I took the trip to Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge in Basey, Samar the day after my War Memorial Tour in Leyte.
The driver picked me up a the Leyte Park Hotel at 8am. We then drove across the San Juanico bridge, and then on to Basey, Samar. About an hour drive. The private van cost me 3,000php. I am sure there are cheaper methods to make the trip. I just didn’t have the time to search around for them.
In Besay, they have a park station where you pay for the banka to take you on the hour long trip up river to the caves and natural bridge. The cost is just over 2,500php for the boat, which holds 7 passengers. Thus your fee is around 380 pesos. This includes the guided tour inside the caves as well.
Pictures of Sohoton Caves, Samar Philippines
At the station, I hooked up with 3 American medical volunteers and 3 Filipino seamen to share a boat. The ride was a bit long, but it was also my favorite part of the tour. I really enjoyed seeing the lush vegetation and observing how people lived along the river. I only have my Casio EX-Z8 camera for videos, so the quality is not as good as I would like, but here is a video of the river tour.
When we arrived at the caves, there was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide there to greet us. We first went up river a short while to the natural bridge. After taking pictures there and admiring the scenery, we headed back to the cave entrance. There we all given our hard hats and a flashlight. Then we went for a tour to see all the different rock formations in the caves.
When we came out of the cave it was raining. But the banka had a cover on it, and we stayed nice and dry during the ride back to Basey. From Basey I gave the three Filipino seamen a ride home to Tacloban in the van.
Really enjoyed this trip, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys eco tourism!