Lakawon — Local services in Cadiz

We left Silay City early in the morning to catch the 7:00 am boat to Lakawon Island. The journey from Silay to Cadiz took about an hour, covering a distance of 49 km. Upon arrival, we found the motorcycle parking spacious but a bit pricey at 80 pesos.

We got there before 7 am and had to wait for the Tourism officer, who arrived around 8:30 am. Thankfully, there were vendors and eateries nearby where we could have breakfast while waiting. When the officer arrived, we registered along with a Korean group. Since it was a weekday, we had to shoulder 1,000 pesos as we were less than 25 people, but the other group kindly let us pay just 200 pesos.

Instead of the regular 500 pesos fee, we ended up paying 600 pesos each, which covered the entrance, terminal, round-trip boat ride, cottage, and access to the floating bar. Note that the fees vary between weekdays and weekends, and reservations are not accepted—it's first come, first served.

The boat ride to Lakawon Island took about 20 minutes.

We visited in February during low tide, so we couldn't swim, but we still enjoyed the serene beauty of the island. One of the highlights was the TawHai Floating Bar, a unique and popular attraction. The island also offers accommodations, huts, and a restaurant.

For a smooth experience, it's advisable to book your accommodation in advance, especially during peak season. Lakawon Island is definitely worth the visit for its picturesque beaches and...

I’ve been to Lakawon so many times but last Sunday, May 15, 2022 was the worst. All was well until it hit 4PM. It was raining in the island but the rain eventually passed and the sea was calm so there should be no issue with the boats. They said it was low tide so only 2 boats were operating with a crowd of 1000+ waiting for their return trip. They for sure already know that they accommodated so many people, they should have increased the number of boats so the return trips won’t be a hassle. Each boat probably accommodated 30 pax. They didn’t have any announcements to customers saying that you should get a ticket number for your return trip. So we got one of the last numbers and were the last people on the queue for the trip back. No one from the management approached us and told us what to expect. They should have had a plan to manage this kind of situation. The ticket queuing isn’t enough of a solution. You guys should know how many people are in your island and everyone is paying a good amount to get there so adding more boats or tapping other local boatmen should have been your next step. Announcements should be done by your staff and also do something for the inconvenience caused to your customers. You could have given complementary drinks to lessen upset customers on the delays. That toilet area from the dock smells so bad and leaves a lasting impression when you leave the island. I’m not really sure if it’s worth...

📍Just to get there and back is a pain. You have to wait to fill the boat with x amount of people, waste of time if you ask me. (Pay an extra P1500 for a special trip..huh?) 📍The cottages are set back away from the shoreline which is doable but not ideal. Finding your cottage number is a guessing game. You can barely see the markers. 📍My biggest pet peeve is that you pay an “environmental fee” but the beach has not been kept clean by whoever is responsible. There’s food wrappers etc and what nots in the water and off shore. (c’mon people leave no trace!) 📍Not much in the way of snorkeling except for tiny fish and starfish by one of the moored boats. 📍Showers available in the back of cafe area. 📍Don’t go walking around elsewhere as large parts of the island are someone else’s. There’s decrepit buildings towards the back. 📍+ for the people manning the shops/office, the stars are for them. 📍If you’re parking by the ticketing office, there’s a parking fee...