Camiguin island is situated on the Northern part of Mindanao. Its geographical location might be considered as hindrance for us, from Central Mindanao. The island is not easy to reach.
The gate point going to the island is through Balingoan pier in Misamis Oriental. It is less than two hours travel when coming from Cagayan de Oro City (depending on the transportation). But in our case, from Central Mindanao, it was a continuous nine-hour land travel. However, we managed to be in the pier before 1pm. A ship was already boarding but unfortunately no more space for our vehicle. So, we waited for an hour for the next trip. We finally left the pier at 2:10pm.
The Ro-Ro (Roll of, Roll On ships) schedule is in every two hours. There are three shipping lines operating Balingoan-Benoni route. The port entry is so congested because of passengers and vehicles whose waiting for their turns to enter. We’re in a big group with two toddlers, three kids and two senior citizens, so we have an advantage. Priority lane is sometimes practice in some ports.
We arrived at Benoni Pier, Mahinog in the island of Camiguin after two hours. As we’re not familiar with the place, our gadget with GPS did the work. But we’re sure, we will not be lost. Camiguin island is a small island and there’s only one main road surrounding the entire island.
Location: Mambajao, Camiguin, Philippines
Where I Stayed: Villa Paraiso Resort & Apartelle
Buddies: Group (15+)
We directly headed to our hotel in Mambajao, the capital town of the island. A 30-minute travel from the sea pier. We booked the dormitory room of Villa Paraiso Resort & Apartelle for P3,000. We spotted a good hotel which can accommodate a big family like us. The toilet is separated from the shower, so it was another advantage for a big group. They also have common toilet/shower rooms, so time management was not a problem at all.
For it almost night, everyone insisted to relax in the water of Ardent Hot Spring. At first, it seems very far from the town but it is actually near once we started moving in Mambajao. All places are just connected and very accessible.
In Ardent Hot Spring, we soaked our tired body to gain more energy. The water temperature, which is naturally heated by vent from volcano, was so relaxing. It was the best place to gain friends and hear great stories
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