Samar, formerly Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City. Samar is connected to Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge.
San Juanico Bridge |
The San Juanico Bridge (which is 2.16 kilometers long) still holds the record as the longest bridge in the Philippines.
The bridge connects Tacloban City on the Leyte side and the town of Sta. Rita on the Samar side. It crosses the San Juanico strait, reportedly the world’s narrowest (only two kilometers wide at its most narrow point). The bridge was constructed in 1973 during the Marcos administration.
While in Basey, Samar, we decided to take a tour to the Sohoton Cave, a well visited dripstone cave. Tours start at Basey pier, where a pump boat, tour guide, and light men are rented. The fee includes the boat rent, the guide, the light men, and the entrance fee. The boat brings visitors upstream to the cave entrance.
A two-hour motorboat ride from Basey proper through the Golden River (Cadac-an river) can reach these tourist spots in Basey.