Samar is an island that is rarely visited by foreigners and has therefore remained unspoiled, with virgin lands and a lot to offer visitors who are looking to get back to nature.
The island specializes in fishing and agriculture and the terrain is made up from rugged landscapes and rolling hills that are bordered by beaches and pretty coastline. Samar is the proud center of kut-kut, an ancient art method that combines European and Oriental techniques.
Samar translates into English as ‘cut’ or ‘wound’, which acts as a reference to the rugged topography of the island. Samar is full of unexplored caves, pretty streams and secret waterfalls and the surrounding seas are suited to surfing, swimming and diving.
There are a few endangered animals that call Samar home like flying lemurs and Philippines cockatoo. Many of the forests have no trails so it is advisable to hire a guide when traveling through the vast virgin territory.
Getting There & Away
Manila hosts the nearest international airport and you can fly from there to Tacloban City daily on a flight that takes 1 hour, 30 minutes. Once you have reached Tacloban, there are plenty of buses, vans and jeeps to take you on the final leg of the journey (2 hours). Buses also run from Manila and take 12 hours to reach Luzon, from where you can take a boat and bus combination to Samar.
Things to Do
Samar Attractions
- Pearl Farm and Panganuron Beach
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A well-established pearl farm that makes for an interesting day out.
- Church of Immaculate Conception
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A church located in guiuan that was built back in the 16th century and still has much of its original structure.
- Talisay Beach
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A quiet beach with an extensive coral reef offshore.
Events
- Kadayaw Festival
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A celebration held on the first full moon of january that thanks god’s blessing on the town of pambujan.