Samar

Beyond a Rocky Bend

Samar,  Borongan

On Divinubo, the Guiporo-e natural pool, located after a five-minute trek through brush, sand and mangrove saplings, springs like a surprise from beyond a rocky bend – a horizontal clump of rocks festooned with mangroves in the near distance, cupping a placid pool. If you fancy a dip, the water is nicely warm. Karawisan Eco-Tour Park resort, still on Divinubo, is also a good place to stop by for a relaxing few hours. You can rent a string hammock (P25) and snooze under the leafy talisay trees. The broad-leafed talisay tree bears a nut that’s as creamy as Bicol’s pili nuts. Pecked by birds, the talisay nuts grow three times a year and turn yellow when ripe. Entrance to Karawisan is P5 per person. You can rent picnic huts at P200 a day or P250 if you want to stay overnight. There’s a small store if you want cold sodas and bottled water. Unless you’ve made previous arrangements, food is not available. Guests are charged P50 for the use of the kitchen. You can rent a straw mat for P50, pay another P50 if you want to pitch your own tent or P100 for a table with 6-10 chairs.

If you need a guide to the tourist spots on Divinubo, you can hire the services of tour guide Ronald Lapada, who also heads the island’s Community-Based Resource Management (CBRM) for between P200-P250 for a whole day. You can also make arrangements to have CBRM members prepare your breakfast, lunch or snacks. Contact the Borongan City Tourism Office, headed by Tourism Operations Officer Marissa Acorin, for inquiries, trip itineraries and reservations. call: 055/ 560 9700, 0927/ 932 1377. fax: 055/ 261 31267 or e-mail muntour@yahoo.com


Photo and Article Source: Inflight (Seair)