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!
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| An hour trip going to paradise. |
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| Landed! |
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| Weary from the long travel but pumped up for a few hours of sun and sand! |
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| 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. |
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| Cottages are for rent for a minimal cost |
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| 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
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| 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. |
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| I did say crystal clear water, right? =) |
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| The happy jump! |
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| Sunburned but happy and satisfied nonetheless. |
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| Kalanggaman Island will always have a special place in my heart. #cheesy |
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| 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
