Vanishing Island, Samal Island, Philippines.

Vanishing Island is one of the less visited tourist attractions on Samal Island, choose your time to visit well though because at at some point in the day the island is almost completely covered by the sea. This is not what you might call a lively place to visit but well worth including in your itinerary if you want to come to know all that Samal Island has to offer. Vanishing Island is a quiet restful place where nature lovers can take a stroll and enjoy the surroundings.




Vanishing Island is a small island located just offshore from Samal Island close to The Monfort Bat Cave and is so called because depending on the tide it becomes covered with water and partially vanishes, the few habitations on the island are houses raised up on stilts. It is also referred to as The Salipaan Shoal.

On the island are a couple of habitations and a number of mangrove trees but that's about it, however the journey over by boat is always a pleasant experience and once there you can stroll about and examine the shells and starfish which are there in abundance as well as wander amongst the mangroves. Depending on the tide it is an excellent place for swimming and snorkelling as the waters are crystal clear.

You will be rewarded by stunning views of Samal Island on one side and Davao City and passing large cargo ships on the other. But be sure to take some water with you as you will not be able to buy anything on Vanishing Island, also consider sun protection as there is little shade over there. While there do not be surprised if a nice young lady suddenly seems to materialise seemingly out of nowhere, she will have a roll of tickets and money bag, her role is to collect a very small fee from you cover your visit.

How to get there? Well if you are a visitor, particularly a foreign visitor then you would be best to arrange a boat to take you over from the Monfort Bat Cave or use another organised tour, you can contact the bat cave via the phone numbers on The Bat Cave entry on this site. They will take care of you every step of the way.



Alternatively look out for a sign which says " to the mosque " just before The Bat Cave, this path leads you down to the Fisherman's Village down by the seashore and you can then ask about and one of the locals will be glad to take you over on their small banca. If you are considering going over this way then it would be wise to have someone along with you fluent in Bisaya who also knows the local people and area well.

Click here to see Vanishing Island on Google Maps : LINK