A new month, a new travel series. Annually, we have to attend conventions to earn creds. But I do not think I am the type to fully let go of the chance to insert a bit of fun somewhere along the way. Iloilo City was where we were supposed to have the convention; which means there are loads of places around where we could have a side trip. So what did we do? Flew in there a day early, for a quick one-day-one-night sojourn to the Islas de Gigantes.
Logistics-wise, it would have been the better idea if you’re flying in from Manila to Roxas in the neighboring province of Capiz. But that was not the case, as we’re flying in from the airport in Iloilo.
Weeks before the trip, I realized it required more planning, since there were 15 of us, and not all were necessarily the pick-em-up-and-get-moving type of travelers. For that, we had to get help from Las Islas Travel and Tours. (I’ll be linking their info at the end of this post).
Everything was coordinated with Ms. Jesan dela Cruz, Travel Supervisor and Tour Guide, so from the time we landed at the airport in Iloilo City, we were picked up by a couple of tour vans for the trip to Bancal Port, where we got on a private boat that will take us to the islands. At the port, we were met by our designated tour guide, the perky and very enthusiastic Angie.
Getting there…
At the Bancal Port, we filled out registration forms, had a short briefing by Angie, got our stuff, and boarded the boat.
The weather was soooooo nice!! All that blue, everywhere you look!! As we headed out into the water, Angie started her spiel, and there was one thing she had to make sure we kept in mind.
“It’s ISLAS de Gigantes, not ISLA de Gigantes”, because we’re talking about several islands and islets here, not just one or two, although most would only be aware of Gigantes Norte and Gigantes Sur. There are actually 13 islands and islets in this group of islands in the middle of the Philippines.
It kinda reminded me of “It’s BORACAY, not just BORA.” Haha!
The place got its name because legend has it that it used to be where giants (“higantes” in the local vernacular) lived. They were called such not because they were of Goliath proportions, but because they were bigger than the ordinary folks’ breadth and height. In fact, some bones of these ancestors have been dug and are preserved in local museums.
We did not have the luxury of time. As I mentioned, we only had one afternoon, overnight, and morning the next day to spend at the islands. We kinda thought we’d be brought to our accommodations first where we could change into proper beach-hopping clothes, but it turns out that we’d already be passing by some of the stops in our itinerary before then.
And it didn’t make sense to check in at the resort, change, then head back out where we came from again.
So that explains why most of us were still in our travelling garb when we arrived at the first stop: Pulupandan Island.
Pulupandan: a survivor
According to Angie, the islands were not spared by the wrath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), which pretty much brought a whole lotta pain and grief to the country.
One good thing came out of that devastation, though: more people realized that Islas de Gigantes existed, and tourism started to boom for this chain of islands.
The Pulupandan Island is so small, you can probably walk from end to end in under ten minutes, at a leisurely pace.
We walked to one end of the islet to stand atop the rocks and have a better view of the surroundings. As you can see, it’s pretty much barren, and that is courtesy of the super typhoon. Probably as an act of mercy, the typhoon spared that single palm tree near the middle of the island.
And it stands tall, like the remaining survivor that she is.
That means anyone planning on taking a dip here should probably slather on sunscreen, because there is no shade available. Oh, there are those two sheds, but… if you consider how hot it’d be in the middle of summer (this was in the month of May), those sheds are insignificant.
So what do you do when you’re standing atop rocks, with the ocean in front of you and a barren island behind you?
Why, take pictures, of course!
If the sight of the clear emerald waters does not entice you to jump into the water to cool off, then the sound of the waves splashing against the rocks is basically a siren’s call.
It was soooo dang hard to resist.
But resist we must, because we weren’t dressed for it. And we still had our luggage on the boat, and we didn’t want to get saltwater everywhere. And there wasn’t an area on the islet where you can actually get changed.
….well, unless you’re all right for all and sundry to be eyewitnesses, then bless you, go for it. 🙂
That does not mean, however, that you should stay away from the water, or venture only where it is safe (I mean, dry.)
This was the closest I could get without getting soaked. A bit slippery in some areas, but…. YOLO!
Come to think of it, it is amazing how this small patch of land in the middle of this emerald ocean still managed to hold on to its, err… small patch, even after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda.
One of those miracles, I suppose. I’m just thankful we got to be some of those who laid eyes (and feet!) on it.
This brief stopover hinted that we were off to a good start. It was already midday, and close to lunch, and it’s real hot, and we’re starting to feel hungry. (We started travelling from Baguio City the night before!)
So with hungry tummies and excited hearts, we re-boarded our boat to move to the next destination! See you then!
have Post cards of Pulupandan 1930’s I am 92 and these were MY Mothers
Oh wow! Pulupandan in the 1930s must look like paradise! You got some real keepers there, ma’am!