Basey: Cruising the Golden River

Basey wasn't actually part of the itinerary when Pinky and I went to Samar. Our original plan was to visit the famous Sohoton Caves but the ridiculous entrance fees just scared us away. If my memory serves me right, we were quoted to pay Php 2100 per person. Yes, it's a bit pricey but what irked us more was the breakdown of the fees. There were like unnecessary fees imposed by their so-called association and even the lamp that was supposed to be used was charged at Php 500. Don't get me wrong though. I support our local tourism but these fees are totally superfluous and would just turn off a lot of potential tourists and travelers.

So to much disappointment, we just decided to cruise Basey's so-called Golden River. For Php 1200, we already had a good deal because the boatman will take us from the port of Basey to Tacloban.

It was originally called Cadac-An river but previous logging operations in the area caused the siltation of the river which in the end changed the color to light brown or gold hence the name Golden River.

If you've been to Vietnam, you might notice that it has some kind of resemblance to the Mekong River but on a smaller scale. We passed by several villages and it was sad to see that much of the locals live in poverty and most towns seem to be in deep slumber.

I wasn't actually that disappointed on how our itinerary turned out. Of course, the excitement to see the Sohoton Caves was there but after seeing the beauty of Basey River, I realized that good trips are made from last minute plans. So if you're not into spelunking or cave connections and you happen to be in Tacloban, I'd definitely suggest you try out cruising Basey's Golden River.



How to get there
From Tacloban City, take a Basey-bound jeepney at the old bus terminal beside the old market and alight at Basey port.