To get to this group of islands from Cagwait White Beach:
Cagwait White Beach to highway, habalhabal (motorcycle), 5 mins, Php10
Cagwait to Brgy Salvacion, San Agustin, bus, 1 hr, Php40
Brgy Salvacion to MacArthur's Place, habalhabal (motorcycle), 10 mins, Php20
Britania Island government fee Php25
Pumpboat rental at MacArthur's Place for island hopping Php 1000
Hagonoy Island
The other side of Hagonoy Naked IslandJust like Siargao's Naked Island, this is a big mound of sand. Not a tree, a hut, nor a naked person in sight.
Sand all aroundBuslon Island
Buslon Island (right) and two islets (left, only one islet visible in this photo) that can be reached by foot during low tide.Hiyor-hiyoran Island
Any one of the islands (except for Naked Island) would have made a good place for camping but staying overnight and cooking in the islands are prohibited. If one must stay overnight, one can do so at the mainland, where the jump off for island hopping is. There are a couple accommodations to choose from.
We did not say overnight but we chose to rent a boat at MacArthur's Place [0999 991 0845 / 0932 882 3460 / 0939 916 3745]. Actually, Mr Pacheco, the owner of Spacebar Beach Resort in Cagwait knows the owner and was able to negotiate the island hopping fee to Php1000 for me and my friend (it is normally Php1500 for up to 10 persons). The staff let us leave our bags in their sari–sari store while we went to the islands. Coming back, we were able to shower and change—MacArthur's Place has shower rooms and toilets.
We took only two hours to visit these four islands. There's no time limit for island hopping, but we were in a hurry. Time check: 4PM. We were still two hours (plus an hour or so of waiting for bus/van transfers) away from our next stop and we did not want to arrive in the cover of night in an unfamiliar town where we have yet to look for a place to stay in.
Butt–rosying Route:
A Beauty T(r)ip
In the Beginning: Cagwait, Surigao del Sur
The Quickest Island Hopping Ever (you're here!)
(more soon!)
