I found myself riding inside a cramped van with a few friends, heading straight toward a group of positively raved islands in the Western Visayas Sea—only a three-hour sleep removed from walking the rain-soaked streets of Iloilo City.
Standing on the Shoulders of Isla de Gigantes
A few moments later, I was staring quietly at the radiant morning skies above after a few hours of exhausting land travel. Our travel companion initially had serious reservations about continuing the trip due to the terrible weather in Iloilo earlier that evening. But the magnificent sight that finally greeted us at the busy port of Carles practically screamed of a tropical setting perfectly built for frolicking over powdery white sands with a cold beer in hand.
Lunch on the Island Starring the 1-Peso Scallop
We regrettably missed out on buying beer somewhere along the road, so we aggressively opted for bottles of whiskey throughout the night instead. Earlier in the day, the bright morning sun triumphantly led us to the stunning islands of Antonia Beach, where we excitedly clambered over an edgy limestone cliff and casually watched a mini-sports festival happening right on the beach below.
Following that little coastal adventure, we happily sailed over to the true "John Lennon" of the Islas de Gigantes: Cabugao Gamay Island. It was here that we finally dined on a sumptuous, unforgettable lunch composed entirely of fresh scallops, boomerang-shaped Wasay-Wasay shells, and a delicious plate of adobong pusit (squid).
City slickers like us—who are completely used to avoiding ordering scallops due to their notoriously high prices in big city restaurants—were absolutely overjoyed to learn that fresh scallops cost only one peso each in this remote part of the Philippines. Just consider how many scallops a simple 100-peso bill would buy you here. Yes, it was far more than enough to heavily feed five very hungry people.
We spent the next few hours on the beautiful island lazily lounging on hammocks and chilling quietly under the tall coconut trees, perfectly timed in between refreshing dips in the crystal-clear waters.
The IG-Famous Spot
The so-called "Instagrammable spot"—a specific, rocky viewing position resting atop a small hill at Cabugao Gamay—is exactly where the vast majority of viral images of the Gigantes islands seen on Instagram and Facebook are famously taken.
Standing perfectly on this "X-marks-the-spot" location magically allows you to frame the island's unique dual shoreline directly against its curving shape, cleanly leading the eye straight into the lush green portion of the island. Standing here and simply clicking the shutter button instantly creates a flawless, postcard-like picture, completely surrounded by the deep blue-green colored sea and the stunning, sunny skies.
Night One at Gigantes Norte
We happily spent the night at Rosewood Place in Gigantes Norte with our expanded group of friends. Gigantes Norte is officially the largest landmass among the island clusters, and it is also the historic location of the 1895 Spanish-built lighthouse.
We excitedly rode shotgun on a habal-habal (passenger motorcycle) starting from the small port of Gigantes Norte. One of our travel companions was especially thrilled because it was her very first time riding on the back of a motorcycle deep in a rural Philippine province.
That night, we tightly huddled around a few bottles of whiskey and engaged in an almost endless round of lively table discussions, fully enjoying the warm company and the cool island breeze.
I retired early into the comfortable triple-bed room I shared with the group and slept incredibly soundly into the next beautiful day on the island.
Night Two at Cabugao Gamay
Our group of five was quickly reduced to one the very next day when I stubbornly decided to stay an extra night, while the rest of the group responsibly returned to Iloilo. Luckily, our local guide from Las Islas Travel and Tours was also on her way back to Cabugao Gamay with another group of clients. She graciously ended up adopting me for another couple of days after we arranged a rendezvous with her party.
This meant I got to enjoy even more endless feasts of scallops and wasay-wasay shells. That, and savoring the incredibly relaxing, entertaining company she provided.
I spent the next two days totally relaxing by the beach, quietly watching the skies change from crystal clear to dark and cloudy due to a strong typhoon violently passing through the waters surrounding Panay Island.
Fortunately, with the sole exception of a highly windy period lasting nearly an hour in the late afternoon, the weather mercifully returned to full summer mode—even though it was already August.
We crossed over to Cabugao Daku, the larger island sitting closest to Cabugao Gamay, the very next morning. We took a long break under a small nipa hut and thoroughly enjoyed the island's much more secluded atmosphere. We also visited the island's lone home-stay accommodation, and I made a quick mental note to definitely stay here the next time I visit.
It was an absolutely wonderful way to spend a few days simply accumulating endless amounts of 'chill time' by staring blankly at the beautiful bodies of water and bountiful nature that exists all over the Gigantes group of islands. All of this, plus the warm company of two separate groups of friends—both old and new.
A Rare Travel Guide
Easier climbing routes are securely set up in place at Antonio Beach and Cabugao Gamay Island where most average visitors can easily take a photograph. However, a much harder route located in Gigantes Sur (referred locally to as the “Boulevard”) will require a bit of technical climbing prowess, aggressively ascending up a steep and jagged trail that leads directly to a breathtaking 360-degree scenery of the whole Islas de Gigantes.
Other can’t-miss spots include the Tangke Saltwater Lagoon and the Bantigue Sandbar. Since we went there during the heavy onset of the habagat season, safely entering the lagoon proved totally impossible because of the dangerously strong sea currents.
