BALOT ISLAND (Sultan Kudarat): Travel Guide, Budget + Itinerary

Sultan Kudarat is hardly on my list of places I would scour for beautiful islands and beaches. Surprisingly though, this province is abundant with all nature’s goodness. From mountains and waterfalls to rivers and gorgeous white sandy beaches, Sultan Kudarat has it all. One of its main offerings is Balot Island which is a small isle down South of the Mindanao archipelago. Let me tell you our story of how we had so much fun in one of the less-known jewels here in our country.

In March 2023, I started my backpacking adventure. My aim is to visit all 82 provinces in the Philippines. I have already visited more than 60 but this time, I plan to discover everything and leave nothing unturned. To my delight, I had the opportunity to jumpstart this new chapter of my life in Balot Island.

It was 5:00 AM on Saturday when I started to trace the road using our tuk-tuk to Balot Island from our home in Midsayap, North Cotabato. My sister decided to tag along, making it more worthwhile. It was 6:00 AM when we reached Cotabato City and stopped over for breakfast.

We continued the ride from Cotabato City to Kalamansig, taking the Cotabato-Upi Road. This was the very first time I ventured onto these roads since this area has been on my No-go list for a long time due to the turmoil between the rebels and government forces. I only decided to take this route after getting reassurance from my father that it was now safe.

I didn’t know that the roads would take us exploring the mountains connecting Maguindanao Del Sur and Sultan Kudarat provinces. We discovered several villages high up the mountains, thriving despite the limited presence of technology. There was no mobile signal for the most part of the ride but we enjoyed the amazing scenery we got to see along the way.

The roads were cemented but they were kind of steep and had lots of dangerous curves. It took us 4 hours in total to cover it before finally reaching the town of Lebak at the foot of the mountain. We drove passed it and went straight to the town of Kalamansig to have lunch.

The jumpoff point to Balot Island in Brgy. Paril was another 30-minute drive so we resumed the journey immediately after we had lunch. The roads were also steep and treacherous but offered us awesome views. It was the kind of route that you wouldn’t really think would lead to a beach considering how deep into the mountains it had taken us. But you know what they say, “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations” and that is exactly what it was for us.

We reached the jumpoff point to Balot Island at 1:00 PM and were greeted by our kind host and boat operator. I forgot his name but he was a friendly Tausug who took care of everything for us before taking us exploring Balot Island. We didn’t have supplies so he took the liberty of scouring the nearby stores for what he could find. When we were ready, we started the boat ride.

Balot Island is just 20 minutes away. The journey was pretty short but it was full of eye-catching views. The surrounding water was so gorgeous. It was clear and a beautiful color of turquoise that transitioned to azure and deep blue as we went along. The teeming life underwater was also not to be ignored.

We spent three hours exploring the rocky white sand beaches on Balot Island. Since my sister was not up to camping with our tents, we opted to go to Balot Coral Beach to spend the night. There, we spent the rest of the day bathing, snapping photos here and there, lying on our hammocks while listening to our favorite music, and basking at a spectacular sunset. We just loved the serenity of that place and the fact that we had it to ourselves.

The following morning, we had a freshly caught fish grilled for breakfast. One thing I love about Kalamansig and this entire trip is the affordable seafood. A kilo of fish costs as low as 80 and a kilo of shellfish costs 100. They were such a bargain considering how pricey seafood can get in the market these days.

We wanted to stay for another night but we had work. Before going back to the jumpoff point in Brgy. Paril, our boatman took us back to Balot Island to explore its main beach. It was a long strip of white sandy beach dotted by towering coconut trees that was home to a small Muslim community. I relished its pure and raw beauty as it was devoid of any trace of commercialism.

There were only local houses and not a single cottage. The beach was clean and the locals were friendly. I would’ve loved to stay longer and explore the island some more but we were still driving to General Santos so we had to cut our stay a bit short. Our time in Balot Island was fleeting but it was in these moments that I found my most fond memories.

From Manila, fly to either Cotabato City or General Santos City. From these two airports, here are the instructions on how you can go to Balot Island in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.

• Cotabato City – Ride a tricycle to the terminal of passenger vans going to Lebak/Kalamansig (₱20/head). Hop on one and get off in Kalamansig town proper (₱400/head/way). If you happen to ride a van that stops in Lebak then just ride a tricycle to Kalamansig. From Kalamansig public terminal, charter a tricycle to take you to the jumpoff point in Brgy. Paril. Just tell them that you’re headed to Balot Island (₱75/head/way). Total travel time is 3-4 hours.
• General Santos – I’m not quite sure whether there is a direct van to Kalamansig from General Santos City. If you fail to find one then you can simply ride a Yellow Bus to Maitum (₱350/way) and another van from Maitum to Kalamansig (₱200/way). From Kalamansig public terminal, charter a tricycle to take you to the jumpoff point in Brgy. Paril (₱75/head/way). Just tell them that you’re headed to Balot Island. Total travel time is 4-5 hours.
• From Midsayap or anywhere in North Cotabato – ride a van or bus to Cotabato City (₱100/head) and another van to Lebak or Kalamansig (₱400/head/way). From Kalamansig public terminal, charter a tricycle to take you to the jumpoff point in Brgy. Paril (₱75/head/way). Just tell them that you’re headed to Balot Island. Total travel time is 4-5 hours.

• Expect a bumpy ride in some parts of Upi due to poor road conditions.
• Prices on the island are twice the normal. Make sure to bring enough supplies/provisions like rice, drinking water, coffee, meat, beer, soda, snacks, etc so you won’t need to buy them upon getting to the island.
• Seafood is affordable and always fresh. You can buy a kilo for as low as ₱80 any time of the day.
• Bring your own cookware and utensils. The locals will gladly lend you theirs but it’s more convenient to have your own.
• There’s no mobile signal on the island so expect to be totally disconnected when you get there.
• The boat rental costs ₱700 which can be shared by 10 people. This would already take you exploring Balot Island and take care of your 2-way transfer.
• There’s an entrance fee of ₱50/head on the main beach of Balot Island. There’s also an entrance fee of ₱50/head in Balot Coral Beach.
• Balot Coral Beach is located on the mainland in Brgy. Paril and not on Balot Island. Here, you can rent cottages, fan/AC rooms, and group/family villas. The rates range from ₱1500-3000. This is a good alternative if you’re not into camping on Balot Island.
• Avoid going here during holidays since it is always packed with people. If you like having the beach to yourself then it’s ideal to go here during the off-peak seasons and non-holidays.
• LEAVE NO TRACE. The community has no proper waste management and collection program so let’s help them by not leaving trash for them to take care of.

There you have it, lovelies. I hope you enjoy this blog and find it helpful. For questions, just leave them in the comments. Until next time. Ciao!