Naturally blessed with outstanding rock formations, captivating sceneries, pristine white sand beaches, alluring waterfalls, and historic old churches, Northern Samar is often described as a little piece of unexplored paradise.

Located some 630 kilometers south of Manila in the Eastern Visayas Region, this remote, desolate and definitely off the beaten path territory occupies the entire northern portion of the Samar Islands.

Compared to other parts of the country, Northern Samar remains an economic backwater.

Although left undeveloped, the province – its environment with many amazing wonders, its charming people, innocent and accommodating – waits to be explored.

This summer past, we wandered through one of Philippines’ hidden gems.  Our first stop and our home for the next 2 days was San Antonio, Dalupiri Island.

You’ll need to take a banca in Victoria to get there.

Haven of Fun Beach Resort is a great place to unwind, recharge for a few days and could very well be the best resort this island has to offer.

Pathway leading to our rooms

Albeit simple (read: basic), air-conditioned rooms are available and if on a budget,

this cabana has an attic, which serves as a room.  Clever, if you ask me.

The long-stretched white sand beach and alluring blue waters makes up for what it lacks in amenities.

One can spend hours in the water or lounging around, chatting, reading, sleeping.  I call this a well-deserved respite.

We spent many a meals in this cabana, people watching, enjoying the early morning breeze and admiring the beautiful blue water over breakfast.

A great start to a great summer vacation, yeah?

So sit back, relax, have a hot cup of coffee or some iced tea (if you like) and discover the beautiful islands of Northern Samar with me.

Getting there:

By air:  Cebu Pacific and Pal Express flies daily to Catarman.

By land:  Philtranco, Eagle Star and other bus companies have daily trips (14-16hours).

* Pumpboats  make regular runs between Victoria to San Antonio.