When our bangka (boat) approached closer to the island, we could already see the beauty and serene crystal clear waters of the little island, or islet as some would call it. We started our trip at 9AM from Malapascua Island, a 1.5hr boat ride to this little charm.
Kalanggaman Island, which was ranked the number 1 sand bar in all of the Philippines by Skyscanner, is also known as “Paradise Island”. ‘Langgam’, a Bisaya dialect word which means “bird” is where the island got its name from as there are a diverse amount of bird species which visit this little paradise. You are more likely to witness this if you camp out overnight in this island and wake up early to catch the birds in the morning.
Stepping off the boat, it was very hard to contain the excitement because there was so much beauty all around. Firstly, both ends of the island have sand bars. In some parts of the island, the soft sand beneath my feet reminded me of the sands in Boracay. Another section of the island is quite pebbly and rocky, which is another charm on its own.
Despite still being considered a virgin island with no electricity (except for a couple of solar panels), the island has a few developments for tourists, including a little chapel for prayers, a few nipa huts to hide from the sun, and now they are in the process of building toilets and outdoor benches. These new developments will be completed in 2017.
There’s so much to do in the island, such as snorkelling, kayaking, diving and camping.
How To Get To Kalanggaman Island
From Cebu:
Take the Fast Craft (Supercat) from Pier 3 heading to Ormoc, Leyte. The boat ride is around 2hrs to Ormoc, then you can find public transportation to Palompon.
Cost ~ PHP600 (USD $12)
From Leyte:
If you find yourself in Leyte, you have to make your way to Palompon via public transport from Tacloban. The trip takes around 4hours.
Travel Cost ~ PHP150 (USD $3)
From Malapascua Island:
We took one of the tours to reach Kalangaman Island. If you are not a big group, you can join other tourists and the boats normally leave around 9am and arrives back in Malapascua at around 4pm. It is advisable to book your spot a day before the trip. For more details on this trip, please visit our blog about Malapascua here.
Other Fees:
Tour costs can vary depending on provider, and sometimes tourist rates are more expensive than local rates.
Please ensure the weather is good before visiting the island. Waves can get really big and the boat ride will be unpleasant!
