bicol tour part 2: caramoan islands and naga city experience

march 12. good news. tsunami alert number 2 has been lifted in camarines sur which means we can now cross the ocean!

we were fetched by a van from Naga to Sabang port, it was almost a 1 1/2 hour travel without traffic. for those who want to see the island, you have to be in the port before 11AM. 8AM is the first public trip and 11AM for the last boat ride or else you'll rent a boat which costs way higher than the public fare. we rented one as we did not catch the last trip. At the port, there were dedicated guys who will carry you on the shoulder just to get you in the boat as there are big waves, bigger than you are, that you will encounter and for you not to get wet, too.

 

during this time, i was really scared and hesitant to do so due to the tsunami alert but we still rode a pumped boat and traveled two hours just to get to the caramoan island. it was the longest two hours of my life! big waves and mountains to see while on the boat plus the thought of tsunami after shock may hit us, yikes, this is a life risking experience! hahaha.

 thank God we reached caramoan safely!!! :) we went to our hometel and it took 15minutes from Guijalo port to our hometel in the town proper. well, they don't really have hotels in caramoan. we just stayed in big house with a lady caretaker. it was a good accommodation though, three rooms and all airconditioned and the whole house is really yours.

after bringing down our baggages, we went straight to island hopping.

we only got to see the baguing island since we started late. it was a beautiful island. we've been informed that one of the survivor episode was taken at this island.

it was a beautiful view. never thought an island as wonderful as this is existing in the Philippines! the island is so serene and you can see great rock formations. there are parts where sands are fine as those in boracay and it feels good to walk barefooted.

it was like a two sided island. on the other side, you'll be able to see more rock formations and bigger than the once that we saw first.

 

the whole time we were here, all we did was to capture photos and a little bit of swimming! we went back to the hometel just before the sun goes down.

foods served to us from lunch till breakfast were all superb. all seafoods! there were fishes, squids, and lots of crabs for dinner, woot. my favorite!

march 13. before going back to naga, we dropped by at the caramoan church, just a few steps away from our house.

then finally, we need to go back to naga. another almost four hour land-water travel time. wooohooo.

in naga, we stayed in Villa Caceres hotel, one of the top hotels in Naga which is located in Magsaysay Rd where strips of entertainment and dining places can be found.

after an hour of rest, we went out to try BIGGS. it's a fastfood chain in Bicol and i think the most famous one. try this diner once you're in bicol and you'll realize how yummy their foods are! (maybe, i'll just have my review about their food on my other posts)

for those of you who want to buy some pasalubongs, you may go to the naga market, just a jeep away from the magsaysay road, where you can buy pili nuts. just be extra careful when buying. don't get fooled with the cheaper price as they aren't as tasty and crispy as the ones that are a bit expensive.

as i've mentioned, magsaysay road is the best place in naga for chill-outs and clubbings. so when the night comes and have nothing to do in your hotel, go out and chill!


****for those who want to see caramoan and is looking for travel agents, i recommend http://www.caramoanhaven.com/ . they provided us good service and their people are really nice.