If you've traveled before, you're well aware of the generic options on how to reach a destination. There are guided tours for more comfortable, standardized tours, but if you want to be spontaneous and more interested to take the off the beaten path, Do it yourself (DIY) kind of travel might be your cup of tea.
In my case, I've tried both. There are enumerable pros and cons to each of them and as a traveler, you should know what destinations are best explored via guided tours and which are supposed to be done at your own pace. Unfortunately, there are times when you'll be left with no other option but to do DIY trips. That's the case for our Day 4 in Eastern Samar. As initially planned, there's a hidden paradise we're determined to reach that day. We had a group meeting prior to the trip to maximize our 5-day trip to Eastern Samar and we found out that the must-visit destination for Day 4 isn't included in any usual tours offered by local tour operators in the whole of Samar and Leyte.
All we know is it's in Hernani and it's captivating beyond words.
Remember what I mentioned last time about ABCD Surf camp not accepting reservations? I know we're still blessed to have one attic room left that we occupied for two nights but there's a downside. I've been to various surf camps all over the Philippines but ABCD Surf Camp barely offered the basic services to us. The room was too small and it felt like it's been weeks or even months since its last cleanup. What irritated everyone was the shortage of water supply; we were worried about where to take a bath. Apparently, they don't mind not having water for pooping and things like that! After our surfing activity on Day 4, we had to go to another resort just to take a bath. Ridiculous! 🙄 I know you'll tell me: It's a surf camp! But a surf camp could be sparkling clean and organized, too! And definitely, it should have water!
For this reason, I don't recommend ABCD Surf Camp for accommodations. You can book in a nearby resort/hotel/inn then just head to the surf camp for your surfing lessons.
If ever you come to this part of Eastern Samar, don't expect restaurants to line up one after the other so that you can hop in one to another for every single meal. There are few available options here and since we had our dinner at Calicoan Villa, just right across ABCD Surf Camp, we were determined to eat breakfast somewhere else. ABCD Surf Camp doesn't offer any food even snacks. Whoever owns the place doesn't have an entrepreneurial mindset.
We traveled to the south of Guiuan in the humble town of Sulangan Island. Familiar? Because we went there last time. 😁 Anyway, we didn't find any restaurant there. Can you believe that? Not even a small carinderia. Instead of finding food, we had a quick tour in St. Anthony of Padua Parish or simply Sulangan Church. It's believed to be a miraculous shrine that's why many pilgrims visit this church.
And guess what? We ended up eating at the same restaurant! LOL! We were so hungry. 😞
Right after breakfast, we hopped into Janine's pickup. We went to the same college and took the same course. She's two years behind us. If I am not mistaken, in her work, she covers the entire Visayas including Eastern Samar. She works in an MNC expanding clientele for a particular new product category.
We were lucky to have her and Maerose (my friend based in Tacloban) because both of them have wheels and going around wasn't as complicated as when commuting especially in Eastern Samar where a limited number of public vehicles ply from town to town.
We relied on Google Maps to take us from ABCD Surf Camp to our destination, Guinduyanan Cove in Hernani, Eastern Samar. From ABCD Surf Camp, we had to travel 71 km northbound to reach Hernani. It was a pleasant journey to Hernani for the following reasons: (1) I am not driving 🤣 and (2) the roads are surprisingly wide and paved.
When we were nearby the street that should lead us to Guinduyanan Cove, there was no one there. Luckily, we met a stranger who offered to guide us. I bet there are various ways to reach the cove but we entered a gated community where our guide resides, parked the car there and trekked our way to the cove.
Apparently, I wasn't able to account for the trekking under the scorching heat of the sun. I was expecting a paved way that'd lead us to the cove, but we walked on undefined paths in a forested area of Hernani.
It wasn't a death-defying trek. You have my word for that but if you're not from this area, you'll need a local to show you the way. Unless you are adventurous and have time to get lost along the way. Even our on-the-spot guide had trouble finding the right way to the cove.
Less than 20 minutes on the trek, we started descending a narrow and rocky path, a sign that we were getting closer to the cove. Since we weren't prepared for the trek, our footwear made it harder for us to go down the steep and sharp rocks. We had to slow down and our guide had to assist each one of us. He was so kind; we felt lucky to have met him that day. I couldn't imagine navigating the area, wandering on our own until we reach the cove. 😁
We continued descending at a slow yet steady pace and after a few minutes, this first glimpse of Guinduyan Cove welcomed us. I wanted to walk faster but with a path that could only safely accommodate one person, there was no way we can do it faster than how we did it.
It became clearer to me that our unexpected sacrifices that morning were worth it when I finally saw Guinduyan Cove from afar. We were still atop sharp rock formations but we already had a full view of Guinduyanan Cove's grandeur.
While everyone else moved toward the cove's opening, I ended up climbing a protruding rock and took more photos there.
It gave me a better view of Guinduyanan Cove from atop the massive rock. Our guide waited for me to get down and even offered a hand to assist me.
The next few moments were the most memorable for me as my jaw kept dropping unexpectedly as we explore each part of the cove. It was both a good and bad thing that there were huge waves in the cove during our visit. Good thing because it added depth to the experience. I tried imagining the cove when the sea is calm but that'll be too boring. The bad side is that we didn't enjoy swimming because the current and waves were too strong; we'd surely end up lifeless with the slightest mistake.
If there's one word to describe the cove it's beguiling; the five of us spread out the area and savored the place in our different ways. As for me, aside from a few moments of just staring at this enchanting place, I took countless photos of Guinduyanan Cove to ensure I don't miss out a corner and I have something I can look back to in the future.
Here are some photos I took:
We had to take extra precautions while roaming around the Cove, especially near the edge because it was slippery and the foaming white waves could be deceptive. The dissolving waves were definitely strong and it could drag you in the middle of the cove in a matter of seconds. I don't know what would happen next; it would be a terrifying experience. We stayed on the safe side during our entire stay in the Cove.
A few minutes later, the waves subsided a bit. We chose a spot that's less likely to be stricken by the huge waves. There were still huge waves in the spot where we swam but manageable than the rest. In order for us not to be dragged farther from the rocky shore, we had to stand our ground and pay attention to the coming and going of the waves. Our death-defying swim didn't last long as it was already past noon and we were all hungry.
More photos of the cove before leaving! 😁
We headed back to the village on the same route we took earlier but with renewed spirits. We were so grateful to our guide so we decided to pitch in Php 200 ($4) each total of Php 1,000. Kuya deserves this amount for leading us to this beautiful place.
Our next destination was Canhugas Nature Park but our guide told us there was a white beach nearby; we'd passed by this beach on our way to Canhugas so might as well drop by and check out the place.
We had difficulty finding it at first but we found it nonetheless. The beach was more accessible than Guinduyanan Cove. From the barangay road, we only had to walk about 3 minutes to reach the cottages where most of the activities took place.
When our guide suggested this place, he sounded proud and sure we'd love the beach as much as we loved Guinduyanan. He was right, Panglao Beach was worth the quick visit indeed. If we had food with us for lunch, we could've stayed longer. Unfortunately, there's no food for sale in Panglao Beach; we had to leave right away to look for the nearest restaurant or carinderia.
If you are a beach bum, I highly recommend spending some time on Panglao Beach. Its white powdery shoreline will captivate your eyes the second you lay your eyes on it. 😉 As for us, it was time to say goodbye and search for food!
That's all for today guys! In my next posts, we'll explore more of Eastern Samar's underrated destinations! ❤
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