To get to Camiguin is very easy. If you’re from outside Misamis Oriental and coming in via the airport, airline carriers are offering flights daily from Manila to Cagayan de Oro (this is the usual entry point in going to Camiguin). Travel from Manila to Cagayan de Oro is one hour and a half. And if you’re from Manila it is better to board any first flight so you have ample time for the land travel to Baligoan Ferry Dock, which is normally about two hours max.
There are public utility jeepneys plying the route, fare is about 60 pesos. A much faster mode of transportation if you don’t have a private vehicle is the bus. Starting point is the Agora Bus Terminal and look for Air-conditioned buses going to Davao or Butuan fare is about 100 plus pesos (fares fluctuate depending on the whim of bus companies, they increase fare rate without announcement). If you find it hard to find these buses because it is your first time in the area, just ask around which bus is going by Balingoan and they will direct you to them, besides the bus terminal is not that huge so you’ll be okay.
Once you arrive in Balingoan (the Bus conductor will announce the arrival don’t worry), the Ferry Dock is just less than a minute away from the Bus Terminal, so if you don’t have heavy luggage you can just walk, or if you’re bringing your whole house with you, there are tricycles waiting just tell them you need to be at the Pier, fare is 5 pesos (although this might have increased by a peso or two by now), do not make the mistake of paying more (like someone I know who paid 50 pesos.
Once you’re at the dock, purchase your ferry tickets, about 125 pesos (this might have increased too). And wait for your Ferry (travel time is forty five minutes). Best time to travel to Camiguin by Ferry is early in the morning up to about nine AM. Later than this, the sea becomes so choppy and the waves can go up to ten feet high, depending on the weather. Makes sure to watch over your belongings all the time.
In Camiguin, you’ll dock at the Benoni Pier. There are jeepneys waiting, you can just hire one if you want privacy, or the ones plying the normal route , fare is about 35 pesos going to Mambajao. This is the normal drop off point for people visiting Camiguin. But there are resorts lining alongside the road going to Mambajao, you can just disembark along the way.
Once in Mambajo, you can find a lot of cheap accommodations, but some of them do not offer food so you need to eat outside.
In order to really see the beauty of Camiguin it is advisable to rent a single motorcycle and drive around the island, rent ranges between 200-300 pesos sans the driver. If you want to be driven around Camiguin’s tourist spots, rate is between 500-600 (one day). Just ask the front desk on how to contact establishments that offer motorcycles for rent because normally they have a ready contact. Just haggle the price.
If you hire a guide, they will bring you to the normal tourist spots plus you’ll get updated with the local happenings.
If you prefer to go around Camiguin by yourselves, better arm yourself with an island map, although since the whole of Camiguin is now accessible because of the newly concreted road, you won’t find any difficulty traversing the whole island in less than a day.
Going to the White Island
There’s a jump off point near Mambajao going to Catarman. Few establishments offer a boat ride going to the sandbar. And they charge a fixed rate (that time we were there it was around 450 pesos per boat, maximum of 10 persons). They will just drop you off then come back for you on your agreed time. Better to bring your own food because the locals manning makeshift stores there are charging pretty stiff rates for well, everything.
Finding an eatery is an experience in Mambajao, this way you can walk around like the locals and find good establishments, examples are coron-coron or the vjandep restaurant near the beach. For the tasty baked goods like the famous pastel, there’s the Original Vjandep bakeshop in the center of Mambajao market.
Before traveling to Camiguin, be sure to do some research online. You can find precious chronicles by people who have been there.
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