So many islands, so little time. Cuatro Islas consists of 4 islands (as the name implies) which belong to the municipalities of Inopacan and Hindang in Southern Leyte. The most popular and most visited by tourists among the four is Digyo Island.

Digyo Island, Inopacan, Leyte

The last time we went to Digyo Island in 2013, we stayed at a "private" area which is currently being disputed over between the municipality of Inopacan and individuals claiming to own the place. For this trip, our tour was arranged by Fran-Con Viaje International in cooperation with the Tourism Council of the Municipality of Inopacan so we stayed at the "public area". Our island-hopping tour package includes the following:

Visit www.viajeintl.com!

You might be wondering why sometimes it's called Tres Islas. It's because Himokilan Island, the fourth island to compose "Cuatro Islas" actually belongs to the administrative jurisdiction of the Municipality of Hindang. So if you're planning to go there, you'll have to basically depart from Hindang, which is the next town after Inopacan.




The 70-kilometer travel from Ormoc City to Inopacan will take 45 minutes to 1 hour and if you wish to rent a 14 to 16-seater van, it will typically cost around Php3,500/day. The trip from Inopacan to Digyo Island, which is the smallest island in Cuatro Islas, takes about 30-40 minutes via motorized pumpboat depending on the water and weather conditions. A 20-seater pump boat ride to and from the islands costs around Php3,500 generally. If you're lucky, you could spot dolphins and plenty of flying fish swimming around these parts.

The name Digyo came from the Cebuano word, "digyot" which means tiny.  You can basically walk around this uninhabited island in just 20-30 minutes.

You've got to love the fact that the beach here is still pristine and I hope with the influx of tourists, people will be responsible enough to dispose of their garbage properly. Compared to the more organized Kalanggaman Island tour wherein the authorities impose the wearing of life vests during the boat ride and handing you a big black garbage bag to put your wastes in, some Digyo Island visitors still need to be reminded seriously about safety and environmental issues. Let's just hope that this unspoiled gem will be preserved for future generations.

Cottage rental is PHP200. Entrance fee per pax is PHP30.

Because there are only open cottages in the island, it is recommended to bring your own tent if you want to spend the night there. They already have lamp posts installed so it won't be pitch black come nighttime. A restroom is also available (with salt water for flushing); however, no fresh water can be utilized for showering. Yikes! I would suggest bringing extra water for washing up along with lots and lots of mineral or bottled water for drinking because the summer heat truly is unforgiving this time of the year. And don't forget to wear sunscreen!

You can contact Fran-Con Viaje International for Glamping Tent rental.

It took 3 grown ass men to pitch this tent but twice the number of them to take it down and keep it! LOL!

And since it was my birthday, I get a cake and with candles, too! Here's wishing for more island trips and beach getaways because life's a beach!

Celebrating life but failing a handstand at Apid Island.

The next island we hopped to was Apid Island where mats and hats are woven by hand. Local women are trained at a very early age to do just that. The entire process of creating one full size mat takes up to a month (gathering raw materials, etc.) with weaving done in about 2 days. And wanna guess how much they're selling it? Only PHP300! Oh my! And to think people actually buy it at twice the price at the marketplace.

Mat weaving at Apid Island.

It is a humbling experience. One that made me realize that I should not feel sorry for what I've witnessed because these people are happy. They are pretty contented with their lives. So once more, I am assured that happiness is not about how much you've got, but how you enjoy living your life!

Catch of the day! And my father bought it for only PHP350!

By the time we sailed to Mahaba Island, the tide was really low so we didn't get to see the gorgeous lagoon this time. But during our previous visit to Cuatro Islas, I was able to take a photo of it. This was taken in 2013.


In addition to that, this photo below is the now so-called private area of Digyo Island, which has one the best sand bars I've been to. It's just sad that we're not allowed to go here anymore though. Tsk!


And last but not the least to comprise Cuatro Islas is Himokilan Island. Also it was too bad we weren't able to go with our friends when they visited it earlier this summer. But here's hoping someday soon we will get to see its beauty up close and personal, too.

Photo by Marven Lagado

For me the best thing to do is take a day trip to visit Apid Island then spend the night at Digyo Island, head out to Mahaba Island the following day to splash around the lagoon, then finally hop to Himokilan Island and watch a glorious sunset. So the next time you're itching for a cool summer getaway, remember that Cuatro Islas in Leyte awaits!

One of the perks of living here in the province is the inexpensive access to nearby island paradises. I repeat, PARADISES. Plural. I have yet to visit the many neighboring islands of Leyte. There's still a lot out there near Biliran which I'll definitely feature in future blog posts. Again, I cannot stress this enough, how much I love living life out here! I am so not fit to live in some urban and concrete jungle. I count myself blessed at being able to explore and escape anytime I want to and arrive at a dream destination in an hour or so and not just during the summer season when it's crowded. It's like summer all year-round.


Speaking of summer, it is in fact almost over and so together with my high school friends, the Jurassics '99, we hopped on a 45-minute pumpboat ride out to Cuatro Islas specifically to Digyo Island then to Mahaba Island jumping off from Inopacan, Leyte. It's the town before the Hindang Caves & wild monkeys we visited and  the 600-meter zip line we conquered last year.


A lot of my friends have been to Digyo Island but I haven't really had the chance to. Thank God for Memorial Day (Holiday for me!) I was able to spend a day off work and soak up the sun at Digyo. It was actually drizzling on our way there but then the sun came out and the weather was once again perfect.

Digyo - the little island with pristine white sand and a healthy marine ecosystem. Check out the mini sand bar.

We went there on a Tuesday so we basically had the island to ourselves, save for a quick trip by a group of DENR people. The pumpboat ride back and forth costs PHP3,500 plus PhP20 entrance per pax to Digyo. We also paid Php200 for the small cottage to give us shade. An overnight stay would cost PhP350 according to the person in charge of the collection fees. I think it'd be great to spend overnight during a full moon then watch the glorious sunrise the next morning.


I'm glad people are really taking care of the island to maintain its cleanliness. In my years of endless summers, I've been to islands that were initially so beautiful but ultimately ruined by people who don't care about the environment. Tsk tsk tsk. I was pretty touched by a foreigner that came with the DENR team who was surveying the island and she picked up bits and pieces of trash and plastic that she found on the beach. As tourists and visitors, I think we all should do little acts like that and do our part to preserve the environment. If you love summer, then you should love the environment as well. Else there won't be beautiful places to spend your memorable summers!

"I-Dawn Zulueta mo ako!!!"

Love isn't always hugs & kisses. It's knowing that you can fight and argue, try Vader's force choke or Dragon Ball's kamehameha, but sooner or later, say I LOVE YOU and forgive each other. ♥ -Ramen Girl & Noodle Boy

Our next stop was Mahaba Island which serves as a marine sanctuary and there we got a chance to frolic at a secret cove. It was like a scene from the Blue Lagoon, but better because there's network service and you could Instagram your location for the whole world to see!

Fun in the sun at Mahaba Island Marine Sanctuary.

We also went ahead and explored the interior of the island where we sought a unique crustacean specie, the elusive red shrimp! Live ones! Shrimps are only red when they're cooked but the ones we saw were fire red and swimming about like it was nobody's business.

A means of livelihood - copras from coconuts (where coconut oil comes from) - and the way to the hidden lagoon in the island where we discovered a new kind of shrimp species.

I don't know what these are called (locally or scientifically) and we weren't informed by our guide. :( All we know is that they won't come out unless you ask for "their" permission. The way it was said, I was assuming, the "others" that guard the lagoon and the spirits that dwell in that part of the island.


Okay, I admit it was kinda creepy out there and I felt shivers down my spine recalling the many suspense movies I've watched where a group gets killed off one by one during an expedition. (I know you guys have seen some of them typically-themed flicks, too!) Plus climbing those sharp rocks (corals?) really made my knees all wobbly and weak. Perhaps if I had worn Native Shoes, it would have been more comfortable and I wouldn't feel so freaked out. You know, keep it lite!

These Native shoes worn by Kryz Uy are so perfect for island getaways! Photo from http://www.kryzuy.com

Which reminds me...


Anyways, since it was getting late and we had to drive for home, we skipped Himokilan Island and Apid Island. We ought to have stopped over for a bit and bought their infamous yummy dried fish that people say is better than Cebu's danggit. Well, maybe next time. I just know I'm going back soon because it's now definitely one of my favorite cheap and affordable island getaways in the Philippines. And it's more than awesome that it's not so far from home.

Hipstamatic shot taken by my Noodle Boy

So where's your favorite island getaway during the summer? Any suggestions where we should head off to next?




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So I thought I'd be skipping summer this year like last year when I was pregnant with my Little Noodlelito. Turns out that summer had just begun this year for the whole family. Yup, the Francos took off to the summer capital of the Philippines when Moi & Dom (my in-laws) booked the whole family for a trip up North with the whole gang!


We couldn't be more thrilled than a 6-day trip by land, sea, and air... and all firsts for our Mikko Vincenzo. And take note, we brought no Yaya for him! Whoopee! What a huge feat and success for me and Noodle Boy! And we owe it to a couple of Alaxan capsules. Can you imagine carrying an 11-kilo baby with you during a vacation!?

At Gustilo's Resort in Capas, Tarlac.

We did the usual tourist thing, although all of us had been to Baguio at random times in our lives before. First time I went to Baguio was way back in 1999. Then again we went via land trip again in 2003. And this time around, in 2012. So √ Mines View, √ Wright Park, √ Good Shepherd, √ The Mansion, √ Burnham Park, and √ The Philippine Military Academy were pretty much in the list of places to visit... again. It was good to be in Baguio and remembering it just like it was the last time. Although the smell of pine trees in the air isn't as much as it used to be. Tsk tsk tsk. Global warming? Air pollution? How could you? :(






We even had the chance to visit Ocean Park on our way home since we had a day free to do anything back in the big city.




They have exciting promos to avail of to suit your time and schedule.


Travelling with a kid definitely is something else. Luggage seemed to double in size, though we didn't exceed or have any excess baggage. I made a list of essentials to bring when bringing a baby along on vacation in case you have plans and don't know what to do. You can read it in my other blog, if you're interested. http://www.mrsnoodleboy.com

Since we got other summer plans lined up, this is just the beginning... Stay tuned for more fun in the sun! :)

Where are you off to this summer? Let me know!



xoxo,