Calaguas lovin'

I've been hearing about Calaguas Islands in Camarines Norte for the longest time. My curiosity grew more upon reading various travel blogs boasting Calaguas' white sand and blue turquoise-waters.  I was secretly wishing that someone would organize a trip to Calaguas and tagged me along having known that only beach camping can be done in the island. There's no electricity, mobile signal, and any commercial establishments in Calaguas. 

Luckily, I was able to find a tour organizer arranging beach camping trips to Calaguas. I booked an overnight camping trip with Calaguas Hullabaloo together with my bff Yana who’s vacationing from Dubai and other good friends. We got the 2D/1N package for Php3200 inclusive of roundtrip bus tickets (Manila-Daet), land transfers, boat transfers, tent accommodation, and camp meals. A surfing sidetrip to Bagasbas Beach in Daet, Camarines Norte was included in the package. It’s been more than six months since I last went surfing and I missed the feeling of getting stoked. This trip was what I exactly needed to break away from the city life.


My beach excitement  slowly started creeping the night we left Manila. We boarded an Amihan Liner bus in Shell Magallanes and it took 8 hours travel to Daet. I dozed off all throughout the travel. 

The road to Bitukang Manok (zigzag road) in Cam Norte as we fondly call it woke me up the next day. Feeling nauseous from all the sudden turns the bus made, I had to wake up or else I would probably vomit. 

The Saturday weather was perfect for beach bumming. We met my bff Yana in Vinzons Port since she’s already in Bicol and we came from Manila. After being assigned to our boat, we wrapped our backpacks in trash bags and loaded them to the boat.  We were finally bound to Calaguas! 

Contrary to scary stories I’ve heard, the sea was generally calm. I was bracing myself for a rough boat ride with waves that could go as high as 4-ft as I overheard.  Waves are strong in this part of Camarines Norte since the sea is already part of the Pacific Ocean. 
 

Calaguas is a group of islands composed of Tinaga, Guintinua, and Maculabo islands. We camped in Mahabang Buhangin or Long Beach as it is called. 

After 2-hrs of boat travel, we reached Calaguas in mid-day. The moment I stepped into Calaguas beach, I felt nostalgic and felt that I've already been to this beach before. 

Calaguas reminded me of Boracay's blue-turquoise water, long beach stretch of Pagudpud, and powdery white sand of Panglao. Calaguas is more than what meets the eye. 

It was scorching hot with the sun brightly shining. I love sunny days but the summer heat is unbearable these days. We settled into our tents and immediately changed into our swimsuits. I usually don’t swim in mid-day because it's freaking hot and I don’t want to get sunburned. But there isn’t lots of shade in the island. You can choose to stay inside your tent which felt like being baked in an oven or you can swim in the cool water.

Here some of the activities we did in the island. There's not much to do actually but beach bum! I love it!

Swimming. You will enjoy swimming in Calaguas waters. The sand is fine and the water is very clear, perfect for underwater camera shots. You can swim a few meters away from the shore but beyond that there are coral reefs in the seabed which is also good for snorkeling.

Photo ops. Numerous photo ops, why not?

Beach volleyball. In front of our campsite, a volleyball net was set-up where everyone can play.

Sun worshipping.

 
Or you can choose to hide from the sun. I noticed that in the beachfront, most trees have just started growing so don't expect a lot of shade.

Walking by the beach. Calaguas' sand is fine and soft. It won't hurt your feet if you walk barefoot. 

When it was nearing sunset, we climbed into a hill to get at 360-degree view of the whole island. The view from the hill reminded me of Sabtang Island in Batanes. You can see the surrounding islands as well as the whole beach stretch. Here, we also checked if there was a mobile signal but only for Smart.

There were a lot of beach-goers in the island based from the view from the top of the hill. But the 1km beach stretch is long enough to accommodate the weekend crowd.

We spent all our time in the water until sundown. Although it was already 4ish, the sun was still shining brightly. The cool water provided relief from the intense heat of the sun that day. The beach sunset was similar to Nagsasa Cove’s sunset in Zambales.

After bathing in the sea the whole day, we finally took a bath in the water pump which is the only source of fresh water in Calaguas. There's also a toilet in the island so no need to worry in case nature calls you :) 

Dinner followed afterwards and we slept early that night. There was a reggae party organized we didn’t bother to go. We immediately fell asleep when we lied down inside the tent. It was Supermoon that night when the moon is in its closest distance to the earth.

Next morning, we woke up to the sound of the crashing waves in the shore. We felt refreshed coming from a good night’s sleep. It was our last day in Calaguas and we wanted to make the most out of our time. We spent the early morning in the beach when the sun isn’t completely out yet. 

Before noon, we left the Calaguas Island. It was a short but sweet stay. I will be surely coming back. This is the kind of beach you’ll never get tired of coming back. Calaguas has a great potential in becoming a top beach destination if it will be developed. But I wish not! I want Calaguas to remain the same for the longest time possible  – pristine, undeveloped, and untouched.

Definitely Calaguas lovin’ 

Ilocos travel series: Ilocos - good until it lasts (day 3)

Knowing that it was gonna be our last day in Ilocos, I woke up a bit early. I had a good night’s sleep after drinking basi, a locally-made Ilocano wine. It was unfortunate that I wasn’t able to keep awake the whole night to join the gang in the all-night drinking spree. It may have been due to basi or I was just dead tired from the whole day of activities. 

Our itinerary for the day included a whole morning of beach bumming in Pagudpud, a visit to Patapat Viaduct, Bangui Wind Mills, and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, and then merienda at an authentic Ilocano restaurant, and some souvenir shopping in the public market.

Good morning Pagudpud!

After breakfast, we spent all morning in the beach. It was our last hours in Pagudpud so we wanted to made the most out of it.

Happy beach time :)

After lunch, we went to Patapat Viaduct which is still in Pagudpud. It is basically a highway bridge that connects Ilocos province to Cagayan Valley. It is fondly called as the “French Riviera of the North”. While cruising along the highway, you will be amazed with the view of the sea and the mountains. 

Patapat Viaduct

The scenic view from the bridge can really pass for a movie shooting location where the man chases the love of his life when she tried to run away by taking a bus. Haha.

We stopped for a while and took some photos as if there were no passing cars.

with kaladkarin friends

And finally, I saw Bangui Wind Mills for the first time. The famous wind mills have been on much exposure in Philippines tourism ads and commercials. You will be awed to see that these wind mills are actually huge. From afar, you’d wonder if the blades are actually moving. Wait till you get close to it. You could hear the sound of the wind as it smashes against the turbines.

Bangui Wind Mills

The Bangui Wind Mills are more than just a tourist attraction. It was built to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which causes global warming. The 20 wind turbines help in accelerating the rural electrification of the province as it also provides power supply in the Ilocos province.

Really huge fan

We stopped by Cape Bojeador Lighthouse which is also known as Burgos Lighthouse. The old lighthouse used to guide safely ships entering the Philippine archipelago from the north in the rocky coast of the town. 

The lighthouse is tall at 65 ft. and it was breath catching to climb it up to the top. The view was definitely worth is as you can see the view of the province as well as Bangui Wind Mills on a clear sunny day.

View from the lighthouse

We drove to Laoag City in mid-afternoon. Our flight back to Manila was at 6PM and we wanted to spare a few hours in the city to buy some souvenirs and savour Ilocano dishes. We had merienda at Saramsam Café.

Saramsam Cafe

We also stopped quickly at the Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag which used to be a tall bell tower. It was said that it sank through time because the of the sandy foundation of the bell tower. It is something not to be missed as it is located upon entering the city proper.

Sinking Bell Tower

Any trip wouldn’t be complete without any pasalubong. Our tour guide brought us to the local wet market for us to buy cheaper pasalubong. Of course, I didn’t miss to buy bagnet, chichacorn, suka, and bagoong.
 
Times flies fast when you’re having fun. At 6PM, we boarded the plane bound for Manila which brought us back to reality. I’m glad I made this trip with my closest travel barkada. We all agreed that this was our most sulit trip to date – sightseeing (check), friendly tour guide and comfy van (check), foodtrip (check), nice hotel and resort (check), BEACH (check), drinking session (check), pasalubong (check) and most of all budget (check). What can I say? This trip had it all.
 
Fun time in Ilocos (check)!

PS: Some of the pictures from my Ilocos blog entries were from my friend Gyles. Thanks Gyles! :)

Ilocos travel series: Ilocos Norte and more (day 2)

As much as we wanted to stay longer in Java Hotel for its unique ambiance, the second day of our northern exposure trip meant more sights to see. 

I <3 Ilocos Norte

On the second day, we toured Ilocos Norte and its nearby sights. Our first stop was Marcos Mausoleum but taking photos of Marcos' preserved corpse (if it really it was) was not allowed.  We had the chance to view the late President Ferdinand Marcos' refrigerated corpse and it kinda looked like it was made of wax.  The nearby Marcos museum was closed for renovation so there isn't much to see. 

Marcos' presidential plate numbers

Paoay Church is one of the grandest churches I’ve ever seen. If I were an Ilocano, I would probably want to get married here someday. From every angle, the church exudes a very elegant and grand façade. Paoay church is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and known for its unique combination of baroque, gothic, and oriental designs. 

Paoay Church

Best travel barkada :)

A short walk from the Paoay Church is Herencia Cafe which serves one of the best pinakbet pizzas in the province. We ordered one for take-out. When in Herencia, the view of the church is really amazing. I can imagine people dining in the café and eating their pinakbet pizza while enjoying the view of the church after the Sunday Mass.

Herencia Cafe

Then, we drove for another 30 minutes or so to Malacanang of the North. It is locally called ‘Malacanang ti Amianan’.  The Malacanang of the North is the official residence of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in Ilocos. It was constructed on a land projecting the Paoay Lake. 

Malacanang of the North

in the grand staircase

We toured around the house and saw the many rooms of the Marcos clan. I was surprised to know that the the former first couple has separate bedrooms in the house.

Marcoses matrimonial bed

After touring most of the major sites in Ilocos Sur, we travelled to Pagudpud after lunch. We trekked to Kabigan Falls in 30 minutes and dipped in its very cool water and enjoyed our take-out pinakbet pizza from Herencia Cafe. 

Kabigan Falls

And finally, we headed to Pagudpud which we were all looking forward to..beach!!!! We stayed at Hannah’s Beach Resort in Blue Lagoon (Maira-ira Beach). 

Blue fishing boats in Pagudpud

Since everyone was so excited to hit the beach, we waited no longer to swim in Blue Lagoon’s inviting water. We owned the beach to ourselves. 

Chillaz by the beach

The beach is just perfect as well as really intimate and perfect for those long walks in the beach, if you get what I mean :D Blue Lagoon is actually a beach cove so you can walk from one end of the cove to another.

:)

We’d stop to appreciate the serenity of the place as well as the interesting rock formations. I don’t know, maybe we were just there on an off-peak so we had the beach to ourselves which is not bad at all.

If you're looking for a serene and white sand beach in the North, Pagudpud is the beach to be.

Helloooo Philippines!

Finally, I’m back in the cyberworld! After almost 5 days of no internet connection at home, yes I’m back to business and blogging.. Well actually, my internet downtime  enabled me to watch a few good movies which I wouldn't do otherwise if I had connection. You see, I’m more of the internet type of person rather than the TV/movie type of girl. 

So anyways, our company recently had a photo competition where you can submit your best photos for inclusion in the company's 2012 corporate calendar.  The theme is to show dynamic, exciting images of our infrastructure projects, people, and regions around the world. The best photo will win a Flip Mino high definition video camera.

Not that I really wanted to win the camera, but I am more interested in just simply submitting my favorite travel snap shots in the Philippines.  I submitted 5 photos and I will be more than ecstatic to even just see one of them in our corporate calendar for 2012.

Here they are...

1.  Facing South China Sea from Chawa View Deck in Batanes , Philippines

2.  Rustic life in the countryside, Batanes, Philippines

3. Clear waters under bright skies, Batanes, Philippines

4. Where butterflies thrive, Butterfly farm in Bohol Philippines

      5.  Good morning Mt. Mayon, World’s perfect cone-shaped volcano in Albay

      These are my top 5 photos which I think are worthy to be placed in a calendar. I didn't alter these photos to make them look more beautiful aside from the simple step of making them brighter and clearer. So these are basically raw photos.  

      

i     Seeing these photos makes me want to travel now...It won't be long though!

12 Most Romantic Places in the Philippines

Just because it's Valentine's day, let me share this article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I can attest to #8 Camiguin as one of the places in the Philippines to be with your significant other. Going back to White Island is an experience I want to relive this year, hopefully on my birthday.

How about you? Where's the most romantic place for you? :)

12 Most Romantic Places in the Philippines

By Ross Harper-Alonso
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:33:00 02/10/2008

Filed Under: Tourism & Leisure, Travel & Commuting


MANILA, Philippines - “Spend a candlelit evening with violins in the background, roses for the beloved and starlight in her eyes,” so goes most ads for trysting places this Valentine’s Day. But alas, the ads always prove too enticing and you wind up with 10,000 other couples waiting for tables at this “romantic” hideaway, your passion dissipating and the roses wilting with each ticking minute.

With Filipinos famously known for being such suckers for romance (we send the most number of love-related text messages in the world on any given day), one wonders if there remain some undiscovered places in the country where a couple can still bask in equal doses of passion, solitude and creature comforts.

Here are some suggestions from people who, because of their jobs, have explored places off the beaten path:

1. Sonya’s Garden, Tagaytay
“The secret is the way it naturally brings in the outdoors and the subtle blend of English countryside, rustic Asian influence and a touch of old Filipiniana. The privacy and the relaxed warmth due largely to the staff makes this an ideal escape to share quiet moments, while being served an excellent meal on fine English china and pampered with a massage.”—Romy Gacad, Agence France-Presse chief photographer

2. Flower Island, Palawan
“A small private island surrounded by clear blue waters and white sand has to be the most romantic place for people who enjoy being outdoors. Flower Island is an unspoiled haven just minutes away from the nature preserves of Palawan. You can spoil yourself with the resort’s amenities and still feel close to the wilderness and the indigenous culture. Most impressive are the massive schools of fish and the healthy hard corals. Whether I’m diving and taking photos of marine life, just lazing around or watching the sunset as it disappears in a blaze of orange, I’m constantly reminded how special this island is.” —Gutsy Tuason, award-winning underwater photographer

3. Mt. Maculot Rockies, Cuenca, Batangas
“Watching the sunrise from the top of Mt. Maculot Rockies can be a big romantic high. It's an easy day hike that begins when the air is still cold and everything around is just beginning to stir from sleep. Standing on a flat rock is the perfect way to watch the sun as it slowly rises and sweeps over Taal Lake, the neighboring towns of Batangas and Balayan Bay like a magic wand. Bring a picnic basket, a chilled bottled of sparkling wine, and toast your years of love and devotion. Now you’re literally on top of the world!”— Banny Hermanos, member, Phil. Everest Expedition Support Team

4. Cape Engaño off the Babuyan Channel
“One of the most romantic spots in the country due to its isolation. It straddles both the Pacific Ocean and the Babuyan Channel and is a very ‘Wuthering Heights’ setting. The lighthouse at the tip of Palaui Island has a spectacular view of both bodies of water. Best time to visit is after a storm when the waves crash on the rocks below. Camping on this windswept island, with the ruins of a century-old lighthouse and with just the bare essentials, makes for a truly romantic escape.”—Manuel Maximo L.C. Noche, author, “Lonely Sentinels”; asst. professor, UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts

5. Siquijor Island
“The island’s reputation for being a center for witchcraft might set some people off, but it could also explain why Siquijor has managed to stay pristine with its virgin forests and turquoise waters. Imaginative tales about love potions appeal to both the romantic and the adventurous, making it an ideal place to spice up any relationship. It doesn’t promise five-star accommodations but sitting on a desolate white beach under a star-filled night surrounded by a calm sea, more than makes up for that.”—VJ Villafranca, photojournalist

6. Hacienda Tabukol in Murcia, Negros Occidental
“This 140-hectare jungle allows for maximum appreciation of nature’s superstructures. The unspoilt wilderness is home to almost every endemic specie of bird, insect and wildlife, including the endangered Visayan Leopard Cat. Sit quietly by the river, feel the fresh water spray on your face, listen to the sounds of the jungle and imagine yourself on a romantic safari, Pinoy style. To enhance that ‘Out of Africa’ experience, rest and dine in a Balinese inspired two-bedroom cottage with an outdoor bathtub. Truly a wildlife haven!”—Cristina de Leon Hinlo, outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist

7. Bee Farm, Bohol
“Great place, great vibes and nice folks running it. It's a bit of a must-visit for anyone traveling through Bohol so there's a steady flow of visitors but you can always find a quiet spot to be alone. Good accommodations and a great place to have a romantic dinner for two. And did I mention the sunset?”—Paolo Abrera, TV host

8. Camiguin Island
“When I think of Camiguin today, I remember a photo of two young people in love, balancing on a fallen tree by the sea with wide smiles on their faces.”—Howie Severino, broadcast journalist

9. Taal Lake, Batangas City
“Deceptively serene and beautiful, Taal Lake has had to face a number of environmental concerns. I think it’s romantic to come to a lady’s rescue and try to protect her from losing all that make her a natural treasure.”—Peter Capotosto, co-founder of Philippine Hobie Challenge

10. Silliman Hall Heritage Building, Dumaguete City
“Silliman Hall by the sea is arguably the most romantic, iconic landmark of Dumaguete City. One of the few remaining architectural masterpieces in the country, it is flanked by local palms and shaded by giant acacia trees. Its American mansion-inspired facade has for 105 years cemented the city's status not only as an educational Mecca, but also as a melting pot of various cultures from around the world. To me, Silliman Hall stands as an ode to the romantic way cultures mingle in this quaint little city.”—Leon Medado, Journalism senior, Silliman University

11. Baluarte San Diego Wall, Intramuros
“The most romantic spot in Manila is atop the Baluarte San Diego at the southwest corner of Intramuros. It overlooks the Manila Hotel, the golf links, and the trees of Luneta Park. It's a bit of a cliche spot but it does get the job done in getting that sweeping romantic feeling. Sunset is an especially enchanting moment to be there. Bring your own bottle of wine or Royal Tru Orange, of course.”—Carlos Celdran, tour guide

12. Ogod River, Donsol, Sorsogon
“I didn’t expect to be so taken by the fireflies at the Ogod River in Donsol. There is an incredible stillness and a sense of isolation when exploring the river. Watching hundreds of fireflies light up the mangroves is romantic in a surreal way. The experience allows one to slip away from everyday life and enjoy nature by night. The rest of the world might be surrounded by static but the Ogod River and its fireflies gave me a welcome respite from all that.”—Johan Espiritu, lawyer-photographer

Matador Network features Cordillera Region

Photo taken by Nick Kuchmak, published in Matador

I’m a keen reader of travel sites like Brave New Traveler (BNT), Matador Network to name a few. But very seldom, I see an article about the Philippines. It’s always America, Europe, and other key destinations that are blogged about.

So it took me by surprise today to read the article about Mountain Trekking in the Philippines. Photographer Nick Kuchmak finds out that the Philippines isn’t all about beaches and sea.

Great photo essay. I've been to Sagada in the Cordillera Region a few years back and memories of walking in the rice paddies was awe-inspiring. I hope to read more about the Philippines in international travel sites and communities!