Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
resorts - an ideal place to base yourself for all sorts of activities, including scuba diving,
bangka-hopping and walks into the island's interior.
Katibawasan Falls
P20 • Tricycle or minivan to the falls from Mambajao P300-400
Easily accessible by a dirt road - or you can trek along a marked trail from Balbagon
(2hr) - the impressive
Katibawasan Falls
is a narrow, 70m-high cascade with a
crystal-clear plunge pool at the bottom - perfect for a chilly swim.
Ardent Hot Springs
Daily 9am-10pm • P30
Some 3km inland from the barangay of Tagdo,
Ardent Hot Springs
can be reached
in about an hour on foot from either Mambajao or Agoho Beach. The water in
these pools, which lie in a verdant valley surrounded by jungle, is warmed by the
volcanic interior of Mount Hibok-Hibok and can reach 40°C. The best time to
visit is from late afternoon or after dark, when you can sit in a pool with a cold
drink and gaze at the stars. There's a good little restaurant, a coffee shop and
accommodation in a number of simple cottages. Unsurprisingly it gets busy,
especially on weekends and holidays.
Mount Hibok-Hibok
In the northwest of the island, Camiguin's only active volcano,
Mount Hibok-Hibok
,
had its last major eruption in 1951, with tremors and landslides that killed five
hundred people. At a relatively modest 1250m it can be climbed in a day, but the
strenuous trail crosses some very steep slopes and treacherous rocks and shouldn't be
attempted alone. Many resorts have lists of local
guides
who can be hired for around
P1500. Along the way you'll see steam vents and hot pools, while at the top there's a
crater lake. Views from the summit are unforgettable, with the coast of Mindanao to
the south and the islands of the Visayas to the north.
At
Philvocs
(Mon-Fri 9am-4pm), an easy 3km trip inland from Mambajao by
tricycle, vulcanologists who monitor Mount Hibok-Hibok are happy to talk to visitors
about their work, and have a number of spectacular photographs of past eruptions.
8
White Island
Return bangka trips around P500
About halfway between Mambajao and Bonbon off the island's northwest coast is one
of Camiguin's most popular attractions,
White Island
, a dazzling serpentine ribbon of
sand only visible at low tide and easily reached in a short bangka hop from nearby
resorts. The views and the water are gorgeous, but there's no shade, so make sure you
take a wide-brimmed hat and lots of sunblock.
Bonbon
The small fishing town of
BONBON
on Camiguin's west coast has an attractive little
plaza and a pretty, whitewashed church; it also lies a few kilometres south of the slopes
of the
Old Camiguin Volcano
, which you can climb easily in an hour. The path to the
summit, from where the views are stunning, is marked by life-size alabaster statues
representing the
Stations of the Cross
.
A little southwest of the old volcano you'll see a striking, enormous
white cross
floating on a pontoon in the bay. This marks the site of the
Sunken Cemetery
,
which slipped into the sea during a volcanic eruption in 1871 - you can observe
reef fish massing around the decaying tombs on a diving or snorkelling trip. The
same eruption destroyed the seventeenth-century Spanish
San Roque Church
in
Gui-ob on the northern fringes of modern Bonbon; its brooding ruins still stand,
with a memorial altar inside.
