Sambawan Islands

Sambawan is a small chain of rocky islets off Maripipi Island in Biliran, and its shape is the whole picture: a narrow ridge of grass and rock runs the length of the main islet, climbed in ten or fifteen minutes to a viewpoint with the sea on both sides, boats moored in the cove below and the cone of Maripipi's volcano behind. At the base there is a small camp - cottages, a dive centre, tent sites - and around the islets a set of coral walls and slopes that draw divers from Naval, with good visibility and reliable fish life in the passage. Snorkelling straight off the rocks works too. It is a modest operation on a modest island, in a province that most travellers cross on their way somewhere else, and the reward for the double boat ride is that the place is rarely busy.

What you actually see

• The ridge walk - the grass spine and its viewpoint.
• The cove camp - cottages and dive centre below.
• The coral walls - dive sites around the islets.
• The Maripipi cone - the volcano across the water.

When to go

March to June for calm crossings and the best visibility. The double boat hop from Biliran makes an overnight stay more sensible than a rushed day trip.

Honest expectations

Getting there means two boats and some coordination; there are no scheduled services to the islets. Facilities are basic with limited power and water. Crossings are cancelled when the sea is rough.

Nearby

Biliran's Ulan-Ulan and Recoletos falls and the Tinago waterfall are on the main island; Naval is the base town.