Soaking in Camiguin's Sensational Springs

  Catarman, Camiguin, Philippines
Saturday, May 16, 2009

At Sto. Niño Cold Spring

Camiguin might just as well be dubbed as the "Spring Resort Capital of Mindanao" because of the numerous hot and cold spring resorts that punctuate the tiny island province's landscape. During our recent trip, my coworkers and I explored at least three of these watering holes, which are found in two towns.

Near the large pool of Sto. Niño Cold Spring

In Catarman, there's the Santo Niņo Cold Spring which has two stone pools — a large one for adults and a smaller one for kids — with refreshingly cool water emanating from the spring's sandy bottom.

Delicacies for sale at the cold spring resort

Surrounding the pools is a park where tourists can buy some pasalubong from any of the hawker stalls strewn all over the place. There are also makeshift food stalls offering a variety of delicacies and drinks. I also noticed some barbecue grill stands where guests can broil fish or roast meat.

Because we came to Camiguin at the height of summer, a throng of picnickers, mostly families, filled the cold spring resort to capacity. So, after snapping ourselves there, we deemed it wise to leave and head for the other spots in the island.

Ardent Hibok-Hibok Hot Spring

After a tiresome but thrill-filled afternoon of wandering around Camiguin, we headed for Ardent Hot Spring where we enjoyed soaking in the pools of hot mineral water sprouting from the bowels of Hibok-Hibok.

Relaxing at one of Ardent Hot Spring's pools

Found in the village of Tagdo in Mambajao, the resort has ample facilities including several picnic huts, a restaurant, and a dormitory for those who want to spend the night there.

Picnickers at Ardent Hot Spring

It was already dusk when we arrived at the resort but the influx of excursionists showed no signs of waning. Fortunately, we found a nice spot where we readily dipped our bone-tired feet and legs into the hot mineral water. To my dismay, it hardly soothed my aching joints and muscles so I plunged myself into the natural "hot tub." Now, that was one whirlpool bath I greatly enjoyed!

Bura Soda Swimming Pool

On another occasion, we went to see Bura Soda Swimming Pool in Catarman. Curious, I asked one of the staff why the resort was so named. "Because the water tastes like soda," came the reply. Hmmm...interesting. That sounded absolutely out of the ordinary so we quickly changed into our swimwear. Probably tastes like Sprite or 7-Up, I thought as I plunged into the pool. Alas, the water didn't taste like soda!

Taking a dip at the soda pool

Oh, how gullible we were. It was obviously a rip-off. Still, we stuck around the resort for a few hours to enjoy the ice-cold "soda" water of the deep man-made lagoon. Good thing it's sugar-free.