The Malawmawan Island Experience. Castilla town, Sorsogon.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been looking the google maps for some islands to visit in the Bicol Region and then I found some islands located in Sorsogon Bay. I searched for information in Google about those islands in Sorsogon Bay but only little information are available. Nevertheless, I found some information about Malawmawan and so I texted my friends if they want to join me for an island adventure in Sorsogon Province and two of my friends are more than willing to have an island adventure.

approaching the long sand bar of Malawmawan Island

It was already past lunch time when we arrived at Barangay Cumadcad in Castilla town, Sorsogon. Kakagaling lang kasi namin sa isa pang isla sa Sorsogon City. Cumadcad is about an hour bus ride from Sorsogon City and Legazpi City. From Cumadcad, we rode a jeepney to Barangay Macalaya which is our jump-off point to Malawmawan Island. It was a 45 minutes ride from Cumadcad. The road was narrow but mostly paved. You’ll pass by farms and few houses. You’ll know that it is already in Macalaya because it is the final stop of the jeepney. There is also a port in Macalaya and parang small town na din sya kasi may mga small stores at may maliit na public market din na malapit sa port.

the view of the island from the tip of the sandbar

From Macalaya port, makikita mo na ang Malawmawan Island. We looked around for boatmen and a few men approached us offering a boat service. Umabot ng 600 pesos yung offer nya for a roundtrip to Malawmawan. Our initial plan was to go Malawmawan and then to Panumbagan Atoll. Sabi namin sa bangkero, titingnan muna  namin ang isla at kapag okay magstay, magoovernight kami pero kapag hindi okay, magpapahatid lang kami pabalik on the same day. We bought some bread sa bakery and then we started our trip to Malawmawan Island.

After 20 to 30 minutes boat ride, we arrived at Malawmawan. The island is one of the least known islands in Sorsogon province. Only few Bicolanos knows about this island. Even those from Sorsogon province don’t know anything about the island. The island is a private island but there is no resort, electricity and a source of fresh water. The island doesn’t have a white sand but it has its own charm. The sand color of the beach is light brown and it is not even a fine sand.  When we arrived at the island, andun yung caretaker at andun din pala yung consultant ng may-ari. They were assessing the island para makita kung ano ano ang pwedeng maimprove sa isla. The caretaker and the boatman were relatives kaya yung boatman na din ang nakipagusap sa caretaker.

Nagustuhan namin yung isla at sinabi namin sa boatman na balikan na lang kami at magdala ng dinner namin pero sabi nung caretaker, bibigyan na lang daw kami ng free dinner. O di ba, astig, may free dinner kami.hehehe! So umalis na yung boatman and he told us na babalikan na lang kami early morning para makapunta kami sa Panumbagan Atoll, which is actually a sandbar lang naman located about an hour boat ride from Malawmawan.

So ayun na, since may diner na din pala kami, we strolled around the island for photo shoot. Naglakad lakad kami sa mahabang sandbar and then we also tried na ikutin ang buong isla pero masyado ata na malaki ang isla na halos mahigit isang oras na kami naglalakad pero hindi pa kami nangangalahati sa pagikot ng isla. We also saw a fishpond in the island, which according to the caretaker’s assistant, mga bangus daw ang pinapalaki nila dun. Wow, isla na may mga bangus. Yun ata ang magiging ulam namin.hehehe!

Napagod na kami sa paglalakad and it’s getting dark already, so we then decided to go back to our cottage. May maliit na cottage na pinagamit sa amin for free. Actually isa lang ang cottage dun at medjo hindi pa masyadong tapos ang pagkagawa. Pero since wala kaming dalang tent, mas ok na din yun kesa naman matulog kami sa damuhan.hehehe! At libre naman ang paggamit ng cottage kaya okay na din. Free dinner na nga, free accommodation pa, sobrang astig di ba?heheh!

So it was already getting dark, and since there is no electricity in the island, sobrang dilim talaga. We only have a flashlight as our source of light but the caretaker provided us with a gas lamp. A few minutes later, they then served us our dinner. Our dinner was a seafood menu. Grilled Bangus and Squid plus sawsawan na toyo at binuksan ko na din yung dala kong pork n’ beans. Okay na okay ang diner namin, however, medjo hirap din kami kumain ng bangus kasi wala ngang kuryente sa isla.hehehe! pero dahil free naman yun at gutom na din kami, pinagtyagaan namin na tanggalan ng tinik ang bangus. But it was an awesome meal. Sobrang pasalamat kami sa caretaker dahil sa free dinner namin.

After our dinner, nagkwentuhan na lang kami since wala naman kami masyadong gagawin sa isla. After a few hours na kwentuhan, we then decided na matulog na para maaga kaming magising. Just when we are about to go to sleep, bigla naman umulan, at dahil sira sira ang cottage, medjo nabasa kami sa ulan so we transferred to the Bantay Dagat guard post at doon kami nakitulog. Buti na lang mababait din yung mga Bantay Dagat personnel kaya ibinigay nila yung mga tulugan nila para sa amin. Ang babait talaga ng mga nasa isla. Feeling tuloy namin mga VIP kami.hahaha!

our accommodation

Morning came and the weather was somewhat cloudy and windy. The sea was also a little bit rough. The boatman arrived early in morning as what he had promised but told us we cannot go to Panumbagan Atoll because of the rough sea. Ayaw na din namin makipagsapalaran sa pagbyahe sa maalon na dagat papunta ng Panumbagan Atoll so we just told the boatman to bring us back to Macalaya. The sea route to Macalaya is a bit calmer compared to the sea route to Panumbagan. Nagpasalamat na kami sa caretaker at sa mga assistant at sa mga Bantay Dagat personnel at sa mga bisita din sa isla, and then umalis na kami ng Malawmawan papunta ng Macalaya. From Macalaya, we then rode a jeepney to Daraga City. Inabot din ng 1.5 hours yung byahe namin sa jeep. In Daraga, we had our breakfast and then after breakfast, pumunta na kami sa next destination namin.

google map screenshot

So far, the Malawmawan Island experience was a great experience. The charm of the island is different from other islands that I’ve visited. And then add to that the kindness and the hospitality of the people in the island. May free stay na nga kami sa isla, tapos free dinner pa, tapos free buko pa pala. At hindi lang tig-iisang buko ang ibinigay sa amin, but they gave us two buko for each one of us. Feeling namin para kaming isang bisita sa bahay na inasikaso ng maybahay.hehehe! It was indeed a very nice island experience, a very nice Malawmawan Island Experience!! Wooooot! Wooooot!!