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/

Callao Cave | Cagayan Valley

darkness, little natural light, and spotlight effect inside Callao Cave

Due to our 9-day company shutdown, I made a spontaneous decision to organize a 3days-2nights trip to Palaui. Together with 5 of my kaladkarin travel buddies, we booked a flight to Tuguegarao for this year-end getaway. Thanks to Cebu Pacific's last minute P188 promo, we got Manila-Tuguegarao roundtrip tickets for only P1,175.

Actually it was really my travel buddy Sol who created our Callao Cave-Palaui itinerary. She knows better, she's born and raised in Cagayan.

Since we're 6 in the group, we decided to hire a van for 2 days. This made our trip very convenient. Okay, so from Tuguegarao airport, we took the van and proceeded to an old restaurant that serves Pancit Batil-Patong, the famous local delicacy in Tuguegarao. batil = mixing ; patung = piled on top

distinct ingredient of Pancit Batil-Patung is the Carabao Beef

Maybe because of the Cara Beef, this tastes different compared to our pancit here. What's more memorable are the Cara Beef Tapa and the Carabao Chicharon! Ang sarap. How I wish I bought a lot of these as pasalubong for my family.


Moving on, we went back to the van and started the 45-minute travel to Callao Cave. The weather was not really fair that day. Nevertheless, it wont be a big factor as we're only going to explore a cave. We arrived in the location and paid the minimal entrance fee. Two kids were assigned to us which will serve as our tour guides.

welcome to Callao Cave

Beside this area is a body of water, they say it is a part of Cagayan river.

a part of Cagayan river

The guides lead us to this 180-step staircase. And before we burn calories, one of the guides volunteered to take our group shot.

Meet my travel buddies: all of them are solo joiners. We just introduced ourselves to each other on the day we arrived in Tuguegarao. =)

Carla, Sol, Ivy, Doni, our guide, me, and Peng
thank you for joining!

After the not-so-challenging 180-step climb, we had a glimpse of Callao Cave. It is made up of seven chambers and formations: the Column, Chapel, Skeleton, Elephant’s Head, Praying Angel, Rocket, Lion’s Head and Dog’s Head Formations.

first glimpse of Callao Cave

Exploring different chambers inside this cave could have been easier only if the flooring is dry. Due to rain showers, we ended up walking in a slippery and muddy cave. At first it was all fun, specially after seeing the Chapel.

dramatic effect of the light made this Chapel more spectacular

according to the guides, some weddings were already held here

To be fair, it was the guides who taught us where to take nice shots.

seek the light - by Doni

he just started blogging, pls visit his blog here

We proceeded to the next chamber. The way became more slippery and steep. And because most of the time our slippers got stuck in the thick mud - we ended up walking barefooted.

Carla's feet in the thick mud

Reaching this next chamber is still fun. It was really nice to see the rock formations despite not having enough source of light.

one of the chambers in Callao Cave

rock formations

What's a visit without having a photo op?

thank you Carla for this stolen silhouette shot. i like it!

It got harder as we reached the next chambers. The floor became even more slippery. As for the young guides, well what can we expect - they were just kids and they cant even manage to assist us. They dont even have a flashlight to start with. We struggled by using our cellphones to light the path.

getting out of the cave was another story

Callao Cave is really a spectacular tourist spot but it is best visited in the morning, or as long as there's enough sunlight. Tourism authorities should train their guides (kids or young adults) about the safety of each guest. For sure everyone will agree to pay a little more to have a guide that's well skilled, informed, and ready as well.

Thank goodness all of us got out of the cave unbruised and unharmed.

Originally, we plan to travel to Sta.Ana right after we visited Callao Cave. But Sol advised us it could not be safe to travel anymore. Safety comes first. We all agreed to spend the night in Tuguegarao City instead.

lamp post in Tuguegarao

For the accommodation, Sol recommended Hotel Roma. Room rate is affordable, we got a super spacious a/c room with 8 single beds and it only costs P4,000. This room has 2 shower rooms, tv, fridge, dining area, and veranda. Nice.

Hotel Roma's lobby

big and spacious room Hotel Roma

We ended the night by exchanging crazy stories to each other. Like "Anong mga kalokohan ang ginawa mo nung bata ka pa?" Example - drugs, shoplifting, etc. LOL
That way, we became more at ease with each other. ^_^

how about you, anong kalokohan ang sinubukan mo nung bata ka pa?

next post: 5-hour barefoot trek in Palaui

○ Thank you Carla and Peng for providing these awesome pictures. Sorry kasi ang tamad ko na magpicture. ^_^

Sunkissed in Guimaras

Well actually, it's not only in Guimaras where my skin got really burnt. Praise the powerful sunrays in Bacolod and Iloilo, I almost forgot it's not summer time at all.

step into the light
no way w/out my payong ^_^

From Ortiz port in Iloilo, my friend Kat and I looked for the public ferry that will take us to Jordan, Guimaras. The ride only lasted for 15mins, and the fare is only P14 each. True enough, upon arriving in the isolated island, we saw an advisory that it's prohibited to carry a mango (or any part of it) inside Guimaras.

Next, we headed to the Tourism Center. I have nothing but the slightest idea of Guimaras. I came unprepared, without a clear itinerary. Good thing the girl in the front desk assisted us in our queries. I learned that in order to get to the beach area, guests must travel 45mins more, via a tricycle. This costs P250/way. I wanted to haggle but it seems this is the standard rate so I agreed. There are public jeepneys too, but this will surely consume our time.

journey to the beach

We we're assigned to a tricycle driver and our 45-min journey started. The whole province really smells fresh. Ang bango everywhere! It may be because of their precious fruit. and speaking of that, we requested our driver to drop us to the market so we could sample a few of their mangoes.

at P90/kilo
with all due respect, the sweetest mangoes I tasted were still those from Zambales

The market vendors explained that it's not the season to bear fruits but they assured that these mangoes are still one of the bests. We're not really convinced but what the heck, we can't leave Guimaras w/out tasting these. But after we tasted them, Zambales' mangoes were still the sweetest I tried, with all due respect.


We chose Raymen Resort over Villa Igang because according to the lady in the helpdesk, it's much nearer and the shoreline here is longer. Since we dont have plans of staying overnight, anywhere near a good shore is fine with us. After we arrived in Raymen Resort, I immediately talked to the receptionist and asked for their island hopping rates. They quoted me P400 for the 1st hour and P150 for the succeeding hour. This is the same rate that the lady in the port told us.

First glance of Guimaras beach..

alubihod beach

i wasn't really impressed with the white sand and clear waters, but Im more stunned with the rock formations

And off we go island hopping.. There isn't an island in particular which I wanted to see. I just told the boatman that I prefer to see caves, cliffs, and turtles. I would love to check out the snorkeling sites too but too bad I didn't bring my mask with me. Sayang lang. Nevertheless, our 2-hour island hopping brought us satisfaction, specially by these rock formations.

reminds me of Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Ilocos

water is crystal clear too, very inviting for a swim..
later na, mababasa si Harvey

Pardon me but Im really having a hard time remembering the names of these islands.

i think this is the Bat Cave

stone wall

There's a cliff on the other side but it's too steep. Di ko keri!
Not far from the Bat Cave are the Ave Maria and Turtle Island. Im more excited with the last one, it's going to be my first time to carry a big turtle.

katakot buhatin kasi baka mabagsak ko sya! siguro mali yung paghawak ko kaya pumapalag sya. sorry. perstaymer kasi, na-excite maciado.. haha!

There are 7 turtles in this island which are taken care of. The best thing I learned is that turtles don't like sunlight too. Ayaw nila mainitan. Apir!

Baras Cave was our last destination. We stayed here the longest.

way to Baras Cave

exterior of this enchanting cave

I didn't expect (well I really didn't research about this Guimaras trip) to see a cave with stalagmites and stalactites in Guimaras. Im amazed.

Baras Cave

outer wall

reminds me of Sagada's cave

ceiling with bats

golden floor

The view outside and inside this cave is spectacular. The wall, ceiling, and floor details are all interesting. It's just so hard to take a photograph inside, considering there's only a little source of light. But seize the moment, effort-an na magpicture sa loob!

ISO 3200 - achieve! =)

must see in Guimaras!

There are still lots of interesting caves and cliffs to visit but we dont have enough time to do so. Next time I'll make sure to stay longer in Guimaras and give their mangoes another try.

So much of the photoshoot, it's now time to swim!

obviously, i prefer swimming in the shaded part ^_^