Leyte 2014: The Beautiful Kalanggaman Island

It is a known fact that our country has lots of surprises when it comes to scenic gems and fantastic beaches, after all, we are included in the list of countries with the longest coastlines.

Boracay, Palawan, Davao, and more others are known for pristine white sand beaches but who would've known that there is a small island, in the province of Leyte, that has that also and what's more, they have two magnificent sandbars!

Kalanggaman Island is a pristine beach with fine white sand and oh-so-crystal-clear waters. It is the most beautiful beach that Leyte has to offer. It is located off the shore of the Palompon, Leyte municipality. The island takes the shape of a bird if you see it up in the air. And a piece of trivia, the Cebuano term "langgam" means bird and that's why the island was named as such. 

So here it is!

An hour trip going to paradise.

Landed!

Weary from the long travel but pumped up for a few hours of sun and sand!

Threats of  rain scared us for a bit but we were so thankful that the dark clouds and rain moved the opposite direction. The entire time that we were there, it was just dry land for us. 

Cottages are for rent for a minimal cost

There was just a sprinkling number of people that day. It was truly a haven for relaxation that day.

Activities at the island includes:

- Swimming

- Kayaking

- Snorkeling

- Aqua-biking

- Scuba diving

- Camping

There's the SANDBAR! Amazing! When we arrived, it was high tide so this sandbar was not that visible. But we were so lucky that after an hour, low tide came and we were rewarded with this sight. We were able to walk all the way to the end.

I did say crystal clear water, right? =)

The happy jump!

Sunburned but happy and satisfied nonetheless.

Kalanggaman Island will always have a special place in my heart. #cheesy

The small port just right outside the Palompon Tourism Office. We rode in the pump boat together with the tourism police who were stationed at the island. 

We were told that during typhoon Yolanda, the locals thought that they have seen the last of the sandbars but good thing, it went back to its former glory.

Entrance fee to the island is at Php125-150 and will be paid directly to the Palompon Tourism Office. Pump boat rental is for a minimum of Php3,000 for a maximum of 15 pax. But on the day that we went here, we were given a discount of Php500 so we were happy with that because there is only four of us who will split the costs. Maybe they gave us a discounted rate because the Tourism Police came with us, all 3 or 4 of them. But that was fine,

If you commute coming from Tacloban City like we did, ride a van. There is a van going directly to Palompon, however, we missed the first batch so we had to do a sudden plan B which was to ride a van going to Libungao (you will be dropped off at the Libungao junction) then take another van there going to Palompon. Upon settling yourselves in the second van, inform the driver to drop you off at the Palompon Tourism Office. Total travel time is around 2 hours. Fare each way is around Php180-250, if I remember correctly.

This experience is truly great and I am so happy to experience this particular gift of nature. Big sigh!


~Lovelee~

CHECK OUT MY OTHER LEYTE 2014 POSTS:

Tacloban Foodtrip - http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2014/09/leyte-2014-tacloban-city-food-trip.html

Tacloban City (after typhoon Yolanda) - http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2014/10/leyte-2014-tacloban-city-after-typhoon.html

Leyte 2014: Tacloban City After Typhoon Yolanda

The anniversary of the day that typhoon Yolanda (international name, Haiyan) devastated the province of Leyte is coming near, and we can't help but think back of what it has done to the country and how it united the Filipinos to help out our fellow "kababayans' who were stricken victims of the great typhoon. 

Per Wikipedia, Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, which devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, on November 8, 2013. It is the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, killing at least 6,300 people in that country alone. Yolanda is also the strongest storm recorded at landfall, and unofficially the strongest typhoon ever recorded in terms of wind speed.

I got the opportunity to visit the province of Tacloban 2 months ago and for me, I can say that the people are definitely back in their feet, though they say that a lot are slow in doing so. Why? Because they are not properly being assisted by our government in their rehabilitation. Lots of donations from all over the world came in but why is it not being felt by the victims. Who is to be really held accountable for this? The answer is a given. I don't want to say it anymore. 

Through my recent journey there, I would like to share what I have seen:

THE TACLOBAN AIRPORT

Upon going down the plane, you will be greeted with a plain sight. Plain meaning I don't see trees or structures that were previously there. I have been here in the province twice already in the past back in 2007. Sadness is the feeling that will immediately welcome you. But there is hope because the airport is being fixed, both inside and outside. Inside was a bigger mess.

SANTO NINO SHRINE AND HERITAGE MUSEUM

It looks very rustic from this point of view but when up close, you will see the damages that it has sustained because of Yolanda

LEYTE PROVINCIAL CAPITOL

It seems untouched by the natural disaster and hope it stays that way for a long time. 

Tourist-y shot!

The view in front of the provincial capitol

THE DOWNTOWN

Hard to imagine that high flood water and very strong winds was experienced by this place

SHIPS WASHED ASHORE

SHIP #1
I just had to take a picture. Hard to imagine that the storm surge washed these big debris far ashore. That's how powerful it was!

SHIP #2
Now, they are part of the "attraction" to tourists. 

SAN JUANICO BRIDGE

Now this is a very welcome sight! Last time I walked here was way back 2007 or 2008. The bridge was color grey back then, now it's red.

Hello Samar! Hello Leyte! 

Still was not able to walk the entire length of the bridge. But at least it was more than my last time. The bridge is a bit shaky when vehicles pass by but that's just it. No fear!

MCARTHUR LANDING

So nice to see them still standing up despite being in the waterfront when the typhoon hit. 

The calm after the "storm".

We stayed in Go Hotels and we enjoyed it. It was right beside Robinsons Place so it was very convenient.

We all bounce back from trials and hardships and that's what matters most. It's how you go on after that experience that will define you for what you truly are. So for Tacloban, or any other place that was devastated by typhoon Yolanda, just keep on living and soon this will just be a memory that you will reminisce that made you stronger. =)


~Lovelee~


CHECK OUT MY OTHER LEYTE 2014 POSTS:

Tacloban Foodtrip - http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2014/09/leyte-2014-tacloban-city-food-trip.html

Kalanggaman Island - http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2014/11/leyte-2014-beautiful-kalanggaman-island.html

Leyte 2014: Tacloban City Food Trip!

It was a long time already since my last visit to the province of Leyte. Way back 2007, if I remember correctly.

But post-Yolanda, we did not know what to expect really. I did some research and got some hits and we stuck to that.

Lucky, we found some foodie gems that was so convenient to us. Two places were right beside where we were checked in and one was located at the city center.

Here they are:

1. HUKAD SA GOLDEN COWRIE (Robinson's Tacloban)

Hukad in the Bisaya dialect means "ladle"
This was located at the Robinson's Mall. They had several branches in Visayas but none yet in Luzon or Manila so that was a big plus for us. We wanted to experience new things in this trip, even food. 

Their prices were really reasonable. The place was packed when we came in but good thing we chanced upon a leaving group.

PORK SINIGANG
Fit for us who wanted to slurp on some hot soup. The broth was a bit salty and very sour but I am used to that because that's how they cook it in Bacolod but some of my companions found it too strong.

CRISPY PATACrispy as loved. The meat was just enough for the four of us. They do not provide dipping sauce for this but the waiter understood our need for it, I guess, because he pro-actively offered to get us some chopped onions and garlic. We did our own mixing and it turned out great!

SIZZLING TANGIGUE
It was tender and flavorful with just enough hint of garlic. 

BUDBUD w/ TSOKOLATE SYRUP
Very simple and clean taste of the suman. How I wanted to have more chocolate on it though. 

2. OCHO SEAFOOD AND GRILL

Very famous place. Tourists, both local and foreign, frequent this resto. Known best for their seafoods.

ENSALADANG TALONG
Fresh and crisp.

ADOBONG SCALLOP MEAT
Well, it was adobo alright. And this was so good! With just a hint of spiciness, the sauce alone was good enough with a lot of rice. 

GRILLED CEBU CHORIZO
Cebu's chorizo, unlike others, is known for its sweetness. Sweet and salty, we all enjoyed it. 

BUTTERED GARLIC SHRIMP
Shrimps were fresh and juicy. I didn't mind getting my hands dirty with this one. 

GRILLED SCALLOPS
Perfection! I have always associated Tacloban with scallops because in my previous trips, way back 2007, I always enjoyed scallops in a restaurant or two that I have been to.

PORK KEBAB
This was pretty tasty and the meat was tender. Loved it.

The feast.

For my sweet ending, I had this Silvanas. It was crumbling and it was good. Not too sweet so that was a plus. And for less than Php50 only.

3 MEX 'EM UP (Robinson's Tacloban)

BEEF QUESADILLA
For less than Php100, this was filling enough to have on its own. And love how they are generous with their dips.

LEMONADE
Came with our meal

BARBECUE RIBS
It looks small in the photo but its not and its more meat than bones. Very satisfying and for less than Php200 only. You can't have that in Manila for that price. 

We really enjoyed Ocho. The food, the wait staff and the waiting time was all perfect. Even the price was perfect, all of our food for around P1,200 only and were 4 in a group. You can really say "happy tummy" there. I'm so glad we were able to try this. 

~Lovelee~

CHECK OUT MY OTHER LEYTE 2014 POSTS:

Tacloban City (after typhoon Yolanda) - http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2014/10/leyte-2014-tacloban-city-after-typhoon.html

Kalanggaman Island - http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2014/11/leyte-2014-beautiful-kalanggaman-island.html