The Island Explorer

Legazpi City in Albay is familiar city to most Filipinos, because of Mt. Mayon. The last time I was in Legazpi, I was still a teenager. Now, probably after 15 years, I arrive at the hometown of my father, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the most prominent cities of Bicol.

One by one, I conquer my dream destinations in the Philippines. Those on the list include Batanes (yes, still haven't been there), the Bukas Grande Islands and Siargao, the islands of Jolo and Tawi-Tawi and this one, the Caramoan Peninsula in Camarines Sur in wonderful Bicol. DAY 1 From Naga, we drove all the way to Sabang Port in San Jose and took a ferry to Caramoan before lunch. One must leave as early in the morning as possible to avoid the strong waves. You could also take an FX or van or even a jeep from Naga to San Jose. The ferry ride was one of the worst I have experienced as the boat was small and cramped. I just meditated for 1.5 hours and forced myself to sleep. We arrived at the port safe and was picked up by a van we arranged earlier. We then headed on to the Caramoan Town, where we stayed for 2 nights at the Rex Tourist Inn after surveying the other hotels. Villa Juliana was a good affordable choice, but the house was under renovation when we came. The popular La Cas...

I have travelled to so many beaches in the Philippines, and I still keep looking for the perfect one. Every time I experience what I thought was perfect, I stumble upon a better one. I love our country. It is indeed beautiful. I have seen a lot of beaches as well in South East Asia, and I must say that we are tops in this category. We are a land of heavenly beaches. Last Holy Week, we decided to go to Camarines Norte after seeing a feature of an isolated group of islands off the CN coast into the Pacific Ocean. I was so intrigued, since I never knew there was something worth visiting in my mom's hometown. So, my siblings and I packed our bags and went straight to CN, to see the Calagua Islands with our very own eyes. Our trip to the Calaguas began in a river port in Vinzons, where we snaked our way out to the open sea. You can again take a trike to Vinzons from Daet. From Vinzons, take another trike to the river (just tell them that). The river ride was also a delight, seeing sunke...

After having a splash in Bagasbas, we decided to move on to San Jose in Talisay, a town adjacent to Daet (take a trike to San Jose from Daet). San Jose was more laid back than Bagasbas, and more surfers were riding here when we arrived. We met some cousins who were surfing. We were hoping to hire a boat to an island called Quinamanukan, which supposedly was owned by another relative. It was already 3PM, and thus we knew we had little time to negotiate. From San Jose, we traversed through rough waters on a medium sized fishing boat to Quinamanukan, which was seen from the San Jose shore. Quinamanukan Island was a delight. It was literally deserted. Some watchdogs made up its population. The sand was also nice, with a bit of an orange color. It was a small island, and I managed to go around walking for about an hour. The island was all beach around, with a part where some jagged crags resisted strong waves. I went to the side facing the Pacific Ocean where the waves were high and in full...

I always stay in Manila during Holy Week, but this year, my siblings and I decided to go to our home province, Camarines Norte. The last time I went here was way back in 1997 when my grandma died. After 10 years, I finally made my way back. The trip to Camarines Norte took about 8 to 9 hours and this was a Holy Week. It was so traffic in SLEX and in some parts of Laguna and Quezon. As soon as we passed Lucena, it was a smooth ride. The roads to CN are surprisingly well kept and even better than those in more progressive Quezon. My deceased grandpa was the one who designed the long and seemingly never ending zigzag going into the heart of CN. It took me 2 hours at an average of 60 kmph to travel the tiring distance. And so we arrived in Daet, the capital of CN just in time for dinner. We were supposed to stay in a relative's beach house in Talisay, but since we planned our trip a day before, someone was already occupying it. We looked for a place to stay in Bagasbas, so we would be ...

Imagine, living in a trailer with nice interiors for only P1,000 a night. Wakeboarding for only P165 an hour. Eating, swimming and partying with the foreign guests all night. And did I mention it was government owned? The CWC or the Camsur Watersports Complex is such a treat after arriving to the Cam Sur provincial capitol compound after an exhausting 400 km road trip from Manila. At first, it didn't appeal, since the place looked bare and unfinished. The truth is, the area is still under construction for the other facilities. We actually used the CWC as a stopover for our ultimate destination, Caramoan, but found ourselves coming back for the last day. The food was just okay, and a bit on the expensive side. But who cares? You already have much to spend from the cheap activities and accommodations. CWC is the the perfect chill out place. You can hang out in the cabanas the whole day, swim in their pool, have a great massage for only P250 and of course, wakeboard. I must admit, wak...