Basey Samar
Basey is a neat little fishing town on the southern coast of the island of Samar. It rains so much that many of the motorbikes have makeshift roofs.
The road leading to the Sohoton National Park turns off the main highway nearby.
It’s a muddy wet road that gets driven mostly by motorbikes. Its quite slippery and we saw 2 bikes not make it up that hill behind the caribao. It’s muddier than it looks but we prevailed.
At the bridge you can organize a boat to take you to the Sohoton Cave. It’s probably best to hire a guide unless you are an experienced spelunker.
From this point you can get river transport to the cave or elsewhere.
Take along rain gear because you never know what the weather is going to do. The little Honda TMX 155 is a good little scrambler to get you through the mud.
Most of the local bikes used for transport have been modified so they can hold 5 or 6 people.
Some of the fishermen’s homes along the banks of the river in Basey.
Here in downtown Basey the roofed over motorbike is used along with an assortment of tricycles.
These are ingenious contraptions that seem to not be affected too much by the wind. Most traffic in the provinces is under 50 kph and on the side roads it is often under 10 kph.
Peddle powered tricycles are used extensively in Samar and Leyte. This man is hauling long bamboo poles used in construction and also for the outriggers on the boats.
Roofed over motorbikes parked at the cock fights. It was Sunday and the fights are a big deal anywhere you are in the Philippines.
In fact the entire economy seems to be based on cock fighting.
Here’s another view of this clever design. Often they have a roll up windscreen of clear plastic.
Caribao are used extensively in the rice fields. They are such a tough beast of burden.
Southern Samar still has a very unique character. It is often overlooked by tourists because the infrastructure is so undeveloped but that is the main draw to me.
These caribao are such a versatile animal. I rode one once but the caribao was clearly agitated having a foreigner sitting on it’s back but they are a smooth ride for someone that is familiar with the animal.
Its about a 2 1/2 hour ride back to Catbalogan but I had to stop for tube repairs. I managed to poke 3 holes in the tire.
This helpful bloke fixed the 3 holes for 60 pesos which is a little high for a Filipino but way less than the foreigner price.
He had offered to do the job for 50 pesos but I was happy to be able to get it fixed and be back on the road again so I gave him 60. It was Sunday nite and we had been on the road 3 days already.
See ya later!
Basey Samar
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
is this a way from the proper of basey to sohoton??? I am from basey and specifically from Rawis where Sohoton Cave is located . . .
Hello deidre,
All the pictures are taken in or near Basey.
The muddy road is the one to Sohoton.
Do you recognize the scenery?
dp
yes very much specially the picture whose three kids are on the bridge…me and my family went there ebery summer…i suggest…that a lot of changes happens in basey..
How nice! Sweet memories…
The National Highway was paved this year and improved markedly, but the cut off road to Sohoton is still muddy:)
dp
Yeah very much…but have you ever try to have the motor boat from Basey proper to Sohoton??? and have you gone to Balantak Falls it is also in rawis just near to Sohoton cave….
Hello deidre,
So far I just went there by road, but someday maybe I will get a chance to take the boat from Basey.
I have not yet been to Balantak Falls either, in fact I never went into the Sohoton cave yet.
One of these days I will have to make a trip back there. I stayed in Basio cave a few days ago when a friend Joni Bonifacio and I circled Samar Island by motorbike. (That is just outside Basey.)
We made a complete trip around the island in 5 days. We have been getting a lot of rain the past 4 weeks in Samar so it was a very muddy trip.
dp
then try to ride in a boat from tacloban to basey and basey proper to Sohoton… so that you can just only see the land views but also the water views :)
In fact it’s not only Sohoton and Balantak is located in Rawis Basey Samar…there is also so called RAWIS CAVE… were you can also see different kinds of stone formations!!!!
Well if one of these days you will visit Basey again then Enjoy the Trip… :)
Thanks for the ideas! I pass over the San Juanico Bridge every other week or so when going to Tacloban.
So far I have not done that trip by boat.
dp
hello dida hit mga taga basey happy valentines day
hello dida ha mga basey happy valentines day with my family helo ha mga taga may it,canmanila,engineering ngan taga mbo
jude,
How nice!
Happy Valentines Day to you 2!
taga Catbalogan
dp
happy valentines day to all ..its been a long time
that i haven’t visit your site…so you mean your just near to basey samar???? we’ll gud for you.. so how do you find our place???
did you enjoy exploring in our place??
Hi deidre,
Happy Valentines day 2 you 2!
I live in Catbalogan, Samar on the west coast. About one year now but I plan to move to Ormoc in Leyte in 2 months.
I often go to Kandongos falls near Marabut? Do you know the place?
My friend Joni Bonafacio and I drove around Samar Island a week or two ago and we camped in the Basiao cave near Basey on our 4th night. We are a bit nuts!
I really enjoy Samar!
Take care,
dp
Well that’s nice…i thought your still out of the country..Yeah I know the place Kandongos Falls..i its gud that you have a friend here in Basey.
Hi deidre,
I plan to move to Ormoc in two months. I like Samar but it is such a job to go anywhere because there are not many connections to other islands.
Have a great day! Nice to hear from you.
helo there..I am inviting everyone to visit this site…
well gudluck with your plans…i am looking foward with this site..
Hello to all graduates of the Old San Agustin Elementary School. Please be informed that we will have our first alumni homecoming this August 17, 2009 at the Old San Agustin Barangay Plaza.
See you there.. . Please invite your batchmates. ..
Hello Evelyn,
I also posted your notice on the forum!
Have fun with your old friends!
dp
Hello dutchpickle,
Thank you very much for your effort and concern. Even if you don’t me, and I don’t know you personally, you still take the time and effort.
God bless. . .
Thank you for posting these pictures. I have a clearer idea how depressed is the town of Basey, my hometown where i grew up. It’s a nerve shaking to see how underdevelop the place is. Education is left behind – not a priority so do with the livelihoood of the inhabitants. People remain poor and generally uneducated, putting themselve under the whims and mercy of politicians.
Hi Leo,
Most of these pictures are of the countryside around Basey, after a typhoon. I find the town of Basey to be very beautiful and with a rich history. I would be proud to be from Basey.
Basey Church
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/samar/basey-church.html
cheers
dp
Basey is a place where I grew up.Remembering those happy memories when I’m still there.The sweet aroma of bibingka that pass swiftly on my window pane every morning. eventhough I grew up in an upper class family my parents taught me preserve my blood of being a basaynon. which i’m proud of.The friendly smile of every basaynon. its rich culture. I wish that Basey will be more developed to uplift the lives of the basaynon.
Hi mikaela,
Thanks for your comment!
dp
hi there its been a months since i visited this site…
hope to see updated pictures for this site.. thank you
hey to all my cousin in basey this is danica delluta
hello sa mga taga brgy.palaypay,to duran family to my friends,to my cousins in manila and to my close friend joy sotto muzta na u…….and to fiona,sheila mae,ana marie,mitzi,micha joy,and allmy classm8 since im elementary…luvvvv u alllllll
hello po ,
magtatanong lng po sana.nasa cebu po ako ngayon tapos mama ko di na nakauwi sa kanila 34 years na.ang tanong ko lang eh ano po ba sasakyan namin papunta sa kanila.ang address po ay BO.RAWIS GUIRANG,BASEY WESTERN SAMAR.eh pupunta po kami ds month..and familiar po ba kau sa mga CINCO Family dyan?
Salamat po ng marami.Sana po masagot nyo..godbless:)
halu dida mga basaynon….. “NAKAKITA NA KAMO HIN BUNGTO NGA NAGTITIKA BARYO AMO AN BASAY”… IMBIS NA MAGTIKA SYUDAD TIPA ATRAS IT PAG-UNDONG HIT BASAY… HINAOT UNTA YANA NGA PONFERRADA ADMIN MAGTIKA UNDONG PAONHAN DIRE PAATRAS. GOD BLESS!
Hi there everyone, just discover this site… and happy to read the comments and messages for Basey Samar..
@ ann: hi ann, my residence is just nearby brgy. Rawis..diz is how ul get there….From cebu, u may get to ormoc city by riding a supercat or passenger vessel, then, ride a van or bus bound for Tacloban After then, u ride a boat for Rawis..and dats it…u can also find parked boats just in front of manhattan/mcdo downtoen Tacloban….it will bring u straight to rawis for about 2-3 hours travel depending on the speed of the boat.
hi,, may I ask how long is it from tacloban to Basey.
We plan to go to Sohoton cave and go back to tacloban on the same day. Would that be possible?
Also, can we go to the cave and be back in tacloban for dinner if we leave tacloban at 12nn?
We’ll be there next next week :D
thanks
Hi joy,
I think you could do it easy providing you have your cave guide already lined up .You should be able to make it from Tacloban to Basey in an hour to an hour and a half. The Sohoton Cave is a bit of a drive from the town of Basey.
Happy spelunking :)
dp