The waves at Carnaza Island
When we visit new places, there is always a significant thing or event that stands out among all the instances that happened. After months passed by, it brings us into a nostalgia when we come across of the same scenario. Whether it be good or bad memory, it's one unforgettable experience which let us enjoy life in a unique way, get out of our comfort zone and bring lessons to teach us how to handle unexpected situations if it occurs the next time.
Just recently, I had the most fascinating travel in this turtle shape island Carnaza, Daanbantayan, Cebu. The video at the bottom page tells it all.
Before we headed to our destination, we researched a few things about the island. Thus, I kept in mind a few reminders during the escapade. First, there is no electricity in the island so I brought a headlamp and tentlamp with me. Second, there are no restaurants accessible which we ensured to plan our meals for the rest of our stay in Ecopark. Third, the waves are peculiar around the island so I placed my clothes and stuff in a plastic wrap.
How did it go? Boom! The waves were distinctly unique indeed! Not the usual waves we encounter near Cebu. Here's what happened. It took us 3 hours by vhire going to Tapilon port where the boats dock to get passengers. There is only one schedule of the so called public boat per way: it arrives in Tapilon port Daanbantayan at 10 am and it leaves at 2pm going to Carnaza island. This is the reason why most tourists would prefer to rent a private boat instead. In our case, I and the birthday celebrant Necah, joined the other 2 groups since we arrive in Tapilon port around 730am. We decided not to wait for the public transportation due to time constraint.
The not so large pumpboat left Tapilon at 8am carrying 13 pax. The first half hour of sea travel was manageable but when we got to the mid part of the ocean, the waves were raging and tall in altitude. It swung the boat to and fro,not only that, water splashed inside the boat. So the two lovers in front of us were soaking wet when we reached the island. Since we were also seated behind them, we were not exempted. The tiring part was the boat's travel time took almost 4 hours. Whew! Got dizzy when we arrived. But was it worth the thrilling and long ride? YES!
We prepared right away our first meal since it was lunchtime when we arrive in eco park resort, which is privately owned by an Osmena.
The cool breeze of the sea, blue skies and seeing the big waves in the shore were relaxing. Necah and I decided to stay in the resort since we were so exhausted with the land and sea travel. We enjoyed taking some photos of the amazing sunset, the place and our meal for the rest of the day.
Our first meal in Carnaza(dilis, ampalaya, salted egg) nomnom!
Buko for 15php straight from the tree
Customized teepee huts are for 200php overnight rental good for two pax
View at the lake
Sunset view at the helipad eco park
The next day, we woke up early to witness the sunrise and cooked our breakfast before biking and the island tour.
There are activities you can choose from in the resort:
1. Biking and Kayaking: 100php / hour/bike or kayak
We chose biking instead. The son's owner was so kind to give us another free hour. But had no time to avail of it because of our schedule. Thanks to him anyway.
These kids said hi to us when we strolled around looking for fish and ice cubes.
Ate has a small sari sari store where we bought a few ingredients for cooking.
2. Island tour by boat is 3000 php rental or 250php by motorycle(good for two). We opted for the habal habal tour in three places: Kailina beach, Skull cove and Elena.
Kailina beach
Skull cove
Elena Beach
I love the Kailana beach of all because of its crystal clear water, powdery sand, picturesque scenery and rock formation.
You'd love to stay in the water of Kailina beach because it's calm, clean and Crystal clear.
Next is the skull cove which is 5 minutes away from Ecopark. It has the same fine white sand with trees surrounding the area. They have placed a mini hut where it overlooks the horizon and the blue ocean. There are also caves divided into two, one is at a lower portion with stagnant water. It looks scary!
The other one is at a ground level which has skulls believed to have a historical connection with the island's ancestors.
Nothing pretty amazing in the cove but its lovely beach. The birthday girl really had fun and we took some selfies at the cove's beach. So superb!
The third place we visited is the Elena beach where the sun sets. However, it was gloomy when we reached the site. Mr. Sun was hiding its beauty and I was kinda sad that he didnt show up. The place has not been managed since there are trashes around the area especially when you reached the peak. Too bad! Nevertheless, you'll see how the enormous waves rush to the shore and rocks. We saw from afar a group who pitched their tents. Probably, there is no entrance fee when using the area. But it was also fearsome to swim in this beach part due to the strong current and huge waves. We just took some pictures then headed back to Ecopark since dark clouds and thunder sounds indicate that rain is coming.
After our tour, we went back to Ecopark since the rain is about to pour. Our last night was also memorable because it rained hard. Our tent was soaking wet which made me disappointed. But these unexpected moments test my patience and resiliency. Good thing, the resort has a rendezvous that serves as a dining area and a place to stay in with tents if the weather turns bad. The resort uses solar power to lighten up the area during the night and they have access to fresh water. Some of the groups also stayed inside due to the continuous heavy rain. But nothing can stop us from enjoying our dinner: sinugba baboy(grilled pork), talong kinilaw and salted egg. Yummy!
We woke up early the next morning to prepare our breakfast before we head back home. We enjoyed the glorious and golden mid summer sunrise while cooking corned beef, spam and eggs. Aint that exciting?
When we were done eating our last meal in this gorgeous island, we packed our bags, went straight to the passengers public boat for 200 Php per head. The pumpboat left 10 minutes past 8am. We thought it would be a smooth sail but it wasn't. The waves were strange like it's rotating the boat in a rectangular motion. Some of the passengers felt dizzy and threw up. It took 2 hours to reach the Tapilon port. What I didnt like when the boat docked is the dirty seashore with no proper facilities to get the passengers out of the boat if its high tide. So we have to submerged our feet and legs in the filthy water. Tapilon port really needs improvement if they are wanting to get more tourists to visit the place.
In summary, Carnaza has its own set of nature's beauty to offer. If you are up for a summer adventure or just wanting to chill and relax, getaway from the busy city life. Then this is for you!
If you're curious about the overall expenses, I created a breakdown of it below.
A few tips and reminders I noted are :
- It's best to leave early from Cebu perhaps at 3am especially on weekends.
- It's recommended to stay 2 nights and 3 days due to the travel time if you want to really explore the island.
- Carnaza has strong big waves so make sure to wrap clothes or even your bag in plastic bags. Also wear dri fit clothes since you may be one of those lucky passengers sitting in front of the private boat and get a dose of the vitamin seawater. Lol!
-Be friendly to locals and leave no trash, take nothing but only pictures.
-Bring first aid kit.
-I highly recommend to plan your meals during your stay since there is no access to any food stores. It's 300 php cooking fee if you want your food cooked by the staff in the resort so it's best to bring a camping stove or portable burner.
-Never forget to bring sunblock lotion. Summer heat is on!
-Always bring extra money.
-Be sensitive to other groups in the resort especially if its sleeping time.
Till our next adventure! Kalanggaman island is up next!
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