Exploring Northern Samar's Eastern Seaboard
This was excitingly fun with lots of happy surprises! That means... this will be a long read for you. But as I always do, I'll chunk my stories into a series for ease-of-read!
Alright... where is this place? It's on the northeastern tip of Samar Island. Here...
That portion of Northern Samar (Province) has four towns facing the Pacific Ocean.
Why go there?
Well, why not? 'Hwag maging dayuhan... remember? This side of Samar Island, along with towns to the south (part of Eastern Samar) have less explored natural wonders.
Keep reading this, and my next stories, I'll tell you about many of them - in a series!
I'll start with Palapag, then Mapanas, down to Gamay, Lapinig, Arteche then Oras. In one day? No no hehe! In several days, but most will surely be: I wish I had more time!
How to go there.
There are various ways, depending on your preferred level of comfort, convenience, etc., plus - the adventure or challenge level you want to experience, from departure!
Taking Palapag as a first destination, you have these options:
01. Fly from Manila (MNL) or Cebu (CEB) to Catarman (CRM), then ride on buses or vans of your choice since there are plenty from Catarman to Palapag (about 80kms).
I said there are plenty because: vans from Catarman to Mapanas, Gamay or Lapinig pass by Palapag. Some (not all) vans to Tacloban now pass by this coastal highway.
Plus, most of the big buses going to Eastern Samar towns (Oras, Borongan, Guiuan) from Manila, also now use the coastal highway - due to bad roads in Western Samar.
02. Fly MNL or CEB to Calbayog (CYP). Even ride a fastcraft or passenger ship from Cebu to Calbayog. Then bus or van to Catarman, and onwards to Palapag as above.
That, by the way, is another 80+kms of land travel, added to our item 1 above.
03. If you prefer the big jets, fly MNL or CEB to Tacloban (TAC). There are direct van and bus trips from Tacloban to Palapag - via the coastal highway mentioned above.
That, is a 290km run. Da! But it takes just 6 to 7 hours - still better than the old route (via Catbalogan, Calbayog and Catarman - about 330kms), lasting 9 up to 10 hours!
04. Big Bus from Manila straight to Palapag. I haven't tried this option - I think I may never will, in my lifetime hehe! But many do ride buses to as far as Mindanao di ba?!
Notable note, for this is what I already know: you don't have to get a bus specifically going only to Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay or Lapinig. They could be going to Arteche, San Policarpo, Oras, Dolores, Can-avid, Taft, Borongan - all the way down to Guiuan!!
Then get off at Palapag - our target first destination in this example.
The most important thing to consider is: if your big bus is passing via the "Northern to Eastern Samar Coastal Highway". Because others still run via the crazy old route!
What's that "crazy old route"?
From Allen they go down to Calbayog and Catbalogan, turning left at Buray going to Eastern Samar (Taft etc.); or going left before the San Juanico Bridge to Basey and Marabut, on to Eastern Samar (Lawaan etc., to Quinapondan, Salcedo until Guiuan).
Why, What is "crazy" about that?
Awr, all roads in the province of (Western) Samar - that is from Calbayog all the way down to Catbalogan until Marabut - are THE WORST in this country right now. As in!
That is almost the entire western portion of Samar Island! But let's not dwell on that any further. You can just search online for that. It is the most dangerous segment of the whole Maharlika Highway from Luzon to Mindanao - full of potholes of all sizes!
05. Big Bus from Mindanao to Manila (but you get off at Allen). Then continue as in the above. You can even get off a big bus at Calbayog, then proceed like in option 2.
06. Oh you're driving? From Luzon, just follow your map. From TAC, I once did this:
That, is 353kms, says google! But the roads are great, except from the San Juanico Bridge to Basey and Marabut (they're Western Samar, remember?). It's a scenic run!
The roads to avoid are the western side of the island. They are really bad!
Actually I did not personally drive. I won't. I don't anymore. I had a driver, and on that "pacific route", it was leisurely with many stops along the way - for work and leisure!
Now now children... fyi...
On this trip, I went via option 03 above - as I was already in Tacloban without a car.
When to go there.
March to May. That's why I had to do this trip last week of May (pahabol ba) - before monsoon rains and storms re-start battering the country again! I like the sunnyness!
Normally, January (even as early as December) to February are supposed to be cool dry on the island. This year though, we still had rainy days --not storms-- in February.
March~April was hot dry, but I was elsewhere. So I gambled on May, and loved it!
Okay okay, let's start the stuff, sights and scenes of this trip to Northern Samar.
But we better do it in my next installment!
Abangan...
Alright... where is this place? It's on the northeastern tip of Samar Island. Here...
Why go there?
Well, why not? 'Hwag maging dayuhan... remember? This side of Samar Island, along with towns to the south (part of Eastern Samar) have less explored natural wonders.
Keep reading this, and my next stories, I'll tell you about many of them - in a series!
I'll start with Palapag, then Mapanas, down to Gamay, Lapinig, Arteche then Oras. In one day? No no hehe! In several days, but most will surely be: I wish I had more time!
How to go there.
There are various ways, depending on your preferred level of comfort, convenience, etc., plus - the adventure or challenge level you want to experience, from departure!
Taking Palapag as a first destination, you have these options:
01. Fly from Manila (MNL) or Cebu (CEB) to Catarman (CRM), then ride on buses or vans of your choice since there are plenty from Catarman to Palapag (about 80kms).
I said there are plenty because: vans from Catarman to Mapanas, Gamay or Lapinig pass by Palapag. Some (not all) vans to Tacloban now pass by this coastal highway.
Plus, most of the big buses going to Eastern Samar towns (Oras, Borongan, Guiuan) from Manila, also now use the coastal highway - due to bad roads in Western Samar.
02. Fly MNL or CEB to Calbayog (CYP). Even ride a fastcraft or passenger ship from Cebu to Calbayog. Then bus or van to Catarman, and onwards to Palapag as above.
That, by the way, is another 80+kms of land travel, added to our item 1 above.
03. If you prefer the big jets, fly MNL or CEB to Tacloban (TAC). There are direct van and bus trips from Tacloban to Palapag - via the coastal highway mentioned above.
04. Big Bus from Manila straight to Palapag. I haven't tried this option - I think I may never will, in my lifetime hehe! But many do ride buses to as far as Mindanao di ba?!
Notable note, for this is what I already know: you don't have to get a bus specifically going only to Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay or Lapinig. They could be going to Arteche, San Policarpo, Oras, Dolores, Can-avid, Taft, Borongan - all the way down to Guiuan!!
Then get off at Palapag - our target first destination in this example.
The most important thing to consider is: if your big bus is passing via the "Northern to Eastern Samar Coastal Highway". Because others still run via the crazy old route!
What's that "crazy old route"?
From Allen they go down to Calbayog and Catbalogan, turning left at Buray going to Eastern Samar (Taft etc.); or going left before the San Juanico Bridge to Basey and Marabut, on to Eastern Samar (Lawaan etc., to Quinapondan, Salcedo until Guiuan).
Why, What is "crazy" about that?
Awr, all roads in the province of (Western) Samar - that is from Calbayog all the way down to Catbalogan until Marabut - are THE WORST in this country right now. As in!
That is almost the entire western portion of Samar Island! But let's not dwell on that any further. You can just search online for that. It is the most dangerous segment of the whole Maharlika Highway from Luzon to Mindanao - full of potholes of all sizes!
05. Big Bus from Mindanao to Manila (but you get off at Allen). Then continue as in the above. You can even get off a big bus at Calbayog, then proceed like in option 2.
06. Oh you're driving? From Luzon, just follow your map. From TAC, I once did this:
The roads to avoid are the western side of the island. They are really bad!
Actually I did not personally drive. I won't. I don't anymore. I had a driver, and on that "pacific route", it was leisurely with many stops along the way - for work and leisure!
Now now children... fyi...
On this trip, I went via option 03 above - as I was already in Tacloban without a car.
When to go there.
March to May. That's why I had to do this trip last week of May (pahabol ba) - before monsoon rains and storms re-start battering the country again! I like the sunnyness!
Normally, January (even as early as December) to February are supposed to be cool dry on the island. This year though, we still had rainy days --not storms-- in February.
March~April was hot dry, but I was elsewhere. So I gambled on May, and loved it!
Okay okay, let's start the stuff, sights and scenes of this trip to Northern Samar.
But we better do it in my next installment!
Abangan...
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