And I'm glad that I did join them because the place is so amazing and I would surely turn green with envy when I see their pictures had I not join them. Islas de Gigantes is a group of islands located in Carles, Iloilo. The islands are far from each other and it'll take 30 minutes to an hour when travelling from one island to another. But despite the long and often rough and uncomfortable pump boat ride, you will eventually feel that all your efforts are worth it because of the breath-taking sceneries you will get to see in the islands. It's so refreshing to take a plunge in the bluish sea water that whitens as it hit the white-sand shore. It's fun to eat with bare hands, under the coconut trees while feasting the eyes on the natural wonders of the island. We even climbed a cliff to marvel at the view from the top.
We stayed there for one night but I just can't get enough of the island. I will surely go back there if given the opportunity. Additionally, I also wish that somebody will look after the tourism seriously. Some local tourists and even residents are spoiling the islands by throwing their garbage in such a clean sea.
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| Cabugaw Island |
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| View of the neighboring island from a cliff in Cabugaw Island. |
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| Sunset at Cabugaw Island |
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| Antonia Beach |
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| Tangke Salt Water Lagoon |
How to get there:
Starting point is at Tagbak Terminal in Jaro. From there, you may choose whether to ride an L300 van or bus bound to Estancia. Bus may be safer because it's huge but travel time is shorter than L300 vans since they no longer pick up passengers along the road. Travel time is not less than three hours and fare will not exceed Php 200 (probably around Php 150, sorry I forgot to take note about this). Upon arriving at Estancia bus/van terminal, ride a tricycle going to Estancia port (near the market). Fare is Php 10 per person. Once you get there, you can transact the locals for your transportation in going to the islands. There is also a passenger ferry from Estancia to the islands but has only one trip every day. Remember to make your transaction clear (re itinerary, charge, etc) so as to prevent misunderstanding later on. For less stressful trip, it is better to arrange your sea transportation days before the trip. You can also contact Municipal employees or office in charge with their tourism.
Tips:
- Bring food and drinking water that will last throughout your stay there since most of the islands don't have stores. You may also want to bring your own cooking utensils to be sure. In our case, we borrowed a pot from the boatmen. :D
- Bring sleeping bag, tent, blanket and the likes because there is no hotel or resort accommodation there.
- If you plan to hire a motorized pump boat, better make the transaction clear as to where you want to go to avoid misunderstanding on charges like what happened to us.
- If possible, bring first aid kit (bandages, betadine, etc).
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