KALANGGAMAN ISLAND

Kalanggaman Island is known for its long stretch of white sandbar and the clear waters surrounding it. It is located in the province of Leyte in the Visayas region. Some, visit it as part of an island hopping tour or some spend an overnight stay.

GOING THERE

As part of my Eastern Visayas Trip, I chose Kalanggaman Island as my first destination. From Metro Manila, I traveled by air going to Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban. Outside of the terminal, there’s a line of jeepneys that are going to Tacloban Downtown (City Center). I told the driver to drop me at the New Bus Terminal which is located outside the city center. A lot of van operators are stationed there, I rode a van going to Palompon. It took time before we departed, we waited until all seats were taken. Travel time going to Palompon takes 3 hours.

I arrived around 5:30 PM and was planning to stay in town and gather information on how to go to the island. I went to the municipal hall and asked a guy where’s the tourism office. He guided me to a yellow building at the back of the hall. The personnel in the tourism office told me that 15 minutes before, a group of tourists left for the island. If I arrived early, I could have joined them and stayed the night there instead. Since I cannot afford to rent a whole boat, I’ve looked for cheap accommodations nearby and hoped that there will be other tourists tomorrow that I can share the boat with.

The guy brought me to an inn but the price is too high for me. He let me ride a potpot (Pedicab) and told the driver to drop me at a cheaper inn.  The driver didn’t know where to take me, instead, he dropped me at Cham’s Inn. The price is still high but I was able to ask for a discount.

FIRST DAY AT KALANGGAMAN ISLAND

The next day I bought bread and canned tunas as rations (I just bought this out of being lazy to think and didn’t realize that it was not enough). I stayed hungry until lunch the next day XD). After buying all I needed, I went to the tourism hall and registered. They told me to wait for other tourists who would stay overnight on the island. There was this group that was going there but they will not stay on the island. Some of them will be back at noon and some will return to the island the next day. They invited me to join their boat. I was very thankful for them. We became friends for a short time (We shared food, stories, and laughs).

We left the port at 7:00 A.M. One crew caught my attention and pointed towards the sea. Dolphins were jumping but unfortunately, they were too far away from us to capture some photos.

After an hour, we arrived at the island very astonished, as we saw the long stretch of sand and the clear waters around us. The sand is not fine but composed of dead corals. Still, it is a wonderful place. We took a swim after eating our breakfast beside the huts and under the trees.

At noon, My new friends left for Malapascua Island. I stayed under the trees before exploring the island, as it was very hot at that time.

I also met other travelers and they told me that we could watch the sunset on the opposite side of the island. We went to the island’s other side, but we didn’t see the sunset due to the clouds covering it. Exploring the island is an additional experience.  During low tide, another part of the island can be walked upon.

SECOND DAY AT KALANGGAMAN ISLAND

The next day, I woke up without any food and tried to control myself from buying at the store. Instead, I’ve used my time taking photos, swimming, and enjoying the moment left on the island until I leave.

Around noon, my newfound friends returned from their Malapascua Trip. We joined other groups for our return trip back to Palompon. After eating lunch, we were off to our next destination.

Kalanggaman Island is a good place to experience island life. It may be a bit of survival but the experience is unique. It is sometimes lonely to travel alone but what makes it good is that you meet new friends along the way.

Check out my BILIRAN PROVINCE POST for the continuation of my itinerary and expenses.

 Or

Check out my BIRI ISLAND – NORTHERN SAMAR POST for the end of my itinerary and expenses.

Or

Check out my EASTERN VISAYAS TRAVEL GUIDE for the whole itinerary and expenses.

TRAVEL GUIDE & TIPS

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 (LEYTE-Tacloban-Palompon)

DAY 2 (LEYTE-Palompon-Kalanggaman Island)

DAY 3 (LEYTE-Kalanggaman Island-Palompon-Lemon-BILIRAN-Naval)

EXPENSES:

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

LOCATION:

• Palompon, Leyte, Philippines

FEES: 

• Below are the rates:

ACCOMMODATIONS:

• Palompon Sugar’s Inn
• RedDoorz @ RGE Pension House
• Palompon Lodge

POWER PACK:

• Dry Bag
• Aqua Shoes
• Travel Backpack
• Snorkeling Gear
• Goggles
• Sun Block
• Insect Repellant

CHECK OUT THESE DISCOUNTED/PROMO RATES IN KLOOK:

• Bluewater Sumilon Day Tour
• Plantation Bay Day Use with Lunch
• Cebu Ocean Park Ticket
• Cebu Safari and Adventure Park Ticket

Klook.com

CONNECT:

• Contact Person for boat and accommodation arrangements: Mae A. Dungo (St. Francis Travel & Tours Services): (+63) 906-975-3053 (GLOBE), (+63) 919-667-8122 (SMART)

NOTES:

• There are no restaurants on the island yet so you have to bring food and water from the mainland. A sari-sari store can be found, but it only sells a few products.
• There is no clean water available yet to be used for washing up. If you’re going to stay overnight, your tour guide will provide 5 gallons of water for you to use. If you did not receive yours as I did, they sell in the sari-sari store for ₱50. A water tank is planned to be installed soon.
• For security concerns, policemen are stationed on the island.
• If you don’t want to stay in a tent, they offer wooden tipis/huts for ₱1000/Night

• If you are traveling solo or in a small group, you can join other tourists for the boat ride back to Palompon.
• There are riptide/strong currents located at both tips of the island, avoid swimming there as much as possible.
• The best time to take photos is from 8:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. The sun is not harsh and the color of the sea is turquoise blue.
• Tents are available for rent in the Tourism Office.
• Other activities available on the island: Snorkeling, Kayaking, Diving, and Biking

©CHASEJASE