A Return to the Caves | Camotes Island, Cebu

Hello, Hive!

March has just rolled in as if February didn't happen. The previous weeks have flown by so quickly. I'm still reeling from everything that's happened since the start of this year. I dream of the ability to pause everything and sit down to process everything. And of course, also to write my blog entries for everything that's happened lately. But alas, such abilities can only be dreamed of. So, here I am, writing my past experiences one blog at a time.

In my previous Liketu post, I shared my return to Camotes Island with my colleagues. Our first destination was Mangodlong Rock Resort, where we saw a giant Octopus water slide. For the rest of our trip, a major part was visiting the caves in Camotes and swimming in their cave pools. One of my first posts in Hive was actually my visit to the caves of Camotes way back. You can check it out here.

I am always up to visiting places I've been to before.

I like reading books I've read before. I enjoy watching movies I've seen before. I rejoice in traveling to places I've traveled to before. There's always something different the second, the third, the fourth time you experience something. It's different every time. You're different every time.

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Don't touch the stalactites!

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Our destination after Mangodlong Rock was Amazing Island Cave. We went there on a Sunday and that was my first time to be there because the cave is closed on Saturdays. The cave was quite far from the main road and we had to drive through rough roads to get there. I thought the name of the cave was a bit strange because the cave wasn't on a separate island. It was still part of Camotes.

The entire name of the property was actually Amazing Island Cave and Beach Resort. It was spacious with a lot of trees and rooms. And up ahead, there was a beach area. But we weren't after the beach. We wanted the cave.

We walked to the entrance of the cave, and a guide told us that the water inside the cave was deep and we had to wear life jackets to enter. I was worried because I had just come from a somewhat traumatic water activity a few months back and didn't want to get into deep waters.

But there was no turning back. We donned our life jackets and went in. The cave was well-lit. There were a lot of lights installed inside and I wondered if we could get electrocuted by the wires of the lights. The water was indeed deep. If it weren't for my anxiety, I could easily swim through that deep section of the cave. At the end of it, we entered another part of the cave which had shallower water but a lower ceiling. It was a cave pool.

I took off my life jacket and enjoyed the cold and fresh water in the security of knee-deep water. Our guide told us that we weren't allowed to touch the "live" stalactites and stalagmites. I reached for the ceiling during our picture-taking, and suddenly remembered I wasn't supposed to do that. I pulled back my hands and kept quiet about my mischief. I know I didn't do a lot of damage though, so the cave should be fine.

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Some peace in paradise

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Our next cave destination was Paraiso Cave. I've been to this cave a lot of times. I've practically memorized the whole place. A giant bird statue welcomes you when you go in. What's good about Paraiso Cave is that you really get a feel of "Paradise" when you're still outside the cave. There's a beautiful garden with so many plants and flowers. The place looked 'alive' and well-maintained despite just over the year after the start of the pandemic.

The cave is small. You go down the stairs and after a dozen steps or so, you see the cave pool at the bottom. Another thing I really like about Paraiso Cave is how blue the water of the pool is. It's a bit small which can get too crowded when there are a lot of tourists but during our visit, we had it all to ourselves.

Again, the cave is illuminated by installed lights. They even had underwater lights that shined yellow which complemented the blue hue of the water. We stayed at Paraiso Cave for quite some time because it was so relaxing and peaceful. It wasn't scary and the temperature and depth of the water were just right.

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Healing cave waters?

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Another cave we visited was Bukilat Cave which is probably the most popular cave in Camotes. It's huge and has some history to it. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the cave served as a safe house for some Filipinos. It's the only cave I visited that let in natural light because the ceiling was open for sunlight to go in.

You go down a flight of stairs and immediately, you see the cathedral-like structure of the cave. The ceiling is high and the inside is so spacious. The cave is much larger but tourists aren't allowed to go in further because of safety issues. We could see passages in pitch black with signs telling us not to go in. I thought the darkness was warning enough not to go in.

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During high tide, the floor of the cave is filled with water which also has a blue hue to it. My camera is not the best at taking low-light and night-mode shots, so my photos don't give justice to the majestic scene inside Bukilat Cave.

Bukilat Cave was our final stop before going home, so we couldn't stay long inside. We were also in our "going home" clothes, so we didn't go in the water for a swim. There are legends about the healing waters of the cave. Some people take baths inside in the hopes of curing their affliction. We didn't have any afflictions we were desperate to be cured, so we gladly stayed dry and out of the water.

There was actually another cave we visited but I didn't take pictures of it anymore because I was so tired when we were there and I didn't bring my phone because the water was so deep and the cave was poorly lit. Anyway, I'll share about that cave on my next return to Camotes.

That's it! Do you like caves? I hope I got you interested in the caves of Camotes. If you're looking for a destination here in the Philippines and in Cebu, please add Camotes Island to your list.

This travel blog is not yet over. I'll share with you the rest of our destinations in my next posts. See you then. Cheers!

_{He’s a dreamer and a thinker. He tends to sensationalize a lot of things. He got that from his mother. He's also a bit melodramatic. It must be from his father. Bear with him as he shares his thoughts and experiences about his travels, dreams, and the variety of things he's trying to learn and improve (personal development, writing, cryptocurrency, fitness, etc.). If you like this article, please give it an upvote, and if for some reason you're interested in more future content, please don't hesitate to follow.}