HomeAsiaPhilippinesVisayasIloiloExploring the Islands of Concepcion, Iloilo – 2D1N DIY Itinerary 321 shares By Marcos Detourist on April 2, 2010For travelers planning on visiting Iloilo, the islands of Concepcion in Northern Iloilo is one of the “must sees” in the Province. Even though I’ve been there a considerable number of times already, I just can’t get enough of it! Here’s my recommended 2 days and 1 night (overnight) itinerary when in Concepcion, where you can experience white sand beaches, clear waters, long winding sandbars, island hopping tours, coral gardens, fresh seafood, simple island life, and very friendly locals.The view from Agho Island in Concepcion, Iloilo Concepcion 2 Days and 1 Night ItineraryWith this itinerary, you’ll be able to travel to Concepcion from Iloilo City, go on an island tour of at least 4 breathtaking islands, sleep in Sandbar (Bulubadiangan) Island Beach Resort, and then go back to the city the next day.Day 1 6:00am – Ride HPQ Bus to “Concepcion” from Tabak (Northern Iloilo) Terminal in Jaro District, Iloilo City. The fare is P110 (one-way) and the ride lasts for around 2.5 hours. You can leave at a later time but it’ll mean spending less time in the islands. Last trip is around 3-4pm. 8:30am – Arrive in Concepcion. By this time, you should buy food/supplies for your overnight in the islands and contact Sandbar Island Beach Resort of your arrival. Mobile: (+63)9068197516. Contact Person: Sonny. Food! There are no stores or restaurants in Sandbar Island so you need to buy/bring everything you need in the mainland before heading out. There are small convenient stores, wet/dry market, and carinedrias (local eatery) in the town proper of Concepcion where you can buy food, condiments (oil, spices, sauces etc..),cooking materials (charcoal), plastic dining wares, and other stuff. You can borrow pots/pans from the resort. If you don’t want (don’t know how) to cook your own food then you can buy uncooked food in the market and have the resort cook it for you (for a minimal fee) or have your food catered by one of the locals who runs a carineria in town. His name is Biboy and you can contact him at +639287251505. 9:30am – Ride pumpboat to Sandbar Island Beach Resort. The resort has a small boat, which could accommodate up to 8 persons. The price for round trip transfers is P1500 (small group) and P2,000 (larger group). 10:00am – Arrival in Sandbar. You probably might want to dive in the water for a swim but you have to contain yourself a bit longer to settle in your cottage. They have basic cottage with double beds and a bathroom for P800/night. If you want, you could also just pitch a tent for P300/tent/night and just use the common bathrooms. 12:00nn – Lunch 1:00 pm – Island Tour for the whole afternoon. A visit to Concepcion is not complete without a tour of the other islands. You can arrange the islands you want to visit but I recommend not missing these three other islands: Agho Island, Malangabang Island, Pan de Azucar Island. It costs P1,000 to rent the whole boat for the afternoon. Agho Island. P300 entrance fee with use of cottage for the whole group. There’s a sprawling coral garden at the southern side of Agho but you need to go there by boat since it’s quite far from the beach and you sure-as-hell will get stung by sea urchins along the way. Malangabang Island. If you missed to buy some stuff, there are a few sari-sari stores and fish vendors on the island. You can even buy cool servings of halo-halo here. Pan de Azucar Island. Tell the boatman to drop you off at Tambaliza. Once there, you can ask one of the locals to take you to Hampangan Rock, where you can get a nice view (vista) of the islands and get an up-close encounter with the towering Pan de Azucar Mountain. 5:00pm – Head back to Sandbar Island. Overnight at Sandbar Island Beach Resort. There’s electricity at the resort but it only powers the light bulbs. There’s no charging (for electronic devices) at the cottages but I suppose you can request to have your electronics charged at the owner’s house if you really need to.Day 2 5:30am – Sunrise 6:00am – Low tide at the Sandbar. This part should not be missed! During low tide, you can wade into the water a few meters from the sandbar and see a sprawling coral garden. Morning – Circumnavigate Sandbar Island (30 minutes) or bum out at the beach. Afternoon – Ride bus back to the City. At this point you can decide when you’re going to leave the island but be mindful that the last bus to Iloilo City from Concepcion is around 4pm.Expenses Iloilo City – Concepcion one-way Bus Fare – P110/person Round trip transfers to Sandbar (Bulubadiangan) Island – P1,500 to P2,000 per boat Cottage at Sandbar Island Beach Resort – P800 to P1,000 per cottage Half-day Island Tour – P1,000/boatLearn more about Concepcion, Iloilo. If your looking for a place to stay in the city, here’s a list of Iloilo hotels.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Two nights in Concepcion Iloilo15 Days Eastern Visayas & Sorsogon ItineraryAdventure trip to the enchanted Isla de Gigantes in Carles…Survived Palawan, the Philippines’ Last FrontierRevisit to Concepcion Islands, Iloilo in PicturesEnchanted Carles for the First TimeComments dodong flores saysApril 2, 2010 at 9:59 pmWow! This is quite an intensive guide for an overnight stay in Concepcion matched with beautiful enticing photos. I’d been to Concepcion but never been to small islands. I’d been to Isla Gigante in Carles but that was all about it. Thank you for sharing this great information… chymera00 saysApril 2, 2010 at 10:45 pmThanks :) The small islands are worth the visit. My favorite in Agho Island. I wish I can go back to Carles, I’ve only gone to Island Gigantes Sur and a few other islands. I’m very curious about Balbagon and Sicogon Islands. frances saysApril 3, 2010 at 11:19 pmnice post….i’ll add this to my travel wish list…hehe… pinaytraveljunkie saysApril 9, 2010 at 3:26 pmAgho Island looks stunning. Gotta add this to my travel bucket list! missy saysJune 3, 2010 at 9:15 pmhey,my tita & aunt will go 2 iloilo diz coming june 10-13,2010 , we will stay @ m02 westoen hotel and try to go 2 el dorado wterparks. can you suggest places dat is near d hotel dt we can visit and enjoy? also in roxas city? thanx alot… i cnt follow ur iloilo 2d/1n iterenary bcoz im w/ my tita, u know…hehe thanx alot chymera00 saysJune 5, 2010 at 11:40 amMO2 is in the middle of Smallville, so there’s a lot of places to go there at night. During the day you can do a city tour. In the afternoon, you can catch the sunset at Treñas Riverside Boulevard, which is also near MO2. Loi saysJune 22, 2010 at 11:24 amhi Marcos,i’ve been reading a lot of ur blogs and it’s very informative. i’m actually working in Iloilo but haven’t been to Concepcion. Now we’re planning to vsit on July 9th. I’d just like to know from ur first hand experience, is the beach rocky… Or is it like Boracay? Smooth sand? Pls help us out. Thanks.Loi chymera00 saysJune 24, 2010 at 5:56 pmThere are beach coves that are rocky but mostly the sand is fine. Though not as fine as Station 1 in Boracay … is more like Station 2, 3, or Bulabog Beach. Loi saysJune 29, 2010 at 11:05 pmthanks for the info. i texted sonny and was informed that we will have to buy food from the town. are the seafood relatively cheap or is it expensive like in Boracay?Do we need to bring drinking water too? Is it true that the water for showering is also “semi” salted?Inputs will be much appreciated.thanks chymera00 saysJuly 1, 2010 at 5:13 amSeafood at Concepcion town’s wet market is cheap … marginally cheaper than Iloilo City prices and moreso compared to prices in Manila and Boracay. Yes you need to bring drinking water, lots of it. They use salt water in the bath area but you can also buy fresh water from the resort for bathing/rinsing. The price per container is minimal. Loi saysJuly 1, 2010 at 4:14 pmThanks so much for all the information. It’s a great help to us. God bless. chymera00 saysJuly 2, 2010 at 4:36 pmNo Problem Loi Loi saysJuly 12, 2010 at 4:15 pmBack from Sandbar!!! Grabe, it was AWESOME! Very private, it was actually me and my bf there they didn’t have any guests during our stay. First night we stayed at the closed cottage, only to realize it was hot (no power at night except for a few lights outside) so 2nd night we transferred to an open cottage w/c was way better and cooler. Didn’t mind the salt water for banlaw, it was actually saved rain water but still semi salty.Loved the place so much, very primitive and but that’s what I like, para bang panahon ni Eba at Adan Hahaha!!! basta beach lang ok na. Good service from Kuya Sonny and his son Rex. They are very accommodating and always attentive to our needs. Ur blogs here really helped us a lot especially we are not from Iloilo ;) For 3 days and 2 nights, we only spent less than 4K. Go to Sandbar, it’s GREAT! chymera00 saysJuly 15, 2010 at 3:36 pmGreat to hear Loi. Balik-balik lang Iloilo :) Kat G. saysJuly 19, 2010 at 10:14 pmHi Marcos, I stumbled upon your site while i was researching on Iloilo. We have an up coming trip on Nov 2010, but only have 2N3D to spare from work. My partner and I want to try backpacking for the first time and we want to experience Carles and also Conception. How do go to Concepcion from Iloilo City and to Carles from Concepcion? any suggestions on hotels/inns? thanks much…..BTW i’m also a nurse…. if by any chance you’re intersted for work here in Manila, i manage a healthcare BPO here, send a reply. thanks again :D chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 6:57 pmCool Kat. Transpo from Iloilo City to Concepcion is mentioned in the guide … just a bus ride rom Tagbak Terminal in Jaro and then from Concepcion to Carles:1. From Concepcion, you take the bus going back to the city and drop off at Sara Terminal (which is just one town from Concepcion) 2. Then ride an ‘Estancia’ BusEstancia Port is the main jump-off point to the islands of Carles. Unfortunately, I don’t have much details about accommodations in Carles. If you’re looking for a place to stay in the city, Ong Bun Pension House is a cheap but decent place.Thanks for the tip about your healthcare BPO :) Kat G. saysJuly 22, 2010 at 6:56 amGreat help! thanks much…. can’t wait to go there! AJ saysJuly 30, 2010 at 6:48 amhi! how to get there from ilo ilo airport? tnx =) chymera00 saysAugust 2, 2010 at 4:09 amFrom the Iloilo Airport to Tagbak Terminal you can: Ride a taxi, approx. taxi fare is around P300-P350 Ride the Airport Shuttle Van to SM City (P50), cross the street (Diversion Road), walk to Jalandoni St. intersection, ride “Leganes” jeep to Tagbak Terminal (P10) Ride a multicab to Bangga Dama, Santa Barbara (P10), ride a “Santa Barbara” jeep to SM City (approx P20), cross the street (Diversion Road), walk to Jalandoni St. intersection, ride “Leganes” jeep to Tagbak Terminal (P10)from Tagbak Terminal, you ride a bus to Concepcion (details are mentioned in the post) D saysApril 29, 2011 at 3:31 pmfrom SFO, start with PR 105.. babywish saysAugust 17, 2010 at 9:30 pmhi sir, kaya ba ng halfday tour ang concepcion? i only have 2 days kasi. 1day iloilo and 1 day bacolod. so i plan to do a suicide trip of guimaras-concepcion or vice versa if kaya :) hehehe. please please let me know asap if feasible :) thank you so much :) chymera00 saysAugust 19, 2010 at 2:43 amIf push comes to shove, pwede siyang whole day na trip pero halfday … It’ll be tricky since travel time alone to Concepcion is already 3 to 3.5 hours by bus or 2.5 to 3 hours by private car. Mario Lazarito saysOctober 20, 2010 at 7:31 amThanks for your assistance. I appreciate it so much. I am the former tourism officer-designate of Concepcion. I do run tours with local tour office in the town. Travellers may contact me for updates. My contact number is +639085929096 cute saysNovember 8, 2010 at 2:07 amHow much would it cost us if we take van from Iloilo airport to tabak terminal? we’ll be staying 3d2n in iloilo, we’re planning to go to concepcion and to guimaras what’s the best thing to do? which one should we visit first? any suggestions on beach resorts in guimaras? and how to go there? sorry super many inqueries.. Wheng saysJanuary 6, 2011 at 3:12 pmThank you very much for this post! Very informative and timely coz we’ll be at Iloilo this coming March and i really don’t know what to do and where to go. This post will definitely be a great help for us. Thank you, Thank you! Parang scary lang yung ibang island sa guimaras..:) Ela saysFebruary 10, 2011 at 3:40 pmVery interesting! Would you recommend trip to Concepcion from guimaras island? Thank you! chymera00 saysFebruary 11, 2011 at 11:03 amYes Ela, I recommend getting to both places if you have the time Janice Señora saysMarch 14, 2011 at 2:56 pmhi sir, tnx for the very informative & cool blog, just wanna ask some tips on how to maximize my 4days & 3nights in iloilo,guimaras& boracay…what to see,what to do & when… tanx in advance! Diana saysApril 11, 2011 at 12:05 ami love this blog! very informative. ngayon alam ko na pupuntahan ko sa iloilo sa july! :) thanks sa pagpost! :) chymera00 saysMay 5, 2011 at 2:09 amThanks Diana. Welcome to Iloilo nlng in advance! Celestial saysApril 27, 2011 at 10:51 amVisit our Virgin Sandbar!! D saysApril 29, 2011 at 3:27 pmMy tent and I, hope to make it to Sandbar sometime in the second half of May! Gettin’ ready now chymera00 saysMay 5, 2011 at 1:50 amHope you enjoy your trip D :) shan saysMay 5, 2011 at 7:24 amI love this place ,water is so clear, so cool, i love collecting shells, playing with colorfull corals and so relaxing you will forget all your worries, really far from stress, from the city pollution, it’s a paradise for me , my fiancee and i spent bonding a moment in this place a i want to go back and feel the serenity in this island. chymera00 saysMay 6, 2011 at 5:16 amI agree shan kahit ako hindi nagsawa pabalik2x sa Concepcion. DARWIN MONTANIEL saysMay 13, 2011 at 4:39 amWala nako ma hambal sang amon nga lugar sa concepcion di kugid pag ibaylo bisan ano pa nga lugar isa lang ang akon gina handom kag gina ka hidlawan ang akon banwang nataw-han CONCEPCION ILOILO city Proud to be an ILONGGO. kurt saysMay 15, 2011 at 8:34 pmhi. just would like to ask if its ok to explore concepcion around Aug? nde b maulan or mabagyo that time? thanks chymera00 saysMay 18, 2011 at 6:24 pmOk lang … Concepcion is protected from the currents of the open sea because of the many islets that surround it … sort of like a natural harbor. Expect there’d be a high chance of rain in August but its still safe to travel to the islands … not unless may bagyo talaga, in which case, take precaution when traveling (in general). supergal saysJuly 23, 2011 at 11:32 amHi! we are going to visit iloilo next month and we only have 1 day to explore the city. Do you have any suggestion/s on how we could maximize our visit? I hope you could help us. Thanks! Marcos saysJuly 23, 2011 at 6:59 pmHello Tara, check out http://www.exploreiloilo.com/ for itinerary suggestions. Julie saysAugust 7, 2011 at 2:34 amhi… ill be going to guimaras this october and after reading this, i kind of change my mind and i want to go here instead.. problem is, my 3 yr old son is coming with me and since there is no electricity there, i don’t think he’ll be able to sleep well at night… so, my question is, is it windy there? will we be able to sleep soundly at night? thanks so much… Marcos saysAugust 7, 2011 at 1:53 pmBulubadiangan is just like any other island in the Philippines. Depende talaga yan sa weather, I give you guarantee that you’ll be able to sleep soundly. My suggestion so you’ll enjoy the trip better is to stay at one of the pension houses/hotels in the mainland like Hotel Junbee http://www.exploreiloilo.com/stay/info/hotel-junbee/ then go island hopping during the day. miss_saigon saysAugust 20, 2011 at 10:16 pmhi, this blog is very informative. this overnight itinerary is ideal for adults. do you have suggestions if there’s children ranging from age 1 to 4?is it possible to do island hopping from morning up to pm? is it possible to go through all your suggested islands without staying overnight at sandbar?thank you very much in advance. Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:46 amI suggest spending the night at the mainland, where is more convenient and renting a pumpboat from the fish port in Concepcion town proper. See comment above. pinky saysSeptember 4, 2011 at 8:05 pmhi! i’l be in iloilo on october as a solo traveler. i plan to go to concepcion. overnight lang. would it be safe for a female solo traveler? thanks! Marcos saysSeptember 7, 2011 at 5:24 pmyes its safe. Kuya Sonny and his family are very accommodating. Maria saysOctober 9, 2011 at 8:36 pmHi, i would just like to ask if this can be a getaway for two? for maybe 3 days? if so, around much would that cost? The reply would be very much appreciated! lhai saysDecember 11, 2011 at 10:59 amhi, recently nagbago ba ang rates sa sandbar? or ganun pa rin?? Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:54 pmNot sure. Better contact nong Sonny. ma saysJanuary 6, 2012 at 2:01 pmhello! kakatawag ko lang iba na nga ang rates– 1000 half day island hopping– 800 small cottage– 1000 big cottage– 1500 pasundo. kalurkey!hi marc! im a fan!!! hope to see you in iloilo next month.. pa-autograph! lol! :D Marcos saysJanuary 7, 2012 at 11:52 amAhh two years ago pa yan kase ang naka post na rate. Thanks for sharing the current rates of Sandbar :) ahehe, pwede! *blushes Mark saysJanuary 2, 2012 at 1:17 pmsir marcus, ok ba magdala ng sariling tent dito? papayagan kaya ako magcamp magisa? Marcos saysJanuary 7, 2012 at 11:50 amoo okay lang mag camp. They charged P300 per tent but that was two years ago. Melissa saysJanuary 19, 2012 at 8:31 pmI’ve been there 2 weeks ago with my family and friends. We stayed overnight, it was a real fun experience. Next time i go back to the Philippines i will definitely go visit Carles. Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 2:42 amCool! Glad you were able to explore this side of Iloilo. I’m hoping more people would also get to experience this other side of the province. cris saysJanuary 21, 2012 at 8:47 amHi, i will be going to iloilo on october this year with my wife, can you guys suggest itinerary for 3 days 2 nights. i will appreciate it so much. thank you. Kendy saysMarch 19, 2012 at 11:28 pmhi.. if two persons lng magtravel ang sa boat pa sand bar 1,500 jpun payment?tnx Marcos saysApril 14, 2012 at 12:11 amBetter contact Nong Sonny na lang. luna saysMarch 25, 2012 at 10:26 pmwe celebrated my grandpa’s, my 2 cuz’ and my aunt’s bday here last feb 10 ’12.. truly breathtaking.. as long as the weather is good.. nakakapagod ang travel… pero worth it pg andun ka na.. planning to visit and spend another summer escapade there.. Marcos saysApril 14, 2012 at 12:01 amI felt the same when the first time I visited Concepcion. It keeps you coming back for more! ian | going places saysJuly 8, 2012 at 3:51 amwas there an entrance in each islands aside from island hopping charge? Marcos saysJuly 8, 2012 at 8:13 pmThere’s an entrance fee for Agho (P300 for whole group) and Sandbar Island (there’s no entrance fee if you’re staying there. If not, I’m not sure how much they charge). Mac saysJuly 24, 2012 at 10:10 amhi.. we will be going to Roxas City this November.. We’re planning to go to estancia for Isla Gigantes and plan to go to Concepcion.. Would you know how can we get from roxas city to estancia then estancia to concepcion? would you know how many hours will be our travel time? thanks. Marcos saysAugust 19, 2012 at 7:25 pmThere are buses from Roxas that go directly to Estancia. Travel time is one hour. From Estancia, ride a bus/jeep to Sara terminal (ask the driver first if the bus will go to Sara, you don’t have to drop off at Estancia if the bus is going to Sara anyways).From Sara, ride the bus to Concepcion. Mac saysAugust 29, 2012 at 6:53 pmThanks Marcos.. I hope kayanin ng time namin to go to these two places.. I think I just need to manage our ITI properly.. Penelope saysJanuary 13, 2013 at 7:56 pmEiy Marc,Salamat sa blog mo, ngayon alam ko na dapat ko puntahan sa trip ko next month. Do you think pwede pang babaan yung charge sa boat? Solo traveler kasi ako and well budgeted and tip ko pero super excited na ko explore the islands of concepcion….. Marcos saysJanuary 13, 2013 at 9:29 pmNot unless you join a group that’s renting the boat then it would be hard to go to Sandbar cheaply. Try to contact Nong Sonny and ask if they have group bookings that are willing to let you hitch or if there are regular passenger boats to Pulupiña Island that can drop passengers off at Sandbar, which is along their route. Anj saysJanuary 14, 2013 at 1:31 pmHi Nong! I’m also from Iloilo and I’m glad I’ve stumbled in your blog and saw this. My friend and I were planning to go to Bora (but changing my mind. :D). By the way, there will be just of 2 us going there, are we really going to rent the whole bangka for 1500? Please suggest another option. Thanks in advance. :D Kristoff saysJanuary 16, 2013 at 4:03 amHello, I’ll be travelling solo from Jan.24,2013-Jan.29,2013 for the Dinagyang Festival. Since i’ll be staying for a couple more days after the festival, I might go for a day tour to Sandbar. I just want to know if Sonny Eusala’s number is updated? Do you have any contacts in Iloilo/Concepcion in case I get lost or something while on my way to the island? Would greatly appreciate your speedy response. This is very informative by the way, great posts! Peanut saysFebruary 13, 2013 at 7:36 pmHello, Sir! Thank you for this very informative blog. Are the rates and contact numbers still the same? As one the many, I am also searching for new place/s to hop on. Especially away from the crowd of Boracay. Again, thank you and I hope to hear a response from you. Great job! :) Marcos saysFebruary 16, 2013 at 5:54 pmContact numbers are still the same. I advice contacting them directly for the latest rates. gresh saysMarch 20, 2014 at 5:54 pmfrom roxas city you can take a bus and drop by the municipality of Sara. There are passenger boats going to Igbon and you can request the boatman to drop you off to Sandbar. locals pay 20.00 fare to Igbon and boatman may ask your group 500.00 but its just about 5-10 mins boat ride and 200-300 for a group or 50.00 each should be fair. Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
dodong flores saysApril 2, 2010 at 9:59 pmWow! This is quite an intensive guide for an overnight stay in Concepcion matched with beautiful enticing photos. I’d been to Concepcion but never been to small islands. I’d been to Isla Gigante in Carles but that was all about it. Thank you for sharing this great information…
chymera00 saysApril 2, 2010 at 10:45 pmThanks :) The small islands are worth the visit. My favorite in Agho Island. I wish I can go back to Carles, I’ve only gone to Island Gigantes Sur and a few other islands. I’m very curious about Balbagon and Sicogon Islands.
pinaytraveljunkie saysApril 9, 2010 at 3:26 pmAgho Island looks stunning. Gotta add this to my travel bucket list!
missy saysJune 3, 2010 at 9:15 pmhey,my tita & aunt will go 2 iloilo diz coming june 10-13,2010 , we will stay @ m02 westoen hotel and try to go 2 el dorado wterparks. can you suggest places dat is near d hotel dt we can visit and enjoy? also in roxas city? thanx alot… i cnt follow ur iloilo 2d/1n iterenary bcoz im w/ my tita, u know…hehe thanx alot
chymera00 saysJune 5, 2010 at 11:40 amMO2 is in the middle of Smallville, so there’s a lot of places to go there at night. During the day you can do a city tour. In the afternoon, you can catch the sunset at Treñas Riverside Boulevard, which is also near MO2.
Loi saysJune 22, 2010 at 11:24 amhi Marcos,i’ve been reading a lot of ur blogs and it’s very informative. i’m actually working in Iloilo but haven’t been to Concepcion. Now we’re planning to vsit on July 9th. I’d just like to know from ur first hand experience, is the beach rocky… Or is it like Boracay? Smooth sand? Pls help us out. Thanks.Loi
chymera00 saysJune 24, 2010 at 5:56 pmThere are beach coves that are rocky but mostly the sand is fine. Though not as fine as Station 1 in Boracay … is more like Station 2, 3, or Bulabog Beach.
Loi saysJune 29, 2010 at 11:05 pmthanks for the info. i texted sonny and was informed that we will have to buy food from the town. are the seafood relatively cheap or is it expensive like in Boracay?Do we need to bring drinking water too? Is it true that the water for showering is also “semi” salted?Inputs will be much appreciated.thanks
chymera00 saysJuly 1, 2010 at 5:13 amSeafood at Concepcion town’s wet market is cheap … marginally cheaper than Iloilo City prices and moreso compared to prices in Manila and Boracay. Yes you need to bring drinking water, lots of it. They use salt water in the bath area but you can also buy fresh water from the resort for bathing/rinsing. The price per container is minimal.
Loi saysJuly 1, 2010 at 4:14 pmThanks so much for all the information. It’s a great help to us. God bless.
Loi saysJuly 12, 2010 at 4:15 pmBack from Sandbar!!! Grabe, it was AWESOME! Very private, it was actually me and my bf there they didn’t have any guests during our stay. First night we stayed at the closed cottage, only to realize it was hot (no power at night except for a few lights outside) so 2nd night we transferred to an open cottage w/c was way better and cooler. Didn’t mind the salt water for banlaw, it was actually saved rain water but still semi salty.Loved the place so much, very primitive and but that’s what I like, para bang panahon ni Eba at Adan Hahaha!!! basta beach lang ok na. Good service from Kuya Sonny and his son Rex. They are very accommodating and always attentive to our needs. Ur blogs here really helped us a lot especially we are not from Iloilo ;) For 3 days and 2 nights, we only spent less than 4K. Go to Sandbar, it’s GREAT!
Kat G. saysJuly 19, 2010 at 10:14 pmHi Marcos, I stumbled upon your site while i was researching on Iloilo. We have an up coming trip on Nov 2010, but only have 2N3D to spare from work. My partner and I want to try backpacking for the first time and we want to experience Carles and also Conception. How do go to Concepcion from Iloilo City and to Carles from Concepcion? any suggestions on hotels/inns? thanks much…..BTW i’m also a nurse…. if by any chance you’re intersted for work here in Manila, i manage a healthcare BPO here, send a reply. thanks again :D
chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 6:57 pmCool Kat. Transpo from Iloilo City to Concepcion is mentioned in the guide … just a bus ride rom Tagbak Terminal in Jaro and then from Concepcion to Carles:1. From Concepcion, you take the bus going back to the city and drop off at Sara Terminal (which is just one town from Concepcion) 2. Then ride an ‘Estancia’ BusEstancia Port is the main jump-off point to the islands of Carles. Unfortunately, I don’t have much details about accommodations in Carles. If you’re looking for a place to stay in the city, Ong Bun Pension House is a cheap but decent place.Thanks for the tip about your healthcare BPO :)
chymera00 saysAugust 2, 2010 at 4:09 amFrom the Iloilo Airport to Tagbak Terminal you can: Ride a taxi, approx. taxi fare is around P300-P350 Ride the Airport Shuttle Van to SM City (P50), cross the street (Diversion Road), walk to Jalandoni St. intersection, ride “Leganes” jeep to Tagbak Terminal (P10) Ride a multicab to Bangga Dama, Santa Barbara (P10), ride a “Santa Barbara” jeep to SM City (approx P20), cross the street (Diversion Road), walk to Jalandoni St. intersection, ride “Leganes” jeep to Tagbak Terminal (P10)from Tagbak Terminal, you ride a bus to Concepcion (details are mentioned in the post)
babywish saysAugust 17, 2010 at 9:30 pmhi sir, kaya ba ng halfday tour ang concepcion? i only have 2 days kasi. 1day iloilo and 1 day bacolod. so i plan to do a suicide trip of guimaras-concepcion or vice versa if kaya :) hehehe. please please let me know asap if feasible :) thank you so much :)
chymera00 saysAugust 19, 2010 at 2:43 amIf push comes to shove, pwede siyang whole day na trip pero halfday … It’ll be tricky since travel time alone to Concepcion is already 3 to 3.5 hours by bus or 2.5 to 3 hours by private car.
Mario Lazarito saysOctober 20, 2010 at 7:31 amThanks for your assistance. I appreciate it so much. I am the former tourism officer-designate of Concepcion. I do run tours with local tour office in the town. Travellers may contact me for updates. My contact number is +639085929096
cute saysNovember 8, 2010 at 2:07 amHow much would it cost us if we take van from Iloilo airport to tabak terminal? we’ll be staying 3d2n in iloilo, we’re planning to go to concepcion and to guimaras what’s the best thing to do? which one should we visit first? any suggestions on beach resorts in guimaras? and how to go there? sorry super many inqueries..
Wheng saysJanuary 6, 2011 at 3:12 pmThank you very much for this post! Very informative and timely coz we’ll be at Iloilo this coming March and i really don’t know what to do and where to go. This post will definitely be a great help for us. Thank you, Thank you! Parang scary lang yung ibang island sa guimaras..:)
Ela saysFebruary 10, 2011 at 3:40 pmVery interesting! Would you recommend trip to Concepcion from guimaras island? Thank you!
chymera00 saysFebruary 11, 2011 at 11:03 amYes Ela, I recommend getting to both places if you have the time
Janice Señora saysMarch 14, 2011 at 2:56 pmhi sir, tnx for the very informative & cool blog, just wanna ask some tips on how to maximize my 4days & 3nights in iloilo,guimaras& boracay…what to see,what to do & when… tanx in advance!
Diana saysApril 11, 2011 at 12:05 ami love this blog! very informative. ngayon alam ko na pupuntahan ko sa iloilo sa july! :) thanks sa pagpost! :)
D saysApril 29, 2011 at 3:27 pmMy tent and I, hope to make it to Sandbar sometime in the second half of May! Gettin’ ready now
shan saysMay 5, 2011 at 7:24 amI love this place ,water is so clear, so cool, i love collecting shells, playing with colorfull corals and so relaxing you will forget all your worries, really far from stress, from the city pollution, it’s a paradise for me , my fiancee and i spent bonding a moment in this place a i want to go back and feel the serenity in this island.
DARWIN MONTANIEL saysMay 13, 2011 at 4:39 amWala nako ma hambal sang amon nga lugar sa concepcion di kugid pag ibaylo bisan ano pa nga lugar isa lang ang akon gina handom kag gina ka hidlawan ang akon banwang nataw-han CONCEPCION ILOILO city Proud to be an ILONGGO.
kurt saysMay 15, 2011 at 8:34 pmhi. just would like to ask if its ok to explore concepcion around Aug? nde b maulan or mabagyo that time? thanks
chymera00 saysMay 18, 2011 at 6:24 pmOk lang … Concepcion is protected from the currents of the open sea because of the many islets that surround it … sort of like a natural harbor. Expect there’d be a high chance of rain in August but its still safe to travel to the islands … not unless may bagyo talaga, in which case, take precaution when traveling (in general).
supergal saysJuly 23, 2011 at 11:32 amHi! we are going to visit iloilo next month and we only have 1 day to explore the city. Do you have any suggestion/s on how we could maximize our visit? I hope you could help us. Thanks!
Marcos saysJuly 23, 2011 at 6:59 pmHello Tara, check out http://www.exploreiloilo.com/ for itinerary suggestions.
Julie saysAugust 7, 2011 at 2:34 amhi… ill be going to guimaras this october and after reading this, i kind of change my mind and i want to go here instead.. problem is, my 3 yr old son is coming with me and since there is no electricity there, i don’t think he’ll be able to sleep well at night… so, my question is, is it windy there? will we be able to sleep soundly at night? thanks so much…
Marcos saysAugust 7, 2011 at 1:53 pmBulubadiangan is just like any other island in the Philippines. Depende talaga yan sa weather, I give you guarantee that you’ll be able to sleep soundly. My suggestion so you’ll enjoy the trip better is to stay at one of the pension houses/hotels in the mainland like Hotel Junbee http://www.exploreiloilo.com/stay/info/hotel-junbee/ then go island hopping during the day.
miss_saigon saysAugust 20, 2011 at 10:16 pmhi, this blog is very informative. this overnight itinerary is ideal for adults. do you have suggestions if there’s children ranging from age 1 to 4?is it possible to do island hopping from morning up to pm? is it possible to go through all your suggested islands without staying overnight at sandbar?thank you very much in advance.
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:46 amI suggest spending the night at the mainland, where is more convenient and renting a pumpboat from the fish port in Concepcion town proper. See comment above.
pinky saysSeptember 4, 2011 at 8:05 pmhi! i’l be in iloilo on october as a solo traveler. i plan to go to concepcion. overnight lang. would it be safe for a female solo traveler? thanks!
Marcos saysSeptember 7, 2011 at 5:24 pmyes its safe. Kuya Sonny and his family are very accommodating.
Maria saysOctober 9, 2011 at 8:36 pmHi, i would just like to ask if this can be a getaway for two? for maybe 3 days? if so, around much would that cost? The reply would be very much appreciated!
lhai saysDecember 11, 2011 at 10:59 amhi, recently nagbago ba ang rates sa sandbar? or ganun pa rin??
ma saysJanuary 6, 2012 at 2:01 pmhello! kakatawag ko lang iba na nga ang rates– 1000 half day island hopping– 800 small cottage– 1000 big cottage– 1500 pasundo. kalurkey!hi marc! im a fan!!! hope to see you in iloilo next month.. pa-autograph! lol! :D
Marcos saysJanuary 7, 2012 at 11:52 amAhh two years ago pa yan kase ang naka post na rate. Thanks for sharing the current rates of Sandbar :) ahehe, pwede! *blushes
Mark saysJanuary 2, 2012 at 1:17 pmsir marcus, ok ba magdala ng sariling tent dito? papayagan kaya ako magcamp magisa?
Marcos saysJanuary 7, 2012 at 11:50 amoo okay lang mag camp. They charged P300 per tent but that was two years ago.
Melissa saysJanuary 19, 2012 at 8:31 pmI’ve been there 2 weeks ago with my family and friends. We stayed overnight, it was a real fun experience. Next time i go back to the Philippines i will definitely go visit Carles.
Marcos saysFebruary 2, 2012 at 2:42 amCool! Glad you were able to explore this side of Iloilo. I’m hoping more people would also get to experience this other side of the province.
cris saysJanuary 21, 2012 at 8:47 amHi, i will be going to iloilo on october this year with my wife, can you guys suggest itinerary for 3 days 2 nights. i will appreciate it so much. thank you.
Kendy saysMarch 19, 2012 at 11:28 pmhi.. if two persons lng magtravel ang sa boat pa sand bar 1,500 jpun payment?tnx
luna saysMarch 25, 2012 at 10:26 pmwe celebrated my grandpa’s, my 2 cuz’ and my aunt’s bday here last feb 10 ’12.. truly breathtaking.. as long as the weather is good.. nakakapagod ang travel… pero worth it pg andun ka na.. planning to visit and spend another summer escapade there..
Marcos saysApril 14, 2012 at 12:01 amI felt the same when the first time I visited Concepcion. It keeps you coming back for more!
ian | going places saysJuly 8, 2012 at 3:51 amwas there an entrance in each islands aside from island hopping charge?
Marcos saysJuly 8, 2012 at 8:13 pmThere’s an entrance fee for Agho (P300 for whole group) and Sandbar Island (there’s no entrance fee if you’re staying there. If not, I’m not sure how much they charge).
Mac saysJuly 24, 2012 at 10:10 amhi.. we will be going to Roxas City this November.. We’re planning to go to estancia for Isla Gigantes and plan to go to Concepcion.. Would you know how can we get from roxas city to estancia then estancia to concepcion? would you know how many hours will be our travel time? thanks.
Marcos saysAugust 19, 2012 at 7:25 pmThere are buses from Roxas that go directly to Estancia. Travel time is one hour. From Estancia, ride a bus/jeep to Sara terminal (ask the driver first if the bus will go to Sara, you don’t have to drop off at Estancia if the bus is going to Sara anyways).From Sara, ride the bus to Concepcion.
Mac saysAugust 29, 2012 at 6:53 pmThanks Marcos.. I hope kayanin ng time namin to go to these two places.. I think I just need to manage our ITI properly..
Penelope saysJanuary 13, 2013 at 7:56 pmEiy Marc,Salamat sa blog mo, ngayon alam ko na dapat ko puntahan sa trip ko next month. Do you think pwede pang babaan yung charge sa boat? Solo traveler kasi ako and well budgeted and tip ko pero super excited na ko explore the islands of concepcion…..
Marcos saysJanuary 13, 2013 at 9:29 pmNot unless you join a group that’s renting the boat then it would be hard to go to Sandbar cheaply. Try to contact Nong Sonny and ask if they have group bookings that are willing to let you hitch or if there are regular passenger boats to Pulupiña Island that can drop passengers off at Sandbar, which is along their route.
Anj saysJanuary 14, 2013 at 1:31 pmHi Nong! I’m also from Iloilo and I’m glad I’ve stumbled in your blog and saw this. My friend and I were planning to go to Bora (but changing my mind. :D). By the way, there will be just of 2 us going there, are we really going to rent the whole bangka for 1500? Please suggest another option. Thanks in advance. :D
Kristoff saysJanuary 16, 2013 at 4:03 amHello, I’ll be travelling solo from Jan.24,2013-Jan.29,2013 for the Dinagyang Festival. Since i’ll be staying for a couple more days after the festival, I might go for a day tour to Sandbar. I just want to know if Sonny Eusala’s number is updated? Do you have any contacts in Iloilo/Concepcion in case I get lost or something while on my way to the island? Would greatly appreciate your speedy response. This is very informative by the way, great posts!
Peanut saysFebruary 13, 2013 at 7:36 pmHello, Sir! Thank you for this very informative blog. Are the rates and contact numbers still the same? As one the many, I am also searching for new place/s to hop on. Especially away from the crowd of Boracay. Again, thank you and I hope to hear a response from you. Great job! :)
Marcos saysFebruary 16, 2013 at 5:54 pmContact numbers are still the same. I advice contacting them directly for the latest rates.
gresh saysMarch 20, 2014 at 5:54 pmfrom roxas city you can take a bus and drop by the municipality of Sara. There are passenger boats going to Igbon and you can request the boatman to drop you off to Sandbar. locals pay 20.00 fare to Igbon and boatman may ask your group 500.00 but its just about 5-10 mins boat ride and 200-300 for a group or 50.00 each should be fair.