Biri Island Series: Biri Rock Formations Tour Activate!

After we settled our things inside our room at the Villa Amor Resort, we immediately made friends with Marlon, one of the locals who was hired to do some construction work for the resort. He seemed to be constantly in a happy disposition since he was always smiling. He was super friendly. He offered to take us to go night swimming in their place at Bel-at because he still has to work till 5pm. We really didn’t know what time we’ll get back from the tour because we’re sure to shoot the sunset so he and our guide, Kuya Jun, made the arrangements on where we’d meet in case we get delayed in coming back.

Before we left for the tour, we needed to feed our tummies first. The resort charges P250 if we’ll ask them to cook food we’ll buy at the market. If we’ll cook food ourselves, they’ll charge us P200. The rate’s quite expensive. It was a good thing that they suggested we go to the town’s canteen where we can find affordable meals. Since we had no clue where it was, Marlon volunteered to take us there.

 “the” canteen

The canteen that they referred was that food stall on top, which you’ll find at the side of their market. Food choices included fried fish, fish cooked in vinegar (inun-inang isda/paksiw na isda) and 1-2 kinds of vegies cooked in coconut milk (ginataan).

my P65 lunch – 1 cup of rice, 1 fried fish, 1 bottle of Coke sakto & 1 big bottle of mineral H20

I ordered fried fish, rice, a bottle of coke and water. Kuya Jun arrived to fetch us so we hurriedly finished eating. When we’re all set, Kuya Jun mentioned we should drop by their tourism office first. Tourists had to pay P50/head for the tourism fee. But the office was closed so we continued with our tour vowing to drop by the place when we got back.

The roads of Biri are small. There are some areas that are cemented but there are those that are not. In fact, the road from the Port to the town’s entrance is a rough road and I figured only motorcycles can pass by those narrow roads. But the one’s in Biri are slightly bigger and I saw a few cars in there too, mostly multicabs.

In order to get to the rock formation sites, you’d have to get out of town and follow a few winding roads for approximately 15 mins. I guess we got lucky when we visited the place since most of the roads were well-paved – less stress for our butts.

a not-so-appealing view of where we’re headed

Rain started to drizzle when we arrived at our destination. Kuya Jun parked his motorcycle and we started to walk in between mangroves till we saw a bridge with a hut on its end point. The goal was to reach the hut before all of us got soaked in the rain.

I didn’t bring any rain cover with me as I was prepared to get soaked. With the dark clouds lurking above us, rain was surely to accompany us on exploring the rock formations.

There was no point bowing my head acting like I detested every rain drop that fell on my face when I’d get soaked anyway. So I just continued walking with my head high, enjoying the gloomy view that was unfolding before my eyes. When I reached the hut, I wiped my face dry and looked back to check on Christian. I was concerned his precious gadgets would get wet but the moment I saw him, I flashed a straight face at him. There he was, taking his time while walking daintily, clad in his mountaineering outfit – fisherman’s hat, shirt, trekking pants, trekking shoes – with one arm carrying his beloved Iligan canvas bag while the other hand holding an umbrella. (hay naku! siya na ang divah! hahaha) Didn’t see that one coming. lol. Ok fine. Hands down to the guy for being a boy scout. I don’t blame him too. With all those valuable gadgets dangling in his arm, he better make sure nothing happens to them. I wonder what else was stashed inside that bag he was carrying. Never suspected he brought an umbrella, you see. lol.

The bridge that we passed by was originally constructed to bring tourists closer to the rock formations. But after careful consideration by the local government and the tourism office of Biri, the construction was halted as it will destroy the beauty of the rock formations. That explains the pile of huge boulders that we saw on our way to the first rock formation. At first, I thought it was some form of ritual having those piled stones. They were intentionally placed there as base foundation of the bridge. But they were left there when the bridge’s length was altered.

walking on shallow waters to reach the Magasang Rok Formation

Seeing that those cloudy skies won’t clear up, we decided to head for the Magasang rock formation when the unforgiving rain turned into soft drizzles. The seawater was just ankle-deep.

I knew that we’d be walking on rocks and sea beds, with our feet getting wet most of the time, so I made sure I brought my trekking sandals with me. Although one can manage exploring the rock formations with ordinary flip-flops, as our guide was wearing one, it’s still advisable to wear proper footwear to avoid accidents like getting stung by sea urchins or worse, bitten by whale sharks. 😆 There are also huge rocks scattered all over Magasang. They were very slippery so extra care was necessary.

When we were almost near the first rock formation, it started to rain real hard again. It was a good thing that Magasang was shaped like an umbrella at some areas so we took refuge underneath the huge boulder. It was also windy at some point and it made the situation worse. While my soaked body shivered, the wind also blew sands that pierced my bare legs. And then out of the blue, the Biri rock formation’s resident guide appeared out of nowhere.

the resident guide of the Rock Formations in Biri Island

The cat seemed to be cold too since it kept circling around my feet, perhaps trying to absorb as much heat from my bare skin. When the rain slowed down, we decided to climb up Magasang to get a better view of its neighboring rock, Magsapad. Whenever we went, the cat guide followed us.

my favorite rock, Magsapad

The view of the Magsapad rock formation was simply breathtaking. It was the first time I saw such magnificent structure. I’m even reminded of Batanes when looking at the rock formation. Although I’ve never set foot at Batanes, Magsapad made me think that it’s reminiscent of those photos I saw of Batanes.

When the dark clouds completely cleared, we went down and checked out the other areas of Magasang. We went to the western side of the rock formation. In there, we saw the open sea.

The waves were restless. Seeing the waves reminded me of my recent trip to Siargao. With the absence of those huge boulders at the shoreline, it would be a perfect place for surfing or skimming. From a distance, one could see the Bulusan Volcano of Sorsogon. Kuya Jun also mentioned that on a clear day, the Mayon Volcano in Albay can also be seen from where we were standing.

the perturbed waves and Bulusan Volcano

From a distance, we could see the viewing deck and the bridge. The tide was slowing coming in.

Huge waves were also pounding on the back part of Magasang. Kuya Jun carefully guided us on where to pass to avoid getting slammed by the waves.

Christian taking photos while the cat followed, Magsapad peeking at us

The formation of the rocks were simply amazing. They come in all shapes, sizes, lines and textures.

After carefully walking the back part of Magasang, we finally saw Magsapad again. It’s time to cross the rocks and explore Magsapad. 😉

To be continued…

Expenses:

65.00 – lunch (rice, fried fish, coke, water)

This post is part of my Biri Island Adventure series.
For more information on the previous posts, please refer to the links below:

Majestic Rock Formations: The Hidden Gems of Biri Island
Biri Island Series: En Route Cebu to Calbayog
Biri Island Series: Looking For Affordable Places to Stay in Allen?
Biri Island Series: Side Trip to Spice of Life Beach in Allen
Biri Island Series: Waking Up Biri Early Morning
Biri Island Series: Biri Rock Formations Tour Activate!  <— you are here now 😉
Biri Island Series: The Hills are Alive in Magaspad
Witnessing the Sunset at Magasang in Biri Island
Waiting for Sunrise at the Bel-at Rock Formation in Biri
On Being Stranded at the Caranas Rock Formation
Learning How To Drown in the Natural Pools of Biri Island

For more photos of this trip, please visit my Facebook Page Album 😉