About Camotes Island

Camotes map

Camotes Island is situated in Central Visayas, in the Philippines. It is a part of the province of

Cebu in Region VII. Camotes Islands is located east of Cebu and west of Leyte . Camotes Island is made up of three main sub-islands and divided into four municipalities. This four capital towns are Pilar, Poro, San Francisco and Tudela. Camotes Island's photography is hilly. The highest point of the island is 386 meters above sea level. It's climate is characterized by distinct dry season. The island is approximately 562 kilometers south east of Manila, 62 kilometers north east of Cebu and 25 kilometers west of Ormoc. Camotes Island has a total size of 20,964 hectares.
Camotes Island's Climate

Camotes as a whole enjoys tropical weather the whole year round. We only have 2 seasons. The

dry and the rainy season. The dry season is from March to June while the rainy season is from July to February. The nippy air of "Amihan" or the north easterly wind blows from September to March. From June to August, the south westerly wind or the "Habagat" turns up. 

 Habagat wind

Angry waves... the "Habagat" wind strikes in.

The "Habagat" wind normally goes through an eight days cycle, which means, eight days of storm and rain. After 8 wet days, the weather abruptly changes to sunny and dry, consecutively. During this season, Camotes Island is frequently visited by typhoons and low depression, wherein it floods the whole island, and blows the native houses' rooftops away.
Camotes Island Transportation

Access to the island is by boat. There are daily boats from mainland Cebu to Camotes Island.

E.B. Aznar Shipping:

The travel time is a leisurely 4 hours on a clean and comfortable large boat. The boat docks at Poro Island port. You can board on this boat at Pier 2 in Cebu.

The Aznar boat leaves daily at 9:00pm from Cebu and arrives in Camotes Island at 1:00am. From Camotes Island, the boat leaves at 11:00am and arrives in Cebu City at 3:00pm.
Fares from Cebu to Camotes Island and vice versa:
Tourist: P280.00 pesos

Economy: P220.00

However, if you miss this boat, you will have to travel north of Cebu to Danao City, which is about an hours' drive north of Cebu. There are other smaller outrigger boats, which takes you to the island, in 2.5 or 3 hours depending on the sea's temperament. This is not the most comfortable ride, but i can sure you, a very interesting one. You will have an opportunity to sit next to chickens, cows, and pigs,, and people retching out of nausea, and motionsickness !

Pumpboats to Camotes Island:

From Ouano Wharf, Mandaue City daily at 1:00pm/
Fare: P200.00
From Danao City to Camotes Island/
Fare: P 180.00

From Ormoc, Leyte to Tudela, Camotes Island:
Pumpboats departs at 09:00AM and 01:00PM
Travel Time  -  3 hrs.

Light and Water

The two major sources of lighting is power and kerosene which are utilized by 43.9% and 55.5% of the sample house holds, respectively. Common source of water on the island is the community water system consisting of public faucets and individual (private faucets), at 40.6% and 23.8% respectively. Around 16.1% indicate tube/pipe well as a source of water; a 0.3% dug wells; and 5.2% spring. A 220V. The power depends on Camotes Electric Cooperative (CELCO) that energizes the mainland Camotes spring water by gravity. Jetmatic and deepwell pumps are great source of water. Some parts of the island, don't have water supply. They keep big water container jars and collect rain water during the rainy season.
camotes rain
Saving rain water in a barrel.

Communication

A postal service office and telecommunication offices provide communication services. Otherwise, a cellular phone is accessible in all parts of the island. Landlines are also available for business and residential purposes which is powered by Globelines communication.

Since  there are landlines like globelines, a  dial  up service is available. Smart  offers WIFI in Camotes, but  they  need  to  come  up   with more   customers  before  they can offer the service to the island. Not many people in  camotes owns  a  computer so it may take a while  for SMART to offer this service.PLDT(Philippines Long Distance Telephone) offers  a  wireless internet  connection  that  would  be applicable to  all the   islands  all  over the Philippines.

Health Services

The municipal health center is provided with an ambulance. A private community clinic at southern poblacion also provides medical services.
Food and Entertainment

COOLTRAX is  a bar & restaurant  with vedioke located in Libertad, Poro.

Not like your ordinary KTV Bar, HORIZON installed a performing stage for you to sing and jam, while showing and competing with other customers.They are still open despite the website's claims they have closed.

Green Lake, Santiago Bay, Mangodlong Beach Resort and SeaBreeze restrobar in San Francisco, Camotes offers a variety of delicious food.
Accommodations

In Esperanza, Poro, there's a hotel called My Little Island Hotel. They offer a lot of services with a variety of good food.
The islanders are group of warm, caring, and hospitable people. Numerous families are more than glad to play host to tourist and visitors through thier "Home-stay" program.

Granada Pension House rent airconditioned rooms.Please inquire the local Tourism Council through PLDT 109 for reservations and for furthur details.

A simple cozy beachhouse by the sea with all the amenities is avaialable at "Das Leichthaus".

Financial Matters

Camotes Island Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CIMPC) caters to the lending needs of its members. CIMPC is also engaged in trading and in the production of feeds.
Economy
Agriculture predominates with copra as top grosser as well as rice, corn, vegetables, fruits, root crops and some varieties of fish. Other small enterprises are livestock, poultry, pottery, hollow blocks-making, furniture, and soap-making.




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You should visit Camotes Island, it's beautiful and it has a perfect weather to walk around the island and explore different things.

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Loboc River

The Loboc River is now one of the major destinations of tourists, local and foreigners alike. Located in the Municipality of Loboc, a mere 24 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City, the winding river plays host to cruisers on board small bancas or floating restaurants. Visitors are treated to a vista of lush tropical vegetation such as nipa palms, coconut trees, banana groves, and bushes.

A cruise along the river starts either from the Loay Bridge (a neighboring town) or at the town’s Poblacion. The Loay Bridge is 20 kilometers from Tagbilaran City while the Poblacion is about 25 kilometers away. Small motorized bancas can be availed of for a minimal fee yet for those who want to eat while cruising, floating restaurants are available offering Filipino cuisine buffet that costs P400 per head or more and local delicacies.

With the tourism fever, the floating restaurants were envisioned providing tourists with a 1st class dining experience on board floating restaurants. The floating vessels are made up of a covered platform on top of two large outrigger boats which are joined together. The boats can accommodate up to 50 people.

Most of the floating restaurants treat their guests with Boholano songs played by in-boat bands during the cruise. The trip winds up the river and ends at the Busay Falls which is only one and a half meter at most. Here, the guests are treated to rondalla music by a local rondalla group housed under a floating cottage.

Local folks usually take a dip in the waters and enjoy bathing under the falls. Guests who have brought with them extra clothes are welcome to swim and bathe and experience the heady feeling of a refreshing swim in the river’s unpolluted waters.

Going to and from the Busay falls, visitors are treated to a spectacle of children diving from a large coconut tree that is leaning out towards the river. One will feel a bit tense seeing the children climbing up the tree and then plunging towards the deep waters. From the looks of it, the part of the tree where the children usually dive from is more than 10 feet from the river.

Along the way, one can see children swimming and people passing by in small bancas or canoes. Upstream, and located on the eastern bank of the river, the Nuts Huts Resort is seen. This resort is a favorite hang-out for bikers and hikers who prefer the peaceful and scenic surroundings of the river bank rather than the majestic allure of the sea.

Another area worth visiting is where wild chickens, turtles, and pythons are kept in captivity. On this trips, visitors are given the time to marvel at the surrounding landscape. After a while, the return trip starts. Since the trip is going downstream, it takes a shorter time for the boats to arrive at the starting point.
How to Get There

Many buses, jeepneys, and multicabs ply the interior route to and from Tagbilaran City. It is a lot cheaper if you avail of this local transport. However, vans and taxis are also available but usually charges 50% more if traveling outside Tagbilaran City. It is not hard to locate the Municipality of Loboc for it lies along the river banks. The old and massive stone church of Loboc is your landmark. The church is right beside the road, and at the opposite side of the road, you will see the Loboc River.




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Loboc river in Bohol is beautiful you should visit it. There's a floating restaurant there where you can explore the beauty of Loboc river. It's very affordable and the dishes are very authentic and delicious.

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Amanpulo, Palawan

Amanpulo is an escape from the markings of mankind and is a dive into island life where nature has

been unashamedly boastful. The island is secluded, being private, and offers a variety of sea, sand and tropical island-retreat–pleasures, in exclusive comfort and in traditionally styled accommodation. Amanpulo or, ‘peaceful island’, honours its island host, respecting the natural elements with a profoundly ‘South Seas’ interpretation. The 40 Beach, Hillside and Treetop Casitas are modelled on authentic bahay kubo dwellings, each with its own golf cart for island exploration.

This romantically remote island caters for those who wish to ‘hammock’ and beach comb their days in paradise, and for those who seek an active agenda, involving a myriad of maritime adventures as well as tennis, a high-tec air-conditioned gym, and taking languid lengths in the resort’s 30m serene pool. The open-air Garden and Beach Salas are discreetly secluded for pleasurable holistic body treatments.

casitas & villas

Amanpulo’s native style of dwellings enhances its exclusive island stronghold. There are 40 casitas fashioned after a Philippine bahay kubo: a centuries old South East Asian rural archetype where family life was played out beneath steep pitched roofs on timber frames.

The five Hillside Casitas offer magical sea views, the four Treetop Casitas embrace the trees while the 29 Beach Casitas have private overgrown paths that lead down to the soft white beach. All are nestled discreetly among the sand-floored tropical foliage and enjoy their own buggy for unlimited enjoyment of island exploration. Subtle interiors, warm and sun-dappled, are smoothed out in shades of caramel and bamboo with pristine king-size beds. The bathrooms are spacious and appealing with raised Cebu marble bathtubs and twin vanities. A soft honey brown wooden floor is laid throughout with island appropriate comforts from daybeds to rattan furniture and attractive regional artwork.
   
Each casita enjoys a sprawling wooden sundeck with inviting loungers and dappled shade from vibrant bougainvillea and two deluxe Hillside Casitas have an unrivalled sweeping vista of the Sulu Sea and neighbouring islands. All casitas come with a flat-screen satellite television, DVD/CD player and iPod dock, all connnected to a surround-sound system, a coffeemaker with complimentary coffee and tea, as well as a safe. Hats, slippers and beach bags are available in the casitas for guests' use on the island and as souvenirs when they go home. The 21st century has been skilfully tucked beneath its alluring island exterior so that one’s perceptions of an enchanting remote archipelagic island can be effortlessly played out in uncompromised style.
  

activities

scuba diving & snorkelling
The abundant and beautiful reef waters that surround Pamalican and neighbouring islands are tailor-made for snorkelling and diving. A complimentary snorkelling and fish-feeding trip is scheduled daily. For novice scuba divers, Amanpulo is a welcoming retreat, with mirror-smooth seas in front of the Beach Club and a gentle drop-off to deeper water. For certified divers, there are a number of fine sites on both sides of Pamalican, all within easy reach by dive boat. Aquaventure, Amanpulo’s dive company, is a five-star PADI operation offering courses ranging from introductory to advanced. All equipment is provided by Amanpulo’s Dive Shop. Underwater lights are also available. Divers must be at least 10 years of age.

windsurfing
Amanpulo is a magnet for novice as well as experienced windsurfers. The island’s sand-bottom blue lagoon, located on the windward side, makes for world-class board sailing from December through April. During this period, the northeast trade winds blow, on average, about 20 knots. Amanpulo’s Windsurf Hut is located under a canopy of trees along Pamalican’s east-coast beach.

sailing
Amanpulo’s fleet includes a twin-hulled Hobie Sports 21, as well as two smaller catamarans and two Lasers. Sailing lessons are available.
       
cruise
The Sulu Sea has fine cruising waters. Amanpulo keeps a variety of boats for island hopping, fishing and lazy-day sailing, including the 34ft Dolphin II. The fibreglass Gulf Craft can take up to 10 guests on half-day and full-day charters. Manamoc Island, across the channel, is a popular cruise and picnic area. Other sea-going options include a sunset cruise and a leisurely cruise of the Sulu Sea by moonlight. Guests can arrange for a private beach barbecue dinner after their cruise.

island tour
A walk around the island’s sand beach will take about 90 minutes. There are also a number of bush paths and two modest hills to explore. At high tide, baby sharks chasing bait fish are sometimes seen in the shallows at Pamalican’s southern end.

spa treatments
At Amanpulo, the resort’s resident masseuses offer a range of massages and body treatments, as well as aromatherapy and beauty treatments in the privacy of a guest’s casita, in the air-conditioned Spa Casita, or at the open-air Garden Sala or Beach Sala.



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Amanpulo is a great place to relax and enjoy our nature. It's expensive but it's worthy because of the beauty you can see and there are many things you can do.

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