Britania Group of Islands is the third and the last part in the Summer in December in Surigao del Sur series.

We were advised by the owners of Marky’s Hostel to leave for Britania at 7am or later than our original plan to wake up as early as 5am. We wanted to maximize our itinerary in Britania without missing the last trip to Butuan City or else we won’t make it for the flight next day.

Warm Breakfast

We were served with coffee, and pan de sal and jam for our breakfast. The owners told us stories of their previous visitors who happened to be mostly bloggers as well.

But it is not the temperature of the caffeine that warms us – it is the story of the family. They just experienced a life trial when their house was taken by fire. The couple is living in the hostel now in one of the rooms. While their offsprings could have another house for them outside Hinatuan, the parents decided to stay in the municipality of Surigao del Sur. The parents even suggested to the children to work in the town instead in Cebu. They have one child in Europe now supporting them. They’re teachers and it will only take few years for them to retire and get their pension. They are still decided to live the life in Hinatuan and to manage the hostel.

To Britania

It would take us a bus to Barobo and a jeep before we arrive in Britania. Barobo is the town where fork in the highway going to Britania Islands is. While I originally plan to sleep in transit, I wasn’t able to buy that luxury because the bus from Mangagoy bound to Butuan City was already full when it loaded passengers in Hinatuan terminal. But eavesdropping conversation between Pat and his seatmate got interesting.

Pat sat beside a teacher and a local in Surigao. Despite being a local, she disclosed that she still haven’t visited Britania. And their conversation got more interesting when she asked Pat if he’s already married. Pat is single. ‘That’s good actually. You should enjoy life’, she remarked in vernacular. I could have retweeted her statement to the world! I couldn’t agree more!

Another hour inside the jeepney from Barobo to Britania catalyzed my excitement further. To ask the driver ‘Sa lugar lang’ to stop the jeep was one big deal for me. Leger leng. While our fellow passengers say that we’re just 1 kilometer away to our destination, we’re still hesitant to believe since the measurement scales of the locals, not just in Hinatuan but parts in the Philippines as well, are different. Their 9 grams converts to 900 grams and 1 block translates to 1 kilometer.

When we alighted the jeepney, one more ride in Habal-habal and we’re in Britania Group of Islands.

Island Hopping

Th number of resorts in the coast of Britania surprised me when I thought that the tourism in the archipelago is in developing state. Each resort offers their island hopping tour. Fortunately for the habal-habal driver, we opted to deal with him. He offered us PhP1,500 for the entire tour like what the prevailing rate in internet is. The boat can occupy more than a dozen of tourists so the rate is relatively cheaper to any other island hopping tours in the country.

We want to experience the El Nido of Mindanao first hand to attest or to contest later. Upon seeing the islands from the shore, they’re like more of those in Hundred Islands.

Hagonoy Island

Compared to El Nido and Caramoan, the islands were relatively nearer to starting point and to each other. The other visitors had already left the first island so the entire trip, we gonna own each islands.

This first island sets the bar of expectation for the rest of islands. The beach has white powdery sand. There are few trees or shrubs and we only took shade under a improvised hut there. One observation though is that the seaweeds were not taken out from the beach. It doesn’t look good in photographs but possibly because there are less people who spoil the island which is better actually.

In Summer

Docked

Naked Island

This is the most intriguing in the archipelago. This sandbar is hardly visible from Hagonoy Island and could be mistaken as a wave or a floating trash. Only our tour guides confirmed that it is the Naked Island. Bare. No trees. Thus, naked.

Gen and Pat are enjoying the beach and the sun while Kuya is anchoring the boat with his weight.

And here I am capturing every view of the naked island in barefoot.

Buslon Island

The island is distinct among the islands of the group because of the grotto installed.

The tour guides left us in Buslon so they can pick our lunch from the beach. The resort cooked what we bought from their talipapa. While waiting for lunch, we got a chance to see the activities and life of the Britanian locals.

Fishing as source of income and food

Our attention was caught by this colorful sail who passed by near Buslon Island. He’s heading somewhere where the rain’s about to fall.

That’s It

Just when we thought there’s another island to visit, our exploration in Britania Islands just ended after our lunch. Pat looks sad to go back to the shore. When I checked the internet, it seems visitors could only leave their footprints on some of the islands, such as the Twin Islands of Panlangagan Islands, during low tide.

That’s another island nearby which we haven’t visited. There are a total of 24 islands in the Britania Archipelago.

We then took shower to freshen up and headed back to Butuan City.

Back to Butuan City

We’re aiming to hop in 3pm ride from Britania to Butuan City. But just as we got into the end of the road, a van was already approaching. Just like what we knew from blogs, it traveled faster than the bus. Although we were advised by the Marky’s Hostels owners before not to take this kind of transportation because if it failed in transit, it would be more hassle to wait for the next van compared to the case if we take the bus. If you are familiar with UV Express in the metro, you know that the maximum passenger excluding the driver in the van is 18. But Butuan City passenger vans like car stuffing. Guess what? The conductor, not included in the passenger count, took his stand near the closed door while there’s a passenger beside the driver on the left. In less than 3 hours of interrupted sleeps, we finally arrived in Butuan City and the eye-catching and colorful Christmas lights of their Rizal Park, later named Guingona Park, welcome us.

And Butuan City would be another adventure to tell.