Balingoan Port Parked Bike
Camiguin Island has captivated not only local travelers but international tourist eyes as well. It has even earned itself a place on Lonely Planet’s Blue List 2008 on its Next Tourist Attractions list. It has also been a target destination for me for quite sometime as well since I got an art map of the island before. This small island which is second only to Batanes in land area and population is found in Northern Mindanao just off the coast of Misamis Oriental. Here’s an easy guide on traveling to Camiguin Island.
Balingoan Port and Ferry
Coming from Manila, we took a Cebu Pacific Flight to Cagayan de Oro (CDO), the usual gateway to Northern Mindanao. From CDO, we went to the Bus Terminal to ride a bus heading to Balingoan Port. The bus was air conditioned and fare is only Php 110.00 per pax. Travel time about 2 hours. When you reach Balingoan Bus Terminal some tricycle will insist to give you a ride to the port. You don’t have to, believe me the port is only a very short walk past the bus terminal.
The Camiguin Island
Ferries leaving for Camiguin Island’s Benoni Port from Balingoan port starts leaving at 6:00am. It has an hourly departure frequency until 5:00pm. Travel time is about an hour. Regular fare is Php 135.00 per pax. If you want to stay in an air conditioned section fare is around Php 165.00 per pax.
Once in Benoni Port, there are numerous Multicabs and habal-habals waiting. These people charge varying rates depending on where you are going. They are overcharging if they charge more than Php 2000. Multi-cabs and habal-habals would also try to suggest a “Tourist” IT you can take so make sure you are clear with your destination, plans and your agreed price before taking in their services.
Alternative route. We found out when we were in Camiguin that there is a Fastcraft plying a direct CDO to Camiguin route and travel time is around 2 hours. We haven’t tried this but we were informed that the Fastcraft leaves CDO port 8:30am and you would be in Benoni Port by 10:30am. Fastcraft then Leaves Benoni Port by 11:30am and arrives in CDO by 1:30pm.
Thanks for the info
Nice set of photos. I consider Camiguin my second hometown. I lived in Mambajao proper in 1994. It is also the place where my seriousness about travel and photography kicked off…
We followed the same route as you did. Although we did stay for one night at CDO for the white water rafting!
gusto ko rin talaga pumunta dyan pero wala pa sya sa priority list ko for this year. hopefully pag nagkaroon ng extra time. pero isa nga to sa mga kaabang abang na lugar na pupuntahan.
maliit pla ang camiguin.. di ko alam.. thanks for sharing this..
tricycle? lapit lang kaya ng port sa babaan mo ng bus.
and advice lang. if ever punta kayo ng holy week, dapat magpa-book kayo kse sobrang daming pumupunta ng time na yon. dahil sa kakaibang stations of cross nila
thanks for sharing this amigo. i’m sure a lot of people would like to include camiguin in their must-visit list.
i myself can’t exactly pinpoint what makes me keep coming back to this place but i really love the place, its tranquility, its warm people.
cool cool. I’ll tell this to Angeli. i believe she has plans to go here this Feb. =)
I love the photos – especially the sky. The blue is calming. And thanks for the tips – might start planning my travel itinerary and hoping to visit Pinas again this year.
great shots ferdz. it seems that the sky is always clear in that port. have u seen small islet with cross that is just a few hundred meters from the port? that is a picturesque islet too. hope to post my trip there soon when time permits.
bad local people of misamis.
yeah right, balingoan port is just a walking distance from the bus terminal.
you can even saw the crossing point from there.
i just hope the local government and tourism office of camiguin will devise a tourist-friendly measures that would help tourist not be fooled by opportunist people who wants to take advantage of the situation.
they should have a study mission to bohol.
Nice info. The Fastcraft option looks interesting. I wonder how much it costs.
buhay na buhay ang kulay sa mga photos mo Ferdz. kakabilib ka talaga. eto nga’t naglalaway na naman ako, hehe! Camiguin is in my priority list to visit this year. Una shempre ang Batanes na forever ko na atang sinasabi sa’yo. uy, gudlak sa travel mo sa Laos. Antay kaming IT and photo docu mo. as ususal manggagaya na naman ako.
thanks for information, maybe, in one of the many long weekends that we have this year, we can finally set foot in Camiguin. happy new year.
Hi. Great website. I am from Cagayan de Oro. Miss ko na Camiguin. I wonder kung kailan ulit ako makakabalik doon? hehe If ever you’ll be traveling to Cagayan de Oro, I could hook you up to Coconut Bay Resort. I know the owner. I could get you a discount.
one can also go on a day tour in camiguin covering, ardent, katibawasan, sunken cemetery, volcano, and white beach. But you have to leave cagayan de oro by 4am thru vans for hire stationed at Agora market to catch the first trip. arrange for the jeep/multicab or motorcycle. if you want to catch the last boat trip out, you have to tell your driver.
ferdz, would u know whats the last trip from benoni port going to Balingoan?
Hi!just discover your site coz of the cove in Zambales and wonder if u’v been in Camiguin at d ako ngkamali kc uv been there like me…i can say that i left my heart there. Oct.2008 and Feb.2009 we were there and I really wanna go back again and again. to everyone try to check CEB promo nong Feb n punta namin our 2 way ticket cost us 1,056 lng Mnl-CDo n un.
TRY CAMIGUIN! Promise u’ll love it!
very helpful ferdz, thanks!
im so excited coz i will be visiting this paradise on feb 19….. can’t wait!!!