Biri Island- A hidden pearl in the Pacific
Biri Island is a beautiful island in the Philippines located just off the north coast of Samar. I have been there many times and I never tire of its beautiful landscapes. Here is a collection of photos that I have taken as well as a travel guide to explain how to get there.
Biri Islands Unique Landscape
I am going to start off with some photos of Biri Island's beautiful landscape. It has a set of huge rock formations that shelter the rest of the island from the huge waves and fierce winds of the Pacific Ocean. The island is also surrounded by uninhabited desert islands and has a view of Bulusan Volcano from the Bicol Peninsula.
Morning view from Macadlaw rock formation. Nikon D500, 35mm, F5, 1/500th of a second, ISO 100
This photo was taken shortly after sunrise on a typically windy day at Macadlaw rock formation. I love the colours, tones, and composition of this photo. The light chnaged so quickly as we came down from the rock formation so I asked Rhea to stop for a photo and this is what I got. The way the light is hitting her and the grass with the beautiful colours from the waves and Magasan Rock formation in the background.
Rough seas around Magasang rock formation. Nikon D500, 35mm, F5.6, 1/800th of a second , ISO 320
This photo was taken shortly after the above photo and on our way back down from watching the sunrise from Macadlaw rock formation. I love all of the interesting patterns that have been formed by the sea on the base of these rock formations and how the lines in this formation lead to the Magasan rock formation. I then love the beautiful blue of the ocean and the movement of the rough waves. Then the soft colours of the rock formation and the fact that you can see some goats feeding on the rock formation. They were clearly waiting for low tide to come back.
Macadlaw Rock Formation . Nikon Z7, 26.5mm, F9, 1/1000th of a second , ISO 64
Again I love all of the texture in the foreground of this photo and the lines that lead you into the image and these are what I was trying to emphasise. I also stopped down my apeture to emphasise the sun and keep and keep Macadlaw rock formation in focus. You can also make out the textures on the wall of the rock formation. Just a stunning place to be.
Magsapad Rock Formation. Nikon Z7, 25.5mm, F11, 1/60th of a second , ISO 125
On this day we had some beautiful light hitting Magsapad rock formation and this brought out the range of colors from the dark blacks to the striking whites along with the beautiful soft golden brown colours. Again I tried to make the lines here lead the viewer into the image.
Magasang Rock Formation after a storm. Nikon D500, 11mm, F6.3, 1/80th of a second , ISO 100
I shot this photo a while ago and it is still one of my favorite photos ever I loved it as soon as I took it. We went out after a storm and the mood of the day was on just transitioning to a more calm atmosphere. The rocks were still very slippery with a lot of the rain and seawater still on the rocks. I love the texture and patterns of the sea floor and the cliff face lead you to the Magasan rock formation. Also the water adds an extra layer of contrast and interest to the photo and I also really like the moody sky to the top left of the photo.
The last rays of the sun hitting Bel At Rock Formation. Nikon Z7, 24mm, F11, 1/125th of a second , ISO 64
I took this photo on my latest trip to Macadlaw rock formation and I was luckt to get there just before the sun was about to set. Again I was drawn to the patterns and textures on the floor of the rock formation, but I was also drawn to the colours that were revealed by the sun at this time of the day. I could not avoid getting the sun in the shot so I stopped down the aperture on my lens to create this sun star efect. I was not initially drawn to this photo when i first took this photo, but it has really grown on me alot since.
Sun Setting over Mount Bulusan Volcano. Nikon D500, 80mm, F11, 1/40th of a second , ISO 100
Mount Bulusan is an active Volcano in the Bicol region of Luzon and our room in the Seacret Hotel had a perfect view of it. I set up my camera to take a timelapse of the sun set and this is one the photos that it took in the process. I love the way that the sunlight hits the volcano and how it allows you to see the shape of the volcano. the colours and mood of this scene also really resonates with me.
Golden sky and white clouds. Nikon D500, 85mm, F6.3, 1/800th of a second , ISO 100
I have been asked many times what would I do if I was stuck on a desert island. Well, Biri Island is surrounded by so many of the tint desert islands which are completely uninhabited and this photo was taken from one such island looking across the water to Salvacion Island. It was late afternoon and I spotted a break in the clouds across the water and I took the image. I love how the silhouette of the island and the dark clouds at the top of the photo frame the beautiful golden light in the sky and the wonderful formation of clouds.
Some other photos of note
It took me a long time to go through the photos that I had the privilege to take while I was in Biri and it took me even longer to pick my favourite 8 photos that I have talked about above. So here is a gallery of some of my other favorites. I really love all of them, but I wanted the process of this blog to be for me to really reflect on what photos I wanted to highlight so I can use this help drive me forward as a photographer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the above photos.
The People of Biri Island
I have always felt so welcomed when I have visited Biri island by the warm friendly people who live there. It is hard to understate the different pace of life that there is here. The island has no cars at all. The few roads that are here are used by the occasional motorcycle taxi which has been modified by having the frame of an ironing board welded to the back to accommodate more passengers. Boats are the main form of transport for many people living here as many people traverse the waterways between the islands or make their living as a fisherman. Here are some photos that I took of the people who live in Biri Island.
Neighbourhood Waterways. Nikon Z7, 64mm, F4, 1/500th of a second , ISO 280
I took this photo in the waterway which is right next to my step-parent’s house. I actually tried to take a lot of photos of the boats that went past, but none of them really turned out right as people would wave and smile at me. It is not that I did not appreciate the warm welcome, but I wanted to try and capture a more natural scene as if I was not there and i took this photo just as they turned to me so I guess that I failed to some extent, but I still happy with the image. I was really happy with the photo and I love how I managed to capture the surrounding mangroves, fisherman’s homes, and the snaking path of the waterway behind.
Sunset Silouhettes. Nikon Z7, 85mm, F9, 1/1250th of a second , ISO 64
When I first started photography I was always trying to capture everything in the highlights and shadows, but now I love to embrace the shadows and relish the chance to shoot a silhouette. The sun was so bright in this scene that I had to stop down the lens and raise my shutter speed just to stop the whole scene from being blown out. My phone at the time was really struggling to capture anything.
Anyway, I patiently waited to see if anyone would come into my frame and then the far-off boat appeared as I adjusted my frame the other boat came into view and I caught the image. I loved the quietness of the scene and the layers that I managed to capture here.
Sunset walk home. Nikon Z7, 85mm, F2.5, 1/60th of a second , ISO 100
I managed to capture this photo from a very similar vantage point to the one above but about 40 minutes later. I could not resist the colours of the sunset and the scene of some people wading through the water on their way home.
Bath time. Nikon Z7, 35mm, F5.6, 1/200th of a second , ISO 64
I distinctly rememeber taking this photo and I loved it as soon as I took it. I was walking on the way to Santo Nino whne I saw this boy taking a bath under the standpipe and I quickly croched down to take the photo. I love the contrast between light and shadow, the textues on the road and water bottles and the way the the bottles, soap and tap form a frame round the boy.
Our Hosts on Salvation Island. Nikon D500, 10mm, F3.5, 1/1600th of a second , ISO 100
We decided to take the short boat ride from Biri Island to Salvacion Island and shortly after we got off the boat it began to rain and this family beckoned us inside their home to shelter from the rain. They offered us two plastic seats to sit down on which we accepted, but as turned around we realised that these chairs were the only furniture they had, but they insisted that we use them. They were so welcoming and friendly that I wanted to take their picture as soon as the rain stopped, but only their two daughters wanted to be in the photo.
Rhea. Nikon D500, 24mm, F11, 1/320th of a second , ISO 100
This photo was taken near a beautifully small island just 10 minutes off the Biri coast. The island was dominated bt lots of black rocks surrounded by crystal-clear water. I remember it was a roasting hot day and we spent a lot of time trying to find sufficient shade. I took this one as Rhea was coming back from a paddle. I love her yellow dress and how it contrasts with all of the blues in the image. The crystal clear water is also so beautiful.
Some other photos of note
I have decided to include some other photos of life on Biri Island which I am also proud of. This includes a drone photo of the town of Santo Nino and some photos of regular day-to-day life on the island.
Videos of Biri Island
Here are some videos I put together which I made to try and capture the beauty of the island.
Biri Island Travel Guide
Flights
The closest airport is Catarman. There used to be one flight a day, but now it is down to one flight every few days. so you need to book in advance. The flight is operated by Philippine Airlines.
Transportation to the Island
Once you get to Catarman Airport you will need to get a taxi or a van to Lavezares. The taxi drivers know when the flight comes in so there is usually no shortage of people willing to take you to Lavezares. The trip from the airport should take a little over an hour.
Once you get to Lavezares you will need to take a boat. You can get one from the port which is right next to the market. The passenger boat will leave when they have enough passengers to fill the boat so you might need to wait a while. Otherwise, you can pay extra for a Special service which basically means a private boat. The boat trip will take a little over an hour.
Money
Please note that there are NO ATMs on Biri Island or in Lavazares so it is best to withdraw cash before you leave Manilla or get a taxi in Catarman to take you to an ATM before you go to Lavezares.
Accommodation
There are a few places to stay but none of them are on tour standard booking websites so here are a few good places to go;
Seacret Homestay. A Nice house by the sea and you can stay in one of the rooms overlooking the water and on a clear day you can see Mount Bulusan. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/seacrethomestay/
Princess Lj Hotel and Restaurant A Hotel right next to the Rock formations and with a swimming pool. Here is the link; https://www.facebook.com/princessljhotel/
Villa Amor. A bed and breakfast next to the Ocean which has a good reputation on the island. Here is the link; https://www.facebook.com/biriislandsvillaamor/
Rock Formations
You will need a tour guide to take you to the Rock Formations and they are available by going to the Tourist Information Centre in the town centre. You can get a motorbike taxi to take you there.
