if you must do one thing in Camiguin...

To put it bluntly: get off your butt. J

Sure, you may be looking forward to unwinding in this little piece of paradise. Or, as most tourists do, to hop in a van and go on a road trip around the island, stopping by the usual attractions like the Old Church ruins and the hot and cold and soda springs. Or, as most tourists also do, to beach-bum on White Island or its more ecological sister, Mantigue Island.

But would you really rather be just another tourist when you could see and do and experience so much more? As a born-and-raised Camiguingnon, I commonly get people asking for advice for their planned trip to the island. There are plenty of tips any islander could give you, but here’s my biggest one:

The known tourist spots are a must, of course, especially if it’s your first time visiting. But don’t fall asleep in the van! Open those dull tinted windows and don’t hesitate to get out LOTS of times. Camiguin has plenty of underrated sites and snippets of local culture just a bit off the road, and discovering these makes your trip a hundred times richer.

Take your time to walk around, commute a bit, talk to locals, and match the laidback-but-eager pace of the island. Just. Be. There.

Ready to soak it up? Here are my favorite non-conventional Camiguin spots to visit… and then some.

if these stone walls could talk...

Churches, dungeons, cafes -- there are few things more humbly steeped in history than these structures, unexpectedly standing on some bustling street corner. These places of magic, if they don't captivate you with their time-tested beauty, will make you wonder about the stories of old witnessed by their quiet, enduring walls.

The facade of the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral bears the inscription "Tibi cordi tuo immaculato concredimus nos ac consecramus (We consecrate to your immaculate heart and entrust to you (Mary) for safekeeping)."