Day 2, DIY Camiguin-CDO tour (White Island / Katibawasan Falls / Mantigue Island)

Second day : Island hopping
White Island, Katibawasan Falls, Mantigue Island

We were picked up early by Kuya Chris on the second day of our tour of the Camiguin Island. We made sure we had a very heavy breakfast before going. Villa Paraiso Resort provided us with toast, eggs, and coffee for breakfast. I was already informed of this when I reserved a room at the resort a few weeks back. We cooked the canned goods we bought in Manila and some of the left overs from dinner and had a sumptuous breakfast of fried rice, spam, and corned beef in addition to what the resort has served us.

Our first stop was the famous White Island. It is not really an island but a sand bar which shows up when the tide is not high. The sky was a bit dark and cloudy when we went there. It rained and there were thunderstorms on the night that passed. I thought that we are not going to have great pictures because of the dark clouds and the rain seemed that it would pour.

We hopped on a boat which can seat six people. I noticed that the waves were a bit strong. I was scared. I do not know how to swim and I am always afraid of the dark seas. As the boat started, I held on tight to the pole and securely wore my life vest. Thank God the island was just 10 minutes away from the shore but still I could not avoid to scream when the boat slows down whenever there is a big wave.

When we reached the sand bar, the boatman parked the boat on the shore. You can see the different colors of the sea. There were blue green parts and there were dark blue parts. Only a small area around the sand bar are blue green which means that they are not the deep parts. A few meters away are the dark blue spots which means that there is a sudden drop of depth in the area. They are very deep. We were careful to stay only near the sands.

White Island, Camiguin

Even if it was not sunshiny that morning, we managed to take great pictures. You can never go wrong to take a shot at any part of White Island. Eventually, the dark clouds went away and the sun finally showed. The sand bar was clean and the water was very clear too. There was just one vendor on the island and he offered us to buy sea urchins. None of us dared. We stayed on the island for one hour and we left just as the water started to rise and covered the sands.

My sister demonstrating the clear waters

We headed back to the main island and bought some souvenirs there. Kuya Chris advised us that we buy the lanzones from there since they were cheaper than at the market. There was just one manang selling lanzones and we all bought all her lanzones! I don't really eat lanzones but my friends told me that they were really sweet. The lanzones season has begun and by next month there would be more lanzones in the island which is just in time for the famous Camiguin Island Lanzones Festival. I also bought ref magnets and key chains to give away to my friends in Manila.

Our next destination was the Katibawasan Falls located high up the main island of Camiguin. We planned to swim there to relieve off the heat but upon seeing the waterfalls, we decided not to. The water was clear, very cold and inviting but was brown at the time and we could not see the bottom of the basin. It was a bit scary so we just dipped our feet and took pictures.

Katibawasan Falls

After dropping by the Katibawasan Falls, Kuya Chris sent us back to the resort to pack and get our things since it was already check out time. We did not want to be charged extra if we extend beyond the check out time. We decided not to have lunch since we still felt full at the time.

Before going to our last destination for the day, Kuya Chris dropped us off the Vjandep Bakery where the famous and delicious delicacy of Camiguin Island is being made. We bought boxes of the sweet pastry to bring back to Manila.

We were supposed to go to the Ostrich Farm, the Giant Clams Sanctuary and Mantigue Island. We only had a few time left to be able to catch an earlier ferry back to Cagayan de Oro at 3:00 p.m. so we only to chose to visit Mantigue Island. Afterall, my friends and I all love beaches and they wanted to try snorekeling also as Mantigue is famous for that.

We rented snorkeling gears at the terminal and hopped on a boat to Mantigue Island. It took us 25 minutes to get there. The sea was calm at that time and there were no waves at all so I was not frightened. The waters going to Mantigue Island was spectacular and you could see the bottom with its clarity. You could also see the white sands of the island shining even from afar.

Mantigue Island Marine Sanctuary from afar

Approaching Mantigue Island

We rented a glass boat when we got there and a boat man took us around the marine sanctuary area. The marine life was vast and you can see various species of fish and corals. We asked the boatman to take us to a shallower part of the marine forest so we could go down and snorkel and take pictures underwater. I hopped out the boat for just a few minutes because the thought of not knowing how to swim scared me even if I was wearing a life vest. It just felt weird not stepping on to something. The spot the boatman actually took us was not shallow, it seemed like it was at least 10 feet deep. I was able to take pictures though by dipping my camera underwater.

Aboard the glass boat

We left Mantigue Island after an hour to catch the ferry. We showered and changed clothes at J&A Fishpen, a quite expensive seafood restaurant near the Benoni Port.


When we arrived at Benoni Port, the ferry has already left. Luckily, a smaller shuttle has arrived. We boarded and went back to the Port of Balingoan and rode a bus back to Cagayan de Oro.

Day 2 - Summary of Expenses

Breakfast (canned goods) - P350.00 (6 of us shared)

Boat to White Island - P400.00 (6 of us shared)

White Island Fee - P20.00 each

Katibawasan Falls entrance fee - P30.00 each

Boat to Mantigue Island - P550.00 (6 of us shared)

Mantigue Island Fee - P20.00 each

Mantigue Island glass boat rental - P300.00 (6 of us shared)

Snorkel and mask rental - P150.00 each

Mantigue Marine Sanctuary Fee - P50.00 each

J&A Fishpen shower fee - P20.00 each

Shuttle back to Balingoan Port - P175.00 each

Balingoan Port Terminal Fee - P2.50 each

Motorela ride back to Balingoan Bus Terminal - P7.00 each

Bus back to Cagayan de Oro - P140.00 each

Day 2 total estimated - P885.00/pax