Caramoan

     The Peninsula of Caramoan is located at the tip of Camarines Sur with several islands and breathtaking views.  The place does not just offer swimming but snorkeling, spelunking, and delicious fresh dishes.  The municipality of Caramoan, itself, is not an ideal place to swim, you need to travel deep past some mountains in a trike for Php200, one way, to reach Paniman which is the Caramoan we see in travel brochures and the known Survivor series.

     We made sure we had our itinerary and connections before we visited the place to avoid hassles.  Our guide, Ramil, who was the Survivor's speedboat captain ensured he was there when we arrived at the pier and made our Caramoan adventure unforgettable.

     It started with a long road trip from Naga City to Sabang Port for a boat to Caramoan's Guijalo Port. Travel should be done real early as the boats have limited schedule.  Sabang Port is merely a beachfront and the waves were not calm.  The adventure starts immediately as you balance yourself against the angry waves while boarding the boat through wooden planks made to float with blue plastic drums.  There were, unusually, a lot of wet and swimming men as porters or helping hand.  Maybe they are also there to pick you up just in case you fall off the walkway that follows the rising of the waves.

When we left, the pier was too chaotic when we arrived

     
     When we arrived at the pier in Caramoan, it was chaos.  Too much noise and shouting as if panic was going on.  It turned out that the waves were too high and it was difficult to get off the boat.  People were instructed to take turns and run to the pier (wooden rickety wood planks again) when the waves die down. Don't dare to stop when the giant waves are back or you get wet or they fish you out of the water.  Rod decided to remove his shoes because despite the strategy people get wet.  Since I was a kid, I always liked to balance myself on a beam like a gymnast but I wasn't willing to take the risk that day.  So it was dash for your life and don't look back or listen to the noisy men shouting, "the waves are coming". The noise didn't end there because on the pier were a lot of touts offering rides, tours, accommodations.  It was a relief that Ramil was there and he had a ride for us to Paniman.  Next was a ride through mountains and plants that seemed forever until we reached Paniman and billeted at Breeze & Waves.

     Despite the long trip, we did not waste time and we moved around to check the place.  The chaos reaching Caramoan was well worth the effort.  Caramoan is truly beautiful and the people are all kind and accommodating.  Ramil was the best and the owner of the hotel was so motherly kind and speaks English well.  She was so kind to sit with us and talk about how they grew up in Caramoan and how great a fisherman their father was.  She even shared the story behind the antique stools at the garden front.  They were their father's fishing boat and the instrument for all of them to finish school.  

     Unforgettable was the food at Breeze & Waves because they were so good and fresh.  Matter of fact, we had the best tasting laing in this hotel.  The food was so good, we asked if we can meet the cook to thank and compliment her.  They were very accommodating that when we ordered lunch for our island hopping, they prepared us a picnic basket complete with utensils and a picnic blanket.  They treated us like family and not tourists.                     

 One of the boats parked at the beach front

                                                                               

Crystal clear beach of Paniman, Caramoan

Rod decided to join the fishermen before dark

This is one good accommodation choice

A huge bowl of sinigang with a giant shrimp

     Since we always take the opportunity to go spelunking, we didn't miss this chance.  This was the second cave we visited that needed a boat ride to reach the place.  First was Callao in Tuguegarao but this boat ride was longer and scenic.  The cave is down by the river from the beach.  The river is surrounded with mangroves and the water is still.  The cave was not much and a bit small and no crawling or duck walks needed.  Ramil said there is another cave but he doesn't like to go there because it is inhabited by cobras.  I think we were not up for that.

The river to the cave

Unique mushroom near the cave entrance

By the cave entrance with Ramil

     Of course a trip to Caramoan is not complete without hopping to it's several islands.  The place is truly breathtaking and it was cloudy and some areas were drizzling so it created more drama to the different islands.  The island rock formations are similar to those in Palawan or Bangkok and the water was very clean.  The Philippines is loaded with natural beauty but only a few realize that.  Too bad...

    We had lunch at one of the islands and we enjoyed vegies in coconut milk, grilled meat and fresh seafood together with Ramil and another boatman.  On the same island was a small pond on top of the rock mountains.  In it lives a giant milkfish.  Ramil said that they were two before but a fisherman took the other one and he payed it with his life.  Local legend says that the fishes are mystical and harming them would mean your life.  Since that guilty fisherman died, they have left the solitary fish to it's privacy.

Rod's chance to do some rock climbing

our picnic spot

The pond with the mystical milkfish

They said this was used by the show Survivor

     As our adventure in the Islands of Caramoan ends, it made us conclude that the place is not just worth visiting for its usual tourist spots, food, and activities but the people as well.  A place that is worth returning to for another adventure in the future.