Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Internet
Roy's 24hr Internet and Lic Internet on
P. Paterno St, and Bee One, opposite
Welcome Home
Pensione
on Santo Niño St, are just a few of the countless
small internet places.
Police
Local police headquarters are located on the
P. Paterno Extension near the RTR Park.
Post o
ce
There's a post o
ce near the harbour on
Bonifacio St.
Biliran
The beautiful and largely undiscovered island of
Biliran
lies off the north coast of
Leyte, connected by a bridge. An autonomous province, Biliran is the Philippines in
microcosm: there's a lengthy coastline of coves and beaches, a jungled, mountainous
interior and even its own small version of Banaue's
rice terraces
at Iyusan in the island's
western interior.
NAVAL
is the capital, on the west coast.
Among the many natural wonders are nearly a dozen thundering
waterfalls
, most
with deep, clear pools that are perfect for swimming: Kasabanga Falls is in the barangay
of Balaquid on the south coast; Casiawan Falls, a little further along the coast near
Casiawan village; Tinago Waterfall, near Cabibihan in the island's southeast; and last
but not least Bagongbong near Iyusan.
Two of the best
beaches
on Biliran are on opposite sides of the island, but even on
a day-trip you'll have time to see them both. On the east coast, near Culaba, is the
beautifully deserted Looc White Beach, while the Shifting Sand Bar, 45 minutes by
bangka towards Higatangan from Naval, is a curving spit of sand surrounded by
shallow water ideal for swimming, though note that there's no shade.
6
Maripipi and Higatangan islands
For Maripipi there are two boats daily from Naval (10am and 10.30am; 1hr; P60), which both return at 5am the following day; two boats
run daily to Higantangan (noon and 1pm; 40min; P40), and return the following morning; unless you charter a bangka (P2000-4000),
overnighting is a necessity at both islands (see p.364)
If you get to Biliran make sure you allow enough time to take a bangka to some of the
surrounding islands.
Maripipi
is a picturesque place of friendly people dominated by a
stunning 900m volcano, while Higatangan Rocks on
Higatangan Island
, forty minutes
west of Naval by bangka, should also be on your itinerary. The beach here is beautiful
and the rocks have been carved into extraordinary formations by time and tide. Ask
your guide (see below) to take you to Cavintan Cave, said in local legend to extend all
the way to Masbate and to contain deadly legions of venomous snakes - neither story
appears to be true. Both islands have places to stay.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
BILIRAN
By bus and minivan
There are buses and Duptours
minivans to Naval from Tacloban and Ormoc (both every
30min; 3hr).
By boat
Roble Shipping (
T
053 500 7898) have two
ferries per week
from Cebu City to Naval (Mon & Sat; 9hr),
but if you want to save time it's far quicker to take a fast
ferry to Ormoc, and then a minivan from there.
GETTING AROUND
By bus and jeepney
From Naval there are buses and
jeepneys north to Almeria (P20), Kawayan (P25) and east to
Caibiran and Culaba (P60), but no further in either direction.
By habal-habal
To explore the island at leisure it's
simpler to hire a habal-habal to take you around for the
day (P900-1200).
INFORMATION
Tourist information
The small provincial tourist
office
(Mon-Fri 8am-5pm;
T
053 500 9627) and museum is
in the Capitol Building in Naval. To explore the more
remote areas of the islands and to find the waterfalls, it's
best to employ the services of a local guide (P300/day),
which you can enquire about at the tourist office. Online
it's worth checking out
W
tourism.biliranisland.com and
W
biliran.ph.
Services
For internet in Naval, Roderick's Internet Café is
next to
Chooks to Go
by the State University on Naval St.
There are Metrobank and PNB banks, both with ATM, on
Sabenorio St.
