Stingless Jellyfish Lake in Bucas Grande

Like what I've said in my previous blog entry, I went all the way to Siargao to swim in the Stingless Jellyfish Lake in Bucas Grande. Oh yes, these stingless jellyfish can alse be seen here in the Philippines, not just in Palau.

stingless jellyfish and our extremely close encounter

Donnie and I we're still overwhelmed with the paradise beaches in Siargao, but our hearts knew we're up to greater things on that trip. Naks, may ganun. The highlight of this trip would be our island hopping in Sohoton, Bucas Grande. To give you an idea, here's a map of Bucas Grande Island and Siargao Island. Both are parts of the province Surigao Del Norte.

Bucas Grande and Siargao attraction map
violet arrows indicate the spots we visited

To make it more awesome, a co-blogger and a local of Socorro - Mr. Edelito Sangco of Island Vacations, sponsored our Bucas Grande island hopping tour, the food all throughout our stay, a night accommodation in his budget yet quality inn, and of course the priceless hospitality (and generosity) of him and his family. I can't thank this man enough. Donnie would willingly perform a dance craze for that delicious Lobster dinner again. Thank you po sir Ed.

sir Ed with the ladies of Mindanao
nice meeting all of you!

Normally, Bucas Grande island hopping rate would range from P3,000 and up if you're coming from Surigao City or Hayanggabon, P1,500 if you're coming from Socorro town. The boat can accommodate 10 people or more.

It was a rainy morning but everyone had high hopes that the weather will cooperate. Thank goodness it did. We saw nothing but jaw-dropping sights, at its finest colors.

we just got started and I was already breathless
sir Ed mentioned it was just a normal sight in Bucas Grande

Indeed it was. And I died of envy. For a moment I imagined how lucky the locals of Siargao are.
For our first spot, sir Ed lead us to Bolitas Cave. The way to get inside is already the adventure. The cave opening is small, some stalactites and stalagmites might hurt your head and body, and of course there's not much air and light inside the cave. Intense! Donnie and I were challenged to do it. Deadma na madumihan at masugatan.

Sohoton Cave, an effortless cave to see

It would only take 5-10 mins crawl inside Bolitas Cave, but it was really challenging. Donnie and I were fulfilled to see these stalactites and stalagmites up close.

i crawled, bruised myself, and kissed the dust - just to pass thru this small opening
weird looking shapes eh? ^-^

Then we proceeded to the next target destination.

on our way to Tourism office

We registered ourselves and pay necessary fees, na hindi ko alam kung magkano dahil hindi ako ang nagbayad. We transferred to a smaller boat and the 2 assigned guides accompanied us to our tour.

crystal clear water and limestones - ordinary views in Bucas Grande

calm and serene

we passed thru caves and the guide told us some info about each place
di ko talaga narinig, fyi mahina ang pandinig ko

Then there's this spot where the guides would ask the guests who's willing to jump off the cliff. Di naman kataasan so it's immediately a go for me. Im surprised with Donnie because he did that too. Note: hindi sya marunong lumangoy pero tumalon sya without a lifevest.

technique in jumping: dont over-think. just jump.

me: wow, ang tapang mo ha. kung di ako marunong lumangoy, di ako tatalon dyan.
donnie: tumalon din dito si Angel Locsin kaya ayoko patalo sa kanya!
me: gaga, swimmer si angel locsin ikaw hindi. toinks!

Seriously, Im really proud of him. Matapang ang may life insurance neng?
Moving on, we went back to the tourism office. It's finally time for my much awaited part of the tour - stingless jellyfish time! Each person is assigned to a boatman. We will only be using paddle boats this time, no motor boats allowed for the stingless jellyfish lake. One more thing, we were instructed to remove our life vests. Later on I found out that guests are not allowed to swim in the lake anymore.

way to the kingdom of stingless jellyfish

in the boat with me were sir Ed and his son
thanks Nath for the shot

Sir Ed talked to the boatmen to allow me to jump off the boat. I begged to them as well. This experience wouldn't be complete if I could only see them above the water. Finally, the boatmen agreed. Sid Ed's son and I jumped off the boat in no time. Excited mode!

it's just very amazing that there are friendly and stingless jellyfish here in the Philippines

this experience is nothing but surreal
another item down in my To Do List

According to sir Ed, from April-June is the best time when you can find these stingless jellyfish. On rainy season, they are rare to be find. Please ask him first, or other locals if you're planning to go. This jellyfish attraction is only seasonal.

Our group had lunch in one of the beaches. I didn't bother to ask the name of the beach, gutom na ko. Lunch c/o sir Ed and his family.

After our lunch and siesta, we headed to the high end resort Club Tara. It seemed that his Korean-owned resort is already part of the standard itinerary in Bucas Grande. Entrance is free of charge for day tour guests. A room costs P10,000 per night for Filipinos, and P15,000 a night for foreigners.

watch guard spots

Club Tara

isolated resort in Bucas Grande

This resort is isolated, and it has no shore. Guests can do kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling all day. Easy access to the crystal clear water. On the other hand, the place didn't look very outstanding. There's a pool but it was unmaintained. Im not convinced to spend P10,000 for a night here.

accommodations in Club Tara, up-close

I really wanted to do more snorkeling but we're already out of route. Sayang naman. Nevertheless, I cant complain even a bit. The good heavens granted us good weather, calm waves, and the opportunity to see His outstanding creations.

This Siargao trip is surely one of the best trips I've done this year. Donnie and I we're already satisfied that we didn't mind skipping Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig. Very out of way and time consuming. Maybe next time, when I come back. I just need to score some cheap airfare to Siargao or Surigao. If not, some good thailand flights will surely delight me as well!


By the way, wanna hear my not-so-good English and fake American accent? Here's my podcast interview c/o Mr. Soloflighted. Link ---> http://soloflighted.com/podcast-interview-with-chyng-of-chyngreyes-com/