Kalanggaman Island Palompon Leyte Philippines - One Of the Best Sanbars!

Kalanggaman Island is a pristine dream beach destination in the Visayas; exactly located in the municipality of Palompon and the province of Leyte. It is famous for its stretches of white powdery sand beaches, it's amazing sandbar, and its crystal clear blue waters that stretch along both sides of this island.  Though the island is geologically positioned in Leyte, it is just one to two hour boat ride from Malapascua Island in Daan Bantayan Cebu.

Since I was in Cebu City just the other day, I decided to visit Kalanggaman Island via Malapascua Island in the northern part of Cebu Province. There are several tour operators that arrange hassle free transfers from Cebu City to Malapascua Island at addiotinal cost to your Kalanggaman Island Tour.  But if you want to go DIY, here's a guide on how you can get to Malapascua Island from Cebu City:

1. Head to the Cebu North Bus Terminal and catch the bus headed for Maya Port.  Air conditioned Bus Fare is around Php250 ($5) and Non-Aircon Bus Fare is around Php180 ($3.5) per ride. Alternatively, you can also hire a taxi to drop you off at Maya Port but it will be a little bit costly around Php2,000 - Php2,500 ($40 - $50) one way.  The bus ride will take around 5-6 hours and the taxi ride around 4 hours.
2. From Maya Port, ride a pump boat headed for Malapascua.  Boat fare costs Php100 per person.  You can also hire a private transfer at around Php1,500.  Make sure you haggle for best prices.  The boat ride takes around 30 minutes.
3. When you reach Malapascua Port, just ask someone to guide you to the tour operators to Kalanggaman Island.  Kalanggaman Island Tour with Lunch costs Php900-Php1,000 for locals and Php1,500 for foreigners.  Travel time from Malapascua to Kalanggaman Island  is roughly around 2 hours.

If you did a DIY trip to Kalanggaman Island, there is an entrance fee of Php150 ($3) for locals and Php500 ($10) for foreigners.  You can also stay overnight at the island for Php225 ($4.5) for locals and Php750 ($15) for foreigners.  There are no rooms for rent in the island so you have to bring your own tent or rent it for Php400 ($8) if you plan to stay overnight.  Open Cottages and Family Cottages are available for rent. There are sari-sari stores in the island to buy snacks and drinks.  There are several toilets in the area but with no fresh water.  Cooking areas are in place you just have to bring your own firewood or charcoal.

 

Here are some of the recreational  things you can do in the island:

• Beach Volleyball - There is a beach volleyball area near the shop. Ball rentals are in the shop.
• Kayak - There are a few kayaks in the island. You can rent it by hours. Ask for the rental price at the shop. They will be happy to assist.
• Stand-up-Paddle - Ask for the rental price at the shop. They will be happy to assist.
• Snorkeling - Ask for the rental price at the shop. They will be happy to assist.
• Scuba Diving - Ask for the rental price at the shop. They will be happy to assist.

Of course the main highlight of the island is the breathtaking sandbar!  This is what the visitors came to experience.  Relax, enjoy, take your selfies, and wade at the crystal clear waters of the island.  If you are in a join-in tour, you will usually arrive the island at around 9:00AM to 10:00AM and leave around 3:00PM to 4:00PM.

You'll have your free lunch at around 12:00NN to 1:00PM in the boat.  Our lunch is a feast of grilled fish, grilled pork belly, grilled chicken, stir-fried noodles, rice and fresh fruit.

After lunch, enjoy the rest of the afternoon exploring the island and immersing through the clear blue waters.  The island is a marine sanctuary and is home to many species of saltwater fishes and you can snorkel or dive to these waters.

Watch this YouTube video of my Kalanggaman Island experience:

Kalanggaman Island

Kalanggaman Island, Palompon, Leyte, Philippines

Entrance Fees: Php150 ($3) for locals and Php500 ($10) for foreigners

Opening Hours:  Always open.  Boat Transfers to the island if rom 5:00AM to 5:00PM

Here are some tips if you want to visit Kalanggaman Island from Cebu City:

1. If you will take the bus from Cebu North Terminal in Cebu City, be at the terminal at 3:00AM to 4:00AM to catch the first bus going to Maya Port.  Tours to Kalanggaman Island leave at around 7:00AM to 9:00AM, so it is important that you reach Malapascua in these times.
2. Some times, there are only a few passengers in Maya Port going to Malapascua.  If you are in a hurry to Malapascua, you can have a special trip amounting to Php1,500.  Boats will not proceed if they do not have 15 passengers aboard.
3. Make sure you have cash when you are in Malapascua and Kalanggaman Island.  Malapascua have a few ATM's but most often they are offline.  In Kalanggaman, there are no ATM's and everything is in cash basis including the tours unless you booked it ahead of time.
4. I suggest that you stay at least overnight in Malapascua after you Kalanggaman Tour.  Last boat trips back to Maya Port are at 5:00PM and you may not catch it after your tour.  Plus, by staying in Malapascua longer, you can freshen up and relax there after your tour.  In the morning, you can take a short tour of Malapascua before you go back to Maya Port in Cebu.
5. Don't forget to put on sunscreen once in Kalanggaman Island.  The beach and sandbar is so beautiful that you might forget all about the scorching sun touching your skin.  Also bring at least a liter of drinking water with you.  There is a store in the island but prices are higher that usual.
6. Kalanggaman Island is truly a gem of nature so make sure to respect the area.  Do not liter and do not do anything to harm the environment.  Locals are very friendly and they will go out of their way to assist you.
7. Best time to visit the beach is on the dry months from Nov-Dec and Mar-May when seas are calm.

Here is the contact person for the Kalanggaman Island Tour:

Kalanggaman Day Tour + Lunch

Mr. Alfredo Rubio

Contact no. +63 977 842 2573

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