Experiencing Islas de Gigantes in Carles, Iloilo

One of the things that you must not miss when in the province of Iloilo is to go for an island hopping in Islas de Gigantes (or Gigantes Islands), which is located in the municipality of Carles. Just like other known beautiful islands in the Philippines, Gigantes Islands also has impressive sceneries, stunning rock formations, white-sand beaches, sandbars, and clear turquoise water.

Booking with Gigantes Island Tours and Services

Gigantes Island Tours and Services is not new to me. Back in 2020, we were set for a Bacolod, Iloilo, and Guimaras trip. Most of the blogs I read back then led me to book an island-hopping tour instead of a DIY. This trip did not push through as days before our flight, lockdown happened because of the pandemic.  

Fast forward, I contacted Gigantes Island Tours and Services once again through their Facebook Messenger. We availed their Gigantes Island Joiners Day Tour Package which costs 999 pesos per head.  It includes a charter boat with 7 islands to visit (will depend on the weather condition), overloaded servings of food for lunch with unlimited scallops and rice, tour guide fee, environmental fee, and entrance fees to the islands. Booking with Gigantes Island Tours and Services requires a 30% downpayment. The remaining 70% will be paid at the island during lunch time.  

By the way, if you happen to be going here on a weekend, better yet to avail the Gigantes Islands – Sicogon Island Joiners Tour Package. How we wish that we have experienced Sicogon Island as well. It seems to be a nice island too. They said before Boracay Island, there was Sicogon Island. 

How to Get There: The Day Before the Island-Hopping Tour

Originally, I was actually thinking of taking a 3 to 4-hour bus or a shuttle van ride from Tagbak Terminal in Iloilo City to reach Bancal Port in Carles. Good thing that a staff from Gigantes Islands Tours and Services sent me a message informing that they also offer van transfers to and from Bancal Port. The van transfer costs 350 pesos one way. Pick up time is at 4 AM at any hotel or accomodation you are staying within Iloilo City. This is a good offer for us since we are traveling with a 1-year-old toddler.  

Island Hopping: The Gigantes Islands

At exactly 4 AM, we left our accommodation. The shuttle service came few minutes early. Our journey lasted for a little more than 3 hours with one quick stopover in between. We arrived at Bancal Port at around 7:15 AM. We were then accommodated at the waiting area after confirming our names for the island-hopping tour. 

The tour starts at 9 AM and we were way too early at the port. This is actually great for us since it gave us more time to tend to the needs of my 1-year-old niece. Well, I guess this is how it is to be traveling with a toddler.   

We hopped on the boat at exactly 9 AM and left the port 15 minutes later when everything was settled. I honestly appreciate that we were designated to be seated at the spacious part of the boat. Probably because of the little one with us.  

Tangke Lagoon 

After 1 hour and 15 minutes, we arrived Tangke Lagoon. It is a hidden natural saltwater lagoon surrounded by steep cliffs of South Gigantes Island. From afar, you would notice the beautiful rock formations.  

We were given 30 minutes to explore Tangke Lagoon. I made my way by hiking through the rocks which by the way I enjoyed. I probably miss hiking mountains. Anyway, the lagoon is astonishing. It is very calm and quiet. Of course, I would not miss the chance to have my picture taken. 

Antonia Island 

Antonia Island is located in the southernmost eastern tip of South Gigantes Island. From Tangke Lagoon, we headed to Antonia Island next and arrived 30 minutes later. As we approach the island, I was amazed by the cascades of rock formation that looks like a crocodile’s tail.  

I have no words to say about Antonia Island. It is indeed gorgeous. The water is crystal clear and the sand is white. Palm trees are everywhere. Great for picture taking. Both sides of the island’s shore are perfect for swimming. You can also do snorkeling and a little bit of hiking.  

Cabugao Gamay Island 

From Antonia Island, we reached Cabugao Gamay Island after 15 minutes. The island has a huge rock boulder covered with thick vegetation on one end and rock formations on the other end. It is very known as it is what we usually see on the internet when searching about Islas de Gigantes.  

It was scorching hot when we went our way up to the view deck using the wooded stairs that the locals built. Still, it’s pretty amazing and mesmerizing once you reached the top. A 360-degree view of the whole island and the seawater surrounding it can be seen.  

Our tour guide took our photos as we fall in line at the top. Good thing that we were the only group when we reached the island. Otherwise, it would be a very long queue just like how others have experienced it. Imagine that under the heat of the sun. We stayed at the island for about 45 minutes.  

South Gigantes Island 

Finally! The feast begins at South Gigantes Island. After the three islands we’ve been to, we finally went to this island for lunch, a very late lunch because it was nearly 2:00 in the afternoon when we arrived. Anyway, this island is actually one of the huge main islands of Islas de Gigantes.  

Nothing really extravagant in this island. I noticed that the water is not as clear as the previous island and there are lots of boats docked at the shore. It seems to be a residential area too.  

I was hungry when we arrived to the point, I forgot to take photos of the island. Well, aside from the all you can eat scallops, which we seriously ate a lot of them, we also had crabs, shrimps, and chicken. Everything was good. The scallops were very fresh, tasty and kind of sweet. 

My Thoughts 

One thing I am glad about this island-hopping tour is that our group had most of the islands by ourselves. The month of February during weekdays would probably be a good time to visit I must say. It has lesser crowd as compared to when it’s summer, which officially starts during the months of March to May.  

Sadly, we just visited three islands from the list. During that day, it so happen that the waves were quite strong as we left the island where we had our lunch. We were supposed to stop by Bantigue Sandbar and the other islands but opted not to as advised by our guides. We actually had a bumpy boat ride back to Bancal Port. It was scary for me, to the point that I suddenly fell asleep while praying (sorry Lord). Maybe it’s God’s way of telling me not to worry and just sleep it over. 😅 Kidding aside, thank God we got back safe. 

Availing a package tour with joiners isn’t really bad at all. But if you do have a budget or maybe traveling in big groups, it might be better to just avail a private tour. In that way, you get to have a full control of time in each island.  

Reminders & Additional Information 

• Expect weak to no data coverage 
• Bring extra cash as ATM machines might not be available 
• Don’t forget to bring your travel essentials (e.g., sunblock, cap/hat, pair of sunglasses, shawl, drybag, and so on) 
• Wear your life vest especially when in the boat traveling from one island to another
• Listen and follow the instructions of the tour guides 
• Be a responsible traveler by keeping our environment safe and clean