Camiguin Packing List for Women: The Island Born of Fire

Photograph: The ferry off Camiguin by Agustin Rafael Reyes from Yokohama, Japan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Camiguin is a small volcanic island in the Bohol Sea, about 10 kilometres off the northern coast of Mindanao, and one of three Mindanao islands that the UK Foreign Office names as exceptions to its travel warning. It is the second smallest province in the Philippines after Batanes, with a ring road of about 64 kilometres, an active volcano at its heart, a cemetery lost to the sea, and a white sandbar offshore. Packing for Camiguin means packing for heat and sudden rain, for a volcano climb or a waterfall walk, for snorkelling over graves, and for getting there by a route that stays inside the FCDO's advice.

The photograph above shows a blue and white roll on, roll off ferry pushing a white bow wave across calm water, a few passengers on its upper deck and smoke from its funnel, with a small outrigger boat far to the left. Behind it rise dark green volcanic peaks, their tops lost in cloud. What it cannot show is the island up close. We cannot tell you which of those peaks is Hibok-Hibok, or which port the ferry is heading for. The frame shows no Sunken Cemetery and its white cross, no White Island, no church ruins, no town, no beach, no hot spring and no waterfall. It is the view most visitors have first, from the water, and the island is still ahead of it.

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What Is Here

Camiguin is an island made by volcanoes. It covers about 238 square kilometres, roughly 23 kilometres at its longest and 14.5 at its widest, and a national road of about 64 kilometres runs right round it. The capital is Mambajao on the north coast, and the island was once part of the province of Misamis Oriental on the mainland. It is sometimes called Camiguin de Mindanao, to distinguish it from a different volcanic island called Camiguin in the Babuyan Islands far to the north.

The forested interior is protected as the Mount Hibok-Hibok Protected Landscape, which has been declared an ASEAN Heritage Park. The island is famous for its sweet lanzones fruit, celebrated in the Lanzones Festival on the third weekend of October. Three of its sites have been declared National Cultural Treasures: the old Bonbon church ruins and the Sunken Cemetery, both in Catarman, and a Spanish era watchtower in Guinsiliban.

Hibok-Hibok and the Volcanic Past

Mount Hibok-Hibok is an active stratovolcano, 1,332 metres high, and it has shaped the island's history. In 1871 a fissure opened near the old town of Catarman, and lava poured into the sea for four years, destroying the town and building a new cone, Mount Vulcan, which is the youngest volcano on the island. In 1951 Hibok-Hibok itself erupted with deadly force: the encyclopaedia records that more than 3,000 people were killed, and that the island's population fell from about 69,000 to about 34,000 as people left.

The volcano is monitored by the Hibok-Hibok Volcano Observatory of PHIVOLCS, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which publishes alert levels on a scale from 0, quiet, to 5, an eruption in progress. The FCDO warns that any of the Philippines' volcanoes can erupt without warning, that sudden steam and ash explosions can happen at any time, and advises checking the news and following local advice before travelling to any volcanic area, and avoiding volcanic areas during and just after heavy rain. Check the current Hibok-Hibok alert level before you climb or hike anywhere on the mountain.

Climbing Hibok-Hibok needs a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office in Mambajao. The usual start is the Ardent hot springs, and the summit normally takes three to five hours. Go with a local guide. For an easier walk, Mount Vulcan has a path lined with the Stations of the Cross, a memorial to those who died in the last eruption.

The Sunken Cemetery, White Island and the Coast

The Sunken Cemetery is the island's best known sight. It was an ordinary Spanish era cemetery at Bonbon until the 1871 eruption, when the ground subsided and the sea came in. A white concrete cross, built in 1982, now marks the spot offshore. The tombs lie under water as deep as about six metres, covered in coral, and snorkellers and divers visit them; some features show at low tide. Nearby, the ruins of the old church, convent and bell tower of the first Catarman, known as Gui-ob, stand nearby, with a chapel since built inside.

Off the north coast near Mambajao lies White Island, an uninhabited horseshoe of white sand that the tides constantly reshape. There are no trees and no shelter of any kind on it, so the sun is fierce; small boats can be hired from the resorts at Agoho and Yumbing. Mantigue Island, offshore, is a small islet with a white beach. Inland, Katibawasan Falls drops into a cold pool, and the Ardent hot springs are pleasant in the evening.

A word on the sea. The FCDO says beaches in the Philippines are unlikely to have lifeguards or warning signs, that the seas can be extremely dangerous, and that British nationals regularly get into trouble in the water or drown. Ask locally before swimming, and if you dive, check the operator's credentials, the oxygen on the boat and how a diver would reach a recompression chamber, as the FCDO advises.

When to Go

Camiguin is tropical and warm all year, so the timing question is about storms. The FCDO says around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year, mostly between June and November. In 2001 a typhoon triggered deadly mudslides on Camiguin's slopes. The FCDO also notes that ferry accidents are more frequent in the rainy season, from June to December, when storms can develop quickly, and that the risk of dengue rises from June to October.

The months outside the typhoon season are the safer bet for a first visit, with calmer crossings. If you come in October for the Lanzones Festival, build slack into your plans and follow the state weather agency, PAGASA, which the FCDO points to for storm tracking.

Getting There

This is the most important section of this guide. In the FCDO's words: "FCDO advises against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. FCDO also advises against all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao, except for: Camiguin Island, Dinagat Island, Siargao Island." So the island itself is excepted, but the mainland around it is not. The best known route to Camiguin runs through Mindanao: a flight to Cagayan de Oro, a bus of about two hours to the port of Balingoan in Misamis Oriental, then a ferry to Benoni. That route crosses mainland Mindanao, where the FCDO advises against all travel or all but essential travel depending on the area, and the FCDO warns that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. Read its detailed map before you plan.

There are two ways to reach the island without touching the mainland. Camiguin Airport, the island's only airport, near Mambajao, has flights from Cebu with Cebgo. And Wikivoyage lists a ferry from Jagna on Bohol to Balbagon port on Camiguin. Check current schedules with the operators, since both can change, and avoid overcrowded boats: the FCDO says the ferry and passenger boat network has a poor safety record and that boats sometimes lack lifesaving equipment. Know where the life jackets are before you leave the pier. The FCDO's piracy warning names the Sulu and Celebes seas, not this crossing.

On the island, you can rent a motorbike, ride the jeepneys or hire a tricycle. The FCDO says road accidents are frequent in the Philippines, advises caution around motorbikes and scooters and avoiding driving at night. If you have not ridden a motorbike before, a hired tricycle and driver for the day is a better way round the island.

Is Camiguin Safe for Women Travelers

Camiguin is explicitly excepted from the FCDO's Mindanao warning, read on 9 November 2026. The wider context still matters: the FCDO says terrorist attacks occur frequently in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, that there is a threat of kidnapping by terrorist groups including of foreign nationals in rural, urban and coastal areas throughout Mindanao, especially in the Sulu archipelago and the Zamboanga Peninsula, and that multiple terrorist groups intend to carry out attacks anywhere in the Philippines, including Manila. That is why the route you choose to reach the island matters as much as the island itself. The FCDO also advises contacting the local authorities if you plan to travel away from the main resort areas and tourist spots.

On crime, the FCDO says there are high levels of street crime and robbery in the Philippines, sometimes with weapons, and advises using only taxis from reputable companies. It records reports of rape and sexual assault from British nationals in some places popular with backpackers, naming Coron and Siargao. The same habits apply on Camiguin: keep your room number to yourself, do not accept rides or boat trips from people who approach you, and tell someone where you are going on a day out. It also warns of methanol in alcoholic drinks, adding that even small amounts can kill, so stick to sealed drinks from reputable places.

Some laws are strict. You must be able to show identification if the police ask, so carry a copy of your passport photo page if your passport is in a safe. The FCDO says possession of even a small amount of any illicit drug means a mandatory prison sentence, and that the Bureau of Immigration has warned foreign nationals against joining protests and political rallies.

The Camiguin Packing List

Our merino base layers are 100% Australian merino at 17.5 micron, and a lightweight long sleeve merino wool base layer for women works well here. It keeps the sun off your arms on White Island, where there is no shade at all, covers your shoulders in church, and stays fresh on a sweaty volcano climb where the summit can be cool and cloudy.

For Sun and Sea

A wide brim sun hat and the Columbia Benton Spring long hoodie are the best defence on the sandbar and on boats. A dry bag keeps your phone and passport copy dry on the boat to White Island and on the ferry. Our register carries no sunscreen and no eyewear, so bring reef friendly sun cream and sunglasses of your own.

For the Volcano and the Waterfalls

For Hibok-Hibok or the trails to the falls, hiking shoes with real grip are essential on steep, wet volcanic ground, and a packable rain jacket handles sudden downpours and the cloud near the summit.

For Mosquitoes

The FCDO lists dengue and Zika among the health risks, with dengue highest in the rainy season, so pack a DEET insect repellent and use it morning and evening. That gives us six affiliate links, our limit per post, so we have not linked a water bottle; bring a refillable one anyway, and buy drinking water locally.

Recommended Tours and Experiences

Essential Resources for Women in Camiguin

Emergency numbers: 911 for ambulance, fire and police, according to the FCDO's getting help page; its health page says to call 911 and ask for an ambulance.

Medical care: the island's government hospital is the Camiguin General Hospital in Mambajao. The FCDO warns that many places in the Philippines, including some tourist destinations, do not have easy access to emergency medical care, and that private treatment and medical transport are expensive, so make sure your insurance covers evacuation off the island and repatriation. It keeps a list of medical providers in the Philippines. If you dive, ask your operator in advance how a diver would reach a recompression chamber.

Volcano and weather: check the Hibok-Hibok alert level with PHIVOLCS and storm warnings with PAGASA before any climb or crossing.

US State Department travel advisory: the Philippines advisory. Read the current level there directly rather than relying on a figure printed in any guide.

UK FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/philippines, and read the safety and security page rather than only the landing page, because that is where the substance sits.

Official health authority: the Philippine Department of Health.

US Embassy: the United States Embassy in Manila, is in Manila; reach Camiguin by air from Cebu or by ferry from Bohol rather than across mainland Mindanao.

Official tourism authority: the Philippine Department of Tourism, covers the whole country; confirm ferry and flight schedules locally.

Solo women safety assessment: Camiguin is a small, quiet island, and it is one of the three Mindanao islands the FCDO names as exceptions to its warning. The biggest decision is the route: fly in from Cebu or take the ferry from Bohol rather than crossing mainland Mindanao, where the FCDO advises against travel. On the island, the risks are the ordinary ones and the natural ones: keep your room number private, refuse rides and boat trips from strangers, drink only sealed drinks, avoid motorbikes unless you are experienced, check the volcano alert level before climbing, and never swim alone on unguarded beaches. Emergency 911.

Takeaways

Camiguin rewards a few slow days: the Sunken Cemetery, White Island, the church ruins, a waterfall and, if the alert level allows, a guided climb up Hibok-Hibok. Get there by air from Cebu or by ferry from Bohol so you stay inside the FCDO's advice, travel outside the typhoon months if you can, and pack for sun, rain and steep volcanic ground.

Reading On

The two gateways that keep you clear of mainland Mindanao are covered by the Cebu packing list and the Bohol packing list, and for another Visayas port town read the Dumaguete packing list. For more islands, read the Palawan packing list, the El Nido packing list, the Coron packing list and the Boracay packing list, and for the capital, the Manila packing list. The Philippines packing list and the Philippines travel guide for women cover the whole country. For why one wool layer works from a hot sandbar to a cloudy summit, read the guide to merino wool base layers for women, and every destination we cover is indexed at the travel packing guide for women. The base layers themselves are in the Roman Trail collection.

If the outer journey is calling you, the inner one usually is too. Explore SoulMap at romantrail.com/blogs/soulmap.