... in response to Paging Ray..., posted by Kreeger on Mar 25, 2003Camiguin
Posted by Ray on 08/13/2002
Kreegs,
The reason that the guide book didn’t mention too much to do on the island is probably because there really isn’t much to do there. There is no night life to speak of and the main town of Mabajo (OOPS! Mambajo) rolls up the “sidewalks” and closes by 10 p.m.
The main attraction on Camiguin is the tour route which includes old volcanoes, new volcanoes, waterfalls, cold springs, hot springs, lukewarm springs, ruined churches, a sunken cemetery that you can’t see at high tide, and a stupid sandbar (White Island). Overall, these spots are great for taking photos and I found Katibiwasan Falls awesome. You can rent a vehicle and driver/tour guide for around 30-40 bucks a day and you can hit all the popular spots in about 6-7 hours or less.
The beaches aren’t that great and the roads are terrible, but the weather is a little cooler than on the mainland and the people are among the friendliest that I’ve met in the Phils. Overall, it’s a good place for a honeymoon because it’s peaceful and low-keyed, but I wouldn’t recommend spending a whole lot of time there unless you plan on spending the majority of your time in your room (LOL!).
We stayed in the honeymoon cottage right on the “beach” at Cabuya-An resort near Mabajo (OOPS! Mambajo). The grounds are well landscaped and it’s very quiet, but the rooms are in need of repair like most older resorts in the islands. It’s a good thing that it didn’t rain while we were there because I could lay on the bed and see sunlight coming through the thatched roof. The beach is very rocky, but the water is clean and refreshing. I think we paid around P1100 and had to book the room through a travel agent in Cagayan De Oro because it was Easter week and everything else was full up.
IMHO, there is one “must see” on Camiguin. You should plan on stopping for lunch at the J&A Fishpen. The food is fantastic if you like seafood and VERY cheap too. You can scoop your own lunch out of the water and they’ll grill it for you while you enjoy a cold San Mig. You can eat at tables over the laggon and there are no spoons, forks, or plates. You eat off of banana leaves with your hands. They even have very reasonably priced air-conditioned rooms available. I didn’t see the rooms, but next trip we’re going to stay there and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the premises :-). Anyway, it’s on the lagoon near Binoni and I highly recommend a stop there.
Ray
