I live in the province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines. Our place is one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines. Though a poor province, our place is gifted with beautiful natural scenic tourist spots. But for now, our place is not yet on the local and international tourists radar. I cannot blame the tourists for not including our province on their itinerary because the road from the city going to our place is really bad. But since the Aquino Administration has lived up with its words, there is now a road rehabilatation in our province. Our small airport in the province will serve customers again starting this coming July 2014. It has stopped operating for a decade.
I am sharing with you the two small islands that are near in Barangay Consuelo, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur and are nice to visit if you happen to drop by my province.
First is Huyamaw Island. It has a white pinkish sand. Pristine Blue Water. Untouched. To reach Barangay Consuelo, there are tricyles waiting for passengers in Cantilan near Espinola Store and Panadero. I forgot the name of the street where Espinola and Panadero stores are located but everyone in Cantilan knows where the two business establishments are. Please just ask around. The tricyle fare going to Barangay Consuelo is Php 20.00 (US 50 cents) per person. Before reaching Barangay Consuelo, you will pass and use a wooden bridge and for the first timers, it is a scary experience but worth the adventure. Travel time from Cantilan to Barangay Consuelo is roughly 15 minutes. When you reach Consuelo, ask around for a boat rental. Almost everyone in the Barangay owns a boat because the main occupation of the villagers is fishing. You can rent a boat that can carry 3-4 persons for Php700 peso (US12.00). Here are the photos of the white pinkish sands of Huyamaw Islands.
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| Leaving my footprints in Huyamaw Island |
The second island is Casa Rica. It has a white sand and the size of the island is 500 square meters only. The distance between Casa Rica and Huyamaw is estimated at 100 meters. Casa Rica is a favorite place of the locals of Barangay Consuelo to spend their Birthdays and other Special Occasions. You can bring in some fresh seafoods and grilled them in Casa Rica but please do not forget to bring back home your litter to help the place free of garbage. I see though some broken Beer bottles and I really appreciate people not to break bottles in the island for the safety of all the visitors. No entrance fee is needed to enjoy the beauty of the two islands. The best time to visit the islands is during the months of April up to October for it is the dry season of the year in Cantilan. Board shorts, comfy tee-shirts, and slippers are the best attire to wear and bring sunblock for UV protection.
The fastest way on how to reach Cantilan, Surigao del Sur is by air travel. You can book a flight over the internet with Cebu Pacific from Manila to Tandag, Surigao del Sur. Flight time is 1 hour from Manila to Cebu. You will have a 2-3 hour stop over at Cebu Mactan International Airport because there is no direct flight yet to Tandag. The travel time from Cebu to Tandag is approximately at 45 minutes. Once you set foot in Tandag, take a tourist van ( parked and waiting for passengers outside Tandag Airport ) going to Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. Travel time on the road is around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once, you are travelling on the road from Tandag to Cantilan, you will see some tourist destinations and surfing sites along the way.
This is my "see-you-again-soon" photo of Huyamaw Island after our tour. Huyamaw island is the biggest of all the islands in the picture. Please visit our place soon and experience the beauty of the place and the hospitality of the locals in Barangay Consuelo, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur.
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