Kalanggaman, Philippines: A Travel Guide To Leyte’s Stunning Sandbar

Kalanggaman Island, Northern Leyte, Philippines — Kalanggaman Island is located between Cebu and Northern Leyte. It is famous for its stunning sandbar, arguably the most beautiful in the Philippines. The island got its name from the local word “langgam” which means bird or fowl. Whenever the sandbar forms, it resembles a long-necked bird and according to locals, it used to be a habitat for migratory birds many years ago.

Basking in the sun, drinking some cheap beer, and listening to my favorite playlists

I’ve been to Kalanggaman three times already and I still remember the first time I saw the island, my entire being was filled with excitement and awe. It is the embodiment of a perfect tropical getaway. One of the foreign tourists in our group even remarked that Kalanggaman is exactly what he had in mind when he thinks of a tropical paradise.

Kalanggaman Overview

There are two major routes to Kalanggaman Island: via Palompon, Northern Leyte, and via Malapascua Island, Cebu. For this blog entry, we will be discussing the latter. Check this link for a separate travel guide on how to get to Malapascua Island.

While it’s true that Kalanggaman is the picture-perfect beach destination, I can’t help but notice the declining state of the island on each of my visits. On my second and third visits, the underwater marine life in the snorkeling spots deteriorated. I also noticed lots of plastic and bottle trash all over the island. I don’t know if it was the increasing number of tourists, coral bleaching, illegal fishing methods, or it’s just a normal marine life cycle that contributed to it, but I hope the local government of Palompon would allocate sufficient resources to preserve Kalanggaman and implement sustainable, low impact tourism policies.

• Geography: Kalanggaman Island, geographically, is part of the municipality of Palompon, Northern Leyte. It is a tiny landform, approximately 700 meters x 100 meters in land area excluding the sandbar. The sand is creamy white in color and coarse, the water is bright turquoise, and the island is covered with coconut trees. The backend part where the underwater marine life is located has a rocky coastline. Important: Avoid swimming near the end of the sandbar, there are strong riptides which caused tourist accidents in the past.
• Culture: The Philippines is pretty homogenous in terms of culture and way of life. Since Kalanggaman is surrounded by coastal areas, locals are mostly fishing and tourism communities.
• Language: Filipinos, from all walks of life, can speak and understand basic English. Aside from English, the locals speak “Cebuano” or “Bisaya” (the local language) and “Tagalog” or “Filipino” (the national language).
• Transportation: It is around an hour boat transfer from Malapascua. All my Kalanggaman tours have been relatively calm, although I heard from friends it can get pretty rough during the monsoon season.
• Activities & Attractions: Kalanggaman Island is known for its sandbar, arguably the most stunning in the country. The idyllic setting is perfect for a laidback beach relaxation. Activities include snorkeling and kayaking.
• Food: There are no restaurants in the island. The boatmen prepare the food which is part of the day tour package. It usually includes grilled entrees such as chicken, pork, fish, and seafood and tropical fruits like watermelon and ripe mango. If you are a vegetarian, you can request from the boatman ahead of time so they can prepare a separate meal for you. There is a small shop in the island that sells snacks and beverages but I highly recommend bringing your own snacks and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
• Hotel & Accommodation: Overnight camping is common since there are no hotels in the island. This is ideal if you want to experience the sunrise and the sunset. If you plan on an overnight camping, you need to coordinate with Palompon Eco-Tourism Office.
• Tourists & Locals: Kalanggaman has gained popularity over the years. There’s a fifty-fifty mix of local and foreign tourists. Malapascua drives majority of the foreign traffic to the island.
• Cellular Network: Globe and Smart has mobile signals in the island, but can get intermittent at times. I used my Globe SIM when I visited the island and it was pretty decent, I could still use mobile data.

Best Time To Visit Kalanggaman

• Peak Season: March to May, these are the summer months in the Philippines. The weather is hot and dry and the skies are clear which is ideal for a beach vacation.
• Shoulder Season: November to February, these are the months where the monsoon season starts to fizzle. It’s best to always check the forecast for these months. December to January is the start of peak season in Malapascua which means tourist traffic starts to increase during these period.
• Off-Peak Season: June to October, these are the wet, monsoon months in the Philippines. Avoid these months if you want to maximize your beach vacation.

Kalanggaman Map & Location

Things To Do & Places To Visit In Kalanggaman

The day tour starts at around 9:00 AM (boat departure from Malapascua) and ends at around 4:00 PM (boat departure from Kalanggaman). Ask your hotel receptionist or anyone along the beach, they can point you to the boat that’s scheduled to go to Kalanggaman. The trip lasts more or less an hour so choose a comfortable spot where you can lie down and prepare your playlist for the long trip. The PHP 800 tour cost (foreign tourists are charged higher) is inclusive of the lunch and entrance fee.

Kayak, Banana Boat, & Stand-Up Paddle

There are kayaks, paddleboards, and banana boats available for rent on the island. Kayaks and paddleboards can be rented for PHP 150 and banana boat (not a fan) for PHP 500.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is also a common activity. You can rent the gears from your boatman or tour guide for PHP 150, or you can rent it in Kalanggaman but usually pricier. Don’t expect rich marine life and be careful of strong underwater currents.

Diving

I have not tried diving in Kalanggaman but according to other blogs, diving guide (PHP 800) and diving gear (PHP 1,000) can be availed on the island.

Beach Sports

There is a beach volleyball area near the shop. Balls can be rented from the shop.

Swim & Chill

Swimming and chilling are my favorite things to do in Kalanggaman — just basking in the sun, drinking some cheap beer, and listening to my favorite playlists. Bring your card and board games for extra fun. Your tour guide gets a cottage for everyone but if you want a separate cottage, you can rent one for PHP 500. Beach chairs and tables are also available for PHP 50 each.

Itinerary & Budget

This itinerary and budget is a day tour from Malapascua Island. I’ll be updating this blog entry once I try the overnight camping.

Itinerary For Kalanggaman

The itinerary for Kalanggaman Day Tour is pretty flexible since the place is very small, you can explore the entire island in less than an hour. Make sure to ask your tour guide the time of departure so you can plan your activities for the day.

Day	Activities
Day 1: Kalanggaman Day Tour	Snorkeling
	Kayaking
	Stand-Up Paddle
	Banana Boat
	Swim & Chill

Budget For Kalanggaman

The estimates below are in American Dollars and Philippine Peso and the exchange rates are based on the closing rates at the time of posting. To convert to your home currency, visit this site. Bring cash for the activity fees (rentals of beach chair, table, kayak, snorkeling gear, banana boat, and paddle). Withdraw cash from Cebu City because there are no ATMs in Malapascua or Kalanggaman. Buy food and drinks from Malapascua since choices on the island are very limited and a little pricey.

1-Day Budget	USD	PHP
Food, Drinks, & Alcohol	12	600
Entrance & Activity Fees	20	1,000
Tour Guide & Boat Rental	16	800
Random Costs & Souvenirs	0	0
Total	48	2,400

Final Thoughts

I will never forget the first time I saw Kalanggaman Island. The sandbar formed flawlessly, the skies were blue, the water was clear, and the coconut trees were perfectly aligned. On my next trip to Kalanggaman, I plan to do overnight camping and I’ll bring a drone so I can finally get a nice drone shot of the island.

★☆☆☆☆ Food
No restaurants on the island but the food prepared by our boatmen were good!

☆☆☆☆☆ Culture
No cultural tourism.

★★★☆☆ Nature
Limited to the beach, palm trees, and underwater marine life.

★★★★★ Beach, Surfing, & Underwater
A tropical paradise, no surfing though.

☆☆☆☆☆ Nightlife
As a remote island, expect only sunset, sunrise, moon, and stars, but you can always bring booze.

★★★★★ Relaxation
This is the perfect place for beach relaxation.

★★★☆☆ Activities
Enough water activities to break your relaxation cycle.

Pin To Pinterest

Hover to the image and click the tiny “Pin It” button at the top left corner. It would mean so much to me if you follow my Pinterest page here.

Instagram

It would mean so much to me if you follow my Instagram page here.