Samar Road Trip 2016 (Eastern Samar, Northern Samar & Western Samar) Philippines
Samar is the country's 3rd largest island which is one of the country's remaining tourism frontiers owing to its largely unexplored hidden natural wonders. Its name was derived from the word samad which means wound or cut describing the island's rugged physical features deeply dissected by rivers. In 1965 the island was divided into 3 provinces, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Western Samar.
Northern Samar is the entry point to the Visayas if one is using the Maharlika Highway. A roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ferry service connects the town of Allen to Matnog in Sorsogon, Luzon's southernmost tip passing through the San Bernardino Strait. Northern Samar has 24 towns with Catarman as capital.
Situated by the Pacific Ocean, Eastern Samar is composed of 22 municipalities with Borongan City as provincial capital.Calicoan Island in Guiuan is an emerging surfers' paradise because of its huge Pacific waves and powdery sands. Guiuan is the southernmost town which was devastated by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) on November 8, 2013. Ferdinand Magellan first landed in 1521 in Homonhon Island and the US Navy 3149 Base, home of Enola Gay which dropped the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima Japan during World War ll in Guiuan.
The mother of the three provinces, Samar (Western) has 24 town with Catbalogan City as provincial capital. Calbayog City is dubbed as The City of Waterfalls
Major Tourist Attractions:
Northern Samar - Biri Rock Formation, Capul Island, Pinipisakan Falls, Rakitdakit Rock Formation, Twin Falls
Eastern Samar - Amandaraga Falls, Balangiga Encounter, Blue Lagoon Beach, Coco Island & Sandbar, Taft Forest Philippine Eagle Sanctuary. Homonhon Island, Divinuvo Island, Borongan-Llorente Canopy Forest
Western Samar - Sohoton Natural Bridge, Marabut Rock Formation, Bangon Falls, Calbiga Cave, Ulot River Torpedo Boat Adventure