Calayan Island
is a municipality in the province of Cagayan Valley. It is located in the South China Sea in Luzon
Strait. It is one of the major islands
of the Babuyan Islands.
I left Cubao on May 15 with Victory Liner via
Tuguegarao. The following day, I took
the van at 5 a.m. to Claveria. It was a
4-hour travel time to Claveria.
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| Some lampitaw that docks in the shore of Calayan Island. |
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| St. Bartholomew Church in Poblacion, Calayan |
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| Gymnasium |
I had a 4-day, 3-night stay in Calayan Island. Among the tourist destination of Calayan, one
of the most visited spot is Sibang Beach, and you can never miss this one as
this is the major attraction of the said island.
Getting to Calayan
via Lampitaw Boat Ride via Claveria:
If you are in Claveria you can catch up the lampitaw boat
at 6 a.m. One location is in the main
town where you can ride a tricycle and the other is at Taggat Lagoon. In my case, my contact person Tessie reserved
me to M/B Jason which docks to Taggat Lagoon.
The fee to ride the lampitaw will cost you 500 pesos. There are no chairs when you ride lampitaw
and no cover to protect you from the sunlight.
The weather is unpredictable and there may be times when the sea is
rough. Make sure you cover your things
with the plastic bag so that it won’t get wet.
Chances are you may get wet due to unpredictable rough sea.
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| In the backround of the boat is M/V Eagle Ferry |
There is a ferry in Aparri that leaves at 6 a.m. M/V.
Eagle is the only ferry that travels to Calayan and Aparri, vice versa. The schedule may vary. The ferry docks at Poblacion and is a walking
distance to the municipal hall of Calayan.
Where to Stay In
Calayan Island:
There is no hotel or inn at Calayan Island. You can stay at TPS Homestay and you can contact Tessie to reserve in advance. The rate is 200 pesos a day and you can use
the dining room and kitchen. TPS
Homestay offers catering service just in case you want someone to cook some
meals for you.
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| TPS Homestay |
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| Dining Room |
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| Bedroom |
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| Tessie's wines that she sell to her guests |
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| Sunset in Poblacion beach is a walking distance from the homestay |
Contact Person: Tessie Singun, 09298375737. For your guided tour, Tessie can help you
arrange your tour with the tour guide and tricycle service. Aside from Sibang Beach, there are some spots
that I was not able goad and I had some few regrets about missing out these
places.
Some Helpful
Information About Calayan Island
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There’s no internet café in Calayan. If you are using your mobile phone or pocket
wi-fi to surf or check any messages on email or Facebook, it’s really slow. Smart works when you make a call or send some
text messages.
·
There is no public market to buy some fresh foods. If you want to buy some sea foods, there is a
fish vendor that in the street. You can
also get a caterer that will serve the meals for you.
·
There’s no local bank in Calayan, no atm
machines, make sure you bring extra cash.
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There are no carinderias or restaurants, only
some bake shops where you can buy goods.
·
Electricity is only available from 12 noon to 12
midnight.
If you want to reserve a booking going back to Claveria
or Appari, you can let Tessie know
beforehand so that she can help you with the schedule.
