Some things are better when left untouched or hidden from the destructive hands of human. I speak of the group of islands and islets I visited recently- the Britannia Group of Islands. I was born and raised in Surigao del Sur but it was only last year that I have heard of such place. It's a good getaway for those who wanted to enjoy some privacy at the beach plus you get to experience the white sand and sparkling waters that Boracay has -at least that's what most people say after visiting Britannia. I have never been to Boracay, so I'm afraid I don't have the right to give you an objective opinion on which of the two is better.(not that my opinion even matters)
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| Buslon Island |
Britannia Group of Islands consists of 24 island and islets. It is in Brgy. Salvacion, part of San Agustin, Surigao del Sur. It's a two-hour ride from Tandag (capital of Surigao del Sur) by bus or hired van. If you are coming from Butuan, you can take the bus which will take 3-4 hours of travel. Then take the habal-habal (motorcycle) going to the shorelines of Britania. (If you are not of the adventurous type, brace yourself on this ride!) From there, boats for rent are available to take you to some of the islands.
It's ideal to start your island hopping adventure early. You'd be able to catch the low tide (you don't want rough seas) and you'd get to enjoy the place minus the scorching heat.
First, we visited Hagonoy Island. It is the farthest of the four but the most wonderful. Sign says that cooking, camping and overnight stay are not allowed in order to preserve the place. Probably, this is why no cottages are provided on the islands to ensure that these prohibitions are strictly followed. I am totally A-okay with that.
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| Hagonoy Island |
We were amazed by the beauty of the place - pristine waters, fine sand and clean sea bed. It only proves that Nature, especially left uninterrupted, does really know how to take care of itself.
Too bad we didn't stay long because we were in a hurry. We were worried that we won't have enough time to visit the other three islands if we stay longer in Hagonoy. So if you are planning on a island hopping here in Britannia, don't make the same mistake we had. Linger on the island as longer as you can- enjoy the pristine water, roll on the sand and never mind the heat!
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| Hagonoy Island |
Next is naked island. As the name puts it, it's purely sand and no trees. My mom said its actually not an island but a sandbar. Manong Marlon, the boatman, said the island disappears on a high tide. So what do I think? Sandbar or Island? Hmmm...pretty much a sandbar to me. (Pardon me for being too theoretical on this.)
Freedictionary defines sandbar as '
a long mass or low ridge of submerged or partially exposed sand built up in the water along a shore or beach by the action of waves or currents' while Island is defined as 'a mass of land that is surrounded by water and is smaller than a continent.'
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| Approaching Naked Island |
My brother said that it is a rare opportunity to see waves, coming from opposite directions, meet in one place. Hence, we did not let that rare phenomenon pass without proof!
Picture perfect for the much-tried jump shot!
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| Jump shots are for all ages! |
Next is Hiyor-hiyoran island. The water is clear but the seabed has quite a number of seaweeds. We did not take a dip but we still enjoyed the place because of the very very fine white sand.
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| Hiyor-hiyoran Island |
The sand in Hiyor-hiyoran is the finest of all the four islands. It feels like baby powder and looks like "polvoron". Mental note: If you are planning on taking some of the sand back home, be sure to pack it discreetly because airport security prohibits taking home of sand and certain shells. My sister-in-law tried to take home some sand and shells and a BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Agriculture) representative stationed at the Butuan airport confiscated all of them (well, except one tiny shell).
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| Look at those sand! |
Last is Buslon Island. It's where we stayed longer and ate our lunch. (Remember to share your lunch to the boatmen.) Tourists usually stay on this place when they are done island hopping. It's the nearest to the shorelines of the barangay so that going back will only take a few minutes.
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| Buslon Island from afar. |
From Buslon island, you can reach the nearby island by just taking a walk over ankle-deep waters.
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| Crossing from Buslon Island to the nearby island. |
Here's to give you an idea of how much you'll shell out for this trip:
Manila-Butuan plane fare (roundtrip) - 4,000
Butuan-San Agustin (bus) - 200
Habal-habal - 20
Boat ride- 1,500 ( max of 15 pax)
If coming from Tandag:
Tandag-San Agustin (bus) - 150
Tandag-Brgy. Salvacion (hired van) - 3,000 (try to haggle if you can)
Nature is yours to enjoy but not to destroy!
