samar – Travel Up

5 rainy season destinations in the Philippines for nature lovers

It can be tough to plan trips during the rainy season in the Philippines. There’s a lot of uncertainty when traveling by air and sea, especially if a typhoon hits. Once you arrive at your destination, overcast skies and seasonal downpours can be a downer during sightseeing and typical outdoor activities like going to the beach.

But this doesn’t mean hitting the snooze button on travel. Some places around the country come alive once the rainy season sets in. Natural landscapes like waterfalls look their finest and mountain scenery is at its greenest. The fog in mountainous areas can make places look more captivating.

Canyoning Downstream the Blanca Aurora River in Samar

After visiting a place, the journey going back is usually pretty uneventful. Packing up your gear and heading home is usually not even worth writing about. But after visiting the stunning Pinipisakan Falls and spelunking in Sulpan Cave deep in the jungles of San Jorge, Samar, the journey going back was just as exciting. The third and last leg of our epic adventure involved riding the currents of the Blanca Aurora River downstream.

10 Amazing Philippine Islands to Explore by Motorcycle

There are lots of different modes of transport you can use to get around the Philippines. But my personal favorite is just getting on a motorbike, riding around and exploring on your own. Motourism is on the rise and more tourists are discovering the Philippine islands on two wheels.

Road Trip Guide: North East Samar Loop

My solo ride around Samar Island has been one of the most memorable rides I’ve done this year. I got to traverse through three provinces of (Western) Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar. Since it’s the third largest island in the Philippines, it’s a bit challenging getting around by public transportation.

The main cities are geographically located far from each other and vans and jeeps don’t leave regularly. Usually, you have to wait for public transport vehicles to get filled up with passengers, so getting from one place to another usually requires a lot of waiting time. Since my main purpose was sightseeing and ease of access getting around, I thought I could cover more ground on a motorbike.

Endless Samar Part 4: Ulot River Torpedo Boat Adventure

Any solo traveler will tell you that one of the most painful parts of traveling alone is the fact that you have no one to share expenses with. After riding around the coastal road of Samar on the way back to Catbalogan City, I decide to squeeze in one last activity. When I passed by the local tourism office in Samar, the three main destinations being promoted were Sohoton Caves Natural Bridge in Basey, the Rock Formations in Marabut and the Ulot River Torpedo Boat Ride in Paranas.

I’ve visited the province of Samar on several caving trips and have written a detailed travel guide about it, but for some reason, I haven’t been to those three main and most popular sites. So while riding back from Borongan to Catbalogan City on my solo ride around Samar Island, I decided to stop and try the Torpedo boat ride at Ulot River since it was along the way.

Endless Samar Part 1: Biri Island

Ang laki pala ng Samar, I thought to myself as I drove along the highway on my way from Catbalogan City to Lavezares in Northern Samar. When I ride a van or a bus, I usually just sleep and wake up near my destination, so I don’t really feel how far I’ve gone. I get an inkling of distances when I plan my route on Googlemaps, but the kilometers on Samar island just felt longer than usual.

The Cave Beyond a Waterfall: Sulpan Cave in San Jorge, Samar

Caves do not have mass appeal. Given a choice between a beach and a cave, most tourists I know would probably be packing their Instagram-worthy swimwear and flip-flops to bask on the sunny shores of a tropical island before you can even say “spelunking.”

I mean, why would anyone want to dangle hundreds of meters in the air to enter a hole in the ground leading to an unknown chamber, stumble around on slippery boulders in complete darkness, crawl through muddy passageways and swim through the frigid inky waters of underground canyons where who knows what could be lurking, waiting to reach up with their gigantic tentacles or venomous fangs to drag you down to the depths below?

Pinipisakan Falls in San Jorge, Samar

Otherwordly. Ethereal, Magical. Like a scene from a children’s fairy-tale storybook, the two tiers of the waterfall cascade like a white curtain into a basin of clear blue water. From where we stand, the massive boulder formations carpeted with moss, wild ferns and tiny purple flowers provide a postcard-perfect viewing deck.

Travel Guide: Samar (province)

Samar (formerly named Western Samar), is one of the three provinces of Samar Island in Eastern Visayas in the Philippines. Home to a network of amazing caves hidden beneath the region’s lush jungles, including the biggest cave system in the country, Samar is a rugged destination where adventure seekers can experience something out of the ordinary. Though most of Samar Island remains off-the-radar for local tourists, many international spelunkers have been drawn here since it’s been dubbed the “Caving Capital of the Philippines.”

Spelunking in Samar: Lobo Cave

Just like exploring a new dungeon in a video game, there’s something so fulfilling about spelunking or exploring caves in real life.

You have to navigate through small tunnels and chambers, find the best route so that you don’t hurt yourself, come face to face with creatures like bats and snakes and overcome all the obstacles in the dark to find the cave exit. It’s not as glamorous as Lara Croft makes it look, but it’s one of the most fun and exhilarating adventures you can do. Particularly if you’re in Samar, the Caving Capital of the Philippines.

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