Biri Island, Samar

WHERE: Biri Island, Northern Samar

DATE OF TRAVEL: July 2-5, 2010

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:
1. This island has one of the most amazing rock formations in the Philippines!:)
2. It is not a usual tourist destination so it's pretty much untouched and definitely not commercialized. :)

FEES:
It depends on your habal-habal driver (you can also drive it yourself or you can just trek). We paid P150/ head from our resort (about 15 minutes away) and it included a habal-habal ride plus guide to the rock formations. A representative of Biri's local government unit will collect a small fee (P30) and ask you to register your name.

NOTE:

This is one of the most amazing places we've seen in the Philippines!:)

TRIVIA: According to someone we met in Samar, it was the director Chito Rono (who is originally from Samar) who discovered this island. He shot his film Spirit Warriors here.


DESCRIPTION:
Biri Island is part of a cluster of islands in Northern Samar. It is known for its beautiful rock formations. It is part of the San Bernardino Strait, the strait that divides Luzon and Visayas and is mainly responsible for the water movement in the Visayas so you can imagine how ferocious and treacherous the waves can get here during bad weather. But this heavy pounding of the Pacific ocean coupled with the strong currents is responsible for scultpting the beautiful scenery that Biri Island is now known for. The most famous rock formations are Magasang and Bel-ot.

HOW TO GET THERE:
From Manila, we flew to Calbayog, Samar. You can also fly from Catarman, Samar and find your way to Allen. We rode the jeep (P80/head) from Calbayog to Allen and it took 2.5 hours! There are also buses that ply between Calbayog and Allen. When you get to the town of Allen, ride a tricycle (P100) going to Lavezares and from there ride a boat (P400/3) to Biri Island. The boat ride took about 45 minutes. To get to the rock formations, just ask habal-habal (motorcycle) drivers to take you to Magasang rocks.

CONTACTS:
Ronie Enteria (our habal-habal driver) +63939 2923281

HELPFUL LINKS: http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com/biri-island.html

TIPS:

1. When you get to the rocks, make sure to climb high to get a scenic view of the ocean and the small pools of water surrounding the rock formations.
2. It is an off-the-beaten track destination and is not yet commercialized (thank God!) so don't expect souvenir shops or organized tours here. The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) style of going around this island makes it even more charming.

3. Bring binoculars if you can because there are a lot of birds in the area.

4. There's no food nor water sold here so if you plan to stay long, bring your own food and water and PLEASE clean up after your own trash.

5. Wear shoes instead of slippers. The rocks (which are constantly exposed to water) are slippery and sharp!

6. The best time to go is in the afternoon around 4:30-5:00 pm when the sun isn't so hot anymore and it's low tide. On a good day, you can view the majestic Mt. Bulusan (Sorsogon).

7. Make sure to check the weather before going there. Like we mentioned, Biri is part of the strait that divides Luzon and Visayas hence the strong currents. It was sunny when we went there but there were areas when the currents were so strong we could actually see them from the boat! If you go when the weather is bad, it would be too hard or impossible to cross to Biri.