocean. Just like the Poseidon lagoon, this is another amazing experience for me - being so close to the edge and our trek from the hills to the rock formation are the best!


PURARAN BEACH 

This beach is popular for surfing. Surfing lessons/boards are available here. My kids wanted to surf and we were supposed to do when we went to La Union but decided not to (see entry here La Union... L and U.. Elyu!).

This time, kids were able to experience surfing for only 350 pesos for an hour.

perfect view of the islets. sea bed is rocky.

I didn't swim because of its stony seabed. A good aqua shoes is highly recommended if you want to swim or I suggest do kayak. While we wait for our kids be done with their surfing lesson, we just sat by the shore with our hearts content and enjoy the view. Imagine, an islet right in front of us! Isn't it wonderful?! 


BALACAY POINT

This government owned hill was once the number 1 tourist spot before Binurong point opened in 2016. It has a great view actually and their government planned to turn this into a picnic ground. Unfortunately, Binurong point is better. Still, anyone can come here to relax and do picnic. 

To be honest, after our Binurong point trip, I was done! No other spots were able to surpass it. I am glad that Binurong point allows job opportunity for the community through tour guiding. Just like any other tour guide, it is a rotation system for them. And because there are only few tourists coming in (and I hope this will increase in the near future), each guide's  chance to tour is once a week only. So, if you have an extra money to spare, please be generous by giving them tip. 

DAY 3:

We barely did anything as our flight back to Manila is at around 8AM. Kuya picked us up at 7am, checked out from the resort and bid good bye to this wonderful island.

EXPENSES

Tours (via tricycle):

Virac-Bato tour - 1,500

Boat to Poseidon - 1,000 (boat rental is 1,600 but since we are 2 groups, we split it to 1,000/6,00)

Baras tour - 2,000

Twin Rock accommodation - 2,000 for 2 nights

Other fees:

There are other fees I couldn't total anymore like the entrance to these spots. It is just around 20-25 pesos anyway. Food and souvenir expense would depend on you.

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