Bicol: More Caramoan Island Hopping (Island, Sea and Mountain)

On the second day of island hopping, we woke up at 6am. After breakfast, we were again brought to Paniman port and headed to the islands closer to the Pacific Ocean. About 45 minutes later, we reached the first island for the day. I will classify it as 6th island since it is technically our 6th since day 1.

Sixth Island: SABITANG-LAYA

We were greeted by beautiful rock formations, calm white sand beach and a caretaker-guard with a shotgun.Hahaha!. The tour guide advised that we go to the place before 9am. The caretaker usually arrives at 9am and visitors won't be allowed when he's there. And the guard woke up early too. My luck! The area will also be used for the Survivor set so we didn't have any choice.Didn't want to spoil my vacation so we just left. I could have argued that I have an interest in the area because I'm a Flipino. Hahaha, as if I'm asserting ownership of the Spratlys...



Sabitang-laya





the guy with a shotgun

Sabitang Laya has a long stretch of white sand beach and beautiful rock formations. Since the caretaker is too strict, the boatman started the engine and we headed further towards the Pacific.

Seventh Island : BASOT

After almost an hour of boatride, passing by equally beautiful islands and calm sea, we were able to see Cotivas Island from afar. However, the guide advised that we stop first at Basot. The islands were separated by a narrow channel. Each has a protruding stretch of white sand beach that looked like a sandbar that didn't connect. The result, an extended beach with a calm side and a wavy side. Maganda talaga. We had our second lunch here. Fishermen with fresh catch were paddling and selling their catch for the day. They may sell it at a higher price in Caramoan town proper but they have to travel 2 hours to get to Paniman, plus they will have to gas up their boats. So they just sell to tourists who visit the island. We bought a big one (but not the biggest from the catch) which is estimated at 3 kilos. The fisherman sold it for Php200 but they can sell it for 150 per kilo in the Caramoan market. Our tour guide and the boatmen, grilled it. Where did we get charcoal? They snapped some ipil-ipil twigs and gathered pieces of wood drifted to the island by typhoons. They made fire and voila! Charcoal! It was really an authentic Caramoan Experience!



While they were grilling, DS and I were busy snorkeling. We found clams and shells. There were small fishes in the area but of course we can't catch them. We followed BH  to a rocky area and we were surprised to discover that the rocks were only on the beach but the sea floor is still sandy. Beautiful!



Cotivas from afar



calm side of Bosak

 

BH and DS after negotiating with a fisherman. DS holding the fish



Summerain



rocky beach. sandy sea floor



clam and shell collection of DS



fire for grilling



grilling the fish we bought



fishy for lunch feast!

After lunch, we headed to our next island.


Eighth Island: COTIVAS

Lovely Cotivas. It has a charm of its own. The beach is extended outwards to meet the other end of Basot.Just like its neighboring island, it has a calm side and a wavy side. We were not alone in the island when we arrived. There were some young people in the other huts who were preoccupied with their books. Buko (young coconut) vendors were seated in one of the huts, content with waiting for tourists to buy their produce. Wow, it's an all year vacation for these people. They are so lucky to live in a place like Cotivas! We bought 3 coconuts and got refreshed by its juice. Its meat served as our dessert. 



Cotivas contrast- calm side and wavy side



Buko trip





island locals



driftwood

bye Cotivas

Ninth Island: LAHUY

We transferred to the bigger island of Lahuy. This is the mother of all islands. Actually, when they say Lahuy, the islands of Cotivas and Basot are part of it. The guide brought us to a private resort and made us pay Php250/boat. The resort is named ISLA SOLEDAD (after the owners' mom). The owners were locals of the said island. A sister, married a Chinese (hmmmm...????)  who is financing the development of the resort. I just wish they will not over-develop. Overnight stay with room is Php1,000 while if you opt to pitch tents, they charge Php800 for a group of four. Not bad eh. Their contact number is 09991596128, 09289032671, 09489689850. Look for Weng or Nanette (the manager).

The beach? Water is shallow and calm just like the other islands and teeming with marine creatures. Nice, nice, nice! They have inflatable lounging chairs good for 4 pax.

We climbed up a grassy small hill and on the very edge of it, you can have a 360-peek of Lahuy. Well mostly.



Our boat and the lounging inflatable



Jump shot



X with DS



shot from the hill. tourists headed to Lahuy

beach on the other side of Lahuy

Tenth Island: MANLAWI

Technically, it's not an island but is a shoal or sandbar. We got there at high tide thus we were not able to see Manlawi's glory. The tour guide said that the sand is blinding white at low tide. I didn't get off the boat anymore because I thought the currents could drift me.It was BH who tried and scared me that the water is too deep. I panicked. I asked him to return to the boat. He was laughing when he got up. Surprisingly, water is knee deep only! Hahaha! DS followed but I chose to stay in the boat. I was too tired to swim.There were cottages in the middle of the shoal. If we got here earlier, I could have asked to stay longer. The place is so unique.



DS and BH in the cottage



knee-deep water



convincing me to join



It's time to go back to the main island. It was already 330pm and waves can get really rough. Our last stop is a climb to Mt. Caglago in Barangay Tabgon. The 556 steps climb uphill is making me hesitant but BH said it's going to be an easy climb. Okay. So How do we start?

Tabgon Marker

on our way to Mt. Caglago

Ohlalala! Are you sure?

about 400+ steps later



Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary



I was standing in front of the statue here

I'm glad I agreed to climb up

My biggest problem now is how to go down. Muscles sore...No zipline.

Day 3 ends.

Love it here really...

X

Bicol: CWC to Caramoan (Land and Sea)

Second of my string of posts about Bicol.

We woke up at 5am and immediately checked out at 5:45am. From the complex, we were brought by the shuttle  to the main highway going to Naga Central Terminal. It was a 20-minute ride by bus. Fare is Php10.00 per/head. Cool morning air splashed on my face because we took a non-aircon bus. Morning mist or fog flooded the ricefields. It's summer but Bicol made me shiver.

We arrived at the central terminal at 6:15 and took the van going to Sabang Port, San Jose, Camarines Sur. This is the jump-off point going to Caramoan town.We haven't had breakfast yet so I just bought donuts and juice from a nearby Mister Donut Cafe. Good thing they are open early. The van left at around 6:30am. Fare was Php100 per head. The driver considered our big suitcase as one head  so we paid extra for it.

Travel time is supposed to be for an hour only. To my left, Mt. Isarog followed us.



Mt. Isarog on our way to San Jose

We arrived at the port after 1 hour and 30 minutes. The van was fully loaded thus the slow ride. We were there around 8:10am. Loading on the docked boat has not started yet . They made us sign the manifesto and paid some terminal fee (Php10 per head).

We waited for 15 minutes before loading began. I have read in other blogs that the practice before in Sabang Port is that passengers were carried by porters on their shoulders. So I prepared myself for this.Fortunately, the porters thought of a way to make their tasks less painful (imagine carrying a big creature like X). They connected some boards and attached empty plastic drums at the bottom so that the boards will float. This served as the gangplank for the passengers and porters alike. We gave a tip to the porter who carried our suitcase.



MV Harry, our ride at Sabang Port, San Jose, Camarines Sur



Bye bye Sabang

 We left the port at 845am for a 2-hour boat ride. Thank God the water was very calm in Lagonoy Gulf. Notwithstanding, I was still uneasy since this is going to be my first long boat ride. Longest I had was 15 minutes going to Colibra Island in Dasol. And it was a bumpy ride. Travel was less scary when I realized that the route was always close to the mainland (just a few meters away from the boat). I was informed that land travel is also possible but it will take 4 to 5 hours on a rough road.

scenic boat ride

I noticed that the boat slows down when it approaches a shallow area. It's when you can see the bottom teeming with fishes. Example was when we were about to pass an islet called Rose Islet. It's a small island with white sand. It's a destination in itself. Very pretty.



Approaching Rose Islet

 

Tourists flocking the islet

This is halfway of the sea journey. Guijalo Port in Caramoan is 50 minutes away. Some passengers disembarked from the boat in the towns we passed by. They were fetched at sea by smaller bancas offloading the goods before the passengers. That's sea taxi, Camsur style....!!!!

Then we saw Guijalo port...

Sense of sight feasted.

X