Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park 

Sohoton national park is well known for its fascinating geological features such as caves, a subterranean river, waterfalls, and unique limestone formations. The park is situated at Rawis, Brgy. Guirang, Basey, Samar covering an approximate area of 8km². 

The area was declared a National Park on 19-JUL-1935 by Proclamation No. 831, primarily to preserve its geological features.

The Sohoton area was also a stronghold of Filipino fighters during the Philippine-American War. The first attempt by U.S. Marines to storm this stronghold on 06-NOV-1901 failed. A week later, a second attack was successful. Panhulugan is a place with steep cliffs, where the defenders dropped off rock boulders and logs onto the enemy navigating the river below. This tactic is still named after this place. Panhulugan is also the name of two caves in the park.

Sohoton Natural Bridge

A fantastic huge arch-shaped rock that connects two mountains ridges spanning the Sohoton River.  It has a vertical clearance of 23 feet, about 8 meters in width and 40 meters in length.  The Stone Bridge is forested at its upper portion while on its underside hang heavy karst formations of giant stalactites forming like swords and rockets.  This is located within the Sohoton National Park in Basey.

The most prominent features in the park are the cathedral-like caves, which are the Panhulugan I, and II, Sohoton and Bugosan.  All the caves in the park are endogen caves in angular limestone cliff, which support the base of other crack system.  It abounds with flowstones and dripstones.  Two and a half (2½) hours motorboat ride from Tacloban City and two (2) hours ride from Basey proper can reach these tourist spots in Basey.

Sohoton Cave

This is not the most impressive cave at Sohoton Natural Bridge NP, but it is a beautiful and 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, which is a little uphill and reached after a short walk.

As the cave is a dripstone cave, there are numerous named formations. However, it seems the names are a bit above average. There are Banaue Rice Terraces, the Great Wall of China, a Harem Pavilion, an Amphitheatre with natural built-in acoustical system, and Seductive Courtesan’s Boudoir, refreshingly cooled by Mother Nature.

The locals, as a mark of respect to the “spirits” that they believe hover around the cave, request permission to enter the cave by tapping or knocking the entrance sideways three times. The entrance is really impressive, a huge arch like portal. Behind the portal is a entrance hall with level floor, which is 20m wide and 50m long. Then follows the main chamber, a huge dome which is up to 50m high. At the far end of the chamber is a sort of window with a balcony overlooking the pool below.

Other impressive caves in this region include;

Calbiga Caves , Guimit Cave , Locso-on Cave , Rawis Cave ,Tinago-an Cave ,Bugasan Cave ,Capigtan Cave ,Panhulugan Cave I ,Panhulugan Cave II