Kalanggaman Island, Palompon Leyte

Kalanggaman Island! How it captured my heart the moment I laid my eyes on it from miles away as we were sailing toward it on a Friday afternoon. It's probably the best up and coming island this summer of 2016 and for the succeeding years hereafter. I can attest to its beauty as I've walked in its white sand and clear waters.

We arrived here at around 3:00-4:00 in the afternoon. Better lavish on sunblock to protect your skin from the scorching heat. Else, your skin will be burnt up before you even set foot on the island as it takes about an hour boat ride from Palompon port to here. 

First thing I did as we stepped on the island - briefly admire white sands and blue waters. There were a few people on the island already but it was quiet and peaceful. We then unloaded all baggage and looked for our perfect campsite. We didn't have much choice though, but we picked a good spot nonetheless. 

After setting up our tents, I walked around a little to check out half of the island. There was nothing much else to see though. So I returned to our tent, took a nap (that lasted an hour or so) and when I woke up, food was ready. Kean and Coco grilled our barbeque, fish and hotdogs to perfection! I was so disappointed as I missed sundown so I made a promise to wake up early to witness the sunrise the next day.

Time sure flies slow on the island. There was network signal, though intermittent. Couldn't properly access the internet, it was good though. We got to bond and decided to go stargazing by the beach. MJ, Coco and myself lied down the shore, opened our beers and catched up on each others life. Luckily, beer wasn't prohibited in the island. These are straight from our ice chest!

We talked all night! Reminisced on my dormgirl days, the funny nights shared and all the crazy things we did back then. Memories...:) It's been about four years now since I left the dorm (November 2012) and moved back to my city. One thing's for sure - we may all have different lives now, some still stay at the dorm but we'll always be sisters at heart. We still see each other and set our yearly summer destinations - which, by the way are always awesome!

Morning came, as promised, I woke up early! haha! I sneaked out while everybody was still sleeping. The early birds were already up, enjoying the sandbar as I breathed in fresh, morning air. I then got back to our tent, prepared for another happy morning shoot with my loves. And this was what happened next...

Being a morning person has its perks. A lot of beautiful things happen in the early hours of morning that the opposite fail to appreciate. I think, generally, I'm a life person. I take life seriously - seriously in a way that I love deeply, appreciate fiends, family, work and all the little things in life.

I was actually the last one to get done with my morning prep. Catched up with the girls asap at the end of the sandbar. What a sight!

Kalanggaman cast from left to right: Coco, Kean, Mj and yours truly

Seriously, you know what happens when girls go out together. It's true what they say :D

The perks of being a morena. I really enjoyed my coco cabana one piece ^_^

It was at this time that I saw a dolphin jump up the air once. I thought it was a shark at first though.

In character... These are true friends :'D

Coco

MJ

Kean

Having our fair share of shooting early morning, we eventually decided to go back to our campsite and have breakfast. On our way back, what a view. It was nice having the sandbar to ourselves (and a few tourists nearby). Happy I can share this with you guys, enjoy!

Notice how clean the sandbar is from end to end? It makes me happy to see that the caretakers and boatmen pick-up tourist trash. They maintain the beauty and cleanliness of the island all the time. But I wish that tourists become more responsible whenever they travel. It's not that hard cleaning up after yourself when traveling. So I thought, people like clean beaches, yet they leave behind trash when they go. It makes no sense, it breaks my heart.

On a lighter note, I saw a boat bearing "Angeles" as its name. Had to take a photo of this beautiful boat. It may be a last name or another thing here, but for me, it is the name of my beloved City.

These are what makes up Kalanggaman sandbar: sands, shells and everything nice! 

Now back to our campsite, breakfast and more chill time!

The floaters we brought proved to be more than useful. They doubled as beds/soft cushions. I lied down our donut floater, had a quick nap and was woken up by the hot ray of the sun. It seeped through the coconut trees above us. I really felt at peace, even at that moment, then got up.LOL! Hello tropics!

What to bring to the island. Remember to pack light!

  1. Toiletries and maintenance items - soap, shampoo, conditioner, other essentials, own towel. The boatsmen bring clean water in gallons and leave them with you overnight so you and your companions can enjoy fresh water for bathing.

  2. Clothes & swimmies (of course, depending if you're going to stay overnight or just a day trip) - Swimsuits, Cover-up, undies, pajamas (or whichever you prefer to wear sleeping), another set of clothes going home

  3. Food, beverages & utensils - There is NO convenience store in the island for now. So if you're planning to grill food, bring skewers, charcoal, utensils, plates & cups. Do not forget to bring water for drinking, there's also none of that for sale there. Plus plastic bags for your garbage disposals. Separate biodegradable from the non-biodegradable.

  4. Gadgets, accessories & powerbank - how else can you document your precious moments if you forgot to bring your cameras. Nor be able to capture your sexy sunrise pose by the sandbar? Also do solemnly note that there is not a single electrical outlet in the island where you can charge your gadgets. Powerbanks are your best friend on these dire hours.

  5. Others - floaters, shades, hats, snorkeling gear...what else?

Most importantly, enjoy each moment. Though you've brought everything you needed, nothing would matter more than sharing them with family, lovers or friends.

We slipped on our rashguards and went ashore. Time to test the clear waters of Kalanggaman.

Coming up, some reminders and tips to maximize your Kalanggaman Trip.

How to get there. Two Options (both via Tacloban, Leyte)

1. Ride a UV Express from Tacloban to Palompon. Travel time is 2hours more or less.
2. If you weren't lucky enough to catch the UV direct to Palompon, you can board another UV heading Ormoc. It will take up around two hours of your time. Unboard at the Ormoc terminal. Hop on to another UV going to Palompon port/Palompon tourism office. If they can't take you directly to the tourism office, kindly ask the driver to drop you off nearest the tourism office.

Fees
P224.00/head - UV Express Tacloban to Ormoc or P150.00/head Tacloban to Palompon direct
+-P50.00/head Ormoc to Palompon Port/tourism office

P225.00/head Palompon tourism office fee (if you're with a local resident of Palompon, they'd only charge each person for P20.00. But if you're from anywhere else in the Philippines, you'll be charged P225.00/head. Foreign tourists are charged P750.00/head).
P3000.00 - boat rental to and from the Island per group. So that's P1,500.00 per trip.
P10 Padyak from tourism office going to the central terminal.

When it's time to say to goodbye...

Hope this helped guys! See you guys on our next trip! 

XOXO, 

Mel