One often sees on Facebook pages of travelers, IG accounts of travel influencers, or in travel-oriented forums the adage, “Unexpected journeys are the best.” Sometimes, it has become commonplace that its essence slips through our fingers. Knowing and understanding something you’ve never seen or experienced is hard. But life has its own way of letting us know something important, such as the soul of the adage above. Simply put, “Unexpected journeys are the best” means that sometimes we plan a trip to one place, but something takes us to another for better or worse.
Luckily, an equally unexpected opportunity presented itself to experience an “unexpected journey” for ourselves in our recent trip to the pristine islands of Caramoan in Camarines Sur.
After we had secured a roundtrip ticket to and from Iloilo-Manila via Cebu Pacific, we decided immediately to schedule a trip to the idyllic town of Sagada in Mountain Province. But with the unexpected turn of events in light of the recent COVID-19 virus epidemic, the local authorities of Sagada decided to close down government-operated sites, including the Hanging Coffins, the waterfalls, caves, and several trek sites. A bend in the road, so to speak.
When we heard the announcement, we immediately looked for options like La Union, Pangasinan, and Baler in Aurora. None of these seemed to pique our interests that much until Caramoan was brought to our attention. We decided to pick Caramoan because most of us haven’t been to the Bicol Region, and the thought that we would have a chance to visit islands used in the Survivor Series appealed to our imaginations. So, with the help of Onthego Travel and Tours and Byahe ni Jhayrick, we packed our bags and started the 14-hour land travel to the marvelous Bicolandia.
We left Manila at 10 in the evening and arrived at the coastal town of Caramoan at 12 noon the next day. We were welcomed by the graciousness of Kuya Alex (also an Ilonggo living in Caramoan) in his bed-and-breakfast, a kilometer away from the cove. After enjoying a hearty lunch and a power nap, we proceeded to the cove to enjoy an afternoon of island hopping.
Our first stop was the mystical island of Matukad. It’s where the locals believe two bangus (milkfish) are guardians of the island and that they are magical creatures taking the form of a fish. We needed to climb a steep limestone cliff to look at the bangus swimming unperturbed in the lagoon in the middle of the island. The sand here is as white and powdery as Boracay in Aklan.
After taking a load of photographs, we proceeded to a tiny white sand beach called Lajos Beach.
We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and enjoyed a gallery of local dishes during our dinner at Kuya Alex’s B and B.
The next day, we started the island hopping by visiting Guinahoan Island and Lighthouse. It’s one of the most breathtaking views we have ever seen in our trips. The panoramic view of the endless sea, the Pacific Ocean’s bluest waters, and the island’s verdant hills were not easy to take them all in. You will need to take an intense breath to ensure you have enough oxygen in your lungs to say “WOW” as loud as you can. Just take them all in. Take them all in.
We took a short boat ride from the lighthouse to the neighboring island of Cotivas. An elongated sandbar resembles that of Bulubadiangan in the town of Carles, Iloilo. The waters here are too cold to touch, but we swam anyway.
When our tour guide told us that a thunderstorm was brewing in the distance, we hopped in the boat and proceeded to the Maldives-like Manlawe Floating Cottages, sandbar, and Island. We had our fresh seafood lunch caught and cooked in the floating kitchen on top of small catamarans. A bottle of beer and a basket of crabs made our day.
From the Manlawe floating cottages, we proceeded to the famous Bag-Ing Island. It’s the island where Survivor often installs their stage and where the contestants live independently. No guests can step on its shores when the series tapes its episodes. But luckily, this time of the year, the island is unoccupied, so we had it ourselves.
A stone’s throw away from the shores of Bag-ing Island is the Sab-tang Laya- a cove that highlights impressive limestone rock formations. The beach here is quieter, and the waters are warm. A pleasant repose from the days of traveling and partying. Our local guide announced the end of our island hopping when the sun descended over the western skies. But the tour is not over.
When we reached the shore, we bought some souvenirs and were given time to dress up for a tour of the town of Caramoan. It was dark when we reached the town square, and the St. Michael de Archangel Church loomed in the center of the town.
A short walk from the church is a street of souvenir shops. What a great way to end our Caramoan Tour- having something to take with us when we leave this lovely town.
If there’s one thing that our surprise trip to Caramoan gave us, it was the unexpected friendships we made during our tour. New friends, new connections, and new travel buddies. Not so bad after all.
See you in Albay!
Lagawone PH 