Before you continue reading my entry, i have a challenge for you. Search for Isla de Gigantes images on Google so you can compare the Before and After (mine) pictures after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).
Isla de Gigantes-my dream destination in Iloilo.Thank God we have Joel and Joefer Delcano who assisted and made our visit hassle free. Here are their contact numbers and details how to get to Gigantes Norte.Click here
This is it.The Big Day!
Feb 26, 2014
Woke up by 6AM.Breakfast by 7 AM.
Packing some stuff and Photo Session while waiting for our Tour by 9AM.
Packing some stuff and Photo Session while waiting for our Tour by 9AM.
Breakfast
Coffee- P35
Corned Beef-P100
Sunny Side Up Egg-P75
Fried Dried Fish-P75
Rice- P75
Total:360/5 =P72
Coffee- P35
Corned Beef-P100
Sunny Side Up Egg-P75
Fried Dried Fish-P75
Rice- P75
Total:360/5 =P72
What to Wear and to Bring:
Swimming Outfit
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
DrySack Bag
Underwater Camera
Some Snacks,Water etc..
Swimming Outfit
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
DrySack Bag
Underwater Camera
Some Snacks,Water etc..
By 9AM, Started the Island Hopping Tour
4 destinations (Tangke, Cabugao Gamay, Bantigue SandBar, Antonias)
We have a new companion, Liam.He is a volunteer for World Food Organization, as of that moment he was based in Carles, Iloilo.He was invited by Joel to visit the place and do some assessment. I think!
-Habal-habal ride from Hideaway Inn to Docking Shore (P10)
Boat Capacity (5 of us, plus Liam, Joefer and two boatmen)
1st Stop:Tangke Salt Water Lagoon
*30 mins away from the Docking Shore.Best time to visit this is during High Tide but according to our Guide it will be a big challenge entering the Lagoon by High Tide. It was low tide then, our Boatmen created an improvise hand rail and a wooden bridge from our boat to the entrance of Tangke. Good Balance is the key to cross smoothly!(Bawal ang Lampa! Kung Hinde... Splash!)
*30 mins away from the Docking Shore.Best time to visit this is during High Tide but according to our Guide it will be a big challenge entering the Lagoon by High Tide. It was low tide then, our Boatmen created an improvise hand rail and a wooden bridge from our boat to the entrance of Tangke. Good Balance is the key to cross smoothly!(Bawal ang Lampa! Kung Hinde... Splash!)
Tangke is similar to the Secret Beach in El Nido Palawan and the Twin Lagoon of Coron Palawan.We didn't swim, we just had some photo sessions and Joefer pointed us the big rocks that has been reposition by Yolanda.Thats how monster she was!
2nd Stop: Cabugao Gamay Island
*15 mins away from Tangke.This is my Dream Destination.I promised to myself that I will kiss the shore once i arrived at the Island(Success!).We did swim while chit chatting with Liam and taught and shared some Filipino words and stories.
Cabugao Gamay Viewdeck
*Ascending and Descending to/from the View Deck can be challenging, You have to listen and follow your guide attentively. Any wrong move can give you a remembrance that you can never forget (Hehehe)
*At the ViewDeck, we had numerous photo sessions just to get the perfect spot and this is one of the areas in Gigantes that has mobile signal so all of us were busy checking our phones, texting and updating our social networking site accounts.
*We stayed long at Cabugao Gamay for our Lunch, non stop photo sessions and Chit chat with Liam (Now we're teaching him Slang Words- Best and Cutest word he said was "Etchos" (gay linggo' word for "Just Kidding").
*According to our Guide and my friend who's a second timer in Gigantes the whole shore was used to be pure White,Powdery sand but after Yolanda the left side of the island was damaged (from ViewDeck), scraped the sand,rocks resurfaced and pebbles and dead corals are now present within the shore. But for me the Island is still Beautiful.
Entrance Fee: P20
3rd Stop: Bantigue Sandbar
*15 mins away from Tangke.This is my Dream Destination.I promised to myself that I will kiss the shore once i arrived at the Island(Success!).We did swim while chit chatting with Liam and taught and shared some Filipino words and stories.
Cabugao Gamay Viewdeck
*Ascending and Descending to/from the View Deck can be challenging, You have to listen and follow your guide attentively. Any wrong move can give you a remembrance that you can never forget (Hehehe)
*At the ViewDeck, we had numerous photo sessions just to get the perfect spot and this is one of the areas in Gigantes that has mobile signal so all of us were busy checking our phones, texting and updating our social networking site accounts.
*We stayed long at Cabugao Gamay for our Lunch, non stop photo sessions and Chit chat with Liam (Now we're teaching him Slang Words- Best and Cutest word he said was "Etchos" (gay linggo' word for "Just Kidding").
*According to our Guide and my friend who's a second timer in Gigantes the whole shore was used to be pure White,Powdery sand but after Yolanda the left side of the island was damaged (from ViewDeck), scraped the sand,rocks resurfaced and pebbles and dead corals are now present within the shore. But for me the Island is still Beautiful.
Entrance Fee: P20
3rd Stop: Bantigue Sandbar
*Used to be a thin and powdery Sandbar but now it has the same shore with Cabugao Gamay Island.There are communities living near the Area and still rebuilding their houses.
*Very enticing to swim(especially to those who doesn't know how to swim..like me..Loser!) because of its shallow waters compared to Cabugao Gamay's sudden drop areas (Biglang Lalim!)
No Entrance Fee
*Very enticing to swim(especially to those who doesn't know how to swim..like me..Loser!) because of its shallow waters compared to Cabugao Gamay's sudden drop areas (Biglang Lalim!)
No Entrance Fee
4th Stop: Antonias Place/Island
*I guess we're all tired and hiding from Mr. Sun that time, we just sat at a mini store and chit chat with Liam( He's the HotSeat again).Took some pictures of the place and the traces of Yolanda's aftermath were still noticeable.
*I guess we're all tired and hiding from Mr. Sun that time, we just sat at a mini store and chit chat with Liam( He's the HotSeat again).Took some pictures of the place and the traces of Yolanda's aftermath were still noticeable.
*According to our guide, the family residing at the island survived from Yolandas but their house and things didn't. They sheltered to an elevated cave at the Island and now they're residing temporarily in Estancia, Iloilo
By 430pm, we're done with our Island Hopping tour.Back to Gigantes mainland, tired and we didn't push through with our earlier plan to tour around the Island (Caving etc...).We just walked from the Docking Shore to Gigantes Hideaway Inn and we saw group of locals busy processing fresh catch scallops.Indeed,Gigantes Norte Island is also known as The Scallops Capital of Iloilo or Panay.
Rest and Freshen up and to kill the time while waiting for our Dinner, Me and my friend went to these Mangrove Areas to catch the beautiful sunset.
Rest and Freshen up and to kill the time while waiting for our Dinner, Me and my friend went to these Mangrove Areas to catch the beautiful sunset.
*The Mangroves and the Other Islands saved the coastal communities of Gigantes Norte from Yolanda's Storm Surge (Zero Casualty).
Cost (Island Hopping)
*Excluding Liam (Guest-as per Sir Joel)
Boat Rental - P2000/5=P400
Lunch
Steamed Blue Crab-P425
Chicken Adobo with Egg- P320
Fish with Black Beans-P280
Rice-P75
Sprite (1.5)-P60
Total= P 1160/5=P232
Steamed Blue Crab-P425
Chicken Adobo with Egg- P320
Fish with Black Beans-P280
Rice-P75
Sprite (1.5)-P60
Total= P 1160/5=P232
Entrance Fees - P40 each for two Destinations( Cabugao Gamay and Antonias)
Dinner Time
Baked Scallops(Half Kilo)- P70
Breaded Scallop(Half Kilo)-P170
Fish Fillet(Half Kilo)-P120
Sprite (1.5)-P60
Rice-P75
Total:P495/5= P99
Sleeping Time
*The Night was still young and i need to hunt some.... (Hehehe). Well, Me and my Friend just had two Bottles of San Miguel Light and unluckily we were sleepy and became #ZeRowenas (Hehehe).Zzzzz (No Data Available! ..Tuko Tuko Tuko..Huwag ka Maingay! Borlogs Kami!)
Baked Scallops(Half Kilo)- P70
Breaded Scallop(Half Kilo)-P170
Fish Fillet(Half Kilo)-P120
Sprite (1.5)-P60
Rice-P75
Total:P495/5= P99
Sleeping Time
*The Night was still young and i need to hunt some.... (Hehehe). Well, Me and my Friend just had two Bottles of San Miguel Light and unluckily we were sleepy and became #ZeRowenas (Hehehe).Zzzzz (No Data Available! ..Tuko Tuko Tuko..Huwag ka Maingay! Borlogs Kami!)
You may also read my Summer KickOff of 2014:
Day I: Traveling to Isla de Gigantes
Day II: Island Hopping at Isla de Gigantes
Day III: Guimaras Countryside Tour
Day IV-V: Guimaras Island Hopping, Iloilo City and Early Flight to Manila
Thank you!! Thinking of going here next march. Btw feel free to visit our blog at www.thetravelling3o.com about backpacking to new zealand
ReplyDeletehi travelling 3o, push thru with your plans visiting this place. all worth it. i wish i can travel to nz someday and ill use this blog as guide... thank you
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