For the love of water.

I arrived at Camiguin the  night before with a swollen foot. A wound on a foot that got badly inflamed gave a swollen foot with super cute digits attached to them. I cringed at the idea of travelling like that but I was already crossing the waters to Camiguin Island when it went really bad. Nursing it did not stopped me. And yes, carry not only band aids with you but topical antibiotic too. It will come in handy for circumstances like this.

STO. NIÑO COLD SPRING | Brgy. Bonbonon, Catarman, Camiguin

Regular: 20Php pax; 9y.o & below: Free
6PM & Onwards: 25Php
Overnight: 75Php
Cottage Rental/ 4hours: 50Php (AM); 60Php (PM) with 10Php on Additional hours

Sto. Niño Cold Spring is located 2. 4 km off the national highway. The road is pretty long and quite for a spot most visitors would stop by, then again, it was off season. Wait til you visit this area during the peak season. It will be teeming with motorists, families, magbarkada, and backpackers.
The cold spring consist of one large pool of cold fresh water complete with sand and rock floor bottom, and topped off with fresh water fishes swimming about. You can see the tiny Crucian or Prussian carps swimming around you if you’re really, really, really still. Uhhmmm.. Back to the basics, they are more Prussians than Crucians to me though. Pardon, I didn’t take the time to look at the snout differences — so let’s leave them as carps, eh. And since there are aquatic animals swimming about , also expect fresh water plants like Java ferns —  yes, the ones you see in aquariums. Wait, putting the nerd aside, it sums to a one giant aquarium for a pool to swim about — minus the glass and people tapping on the glass cases.

Aside from entrance fee, there’s also an overnight fee should you want an overnight stay. You can camp out at it’s ground with no additional camping fees for the night. There’s toilet and shower room, some grilling area, and a few locals around the place to keep you entertained with their stories on your whole duration. How about that! This set-up is actually good if you keep on moving and stay wherever night creeps up on you.

BURA SODA WATER SWIMMING POOL | Bura, Catarman, Camiguin
Regular (13 y.o & above): 20Php pax
6 – 12 y.o.: 10Php pax
Cottage Rental: 50Php

At first I thought that it’s just like any other pools I’ve been to and nothing unusual about it. But the story behind this is that the locals found the water to taste like Soda, so they made a two pools to serve from the bubbling underground water source that you could see at the side in the middle part of the trellis. Built and developed last 2007, the Bura Soda Water Swimming Pool is just as interesting as the other pools, and one of a kind in the Philippines. The water is crystal clear and has a silky, slippery feel to it.

I didn’t know the reason behind the name and why it was called that way until I tasted the water by the corner. Yes. I grew up as a curious child. Because a curious child is an intelligent child, or something like that. LOL. And oh well, the curiosity got the best results in this circumstance. And the “For Drinking Only” sign was screaming at me. The water tasted differently from fresh water spring pools. Kinda like flavored mineral waters you get that has sweetened aftertaste. But the locals say that it is not as sweet as before though, because the natural soda source has degraded over periods of time.

ARDENT HIBOK-HIBOK SPRING RESORT | Tagdo, Mambajao, Camiguin
Entrance Fee:  Regular   30Php pax
                       12 y.o. 15Php pax
Shed Rental: Regular:   70Php/3H
                    Family:   150Php/3H
                    Excess:       10Php/H

Remember when I said that you just got to have a camera life extras? Well, such is the case in this. My camera went dead. And yes, my back up plan was my reliable cellular phone.  In short, I love this phone to Camiguin and anywhere else and back. It was my saving grace. Until…. sniff* sniff* But that’s another blog posts in drafts.. =P

Ardent Spring is one of the popular visit spot in the island. I highly recommend you come here at the end of your day afer around your tour. The warm water, rough pools, and the laid back ambiance is relaxing and soothing. I could only imagine it right now. Nothing beats the hot springs. There use to be a direct outlet where you can actually sit at a corner and have a warm hydro massage. It felt so good on the shoulders and the backs that you would not mind getting stared at. LOL. But sadly, they have divert the water and that certain warm water drop at the corner was not there anymore. Oh well, the cascades from one pool to the next is still welcoming anyways.

Envisioned by the Provincial Government and Department of Tourism as a health spa complex, the array of different sized pools  of different temperature has kept the visitors coming back for more. 

And for the love of Ardent and the lack of photos, I will visit it again before the year ends. So, until then, I keep the comforts of warm inviting dip in my memory.

TRAVEL NOTES:
+ If you’re lucky and find that there are overgrown plants in the pool at Sto. Niño Cold Spring — take a swim for it. You’ll get that cat-rubbing-on-your-legs feeling in the water. Makes you think there’s something else underneath it.
+ You can camp on it’s grounds for the night.
+ The Soda Water Swimming Pool is situated inland and can take up pretty much of your time if you have a long and busy itinerary.
+ Soda Water Swimming Pool is close every Wednesdays for cleaning.
+Ardent Hot Spring has facilities other than the pools, you can check and in and stay there for pretty much your whole visit. See fees and rates: HERE

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No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home
and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”  
~Lin Yutang

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Check out the rest of the CAMIGUIN SERIES post: