25 in Sambawan Island

i guess this will be the last time i'm going to be vocal about my age when my birthday comes. 26 seems to me  the start of old age. haha. so i made sure i enjoyed celebrating my day this year. through travel and solitude, the goal was achieved. i was torn between going to Palaui Island or returning to Coron until i saw a picture of an island called Sambawan. it was my first time seeing it and when i knew it was in Biliran, instantly i booked a flight to Tacloban.

getting to the island was no easy feat for me. i had to face tremendous amount of stress along the way. the hardest part there would be when i got stranded in the middle of the sea at high noon because the boat's motor wouldn't start up. i was the only passenger of the tiny boat and the island was just so near yet so far. i felt like crying being unshielded from the killer heat and i was beginning to regret my decision to make this trip.

but all my negative energies evaporated with the sun high up when i started to get a closer look of the island and its very inviting shore. you can see how magnificently the water color changes from royal blue to turquoise and becoming lighter and lighter with the water really crystal clear. there were two groups who came after me and i couldn't blame them for screaming like fools at the sight of the island.

after cooling down in one of the cottages there, i climbed up the part where you can get a 360-degree view of the island. there's an elevated cottage on that hilltop and i stayed there for a couple of hours devouring the gorgeous view.

i decided to swim at the rocky part of the island where the water is calmer. i had this part all to myself. that moment of peace right there.

how to get to Sambawan Island
1. book a flight to Tacloban or Ormoc; or ride a ferry from Cebu to Ormoc.
2. from Tacloban or Ormoc, ride a van going to Naval, the capital of Biliran province.
3. either a) ride a jeepney going to Kayawan, then rent an outrigger boat for Php1,500 (round trip) going straight to Sambawan; or b) ride the passenger boat from Naval Port going to Maripipi Island for 70php, get off at Brgy. Binalayan, hire a motorcycle to go to Brgy. Ol-og, then rent a pump boat going to Sambawan Island for Php500 (round trip).

a few reminders
1. the passenger boats leave Naval at 10am and leave Maripipi at 5am the next day. they don't have trips during Sunday. if you plan to go back to mainland Biliran on a Sunday, you'd have to hire a boat for 500php.
2. Globe currently has a very weak service in Maripipi.
3. there's a 50php entrance fee in Sambawan.
4. camping is allowed in the island. no additional fee. just bring your own tent.



to be visiting a rarely seen but truly beautiful wonder of our country like Sambawan Island just makes me proud that i grew up in the Philippines. i just can't wait for the whole world to see how prodigiously amazing these hidden wonders we have are. i also hope that the beauty and richness of these places be kept despite the developments they have to go through as time passes by.

to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, thank you! i really had a happy one in the island.