While re-tracing his earlier trip to the town of Basey and again failing to explore Sohoton Cave due to inclement weather and lack of time, Tutubi wandered past Basey and Marabut and stopped for late lunch at an eponymous resort he found in Barangay Caluwayan, Marabut town famous for it's magnificent rock formations.

Formally named, Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort and Restaurant, the beach resort has a nice view of Marabut Rock Formations on the beach where you can also kayak on the serene bay with fine gray sand (and lots of jelly fishes) with the rock formations acting as natural breakwater. A restaurant and grill serves usual menu of fresh seafood (and a "shortage" of meat at that time) while an infinity pool beckons for people looking for a dip.

Photos of Caluwayan Beach resort:

a green lagoon on the resort facility leads to the restaurant and grill near the beachfront beside the infinity pool

dining at Caluwayan restaurant and grill's cottage with a great view of Marabut Rock Formations


the gray sand of Caluwayan, Marabut with the rock formations in view

Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort's infinity pool sans people...
the swimming pool area beside the restaurant grill

Review of Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort:

Tutubi doesn't have a full review of Caluwayan resort for he merely passed by the place in search of a place to eat late lunch before hurrying to another interesting place in Leyte and catching his return flight to Manila later in the day. For the food, his companions ordered sinigang na hipon (with souring ingredient from a leaf, not the usual tamarind), sizzling squid and vegetables with prices about P200/head. Service was fast, as expected, for they were the only guests at the beach resort at that time.

Resort facilities and activities as claimed include scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, caving/spelunking, rappelling, beach bumming, eating, sleeping...Did you notice the dark skies showing signs of impending rain? It's just because Tutubi took these photos of Caluwayan last December 2009 :P

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Caluwayan Palm Island Beach Resort and Restaurant
Address: Barangay Caluwayan, Marabut, Samar
Tel. No.: +63.55.276.5206; +63.920.938.2510
Official Website: http://www.caluwayanresort.com
Email: inquiry@caluwayanresort.com

Overnight Accommodations Rooms Rates (Source: Caluwayan Beach Resort's Official Website)

Our Room Types:

1. Open Cottage - Php 1,600
2. Beach Villa- Php 5,200
3. Beach Villa Suite - Php 5,900

On low season* the following prices applies:

1. Open Cottage Php 1,300 with breakfast for 2 pax
2. Beach Villa Php 4,200 with breakfast for 2 pax
3. Beach Villa Suite Php 4,800 with breakfast for 2 pax

low season dates are:

* 13 January - 14 March
* 1 June - 30 September
* 10 November - 14 December

For updated resort room rates, day tours, entrance fees, reservations and other inquiries, please call Caluwayan resort's published contact numbers, visit their official website or email them directly. As always, Tutubi has nothing to do with the resort nor received anything in exchange for this, he just happened to pass by the place for late lunch.


How to get to Caluwayan Beach Resort, Marabut, Samar:

From Tacloban Airport, you can hire a JEGA Spider taxi :P
board a jeepney going to Tacloban terminal then take a bus going to Marabut for about an hour travel time. If you have your own van rental, it's just a straight drive to Marabut town after crossing San Juanico Bridge


Related Posts on Samar:
Marabut Rock Formations
Basey Church

Labels: Beaches, Eastern Visayas, Resorts, Samar

Onwards from Basey town in Samar, Tutubi proceeded to the next town of Marabut to catch sight of the rock formations and secluded white beach nearest to Tacloban City.

Photos of Marabut Beach and rock formations you normally see on Samar Tourism brochures (pictures taken with an umbrella over Tutubi's head to protect his camera):

Marabut rock formations that entices rock climbers to test their skills. the cove looks peaceful enough for kayaking
a white beach with no people, it's expected since it's raining. People from Tacloban reportedly flock to this beach during summer. You can reach this place by walking about 50 meters from the main highway

There are no beach resorts seen by Tutubi when he went there, probably located on the other side of the cove. He only spent a few minutes to take pictures with an umbrella over his head since it's still raining. Other rock formations in Samar are in Biri town.

How to get to Marabut, Samar:

Commute: buses and jeepneys to Marabut are available from Tacloban City Bus Terminal.
Driving directions: you can reach the town and the beach via around 33 km travel under an hour from Tacloban passing San Juanico Bridge and the Samar towns of Sta. Rita and Basey. Directional signs will guide you along the way.

Labels: Beaches, Eastern Visayas, Samar

Even with the unrelenting rain, Tutubi was urged by his friend to at least visit two more attractions in Samar before heading back to Tacloban for his 6pm flight to Manila via Cebu Pacific. They were able to at least travel for more than an hour more even with almost zero visibility by driving slowly since his guide knows the place quite well.

Basey, pronounced Basay, is a sleepy town in Samar opposite Tacloban City that has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the longest Banig (sleeping mats). The town is home to numerous mat weavers. Sadly, no remnant of the record-breaking long mat was seen by Tutubi. The town celebrates its town fiesta with the Banig Festival in September.

the welcome to Basey banner at the junction during a downpour

What he saw in Basey was the old Spanish church of Basey, the San Miguel Arcangel (St. Michael the Archangel Parish) with the bell tower indicating the year 1846. He wasn't able to get out of the car, again, due to heavy rain and had to take a picture of the church while inside the car and through the glass.

picture of the facade taken inside the car

San Miguel Arcangel bell tower with the old bells visible

The most popular destination of Basey is the Sohoton National Park for adventurers and eco-tourism enthusiasts looking to explore caves, waterfalls and other activities. Tourism is the area is not well-developed and marketed and hampered by the lack of tourism infrastructure and not-so-good roads.

After Basey, Tutubi proceeded to the next destination town of Samar: Marabut with it's beach and gorgeous rock formations

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Basey Tourist Attraction

Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Barangay Inuntan

For information, try to get in touch with Sohoton Services Association (SSA) to provide you with caving guide, kayaking guide, food as well as souvenirs and rest houses.

How to get to Basey, Samar:

Commute: From Tacloban Bus Terminal, board jeepneys or mini-buses/vans bound for Basey for less than an hour trip.
Driving Directions: Basey is less than an hour drive from Tacloban via San Juanico Bridge. Direction signs are present so you won't get lost. Drive carefully due to the presence of potholes along the way, something Samar island is "famous" for.

Labels: Churches, Eastern Visayas, Samar

With heavy rains offering near zero visibility in Tacloban hardly dampened Tutubi's will to travel and explore places, he was able to cross the famous San Juanico bridge, the Philippines' longest bridge connecting Leyte island to neighboring Samar separated by San Juanico Strait

San Juanico Bridge has a length of 2.16 kilometers with an arch at midspan allowing ample vertical clearance for ships to pass and visit the port of Tacloban.

the approach to San Juanico Bridge from Tacloban

The Welcome to Samar Arch: Tutubi conquered Samar :P


The shape of the other half of the bridge is visible here

If one end of the bridge is in Tacloban City, the other end is in Sta. Rita town of Samar.


What most people remember about San Juanico Bridge is the stunt pulled off by stuntman/actor Dante Varona where he jumped on the span unto the water below. What most people don't know, however, is that the bridge, when viewed from the sky, is a combination of the letters L and S to represent Leyte and Samar.

The lower part shaped like the letter L for Leyte and the upper part like an S for Samar (picture from Wikimapia)

Unconfirmed reports claims former president Ferdinand Marcos had the bridge constructed in 1973 as a gift to her imeldific wife, Imelda Marcos, who hails from Tacloban.

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How to get there:

San Juanico Bridge is about 10-20 minutes away by jeep or van from Tacloban Airport. You may ride buses/jeepneys going to Samar (e.g. Basey or Marabut or Guian) at Tacloban Bus terminal.

San Juanico Bridge is also one stop of Leyte Provincial Government-organized Icot-icot tour

Upcoming posts:
Braving Samar's notorious bad roads to stunning rock formations in a secluded beach and a town of the Banig Festival :P

Labels: Bridges, Eastern Visayas, Leyte, Samar, Tacloban City