A small vacation place along the pacific coastline hides a panoramic view of secluded coves and coral gardens in the town of Marabut, Western Samar in the Visayas region of the Philippines.
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| Photo originally from thefancy (dot) com |
Several private resorts settle in the coastal line of Marabut, Samar. But one of the best resorts that will give you a free pass to the secluded coves, coral gardens, and towering rock islands is the Caluwayan Palm Island Resort.
While I blogged an overview of this yet to discover scenic view in my previous post, here's a brief history on where the town of Marabut, Samar, that enclaves this small eco-oriented resort of Caluwayan, got its name.
The municipality of Marabut was a mere sitio of Basey, Samar during the early Spanish era. A then famous and brave revolutionary leader in the name of Bicario Amantillo organized a defense against the muslim bandits.
After his capture by the Americans in World War I, leader Ysidro M. Ferreras took over and worked for the improvement and welfare of the people in Sitio Lipata (Marabut's former name).
A proposal was made by Ferreras to President Elpidio Quirino to convert the sitio into a separate municipality; creating the Municipality of Marabut, Samar, in honor of the late Congressman Serafin Marabut who was a native of Basey, Samar. (source: www.marabut.org)
Caluwayan Palm Island Resort is in Barangay Caluwayan, Marabut, Samar. It is a 45-minute drive by car from Tacloban City. It can also be reached by boat from Tacloban City wharf.
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| Photo taken from Asiatravel (dot) com |
Main points of ship and airplane travels:
(Luzon) Manila (NAIA, Ninoy Aquino
International Airport)
NAIA
Terminal 1 – for all international flights except Philippine Airlines and Cebu
Pacific
NAIA
Terminal 2- for all international + domestic flights of Philippine Airlines
only
NAIA
Terminal 3- for all international + domestic flights of Cebu Pacific, Air Phil Express and code share flights for Philippine
Airlines
NAIA Terminal 4- for flights of Seair, Tiger Airways, and
Zest Air airlines
All airlines mentioned above accommodate promo fare tickets and schedule domestic flights to Tacloban. Air travel usually takes 1
hour from Manila to Tacloban City (DZR, Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport).
(Visayas) Cebu (Mactan Cebu International Airport)
MCIA Terminal 1 (International Passenger Terminal)- for all international flights
MCIA Terminal 2 (Domestic Passenger Terminal ) - for all domestic flights
MCIA is divided into right-wing and left-wing.
Right Wing - Philippine Airlines, AirPhil Express, and Seair
Left Wing - Cebu Pacific and Zest Airlines
Air travel from Cebu to Tacloban City usually takes 30 to 45 minutes.
(Mindanao) Davao (Davao International Airport)
Davao domestically caters to only 5 destinations-- Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Manila, Iloilo, Zamboanga
Philippine Airlines - Manila
Cebu Pacific - Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Zamboanga
AirPhil Express- Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga
Upon arriving in Tacloban City (DZR Airport), you can take a ride by jeepney to Tacloban City New Bus Terminal for Php 12.00 or hire a taxi/cab directly bound for Caluwayan Palm Island Resort in Marabut,Samar depending on the price decided between the driver and the passenger. It will however be cheaper if you take a taxi in a group of 4-6 persons.
At the New Bus Terminal you can ask the driver to take you to North Bound Vehicles and look for trips bound for Marabut, Samar.
PUJ/Route has 4 available trips bound for Marabut, Samar
Mini Bus/Route has 5 available trips bound for Marabut, Samar
Van/Route has 9 available trips bound for Guiuan which pass through the town of Marabut, Samar
Bus fare is around Php25.00 to Php 35.00 while van fare costs around Php 100.00 to Php 120.00.
As blogged in my earlier post, the resort can easily be recognized from along the road as a big signage under a wooden anchored thatch greets passersby along the hi-way. You can ask the driver to drop you at the gate.
:: Traveler's Note: You'll know when you have to turn off your iPod music or shut down your tab and get your luggage ready, because you're approaching Caluwayan Resort once you finally see Western Highway Lodge along the road. ::
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| Photo taken from Wikipedia (dot) org |
All trips by land that are bound for Samar pass through the famous and astounding San Juanico Bridge, it is a part of Pan-Philippine Highway that connects the two provinces of Leyte and Samar across the San Juanico strait.
It is considered as the longest bridge in the Philippines, passing over a body of seawater and islets. Picture takings in San Juanico Bridge though, has recently been prohibited by the local government. On that note, you can take pictures of the bridge itself while your vehicle passes through it.
One wonderful thing about the bridge is that it forms an 'S' shape (the first letter of the word Samar) when you pass from Leyte to Samar and forms an 'L' shape when you travel from Samar to Leyte.
The bridge is like a Philippine version of the Golden Gate Bridge of America that connects San Francisco and Marin County.
Ancient Town Basey
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| Photo originally from basey6720 (dot) blogspot (dot) com |
While there are a huge selection of bargains found around Samar, from clothes to kitchen wares, you can come near one specific town before reaching Marabut, Samar-- the ancient town of Basey that is famous for its unique caves and wooden mats (banig).
Philippine summer season falls between the warm months of April and May. However peak seasons in Caluwayan Palm Island Resort are between January 13-March 14, June 1-September 30, November 10-December 14.
That said, it is best to visit the resort off-peak season, between December 15-January 12, March 15-May 31, October 1-November 9 if you want to steer clear from too much crowd and too much expenses. Teehee!
The price for the accommodation in the resort is cut down to up to 25 % during off-peak season.
Rooms and Rates (as published)
Peak Season (January 13-March 14, June 1-September 30, November 10-December 14)
Open Cottage - Php 1,600
Beach Villa - Php 5,200
Beach Villa Suite - Php 5,900
Off-Peak Season (December 15-January 12, March 15-May 31, October 1-November 9)
Open Cottage - Php 1,300
Beach Villa - Php 4,200 with breakfast for 2 pax
Beach Villa Suite - Php 4,800 with breakfast for 2 pax
All rates are in Philippine currency, inclusive of Government taxes. They also accept major credit cards. Check in time is at 2PM while check out time is at noon. Click here for more details.
For our family who went for a 1N/2D staycation, we booked 1 Family Room that accommodated 7 adults (including me) and 5 children below 12 years old for Php4500.00.
The family room has:
2 king size bed upholstered in white, with comforters
Wooden headboards
1 side table
Wooden breakfast table and chair for two
Flat screen TV with remote control
1 DVD player with remote control
2 movie DVDs
2 Cabinets with 4 hangers near the powder area
2 lavatories
Complimentary air condition
Modern bath tub and shower facilities
Electronic card lock
Glass slide doors
4 Bath Towels
2 Face towels
Complimentary hotel soap and shampoo
The family room actually makes room for 4 adults only so we added 1 extra bed for Php600.00 to accommodate 3 more adults. The glass slide doors favored us the tranquil and indulgent view of the infinity pool, towering rock islands, and the local fishermen that silhouette in sundown. Aah, breather!
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| Veranda |
A veranda also extends from the room towards the seaside, embellished with chaise loungers and a table. For a bookworm and wellness-hopeful like me, I think the veranda is a perfect spot for reading, late-afternoon chatting, or to simply put it, relaxing.
The bad side however was that the air condition did not function well. The resort didn't have access to cable TV and internet, and phone signals are hardly.
The staffs ushered us to the room with 2 bottles of drinking water we thought were welcome drinks, only to know upon check out that we had to pay for them for Php50.00 each.
But well, you see, travelers slash vacationers sometimes need to be ready for superlatives of contingencies without muddling an entire trip. That said, I still highly recommend this Family Room among any other rooms in the resort.
I consider our family a certified relaxation seeker and beach frequenter, which means that traveling to places, including this trip, will run around 15- 20 persons. We had to make room for the other 8 adults in 1 Beach Villa and 1 Open Cottage. The villa costs around Php5200.00 while the open cottage costs around Php1600.
Did I mention that prices for rooms are cut down to up to 25% during off-peak season? We went there on off-peak dates from October 13-14 this year but we sadly did not avail the 25% off they initially published on their website; for whatever reasons I don't know.
The beach villa has:
1 Queen Size Bed
1 side table and a wooden lamp
Regular TV with remote
1 DVD player with remote
2 movie DVDs
1 small single refrigerator
1 wooden cabinet
1 lavatory and a powder area
Continental shower facility
4 bath towels
Complimentary soap and shampoo
A second floor with 1 single bed
A terrace with wooden chair and table
A balcony that is few meters from the sea
The terrace and the balcony afforded us the view of the calm blue waters and towering rock islands. It is situated at the far right side of the resort so it is likewise far from too much noise of people flattering their feet in the pool area. Very tropical!
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| Photo originally from Asiatravel (dot) com |
The open cottage has:
1 Queen Size Bed
1 Pull out Bed that is good for 2 to 3 persons
Side table
1 electric fan
White curtains to cover the cottage when it's time to rest at night
Amenities
Amenities and facilities in the resort include a bistro bar that offers cocktail and mixed alcoholic drinks, a bistro bar lounge, a souvenir shop which I honestly did not take time to see because I didn't have an idea that it actually existed, a beach cottage made of local woods and weaved thatch, boat rentals which are available for free when you are checked in to any of their room accommodations, shower house that is good for non-checked in guests (entrance fee has to be paid for Php20.00 and pool use for Php125.00 per pax), and an infinity pool.
What else should you try to see? :)
The resort also strictly follows swimming etiquette so they require all pool users to wear proper swimming attires.
:: Traveler's Note: Be sure to assert your needs and ask for assistance from the staffs of the resort should you wish to go for a night swimming. The staffs don't stay in the resort overnight so they usually turn off the pool lights at 8PM when they leave the resort. But a request to turn the lights on can be made for strictly up to 10PM only. ::
Caluwayan dining
The resort provides a menu of delectable food to choose from. They offer side orders that range from Php70.00 to Php500.00 depending on the food, to catering services. They serve fresh grilled seafoods everyday.
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| Photo originally from tumblr (dot) com |
Since our family had to feed 20 tummies in this staycation, we pre-arranged a catering service which the resort offers at around Php5700, all at the guests' food of choice. And that's where it got extremely tricky. Dictionaries defined me catering service as the food or service being catered to the guest (s), most likely a food joint, that can accommodate "several" persons.
Their catering service however, was unreasonably overpriced; serving only about 2 platters of rice, and 3 different viands (which you can honestly home cook for no more than Php1000), a fruit salad dessert, and an iced tea without ice. I'm not yet even trying to sound funny about that.
:: Traveler's Note: It is best to make side orders of Caluwayan dishes as it will slack off your expenses to almost three-fourths. They allow bringing junk food without corkage. Pre-home cooked dishes however are subject to corkage charge. You may, slip them under your bags though so you won't have to pay for bringing them in. But of course it's a little unethical to do that. Just figure it to yourself what you think will work best. :) ::
Despite middling negatives and occasional delays, the staffs in the resort were courteous and accommodating.
Adventures
This is the best part. When natural settings intends to give the guests a retreat from the typical set up of the city.
We automatically had a free access of the paddle boats since we are checked in the resort. Local boat paddlers in the resort served as our tour guide to the towering rock islands that are looming from a short distance from the resort.
You get to appreciate the calmness of the blue seawater and corals after a few paddles off the coast. Eyes honestly circled and jaws began to drop as we got closer to the rock islands and coves.
:: Traveler's Trivia: The plant found on the rock island formation in the next picture is locally called Bantolinao/ Bantulinao or otherwise known as Maba Buxifolia. It is a part of the bonsai family. It is a rare specie of a bonsai plant so it is sold at a very expensive price. Picking of the plants is strictly prohibited by the local government as well. ::
Sea kayaking, rock island hopping, boat paddling, cave sightseeing, and diving are some of the enthralling activities we ever had to do. That covers the sad fact that jet skis and banana boats are no longer functional in the resort.
Was diving into the deep waters ever a problem for the non-swimmers? Not likely. The resort provides life vests to the guests before going for paddle boating.
The entire Caluwayan vacation was for the most part revitalizing. My nomadic traveler sense of self is hinted again. A lonely planet 6 degrees kind of feel. Something that travelers like Andrew Zimmern and Samantha Brown exemplify in the travels they present on TV.
I felt like sharing this, proudly my copyright, "When you go to a place you've never been to, you either become a tourist or a traveler. These two words mean different. And I choose to be the latter."
Caluwayan Palm Island Resort Overall Rating: 6 to 7
All photos in this post are copyright Syril Tañala, pensnpaper unless otherwise stated
Caluwayan Resort (dot) com
tacloban (dot) gov (dot) ph
Mactan Cebu International Airport (dot) org
