Other Resorts and Other Things Marabut
After breakfast at Jasmin, I asked one of the crews how I could get to Caluwayan Resort quickly. This means I would be backtracking towards Tacloban instead of going onwards to Guiuan. The reply was I should just wait for 
passing vans or buses going Tacloban and I observed earlier that the place is actually a bit far back. I asked if there was any boat I could commission to bring me out to Caluwayan (the waters here btw are very calm). “There is” but still being used. I asked if there was something like a habal-habal that I can take. The response was “ha?!”. By the way, in Marabut (as elsewhere on Samar and Leyte) the habal-habal is not a common way of transporting passengers unlike in the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao. There are motorbikes everywhere but generally for personal or official use. The commercial habal-habal rides are for trips to the mountains and remote villages (not in the towns much less the Maharlika Highway hehe).
So I decided to go by bus or van. Before I could get out though, the jolly cashier suggested I walk to and pass by their neighbor French Kiss Resort, as I might find a cheaper room that I may like. I said okay.
Dioscora Beach Resort
Walking north from Jasmin is not actually French Kiss Resort. There is Dioscora Beach Resort. However, this is just a virgin expanse of generally untouched beach area with
coconut trees and two or three huts for day-use. The sand area is better and wider than at Jasmin since Dioscora has not “touched” it (yet). I could see that wherever you come from (left or right of the property), you can actually hang around the Dioscora area with no one apprehending you. Ah, I think there is another owner of a patch of this undeveloped property between Jasmin and Dioscora (fenced with barbed wire. Whatever, but the strip of beach is best from Jasmin all the way to French Kiss Resort!
French Kiss Resort
I decided not to enter hehe. Not that I did not like it. It sits near Dioscora and I already knew it has cheaper rooms (said the Jasmin crews) and that there is also a videoke (argh!). But from the highway front of Dioscora, I could see that the beach
area of French Kiss is the end of the sand. It sits next to a rock formation that protrudes out to the sea cutting the sandy beach at that portion. And they’re the ones who have more of those rafts called floating cottages. So I fairly had an idea on what to expect at French Kiss and I knew I was something like 18 or so kilometers away from Caluwayan. So I needed time to wait out for a bus or van. French Kiss from the outside looks like a fine family maintained resort. I will remember this resort as the cheaper option on the better white sandy beach!
Marabut Marine Park and Beach Resort
I did not go there hehe! Why? Because after I have decided I wont stay overnight at Caluwayan, I had to take a 3-hour trip to Guiuan and I did not want to arrive at night. Thus I had to omit this one. I do know that the place is managed by Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban. When I asked the crews over at Caluwayan though, they said they’re not sure if the marine park is still open since its always quiet and unvisited. Hmm, am not sure I wanted to believe that. When my van from Tacloban passed by the area though, it looked as if there was no one in there. Anyway, this facility is even farther away from the town center of Marabut – meaning nearer to Basey and Tacloban.
Marabut Xtreme Experience
I did not know about this and I just saw signage along the road. The sign points to some rocky hill towards the waters. From the way that signage looks, I ‘suspect’ this place must be another grand place to be. Yey! Now there are two more reasons for me to be back in Marabut – the Marine Park and the Xtreme Experience. Hey, I asked around and it looks like the Xtreme thing is also owned by the owners of the marine park beach resort. Whoa!
Caves, Mountains, Waterfalls, Treks, etc
These are purportedly available in and around the town of Marabut. The resorts are more than willing to help out arrange these things. As I always say, am no caveman nor a highlander so these things are not really in my league. But for such activities, I still believe Trexplore (in Catbalogan) would be the best resource. Just google them!
Lastly: kayaks are best had from Jasmin, there are none at Caluwayan. The small fishing boats near the public market at center of town are willing to rent their boats for roaming around the area. If you want clear views of the rock islands, be there in the morning. If you want silhouettes and against the sun (sunset), be there in the afternoons. And, if you are only after the rock islands, rock formations and views of the very calm waters where they seem to float, no need to stay overnight in a resort – the best views are not from them anyway, its just along the road!
Okay, let's hear about Caluwayan... next blog entry please :)
passing vans or buses going Tacloban and I observed earlier that the place is actually a bit far back. I asked if there was any boat I could commission to bring me out to Caluwayan (the waters here btw are very calm). “There is” but still being used. I asked if there was something like a habal-habal that I can take. The response was “ha?!”. By the way, in Marabut (as elsewhere on Samar and Leyte) the habal-habal is not a common way of transporting passengers unlike in the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao. There are motorbikes everywhere but generally for personal or official use. The commercial habal-habal rides are for trips to the mountains and remote villages (not in the towns much less the Maharlika Highway hehe).So I decided to go by bus or van. Before I could get out though, the jolly cashier suggested I walk to and pass by their neighbor French Kiss Resort, as I might find a cheaper room that I may like. I said okay.
Dioscora Beach Resort
Walking north from Jasmin is not actually French Kiss Resort. There is Dioscora Beach Resort. However, this is just a virgin expanse of generally untouched beach area with
coconut trees and two or three huts for day-use. The sand area is better and wider than at Jasmin since Dioscora has not “touched” it (yet). I could see that wherever you come from (left or right of the property), you can actually hang around the Dioscora area with no one apprehending you. Ah, I think there is another owner of a patch of this undeveloped property between Jasmin and Dioscora (fenced with barbed wire. Whatever, but the strip of beach is best from Jasmin all the way to French Kiss Resort!French Kiss Resort
I decided not to enter hehe. Not that I did not like it. It sits near Dioscora and I already knew it has cheaper rooms (said the Jasmin crews) and that there is also a videoke (argh!). But from the highway front of Dioscora, I could see that the beach
area of French Kiss is the end of the sand. It sits next to a rock formation that protrudes out to the sea cutting the sandy beach at that portion. And they’re the ones who have more of those rafts called floating cottages. So I fairly had an idea on what to expect at French Kiss and I knew I was something like 18 or so kilometers away from Caluwayan. So I needed time to wait out for a bus or van. French Kiss from the outside looks like a fine family maintained resort. I will remember this resort as the cheaper option on the better white sandy beach!Marabut Marine Park and Beach Resort
I did not go there hehe! Why? Because after I have decided I wont stay overnight at Caluwayan, I had to take a 3-hour trip to Guiuan and I did not want to arrive at night. Thus I had to omit this one. I do know that the place is managed by Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban. When I asked the crews over at Caluwayan though, they said they’re not sure if the marine park is still open since its always quiet and unvisited. Hmm, am not sure I wanted to believe that. When my van from Tacloban passed by the area though, it looked as if there was no one in there. Anyway, this facility is even farther away from the town center of Marabut – meaning nearer to Basey and Tacloban.
Marabut Xtreme Experience
I did not know about this and I just saw signage along the road. The sign points to some rocky hill towards the waters. From the way that signage looks, I ‘suspect’ this place must be another grand place to be. Yey! Now there are two more reasons for me to be back in Marabut – the Marine Park and the Xtreme Experience. Hey, I asked around and it looks like the Xtreme thing is also owned by the owners of the marine park beach resort. Whoa!Caves, Mountains, Waterfalls, Treks, etc
These are purportedly available in and around the town of Marabut. The resorts are more than willing to help out arrange these things. As I always say, am no caveman nor a highlander so these things are not really in my league. But for such activities, I still believe Trexplore (in Catbalogan) would be the best resource. Just google them!
Lastly: kayaks are best had from Jasmin, there are none at Caluwayan. The small fishing boats near the public market at center of town are willing to rent their boats for roaming around the area. If you want clear views of the rock islands, be there in the morning. If you want silhouettes and against the sun (sunset), be there in the afternoons. And, if you are only after the rock islands, rock formations and views of the very calm waters where they seem to float, no need to stay overnight in a resort – the best views are not from them anyway, its just along the road!
Okay, let's hear about Caluwayan... next blog entry please :)
Those are wonderful places to visit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing them.
God bless.
the bus interior shot reminded me of those days when i do daily rides... canhagimet style...
ReplyDelete