San Jose Skimboarding Camp Resort and Restaurant

Dulag, Leyte is now home for popular tourist destinations (picnic grounds) in the province such as the Sabang Daguitan Surf Camp, Da-o Balayan Kawilan which is famous for their fishing and kayaking activities, and the San Jose Skimboarding Camp Resort and Restaurant. The latter, however, is located just along the road; and took its name from its location - Brgy. San Jose, Dulag, Leyte.

San Jose Skimboarding Camp Resort and Restaurant is a diner resort located near the beach designed structurally with wooden huts and shacks. The beanery is situated actually on a rock hill then fundamentally restructured as a resort camp. The cottages were placed at different levels; most are situated near the beach.

Entrance Fee: P20

Decorative plants and a garden modified with several-stemmed flowering shrubs will welcome you warmly at the resort’s entryway.

You can order meals and refreshments at the counter and the staffs will serve your orders at your dining table. We actually love their Pancit Canton packed with herbaceous veggies and pork at P150 platter meal and their fruit shakes made purely of real fruits for only at P80.

Cottage Fee: P500

Guests who visit prominently at the resort were skimboard riders. Skimboarding is very popular in Leyte and the resort’s location is actually perfect for boardsports. These riders love to slide transversely on the water’s surface to meet an incoming wave (in wave breaking) then ride it back to shore performing ‘big spins’ and ‘wraps’ on their ride.

(Photo grabbed from San Jose Skimboarding Camp's page)

PBB 737's 2nd Big Placer Tommy Esguerra goes skimboarding at San Jose Skimboarding Camp

(Photo grabbed from Lingkod Kapamilya Page)

The camp resort actually offers a great vista of the beach and the river in between. It’s just an hour drive from the city where you can surely relax for the meantime. This is actually our best ‘winding down’ spot since the camp is located just fifteen (15) minutes away from home.

When you visit the camp during evening, you’ll surely love the lights and lanterns lighting up the resort with its different colors in low light, surely a romantic setting for lovers dating at sundown.

Notes:

• If you have to bring your own food, the resort offers no corkage.
• The resort can also be a venue for birthday parties and other activities. Venue Fee: P3,000 
• You need to cross a river through a bamboo banca of which has strings attached to it for easy access to the beachside. 

• The camp resort operates until 9:00 PM only.

Just like the San Juan Boardwalk and Restaurant at Sta. Rita, Samar, this camp resort is a Bantay Kalikasan ecotourism site from the Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation of ABS-CBN, given intended to furnish livelihood to women, according to one of the staffs that we’ve asked.

TRAVEL GUIDE

IF YOU ARE FROM MANILA OR CEBU:

There are actually daily flights from Manila to Tacloban and Cebu to Tacloban. If you're from Manila, the flight takes at least an hour and twenty (20) minutes. If you're from Cebu, air travel takes about forty five (45) minutes or less. After you arrived at Tacloban Domestic Airport (San Jose, Tacloban City), go to Tacloban City Bus Terminal via taxicab or transfer service. 

Airlines that travel from Manila to Tacloban: (9+ flights per day)

• Cebu Pacific
• Air Asia
• Philippine Airlines

Airlines that travel from Cebu to Tacloban: (3+ flights per day)

• Cebu Pacific
• CebGo
• AirAsia Zest
• Philippine Airlines

Tacloban City

From the city’s terminal, you can ride a jeepney bound for Dulag, Leyte and tell the driver to drop you off at the resort. San Jose Skimboarding Camp Resort and Restaurant is located just along the highway before reaching the proper town of Dulag. 

CEBU CITY VIA BAYBAY CITY

If you are from Cebu City and would like to get to Leyte via ferryboats, you can take the Cebu-Baybay route via large sea transports and purchase tickets from ferry outlets in Cebu City. Sea travel takes at least seven (7) hours for large passenger ships. The city’s bus terminal is just near the port area so you can directly ride vans or buses bound for Tacloban City so you'll be able to pass by Dulag, Leyte.

Notes: 

• There are two (2) companies which operates from Cebu City to Baybay, Leyte: Cokaliong Shipping Lines, Inc. and Roble Shipping Lines, Inc. 
• There are also Cebu-Leyte routes via Maasin, Ormoc, and Hilongos, Leyte.

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Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without permission, authorization, or written consent from the author or proprietor is strictly forbidden and firmly prohibited. Always provide full and clear credit to DyaryoDeByahe with the appropriate direction to the original content.

2 Days Samar Escape 2015

April 2015 (1/3): Biliran Island Destinations

(2/3): Samar Escape: Falls, Spring, and Cave

Lulugayan Falls

After doing our 2-day itinerary, we decided to firstly visit the famous Lulugayan Falls of Brgy. Literon, Calbiga, Samar. Calbiga is actually an hour and a half drive from the city of Tacloban traversing the famous San Juanico Bridge that connects the islands of Leyte and Samar.

This tourist destination was actually located of still an hour of roller coaster drive from the proper town of Calbiga. We passed safely along sharp curves and steep hills on our way there, and asked some locals of its exact location but this just made us confused as they were giving us different answers. We actually thought we’ve been lost and gone astray at its forest-like locale while passing laterally on large trees and underbrush almost covering the road to the destination. 

Starved and displeased while searching for its accurate location, we stopped to eat the lunch we brought and rest for awhile. As we opened up the car doors and windows, the noon breeze and gentle wind made us relax under a shade tree.

We then got back on track after fulfilling our stomach and just right after few minutes, we saw the famous Lulugayan Falls from the top. Woah! We can actually hear the sound of the water flowing and dropping off on its surface.

We followed the only path down to Brgy. Literon. There the barangay captain welcomed us and we’ve been assisted by local guides. We readily head up to a twenty (20) minute-walk down to the falls’ location.

Very spectacular! 

I thought it was just an ordinary falls like I used to see in other places but Lulugayan was a curtain falls; a big and wide cascade. The water was exceptionally icy cold, no wonder many local travellers visit the falls. There we literally enjoyed the serene surroundings and its peaceful setting.

We then climbed up to reach the top of the falls and it looks like a plain natural stream.

View from top

We brought a tent to stay overnight but the local attendants advised us to otherwise spend the night on their barangay hall for it is not safe and the water may tide up high while we are asleep.

My friends savoured the time jumping off from the falls and adored the cold waters which relaxes us (mentally and) physically after the long agitation on the road. Well the long hours were very worth it after seeing the spectacular Lulugayan Falls!

Notes:

1. First: Please visit or inquire at the municipality’s tourism office before your scheduled trip. There are local fees and permits, of course. 
2. There are only certain areas which are safe for jumping and swimming. 

The next day...

Villa Escober Cold Spring Resort 

We planned to visit other falls in Calbayog and eager to try the torpedo boat ride located in Ulot River, Paranas, Samar but it was far from we thought it was. So we just decided to search for another destination and found the Villa Escober Cold Spring Resort in Paranas located along the road going to Ulot.

It wasn’t an ordinary spring resort. It has a fancy and elegant setting but has cheaply discounted fees.

The cold spring water was so clear you can almost see fish tilapias swimming under. There are cottages of different prices according to its size.

The water came from this little manmade cave-like and we forgot to ask the in-charge of its source.

Sohoton Cave

Our last destination was visiting the famous cave in Visayas, the Sohoton Cave situated in Basey, Samar. We rode a boat going to this popular destination and we then arrived after twenty (20) minutes from the port.

Before we went inside the cave, certain guidelines and precautions must be observed like the importance of wearing helmets, which serve as protective head coverings from spiky stalactites.

While we were exploring around the cave, we have learned a lot of things from our local guide – the cave’s history: became a place of refuge and concealment during the war and natural disasters; its discovery; and the do’s and dont’s inside the cave.

We weren’t allowed to touch the white, crystal-like particles since these were the only thing that make the cave exist, according to our guide. By the time you touch it, moist from skin will react to the minerals present, will turn brown dead and will make the cave lifeless; a dead cave then becomes a den of wild bats.

You will be mesmerized by the stalactites lying down from its roof and stalagmites formed from dripping water. Spikes and inverted stalactites make up a column standing straight and hard. All of these things naturally form random, imaginative, and creative sculpture made of carbonated minerals.

You can also kayak on its calm, greeny waters outside the cave. Unfortunately for us, we did not have the chance since we need to get back home for it was late afternoon already.

----

It was indeed a very tiring yet an enjoyable part of my summer 2015. Our two-day trip in Samar was very worth it knowing that we did visit the famous Lulugayan Falls, the cold spring resort of Villa Escober and the popular Sohoton Cave.

Previous: (1/3 of Summer 2015) Biliran Island Destinations

Next: (3/3 of Summer 2015) Cuatro Islas: Southern Leyte’s Island Destinations

TRAVEL GUIDE

IF YOU ARE FROM MANILA

There are actually daily flights from Manila to Tacloban. The flight takes at least an hour and twenty (20) minutes. After you arrived at Tacloban Domestic Airport (San Jose, Tacloban City), go to Tacloban City Bus Terminal/Terminal for GrandTours or DupTours via taxicab or transfer service. 

Airlines that travel from Manila to Tacloban: (9+ flights per day)

• Cebu Pacific
• Air Asia
• Philippine Airlines

Tacloban City

Ride a van at the terminal bound for Calbiga, Samar. Travel takes more than two (2) hours from the city. 

IF YOU ARE FROM CEBU

There are actually daily flights from Cebu to Calbayog. The flight takes at least an hour. You can find buses and vans bound for Calbiga, Samar at the local terminal. 

Airlines that travel from Cebu to Calbayog: (4+ flights per week)

• CebGo

CEBU CITY VIA CATBALOGAN

If you are from Cebu City and would like to get to Samar via ferryboats, you can take the Cebu-Catbalogan route and purchase tickets from ferry outlets in Cebu City (via Roble Shipping Lines, Inc., etc.). Sea travel takes at least seven (7) hours for large passenger ships. Look for vans at the terminal bound for Calbiga, Samar.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without permission, authorization, or written consent from the author or proprietor is strictly forbidden and firmly prohibited. Always provide full and clear credit to DyaryoDeByahe with the appropriate direction to the original content.