Camiguin...Another magical Island in Mindanao

Most people are scared to come to Mindanao because of how it is depicted on the news. I remember the first time John came to the Philippines, the woman beside him on the plane, told him not to go to Davao or he's going to get kidnapped, etc. ( Then she added - why don't you stay in Manila and I'll introduce you to my niece instead. Which John promptly replied - uh-huh, Lea will not like that. Buti na lang mabait at matapat si John. Sa akin, that is.. hehe  )

Seriously though, that's how bad the news about Mindanao is.

So I am hoping that through my blog, people from all over the world will know how beautiful Mindanao is. True, there are some shady / dangerous areas in Mindanao but those are far from Davao. Or Camiguin Island, which is what I'm featuring today. :)

From Davao, John and I travelled via Buda (Bukidnon-Davao road) to Cagayan De Oro. Then, from CDO to Balingoan. I mentioned in my previous blogs that we like road trips. So the 6 hr travel didn't bother us. We took our time and stopped beside the road to rest. Then hit the road again.

From Balingoan, we took a ferry to Camiguin Island for 1.5 hours.

The view, on board the ferry boat.

Since, it's both our first time in Camiguin, we asked the people from the port where Mambajao is. We were told that it's on the other side of the island. Not to worry though, because Camiguin I realized is very small. (compared to Samal Island, that is. ) And the roads are concrete. So travelling from one place to the other is not difficult. Plus the view is breath taking. Grabe!!

We arrived at the hotel late in the afternoon already. So we opted to rest.  The resort we stayed at is called Villa Paraiso Resort and Apartelle. -

          http://villaparaisoresortcamiguin.com/accommodations.htm#deluxe_room

We were given a room on the 2nd floor , so we had a view of the pool and the restaurant. It was spacious and had a terrace, so it was ok for us.

I love their hammock! :)

                 

Side note: If you're planning to go to Camiguin on Holy Week, I suggest that you book your hotel way ahead of time. Everything's fully booked during peak season. We were lucky someone cancelled at the last minute when I called up.

What I like about the resort is that, it is near downtown Mambajao. So John and I just walked towards town to see what's there.  We found the maker of Pastel, http://vjandep.com/ (the deliciously filled buns). Yummy!! :)  No, this is not a paid advertisement. hehe... I just love their product.  They're welcome though to send me some if they ever read this post. hahaha.. Ang kapal ng mukha ko. LOL

The next day, we both decided to have a leisurely drive. That's the reason why we choose to do the booking ourselves when we go on vacations. That way, no one will rush us. I think that's the essence of going on vacations. To enjoy the place and its people. Not just rush through it. I hate that. And I'm glad John feels the same way.

Our first stop was the Hibok Hibok Volcano Observatory. Going up there was beautiful. We enjoyed the scenic drive. And the view was fantastic. Do not forget to go there when you visit Camiguin. :)

Foggy Mt. Hibok Hibok..

Then we headed towards Paras Beach Resort for lunch. From their restaurant, you will see an islet famously called "White Island". It's a long strip of white sand which people go to during low tide.

John, while we were waiting for food. hehe

Our sweet moment together.. haha  Thanks to the waiter at Paras for this wonderful photo.

John trying to rest while kinukulit ko siya to pose! hahaha

After lunch, we continued with our trip until we reached the "sunken cemetery site".   We were told that this cemetery sank when the volcano exploded. So they put up the big cross to remember those who died. During low tide, the cemetery can be clearly seen.

We had a nice chat with Manong.. :)

Next stop, we had a carwash at Sto. Nino Cold Spring. I was so amazed when I saw the locals washing the cars in the stream. Filipinos grab the opportunity when they see it really!

Carwash for our van.. hehe

The Pool at Sto. Nino Cold Spring. It's deep and it's very cold!

Other Beautiful Spots:

Century old house..

Having fun with the kids. :)

As we went back to the hotel, we passed by a small barangay. I asked John to stop because I wanted to take picture of the sunset.

The perfect way to end a beautiful day in Camiguin....

For Part 2: (please read  - http://leawalker.blogspot.com/2011/09/camiguin-part-2.html)