CEBU, Philippines — To embark on an adventure trip to this speck of paradise on earth, the general advice is to travel by day. That’s particularly regarding the sea part of the trip. The sea to traverse to get there is often rough, and rough sea is doubly scary at night, when there’s nothing else to see but pitch dark. Stories of sharks abounding in those waters add a huge fear factor. So it’s really important to time the trip properly.
In the city, there’s a bus for Daanbantayan that leaves the North Bus Terminal at around 4 a.m. The ride takes about three hours. Finding a boat for the sea part of the trip may take some time, plus a visit to the town’s tourism office may be necessary for getting directions. Plus-minus, the various errands at Daanbantayan may take until about past 8 a.m.
The boat ride to La Manok Island takes about three hours. But wait – would visitors want to skip Malapascua on this trip? If they had not been to Malapascua yet, they might want to stop by the famous dive site to see for themselves why all the fuss about it.
At Malapascua, it may take 30 minutes, at the quickest, to check out the place – no swimming or lazing about, just checking out. The 30 minutes will be eaten up at just a cove or small village, but that’s about enough to get an idea about this divers’ haven. If breakfast was not taken at Daanbantayan, then it may take another 30 minutes here, quickly.
It will be around 10:30 a.m. now. From Malapascua, the pump boat may proceed to take the visitors to Carnaza Island, another interesting spot to check out. An hour after departure, Carnaza is already visible in the near distance, on a calm sea. It’s already a beauty even from afar! In a few minutes more, the boat docks at one of several coves on the island.
In all likelihood, visitors may find the small island all to themselves when they get there, with no other people visible around. Carnaza Island is not on most travelers’ itinerary. People may have heard about the island, but that’s it.
To most people, Carnaza is uncharted territory. It’s not easy to reach, and there’s not much semblance of tourist-friendly facilities to come upon on the island – except the Carnaza Eco Park. But it beams with pure, raw natural beauty!
The surrounding waters are incredibly clear; one would be almost tempted to drink it. For those who’d dare to wait till sunset, the view is exhilarating. The few who’ve spent a night there bubble up about their stargazing experience – it’s just… well, beyond words.
But since the ultimate destination is La Manok Island, there’s no time to while away at Carnaza. No sunset, no stargazing. Supposing that the visitors spend another 30 quick minutes at Carnaza, it will be around 12 noon when they depart the island.
La Manok Island is still a good one hour away. So the visitors get there at about 1 p.m. Now, since this is the destination, it’s here where some action shall take place. It means spending more time to enjoy the island.
Visitors need to bear in mind to avoid going back at dusk since that’s when the sea becomes rough, if it’s not already rough at broad daylight. They have to figure out that the straight boat ride alone between Daanbantayan and La Manok Island, without the stop-overs, takes about three hours. And so they will have to depart La Manok in time for them to be back at Daanbantayan when darkness falls.
In the meantime, they may have to enjoy where they are. They may have, at the boatman’s suggestion, been able to buy some fresh catch from the fishermen they passed along the way. It’s good to have a backpackers’ meal on La Manok Island.
Some people may have heard about La Manok but have not the slightest idea of what it looks like. The island is located in the middle of the sea between Masbate and Cebu; it is actually nearer to Masbate than to Cebu. The very appeal of the island comes from a seeming air of mystery around it. It is not very accessible due to a lack of transportation route and the rough seas surrounding it.
La Manok is comprised of three small land or rock formations protruding from the sea. They look like separate islets during high tide. But, actually, the three islets are connected by sand bars that emerge at low tide.
The island merely serves as a pit stop for fishermen, who also seek refuge there during stormy weather. It means there is not much human activity on the island; in fact, there are only two or three makeshift shanties to be found there, all made of bamboo and coconut fronds. Except for the shanties, everything else on La Manok is crafted by nature itself.
Its isolation sustains the island’s pristine state. Since it’s a small island, there aren’t really much to see there. Its comely fine sands, crystal clear waters, and other natural features may have their cosmeticized equivalent in the beach resorts closer to the city.
But the whole La Manok experience is just something else. The way to and from the island is sheer adventure. The island itself is a tiny proof of the infinite capacity of the Greatest Artist of All!
Even the greatest of men can hardly copy the island’s fresh air and the sweet scent of its garbage-free surrounding waters. Reaching La Manok and coming back is a humbling experience. It illustrates the nothingness of humans amid the great power of nature.
Some even say that a La Manok adventure is a rough sampler of the Divine. Just a sampler, because visitors may only have two hours to explore and relish the beauty of the tiny island. They have to get out of there by 3 p.m., in order to be safely back at Daanbantayan by dusk. PHOTOS: www.gotmarked.com