Monday, June 1, 2015

Travelling Sambawan Island in Biliran Province


Sambawan Island in Maripipi, Biliran


With its sand, size, and clear waters, Sambawan island is probably Biliran’s prime spot for travellers.

To get to Sambawan, make your way to Brgy Ol-Og through the Brian Claire boat from Naval that leaves 10:00AM (or a little earlier depending on the number of passengers). Fare is P60 inclusive of a complimentary service to the town proper (and passing through brgy Ol-Og which is the jump off to the island).

From Ol Og, it will be a 15-20 minute boat ride to the island. Fare for Boat from Barangay Ol-Og to Sambawan is P500 for return trip. In case you are travelling alone, you may want to wait in the brgy for other passengers so you have a group to share your boat cost with. 

In my case, i met some volunteer travellers coming from All hands in Tacloban. 

Sambawan Island in Maripipi, Biliran

Sambawan Island in Maripipi, Biliran


3 volunteer travellers to All Hands in Tacloban whom I met in Brgy Ol-og, Maripipi, Biliran




Entrance fee is now (may 2015) P100 per head plus P25 per boat.


port in Naval, Biliran
There are open cottages for P500 and closed bungalows with beddings for P2500. Water for rinsing (fetched from maripipi) is payable at P25 per container. Bring your food as none available in the island except for canned or eggs at prices 5x the market price (coffee at P25. Eggs at P25). No alcohol or cigarettes sold in the island.

Electricity, at least for light, is available at night. You can charge your gadgets at the barracks for P10 per device, or if you are renting one of their cottages, you may want to bring one of these extensions that you put on the bulb to get additional sockets for other pluggables.


Sambawan island in Maripipi, Biliran

Diving is offered, though there don’t seems to be much around. Plus, a volunteer expat is still mapping out the dive sites, though he mentions there are some shark apparitions in the vicinity.
They offer mask rental for P150 per set, though snorkelling is not really a fancy. There don’t seem to be much around. In case you want to check out a reef, the backside of the island is a better snorkelling site. Do it in the morning when the backside is flat with wave.

The waves are strong at some point, normally on the beach side in the morning, then moving on to the rocky backside from the afternoon. At the time of my visit, looking for a quiet spot to think life through J, i walked onto the backside and spotted a lot of phlanktons. They would be a delight at night, so check them out before saying good night.








In case you plan to walk the island, do it with slippers. The ground could get so hot, and I mean hot, during sun up. We got caught up by noontime walking to one end of the island, such that I had to make a makeshift slipper to not burn my sole with the heat of the ground. 

Sambawan island in Maripipi, Biliran

Sambawan island in Maripipi, Biliran

Sambawan island in Maripipi, Biliran



Sambawan island in Maripipi, Biliran

Sambawan island in Maripipi, Biliran



walking towards the end of Sambawan Island in Maripipi, Biliran












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