The Philippine province of Southern Leyte is known for its fresh seafood offerings, breathtaking coastal areas with pristine white beaches and historical, religious and cultural sites. Although reaching the city is not as fast as the transportation options for the more popular beach destinations in Boracay, Palawan, Cebu and Bohol, this city still attracts a good number of adventure lovers and beach enthusiasts. A number of resort accommodations are found in and around its capital Maasin City.
Jaimee’s Hotel and Resort
Jaimee’s Hotel and Resort is located in Ibarra Beach, which is just a 10-minute drive from Maasin City. This makes it a considerably popular choice for accommodations in the area, especially during peak season. Guests can take advantage of pick-up arrangements from popular arrival points within nearby locations.
The hotel offers accommodation options with either sea views or mountain views. People can enjoy an infinity pool and a garden pool, a Jacuzzi, a dance floor with two entertainment stages, karaoke areas, a games room with pool table and darts, dining spots with panoramic sea views and free Wi-Fi Internet access. The management also helps in arranging day trips and sightseeing tours in local attractions including the nearby Cagnituan Falls, Limosa, Canigao Island and the Hanginan mountain climbing area. Adventurers can also take advantage of arrangements for fishing trips, mountain cave tours and diving in Burgos.
Canigao Island Resort
Canigao Island Resort is located in a small tropical island on the far east of Southern Leyte. It is more specifically situated on the west side off the coast of the Southern Leyte town of Matalom. This island resort is an ideal destination for artists and writers looking for inspiration, an out-of-town business meeting or event or a shooting location for photography or videography work. It is also a great venue for fishing, snorkeling, sunbathing, swimming, water sports and beach bumming.
Canigao Island provides guests with sights of white and sandy coastlines, rich flora and fauna, a marine sanctuary and a light tower. What makes this resort different from the more commercialized world-famous resorts in the Philippines is that it is a government-owned island. This means that there are no advertising signs, billboards or beachfront vendors operating in the area. The low cost of living in the province offers guests inexpensive nipa hut accommodations. Some can even bring small tents so they can camp in the area for a nominal fee of less than a dollar.
Peter’s Dive Resort
Peter’s Dive Resort mainly caters to diving enthusiasts. Located in the town of Burgos at the southernmost tip of Southern Leyte, it provides sea adventurers with an accessible venue to explore the province’s protected marine sanctuaries. Southern Leyte is home to over 30 marine protected areas and the resort has easy access to many of them. Peter’s also offers diver certification classes.
Aside from its world-famous diving spots, this destination is also rich in snorkeling grounds and it is famous for whale shark watching, especially between late October and early May. Since the province is out of the country’s typhoon belt, the place generally enjoys fair weather throughout the year. This also means that the diving spots are usually open the whole year round. Resort guests can choose between private cottages and the much cheaper bunk beds in dormitories for their accommodation needs.