Sleeping Together with the Fish? | The Fish Cage Accommodation in Enchanted River, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur

My trip to Hinatuan  is one of the most memorable adventures I ever had. Experiencing the crystal clear blue water of Enchanted River in Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao is enough to satisfy my curiosity in that place. It was a festive day of fun-filling water activities that turned our bodies to retire making our group wished to have a peaceful night to relax and energize for the next morning. And the question led to 'where to stay in Hinatuan?'

In search for a cheap hotel, one of the tourism officers in Enchanted River informed us that two  floating ‘fish cages’  are offering  cheap  overnight stay for tourists and  it was just only  15-minute boat ride off coast the main land Hinatuan. Instead of having another island tour, we decided to discover this unique lodge situated in the middle of the sea.

We chose the Fish-C  Cages & Sand Bar Resorts which was nearer compared to Sibadan. We headed to the north side of the river where the local boat operators await. We met Manong Arturo and we booked a boat that took us to our destination of choice. We paid Php200.00 for the back and forth trip.  (no more fees were collected on the next day at the  time we  returned to the mainland in Brgy. Talisay).

The ‘fish cage’ was actually smaller than Sibadan and some portion of it were still under improvement. Nevertheless, the location was breathtaking considering that it was not a usual practice among visitors to stay in the middle of the sea.

Sea Lodges Anyone?

At first, I was actually hesitant to stay in the middle of the sea, thinking what if a tsunami hits the eastern side of Mindanao or a typhoon slashes over and swept us away off the ocean -but that was just my wild imagination and my curiosity won over and empowered me to brave the area.

The facility was built at least a kilometer away from Enchanted River. The holding structures were made of drift woods, and the sawali walls resembles the stilt houses of Tausugs and Bajaos in Tawi Tawi. The roof was covered by the common nipa, shading the tougher aluminum roof to protect it against the harsh and corrosive salty atmospheric environment.

There were more or less 8 rooms available during our visits. Two common comfort rooms with sewage system were also functional. Water tanks were rain fed connected to the faucets of the rest rooms and of the common sink.

Sing It and Beat It !

Videoke King-cover your ears

A huge multipurpose function room is available for group activities such as dining, meetings or simply doing some videoke nights. Videoke in the middle of the sea? How? 

The place  has an   ample supply of electricity via a long cable installed across the shore. This made our night complete after we had a bountiful dinner with cooked fresh caught seafood served on the table.

I even tried some of my master pieces that gave me 100% score. Yes Love Mindanao has a hidden talent in singing that those who hear my angelic voice wish that my talent be hidden forever. 

According to the manager of the resort, during low tide, a long sandbar appears beneath to which the resort was built at. So we waited for 12 midnight but it was this  animal beer (Redhorse) that knocked us off before we even saw it.

 The Best Morning Ever!

Morning reflection

Early in the morning I was greeted by this amazing sunrise viewed at the dock of the fish cage while seeping a nice hot instant coffee. It reminded me of a local coffee commercial “Bakit ka Gumigising sa Umaga?” (What makes you wake up in the morning?). And that day  my answer was unusual for me- “I am  thankful to God that I am blessed with another day to witness the Lord’s beautiful creation”. It hit me hard that put me on my knees to pray and give thanks to the Supreme Being.

Got a Freebie by Getting Up Early!

Too much for a 'close encounter' huh!

A huge plus on our stay was seeing this huge Hawk’s Bill, a sea turtle swimming in between the stilts. I just realized that the area was a cage where this turtle got trapped. As an admirer of the sea creature, I swam with no fear into the water and had a close encounter with the sea turtle. (I don’t recommend doing the same for your own safety).

Fish of different sizes and colors also appeared in the fish cage and rumbled on pieces of bread thrown into the water.

After a satisfying Filipino style breakfast composed of danggit (dried fish), eggs and fried rice, we prepared to depart the place and head back to Brgy.Talisay.

Getting there 

Check my previous blog entries on Finding Your Way in Surigao del Sur: The Tri-Aqua Mindanao Adventure.

Rooms:

Single bed max 2 pax      : Php 300.00

Double bed max.4 pax   : Php 600.00

All rooms are non-air-conditioned.

Contact information:

Ms. Lysil M. Toledo,Manager

+639154184550/+639104303724

Daghan Salamat ug Balik Balik !

Here is another story to check on :

Abatud: Indigenous Food for Survival, the Manobo Style
The Untold Story of Bibang (Varanus cumingi)

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