Ali! Dayon, sa Balay Kawilan! TheMarcoses trips Leyte.

Dayon sa Da-o Balay Kawilan!. Greeted by this simple Filipino hospitality after about a year outside the country was truly invigorating! Salamat for welcoming us! Indeed there is no place like home.

I hailed from Mindanao, my husband was from the Visayas specifically in Tacloban. This time around we decided to visit his hometown and it did not disappoint! We had a blast coupled with tan lines and blemishes! We’ve been to the beach baby, yes, the beach and so much more! We went to my mother in law’s hometown in Dulag in the province of Leyte in Eastern Visayas.

What we found in Dulag was an adventure that was a first for the family. It was a beach outing while having our merry hour in a floating cottage with sumptuous foods and children's giggle for a compliment. The place was called Balay Kawilan situated in Dulag Leyte. I am not really sure what does Kawilan means (a family name or a native dialect??) but Balay is a Cebuano dialect for a house. The place highlights the floating cottages with cozy and soft cushion benches, kayaking, long bamboo bridges and picturesque scenery!  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulag,_Leyte.

  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Da-o-Balay-Kawilan/927017770739252

 

 

The start of a wonderful experience

 

 

After almost an hour of butt-warming stunts in the vehicle, we were rewarded with an awesome view of Dulag’s hidden paradise, Balay Kawilan. The smell of the sea, the sound of the waves, the heat of the sun had us singing “A drink in my hand, my snow up against the burning sand. Prob'ly getting gorgeously tanned in summer.” 

Loaded with chips and dibbles, drinks and lechon manok, we drove a private vehicle going to Dulag from Tacloban but if I were to travel alone I would very much like to take a commute since I strongly agree that getting lost and getting confuse is part of the fun! This being said, I had myself a little research that one can reach Dulag by public jeepney from Abucay Terminal at 35 php/pax one way and 10 php/pax one way fare for motorcycle from Dulag to Balay Kawilan. Travel time should be given an extra 30 mins longer compared to a private vehicle due to stops and picking up of passengers. 

Upon arrival, there is an entrance fee of 20 php, 15 php for senior citizens and 10 php for kids before kuya guard would let you in. (Entrance fee does not include the cottage rental, food, and kayaking). Guests are needed to register at the main counter before proceeding.

 

Before we reached the floating cottage, we had to ferry over by vanca (a boat without sail). The distance from the main counter to the floating cottages was quite long for a walk with all your baggage in tow. It was my little Biw’s first vanca experience, she was all scared and giddy but enjoyed most of the ride (a short over 5 mins ra gud).

 

 

The floating cottage at last

The cottage was neatly done and was sturdy. The benches were laid with plastic cushion covers. There were no bamboo saps, the nails were properly hammered, the table at the center has no rough edges and what impressed me most was that every cottage had its own trash bin! The only downside was there were no changing room and toilet near the cottages! You either have to have the ingenuity to make it to your "swimsuit of the day" or walk the long bamboo bridges back to the main counter for a decent change (same goes for toilet needs, the vanca apparently is a one way trip, so work those legs girl and enjoy the heat!). 

 

 

The Food

 

We had kinilaw and kinilaw and kinilaw! Sugba na isda and baboy. Pansit guisado and pork and chicken barbecue. We had beer for drinks and quality chika with the family for desert! And since it is kaon, I forgot to take pictures of our food since our table has become a battleground pinakalit hahah! The food was yummy, the kinilaw was the best we had like additional platter afterward. The downside was it took them so long to set up the table with utensils, deliver the food and drinks and to grab additional orders since the "ate's" would have to walk to and fro from the main counter to our cottage to fully provide us with what we needed. (This calls for improvement, luoy kau c ate mag sige balik balik para lang sa usa ka plato nga kinilaw noh). 

The Swim

Provided with safety equipment, each guest were given life jacket! The water is cold, perfect for a hot summer, rather clear and not itchy with visible fishes and shellfishes! The kids just swam around the cottage getting off and on the water to grab some dibbles. Adults can enjoy the conversation while totally overseeing the kids nearby ( does not apply to younger kids that need supervision).

 

Kayaking was extra difficult to book since they have only a few available units for rent at 100 per hour with a maximum of 2 persons only. We had tried to sneak in our little girl but kudos to the lifeguard, no matter how small our child is, a policy is a policy!

 

Taking a wash after swimming was also a challenge due to the insufficient wash area. It is advisable to bring your own toiletries or be patient enough to wash at home.

Overall rating for the place is a whopping 90 percent awesomeness and hopefully, on our next visit, those areas that need improvement will be prioritized by the management arun "hundred percent" na ang review!

Thumbs-up ug Dayon kamo sa Balay Kawilan!

 

*TheMarcosesXDulagLeyte*   *MarBonGab053016*   *2&1/2Gypsies*