Before I bring you to our latest trip to Caramoan Islands, please allow me to give a brief overview of Naga City, Camarines Sur first.
Naga City is an independent component city in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Naga is nicknamed as the "Heart of Bicol" for its geographical location near the center of the Bicol Peninsula. It is the second largest city in the Bicol Region (Region V) in terms of population and the religious, financial, educational, trade,and commercial center of the Bicol Region.
Naga City is the Bicol Region's top tourist destinations not only because of "Peñafrancia Festival". It lies on the Southern part of Luzon Island and is the largest among the six provinces in the Bicol Region. Home of the muscular Mt. Isarog (with Mayon Volcano being the female counterpart) and the smallest commercially-harvested fish in the world, the Sinarapan (Mistichthys luzonensis) found only in lake Buhi. Today, with advent and unregulated culture of Tilapia fish in the lake, Sinarapan was kicked out (literally) from the main lake and being cultured in the smaller lakes around Lake Buhi, to avoid the specie from extinction, with the supervision of the BFAR. And recently the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) @ the Capitol Grounds, Pili, Cam. Sur and the Caramoan Islands & Gota Beach Village Resort were added to the menu.
Quick facts:
- With a total land area of around 8,000 hectares, Naga is a relatively small city compared to Cebu or Davao.
- The name Naga is said to have come from an abundance of narra trees (“naga” in Bikolano).
- Naga is surrounded by plains, save for Mount Isarog. The borders of six municipalities in Camarines Sur (Goa, Tigaon, Ocampo, Pili, Naga, and Calabanga) converge at the peak of Mount Isarog.
How to get there:
Bus: From Cubao, it’s an eight hour ride to Naga. Ordinary fare is P600 per person, while an air-conditioned ride will set you back P900.
Train: From Manila, you can take the Philippine National Railways’ Bicol Express. The night ride departs at 6:30 PM and arrives at 5:00 AM—book a sleeper cabin for P800 to P1000 and get a good night’s sleep. But beware - the ride is a bumpy one!
Air: Watch out for seat sales from budget airlines like Cebu Pacific Air. You can get a one-way flight to Naga for as low as P500, exclusive of taxes.
Now let me guide you through how we explored this beautiful city...
Jan 29, 2014: It was around quarter before 1 AM that we boarded plane from Singapore and reached Manila City after approximately 4 hrs trip. We planned to take the free shuttle bus to Resorts World Manila just opposite the NAIA Terminal 3, but to our despair they no longer provide the free shuttle to non-members. Someone report this to their management!!! So instead of enjoying buffet at RWM, we dined at Jollibee at NAIA instead, while waiting for our next flight to Naga.
Due to airport terminal traffic our plane was delayed for about half hour. And when our time came for boarding, we were surprised that it was a SMALL plane with PROPELLERS. Anyways, we were still thankful that the plane had arrived, little did we know that it will again be delayed by almost an hour.. haiz... To cut the long story short, we arrived Naga at around 12:30 PM, then we rode taxi to Palm Vivo Inn. Please note that taxi charges flat fare of PHP 350.
After check-in, we walked to Bigg's Diner for lunch. Bigg's Diner is the biggest food chain in Bicol Region. We had Pork Cordon Bleu (PHP 159), Baby Back Ribs (PHP 225) and Salisbury Steak (PHP 125). After then we spent the afternoon exploring nearby attractions and looking for the van terminal for the next day. So after Bigg's Diner, we passed by San Francisco Church then walked all the way to SM Naga mall. The van terminal is just beside SM Naga.
More of Naga City tour on my next blog...
Jan 30, 2014: Surviving Caramoan (A Budget Friendly Guide)
Caramoan Island - Famous because it is the favorite venue for the reality-TV series SURVIVOR, among the countries that chose Caramoan islands are Serbia, Israel, Bulgaria, Sweden, France, India and just recently USA.
Very little is known about Caramoan. Caramoan gives 'island hopping' a new meaning. Enjoy its beauty in many ways. Great ocean adventures for kayakers, snorkle and scuba dive to experience the diverse marine life, trek and search for the enigmatic lagoon, rock climb the limestone cliffs, explore the caves or just star gaze at night.
Isolated from the rest of Camarines Sur, it is no surprise why Philippine's Secret Paradise remains unexploited from commercial tourism unlike Palawan. I am not discouraging you from going to Palawan. In fact, I would like you to visit both of them, because both of them has different activities to enjoy... However, I just want to warn you ahead that reaching Caramoan requires commitment and you shall know why soon.
At around 5:30 am, we hired tricycle from our inn to Naga Van Terminal which is about 15 mins ride (PHP 40). From there we boarded the white aircon van to Sabang (PHP 100/pax). FYI: The van needs to be filled before it shall depart to its destination. The travel from Naga to Sabang takes around 1.5 hrs. Towns that you'll be passing by: Pili, Ocampo, Tigaon, Goa, San Jose, Sabang
Once you are in Sabang port, we registered our names and waited for the go signal to board the big boat that will bring us to Guijalo Feeder Port at Caramoan. There are porters who will offer you their service to carry your luggage to the boat. It was low tide and the boat couldn't get near the shore, so the porters built a floating bridge and carry the passengers to the boat. They charge PHP10/pax.
The boat fare is PHP120/pax, the boat ride from Sabang port to Guijalo Port takes around 2 hrs subject to water current. Enjoy the sea side trip with a lush green scenery on the left and blue waters on the right side. When you arrive Guijalo Port, you need to pay PHP30 for environmental fee. FYI: The boat to Guijalo starts at 6AM and departs hourly until 11AM. But sometimes the time is not reliable because it depends on the volume of passenger. So the suggested time is as early as possible (6AM-9AM) to ensure your travel. If you miss the last boat trip, then you will need to charter your own boat which will cost you from 2000 - 3000 php depending on the size of the boat and your haggling skills.
The weather was gloomy but the sea was calm. Even though the colors are not as bright as the photos we always see on travel blogs, we were excited as we don’t know what to expect in Caramoan. We passed by Aguirangan Island but wasn't able to take good photo of it from afar...
A month before the escapade, I tried to contact different hotels to canvass for their room rates and packages. And we decided to go for Hazel and Ala's Beach Resort. The resort is at Zone 4 Paniman, Caramoan, Camarines Sur. We chose this resort as it is beach-side and it is where the island hopping starts. The room rate for 3 persons is PHP1100/night (aircon and private t&b). They also arrange boat for island hopping tours and pickup at port. Island hopping short trip PHP1200 (includes matukad, lajos, cadbalinad, tinago, busdak island), while PHP 2200 (includes sabitang laya, cotivas, manlawe-sand bar, tabgon statue of our lady of peace 557 step). We booked the short trip only because we only have half day for island hopping. I also arranged for a tricycle that will pick us up when we arrive at the port at PHP250. You may contact them through facebook or text them at +639204016888. Please note they require 50% deposit for reservation as with other hotels or resorts.
Since this is just a 2D/1N escapade we have no time to lounge around. We had lunch at the resort before heading for island hopping tour. We ordered Bicol Express, Sinigang fish and rice for only PHP 400. Afterwards, we changed to our beach attire and started our island hopping trip. The boat ride to the islands was fun and adventure ride - strong breeze and water splashed our faces. We visited the nearby islands like Matukad, Lajos, Cadbalinad, Tinago, Busdak and Gota Village. We posed for some photo souvenir with the beautiful scenery. By the way, our boatman told us that there is a secret lagoon that can be reached by climbing among the cliffs in Matukad island. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper footwear to check it out. We hopped to another island and enjoyed swimming and snorkeling. There was no fish during that time because of very strong current. :(
Our last stop was Gota Village Resort. There were some props of SURVIVOR TV series in this resort. Our boat guide toured us around and showed us the cabanas that the SURVIVOR crew stayed whenever there is TV shooting. Lucky to know about this...
Then we went back to our hotel and bathe. At night, the sea breeze was very cold and strong, such that the owner needed to cover the restaurant with tarpaulin. We had 1 big crab, Laing and rice for dinner for only PHP 600. FYI: the crab was caught during lunch time and was especially cooked for us...hehe..
Jan 31, 2014: We really enjoyed Caramoan islands. It truly is a nice place to take a break from the hectic and monotonous days. Rooster crowed early but there was no sunrise since it was cloudy. We prepared for checkout and booked tricycle to take us to Guijalo Port. From there we take boat to Sabang then take van to Naga.
After check-in, we walked to Bigg's Diner for lunch. Bigg's Diner is the biggest food chain in Bicol Region. We had Pork Cordon Bleu (PHP 159), Baby Back Ribs (PHP 225) and Salisbury Steak (PHP 125). After then we spent the afternoon exploring nearby attractions and looking for the van terminal for the next day. So after Bigg's Diner, we passed by San Francisco Church then walked all the way to SM Naga mall. The van terminal is just beside SM Naga.
More of Naga City tour on my next blog...
Jan 30, 2014: Surviving Caramoan (A Budget Friendly Guide)
Caramoan Island - Famous because it is the favorite venue for the reality-TV series SURVIVOR, among the countries that chose Caramoan islands are Serbia, Israel, Bulgaria, Sweden, France, India and just recently USA.
Very little is known about Caramoan. Caramoan gives 'island hopping' a new meaning. Enjoy its beauty in many ways. Great ocean adventures for kayakers, snorkle and scuba dive to experience the diverse marine life, trek and search for the enigmatic lagoon, rock climb the limestone cliffs, explore the caves or just star gaze at night.
Isolated from the rest of Camarines Sur, it is no surprise why Philippine's Secret Paradise remains unexploited from commercial tourism unlike Palawan. I am not discouraging you from going to Palawan. In fact, I would like you to visit both of them, because both of them has different activities to enjoy... However, I just want to warn you ahead that reaching Caramoan requires commitment and you shall know why soon.
At around 5:30 am, we hired tricycle from our inn to Naga Van Terminal which is about 15 mins ride (PHP 40). From there we boarded the white aircon van to Sabang (PHP 100/pax). FYI: The van needs to be filled before it shall depart to its destination. The travel from Naga to Sabang takes around 1.5 hrs. Towns that you'll be passing by: Pili, Ocampo, Tigaon, Goa, San Jose, Sabang
Once you are in Sabang port, we registered our names and waited for the go signal to board the big boat that will bring us to Guijalo Feeder Port at Caramoan. There are porters who will offer you their service to carry your luggage to the boat. It was low tide and the boat couldn't get near the shore, so the porters built a floating bridge and carry the passengers to the boat. They charge PHP10/pax.
The boat fare is PHP120/pax, the boat ride from Sabang port to Guijalo Port takes around 2 hrs subject to water current. Enjoy the sea side trip with a lush green scenery on the left and blue waters on the right side. When you arrive Guijalo Port, you need to pay PHP30 for environmental fee. FYI: The boat to Guijalo starts at 6AM and departs hourly until 11AM. But sometimes the time is not reliable because it depends on the volume of passenger. So the suggested time is as early as possible (6AM-9AM) to ensure your travel. If you miss the last boat trip, then you will need to charter your own boat which will cost you from 2000 - 3000 php depending on the size of the boat and your haggling skills.
The weather was gloomy but the sea was calm. Even though the colors are not as bright as the photos we always see on travel blogs, we were excited as we don’t know what to expect in Caramoan. We passed by Aguirangan Island but wasn't able to take good photo of it from afar...
A month before the escapade, I tried to contact different hotels to canvass for their room rates and packages. And we decided to go for Hazel and Ala's Beach Resort. The resort is at Zone 4 Paniman, Caramoan, Camarines Sur. We chose this resort as it is beach-side and it is where the island hopping starts. The room rate for 3 persons is PHP1100/night (aircon and private t&b). They also arrange boat for island hopping tours and pickup at port. Island hopping short trip PHP1200 (includes matukad, lajos, cadbalinad, tinago, busdak island), while PHP 2200 (includes sabitang laya, cotivas, manlawe-sand bar, tabgon statue of our lady of peace 557 step). We booked the short trip only because we only have half day for island hopping. I also arranged for a tricycle that will pick us up when we arrive at the port at PHP250. You may contact them through facebook or text them at +639204016888. Please note they require 50% deposit for reservation as with other hotels or resorts.
Since this is just a 2D/1N escapade we have no time to lounge around. We had lunch at the resort before heading for island hopping tour. We ordered Bicol Express, Sinigang fish and rice for only PHP 400. Afterwards, we changed to our beach attire and started our island hopping trip. The boat ride to the islands was fun and adventure ride - strong breeze and water splashed our faces. We visited the nearby islands like Matukad, Lajos, Cadbalinad, Tinago, Busdak and Gota Village. We posed for some photo souvenir with the beautiful scenery. By the way, our boatman told us that there is a secret lagoon that can be reached by climbing among the cliffs in Matukad island. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper footwear to check it out. We hopped to another island and enjoyed swimming and snorkeling. There was no fish during that time because of very strong current. :(
Our last stop was Gota Village Resort. There were some props of SURVIVOR TV series in this resort. Our boat guide toured us around and showed us the cabanas that the SURVIVOR crew stayed whenever there is TV shooting. Lucky to know about this...
Then we went back to our hotel and bathe. At night, the sea breeze was very cold and strong, such that the owner needed to cover the restaurant with tarpaulin. We had 1 big crab, Laing and rice for dinner for only PHP 600. FYI: the crab was caught during lunch time and was especially cooked for us...hehe..
Jan 31, 2014: We really enjoyed Caramoan islands. It truly is a nice place to take a break from the hectic and monotonous days. Rooster crowed early but there was no sunrise since it was cloudy. We prepared for checkout and booked tricycle to take us to Guijalo Port. From there we take boat to Sabang then take van to Naga.
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