SUMMER is here and it is time to plan out-of-town vacation trips to places one has never been to. After all, why go back to a place one has visited before?

And it is a fact that the Philippines has been blessed with so many beautiful natural attractions, and the island-province of Camiguin is one of them. It is located in Bohol Sea in Mindanao, around 90 km north of Cagayan de Oro—with the latter serving as  the jump-off point for Camiguin (sail-off point is maybe more appropriate as one needs to take the interisland RoRos to reach the place). That is, unless one opts to take the small Seair planes that come and go to Camiguin’s short runway near the Farola twice a week, every Friday and Sunday.

For us, we took a PAL flight early morning from Manila to Cagayan de Oro and, actually, the adventure begins with a P99 eat-all-you-can breakfast treat at Sunburst in Cagayan de Oro’s Lim Ket Kai Mall before proceeding to Balingoan port to transfer to a RoRo bound to Guinsiliban Wharf in Camiguin.

At Balingoan, we spent both time and money aboard the ship at the wharf; the time was spent waiting for the ship to move while the money, mall coins, were thrown to the water for kids diving to retrieve them.

We got off at Benoni Wharf in Camiguin but our destination was still about 30 to 40 minutes away. Riding a small multicab, or motorelas, which, together with tricycles, would be the available transportation on the island, we finally arrived at Tia’s beach resort near the Farola area, the start and endpoint for the 1st Camiguin International Triathlon and the National Triathlon Championship.

Thanks to Camiguin Gov. JJ Romualdo, we were able to take a minitour of the island and see some of the natural and man-made attractions it offers to visitors, and we were surprised to learn from the governor that, in 2007, their tourist arrival was at about 800,000—predominantly local tourists but also including foreign tourists, as there is a foreign community on the island, basically foreigners who have  transplanted themselves to this island-province.

“I believe our attraction is in the fact that we have practically all the things that tourists can look for, from white-sand beaches to waterfalls; cold and hot springs; mountain climbing with Mount Hibok-Hibok; diving and snorkeling spots; and local festivals, like the Lanzones Festival held  on the third week of October, the San Juan Hibok-Hibok, set on June 24, and the Panaad, an annual Holy Week activity with visitors converging at the Old Vulcan to pray after walking around the 64-km  circumferential highway as a form of penance,” Romualdo, who has also hosted a major adventure race sports event in the past, said.

Local tourism people brought us around the area, with the 70-meter-high Katibawasan Falls near Mambajao as the first stop. This is a beautiful nonstop cascade of waters into a natural but enhanced wading pool, surrounded by greenery. The more adventurous can try rappelling from the top of the falls all the way down, though even if there were rappelling guides present then, we doubt if we would have done it.

Reasonably priced souvenir items may be bought just outside the park, ranging from Camiguin T-shirts to key chains, caps, shorts and other native items.

Camiguin also has another falls, Tuasan in Catarman, which takes a longer time to reach but is worth going to if one is staying long on the island. We opted for climbing the 1,250-meter-high Mount Hibok-Hibok, but it turned out one needs clearance from the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources office, and it was a Friday afternoon when we were doing the visit.

(FROM top) White Island, with Mount Hibok-Hibok in the background; the 24-room Camiguin Highland Resort; tourists trekking beneath a lush green canopy; and the 70-meter-high Katibawasan Falls (right). --PHOTOS BY ROMY FLORANTE

But for those friends who made the trek a few days earlier, they talked of  a three- to four-hour trek where one should be prepared to get wet—and better to get seasoned guides because once clouds envelop the summit, visibility drops to practically zero.

And because of the volcano, which last erupted more than 60 years ago, Camiguin has its share of hot springs that go well with the cold springs that also abound. There’s even a soda water pool, the only one in the country: take your pick between Esperanza Ardent Hot Spring or Tangub Hot Spring.

We visited Esperanza, a government-run resort complete with pools and cottages, with the mineral water at around 40°C. Tangub, also a volcanic hot spring, is less developed than Esperanza.

Cold springs can be found in Catarman and Mahinog. Then there is the man-made Taguines Lagoon in Mahinog, where one can spend the whole day fishing or just relaxing, but the best treat for us  was the visit to the White Island, a small, uninhabited boomerang-shaped white sandbar with Mount Hibok-Hibok in the background. The place is very accessible to visitors, and a boat ride will cost around P400, while the multicab’s special rate from the poblacion to the boat station is around P100.

The water around White Island is calm, clear and with nearby snorkeling sites, though the natural beauty of the place was somewhat marred by the food-and-drinks stalls allowed to be put up on the island. But again, this was supposed to be in response to visitors who just go there without bringing any food or drink. In fairness, the vendors can provide you with cold beer or soft drinks with grilled fresh fish or squid as pulutan. Do not look for other facilities on the island, what you see is what exists.

Again, for people with more time to spare, a day trip to Mantigue Island, just 3 km offshore, is a must: one side of the 4-hectare island offers white-sand beaches, while the opposite side provides a deep drop-off for snorkeling and scuba diving and Camiguin has been endowed with beautiful unspoiled corals.

For historical buffs, there  are the old Catarman Church ruins, remnants of the 1871 volcanic eruption with portions of the walls, belfry and the convent still standing. And whether they are kidding or not, local folk say the site of the sunken cemetery of Camiguin, marked by a big white cross, is the ideal place for snorkeling, and maybe spirit- hunting, too.

Lodging places are plenty, ranging from simple no-frills beach cottages to relatively new places like the Camiguin Highland Resort. Situated on top of a hill overlooking Bohol Sea across and the Mount Hibok-Hibok at its back, this 24-room hotel will surprise visitors with its Manila-standard facilities and amenities, including a beautiful outdoor pool and garden.

For more budget-conscious visitors, there is the Villa Paraiso Resort and Apartelle, which is more accessible than Camiguin Highland. There are family rooms available  that have kitchen facilities, again to help reduce food costs, though local food  in Camiguin is very reasonably priced; in other words, cheap. Beach resorts abound but, again, most of them, like the one where we stayed, only offer basic amenities, no frills.

But then, when one visits places like Camiguin, the attraction is not in the lodging places but rather in the natural attractions the place offers and,  in this area, Camiguin is certainly a winner, any way one looks at it.

The Lure of Camiguin

SUMMER is here and it is time to plan out-of-town vacation trips to places one has never been to. After all, why go back to a place one has visited before?