Caramoan in photos (A Blog Action Day 2010 post)

Going to Caramoan, in the province of Camarines Sur in the Philippines, is like going through time to an age when the simple joys of life mattered, when a clear ray of sunlight and the blue waters of the sea were enough to make one smile and feel content. It's like going to a place that city dwellers now only know from books: abandoned islands of white sand and coconut trees, fresh fish for lunch and dinner, miles and miles of clean water that sustained life in the municipalities that surround it.

With its ragged beauty and simplicity, Caramoan has been a favorite destination for Filipinos in search of some R&R. It caught international attention, however, when several seasons of the reality show Survivor from various franchisees the world over came to shoot here. Caramoan, after all, is one of the few remaining frontiers of this once lush archipelago.

There has been a very noticeable increase in local tourism in such a way that there have been talks about building an airport and improving the condition of the roads, something that the impoverished communities in this part of the Philippines could benefit from.

And the challenge now is this: the island withstand the influx of tourists and preserve the very attractions that brought them in in the first place? An answer in the affirmative will be very much welcome.

HOSTEL REVIEW: Rex Tourist Inn, Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines

OVERALL RATING: 2/5

DATE OF VISIT: January 2 to 5, 2010

PLUSES: The personnel was nice, although they could be very lax or shy at times. They could fetch you from the port to their inn upon arrival. The island tour they organized was great and the food was always good. Showers yield abundant water everyday.

MINUSES: The room was very basic: bed, TV without remote, toilet and bath without toilet paper and mirror, and shower without heater. I would've wanted a window toward the outside instead of an interior window toward the hallway. The hostel should begin diversifying its fare for foreign tourists. I mean, food was great if you're Filipino and accustomed to eating rice and fish in the morning, but if you're from another country and you prefer bread, marmalade, butter and cereals, you might have a problem. The interiors and exteriors could be very kitschy.

Surviving Caramoan (Part II)

My dormmate from Spain and I went to Caramoan in search of adventure. And boy did we get the adventure we're looking for!

The trip started with an early-morning Cebu Pacific plane ride from NAIA 3 to the Pili Airport (which Cebu Pacific markets as "Naga" for better name recall). Budget flights are fast becoming popular in the Philippines and Cebu Pacific -- it has to be said -- is getting a lion's share in the low-cost airlines business here.

The flight to Naga was uneventful, save for the door of the stewardess' pull chair that got unhinged upon take-off. From Naga, the van that we had previously contacted fetched us to Sabang Port. The 1.5-hour trip from the airport to Sabang costs about Php1200 one-way (US$ 26, US$1=Php 46), so the more people that go, the cheaper the shared fare gets. Alternatively, tourists could take a van to SM Naga and from there take another van to Sabang. Travel time lengthens considerably, though.

From Sabang, we took the local outrigger boat to the island of Caramoan. This part of the trip was definitely not for the faint-hearted since the two-hour boat ride traverses waters of the Pacific. The trip costs Php120. Be sure to pee before embarking on this part of the trip, lest you expose all your glory to the fishes of the ocean and the passengers of the boat.

(To be continued...)

Surviving Caramoan (Part I)

First of all, Happy 2010! W.A.M. has been on a rather longish hiatus since I've been here and there and was -- am -- busy with professional commitments. Having said that, let's welcome the New Year with pictures from the latest trip I did... to Caramoan, Philippines.

Caramoan is an island belonging to the province of Camarines Sur, located on the eastern tip of the island of Luzon, right next to the Pacific. It first caught international attention when the French version of the world-famous reality show "Survivor" has been filmed on the island. Since then, several other versions (Israel, Bulgaria and Serbia) have been shot in this paradise on earth.

My secondary-information research pretty much ends here. I'm not the most physical person on the planet (as you might already know) and the beach will be the last place I'll ever find myself in. So imagine my apprehension when I found myself booking plane to Naga on my way to take a wooden banca to the island of Caramoan.

(To be continued...)