My two days in Camiguin were rather quiet, with not many other tourists on the island and most of those that were being couples, I spent most of the time exploring alone. That is not to say I didn’t have fun. On the first morning I hired myself a scooter for two days giving me the ability to move around freely to see the main sights, which were quite spread out. This was my first time riding and it was a good place to gain confidence, as there were few other vehicles on the island and one large circular road which made it easier not to get lost.

On my first day I made it to the hot springs heated by Hibok Hibok volcano, which was several pools in a row with a waterfall leading from one to the next, and spent around an hour relaxing in them before moving on. As the sun was beginning to set I visited the sunken Spanish Cemetery, where all that remains is a tall white cross in the sea.

White cross marking sunken Spanish cemetery

The rest of the day was spent largely driving around enjoying the scenes of island life. There was a lot of activity in many of the schools, where children were practising performances for the upcoming Lanzones Festival (a celebration of the fruit and the economic benefits it brings to the island).

I had quite an interesting ride back that evening. Not realising how far away I was from my hostel, I set off back at around 7pm. It was at this point I discovered the lights on my bike were not working! I spent the journey back using a mixture of light from street lights and buildings, and when another vehicle appeared, using their headlights. This was all going quite well until I reached a section with no lights, and no traffic. With no other option I put an indicator on and crawled along guided solely by a flash of orange every other second. A little atmosphere was added to this moment, as a silent lightening storm broke out over the volcanoes in the distance. An hour and half later, a little exhausted from the concentration, I was relieved to pull up outside the hostel.

With more of an idea about where things were and what I wanted to see, I set off at 8am on the second day to get round as many sights as possible and make sure I was back before dark. Among other things, I managed to see a 45m waterfall, the volcano museum, some great views driving up into the mountains, some cold springs, drive the whole way round the island and still be back by 4:30pm, just before several hours of torrential rain came down.

Although I think Camiguin is an island best visited with company, I had a great time buzzing around, going where I pleased and there really were some spectacular sights and views to be seen.

After a 12hr journey I am now back in Manila, with only one more full day left in the Philippines before I head to Cambodia. It has been a great three weeks and I have met some amazing people along the way, but both my mind and my bank balance are ready for a new country and some new adventures!