The Island Explorer

I don't write about places I don't like, but I just had to do this out of frustration and disappointment. I recently went to Lago De Oro in Calatagan in Batangas. I wanted to pursue my wakeboarding dreams and practice more to be able to stand up on a board. The last time I tried wakeboarding was in Cam Sur, and I lacked so much time in trying to stand up. So when JP and Liza invited me to go to Lago de Oro, I immediately said yes. Lago de Oro offered us a full board overnight package that included a whole day's use of wakeboarding facilities for P1900 per person for a minimum of 4 people. I thought it was expensive for an overnight stay. I checked their room rates, and the lowest rate was at P4,400. The accommodations in Lago de Oro are not five star as they claim. Though they were bigger, the cabanas and trailers of Cam Sur had more character and charm. The rooms of Lago de Oro looked like Matabungkay's - old and worn. The resort was old and not much renovation has bee...

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...