Pristine Kalanggaman Island

My husband and I went to the beach today and after two weeks of being stuck in the house, we are finally able to get some salt in our skin and sun too! The seawaters' harsh due to Habagat but it is still warm so we have to dive into the waters immediately else we will feel cold. It's always a good idea to dive in the saltwater because, for some reason, it gives us a feeling of relief. When was the last time that you had been to a beach?

For this reason, I'd like to recall the feeling of being on such a pristine beach as Kalanggaman Island. It's been four years but I can still remember how it felt being on this virgin island with no electricity or mobile signal. It's just a breath of fresh air to be disconnected yet connected to nature at the same time.

Have you heard of Kalanggaman Island? If not, let me tell you some things about this island.

Kalanggaman Island means Bird Island, the term "kalanggaman" came from the word Langgam which means bird. Also, because when viewed from above, the island looks like a bird. When it is low tide, the island wings extend to showcase its sandbar and it looked like a bird slowing down from a flight as its wings are a bit folded. It still shows itself as a bird though even on high tide, it is just that the wings are shorter and it looks like a bird taking off.

It was back in 2016 that it started gaining a name for itself and it somehow has been a dream beach destination to beach lovers. True enough, after staying on the island for two days and one night, I must say that this island deserves to be one of the most beautiful islands in the country.

Making the Itinerary

Planning to get to Kalanggaman was not an easy task. Being the one who initiated this, I was also tasked to make the itinerary and contact boat handlers to take us there. Originally, I planned this trip with just one colleague together with my husband and perhaps some of my husband's colleagues too but then after someone else from our team learned about this summer getaway, all of our team members asked to be tagged along.

The initial plan was to get here by March but then it was postponed and then finally it was realized by April. Fortunately, since most of our colleagues are coming together with their partners, (we are just a small start-up company) our boss offered to sponsor us too! That was the best part of this trip!

Also, to really make this light to our pockets, we made weekly savings. It was as if we didn't shell out a huge amount.

We ended up going as a group of 16 people, this was perfect because most vans and boats can accommodate 16 heads as well. I was able to find a good deal with SeatoSummitTravel, Php 1500 per person for two days, one night stay on the island, van, boat, and food for lunch is included. As for breakfast, we have to bring some to cook ourselves. I believe the deal was great and so we agreed to get that agency. Here's our itinerary:

Day 1

4:00 am: Pickup within Cebu City with a Private Van

9:00 am: Arrival in Maya Port

9:15am: Departure to Kalanggaman Island

11:00am: Arrival in Kalanggaman Island

Overnight

Day 2

9:00am: Departure from Kalanggaman Island

12:00n: Arrival in Maya Port

12:15 pm: Travel to Cebu City

There's a Kalanggaman Bungalow 1000 per 4 pax, Tents for 300, Cottages for 200 to 500 care of the Palompon Government. The agency can also cater a side trip to Malapascua Island with an additional Php 150 per head. We opted not to go there so we could have a lot of time to explore Kalanggaman instead.

First Day and First Impressions

On our day of departure, there was nonstop rain in Cebu City. We thought of canceling the trip but the agency said the boat still has been given license to sail by the coastguard and our downpayment will not be refunded if we opt to cancel. So, we just proceeded and a great reward came next - it was all sunny and clear in Kalanggaman.

As we were arriving at the island, all of us can't help but appreciate the beauty of the tropical trees, its pristine blue waters, it has clean and clear waters in the shoreline, the sand was fine and the sandbar was so admirable, sparkling from a distant indeed! There were a lot of people around the island already and we had to find a spot to dock on. All of us were excited to set foot.

Looking back at it right now, I wished we had a drone at that time because the island is just so pretty from above, still experiencing it from the ground and taking photos from there is already enough.

As we finally settled, we pitched our tents, we were so close to the waters, it was such a joy pitching tents! The tourist boat also was just next to our tents in case we needed anything from the boatmen.

Since lunch was included in this tour, it was prepared and served by the boatmen after we were all done with our tents. It was already very hot at that time but thankfully, the waters were cold! So it was perfect to stay just under the boat. Sunblock was to the rescue of course!

We had a lot of time to ourselves, we explored the island, played basketball since there's a makeshift ring and a volleyball court too. We had taken group pictures and of course, we have to take these photos at the sandbar, although very hot at that time, we survived!

All of us craved ice cream, to quench our almost dehydrated throats. But ice cream vendors here sell overpriced items! But it is understandable considering the distance and this type of cold treat is worth the money!

As the day went on, and the sun's heat was slowly fading, we made a diving spree with some judges on the side scoring each dive from 1-10. It was fun and such a good idea to enjoy the waters!

Overnight Tent Stay

My husband and I spent the golden hour on the other side of the island. We took some shots of ourselves and enjoyed the sunset view. There's a resort in this area too, I didn't know that there's one until we got to this side.

The night came, dinner was served which was mostly made of leftovers from lunch. We used the boat's kitchen to prepare some viands.

Our colleagues spent the night drinking, my husband and I just joined them for some music as one colleague brought his guitar. We watched millions of stars over our heads, sat next to the shore, and kept ourselves warm with our blankets. It was a great experience being out there.

Second Day

No sunrise but it was all fine. We walked towards the end of the sand bar. I found some empty seashells, very interesting to take photos of and the island was just so quiet, we could only hear the splashing of the waves kissing the shores.

I was walking barefoot, my slippers on my hand and it was super therapeutic. The sand pinching into my soles brought calmness and joy!

Our colleagues who were drank didn't seem to worry about not waking up early. They were treated with some hot coffee so they could get their senses back. Our breakfast was mostly fried items. Everyone ate to their delight. Our boatmen also shared our breakfast.

At nine in the morning, we were off to go back to Cebu.

Overall

Kalanggaman Island is such a beautiful place, I highly recommend it. It's best to visit it with friends and family as a group as you can save on the boat fees. One thing that we miss was the sunrise so perhaps we would be able to go back there soon and witness it by then. They say that the sunrise in Kalanggaman is very nice because it shows an infinite horizon, no blockage and it is dramatic. I must witness that once in my life!

You might consider Kalanggaman Island on your next travel, hopefully, this pandemic will soon end so we can get our feet to our desired destinations!

xoxo,

mommy jean of momentswithmatti

Love harder than any pain you've ever felt.