Far from the hassle and buzzing noise of the metro cities and one of my favorite island in the Philippines that I have been - Sambawan Island.
The island has white sands, warm blue waters, semi-curved beach and rock formation covered with green grass. A watch tower was built at the highest point of the island. Here you will see the spectacular view of the whole island and experience the breathe taking sunrise and sunset.
In this blog I will elaborate how to get there and some tips in your trip to the beautiful island of Sambawan.
- Book a flight going to Tacloban City. Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Asia have daily flights going to Tacloban City.
- From the airport, ride a jeep going to the city proper. Fare costs Php12. Ask the driver to drop you near the terminal of vans such as Van-vans, Duptors, Grand Tours going to Naval, Biliran. Fare costs Php130. Travel time is 2-3 hours.
- From Naval port, ride a passenger boat to Maripipi. Fare cost Php80 and terminal fee of Php10. Travel time is 2 hours. Please take note that the boat to Maripipi Island leaves at 10AM daily except Sunday. There is no passenger boat from Naval to Maripipi and vice versa on Sunday but you can hire a boat from Kawayan going to Sambawan. I suggest you don't do this if you are alone because this will cost you much. But if your in a group a chartered boat cost Php1,000 to Php3,000 good for 5-10 persons. From Naval, ride a jeepney going to Kawayan. Fare costs Php35 and travel time is 45 minutes.
- From Maripipi port, ride a habal-habal to Barangay Ol-og. Fare costs Php150 for 2pax.
- From Barangay Ol-og hire a boat going to Sambawan Island. Boat costs Php600 for 5pax roundtrip.
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| SAMBAWAN ISLAND SIGNAGE |
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| BOATS USED TO REACH SAMBAWAN ISLAND |
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| HIGHEST POINT OF THE ISLAND WITH WATCH TOWER IN THE BACKGROUND |
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| SCENIC VIEW AT THE TOP |
Things to do in the island:
- Camping - Sleeping in a tent is a good experience you wouldn't want to miss. Looking at the clear sky at night stargazing. Tent pitching fee is Php100 per day. Bench and Table rental is 300 per day. If you want an open air cottage this cost Php500 overnight while enclosed cottage is Php2,500 overnight good for 12 persons with 3 beds, toilet, fresh water and electricity at night or Php1,500 overnight good for 6 persons with 2 beds, toilet, fresh water and electricity at night.
- Trekking at the top of the hill to see 360 degrees view of the island. You can chill and relax at the watch tower while enjoying the scenic view.
- Kayaking - Paddle around and enjoy the blue sea. Rental costs Php300 per hour.
- Scuba or free diving - Scuba rental costs Php2,500.
- Fishing
- Snorkling
Tips before going to the island:
- Electricity (solar) in the island is from 6pm to 6am. Be sure to bring your power banks in case of emergency.
- Visit the island from April to July. When the weather is good and the season is dry.
- More convenient to travel in groups if you are traveling from Kawayan. This will save you money dividing the boat rental.
- Purchase your supplies needed before going to the island. There is a convenience store in the island but some of the items that you may need may not be available.
Check out this video to see how clear the water in the island. This is me trying to swim at the shallow part of the island using my GoPro action camera.
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