Cocoro Island and Tagauayan Island of Magsaysay town, Palawan.

Magsaysay town is one of the towns in the Cuyo Group of Islands. This group of island is located between Palawan and Panay Island. Cuyo is known for the luxurious Amanpulo Resort. The town of Magsaysay is not your typical tourist destination. Only few people brave to visit this far island municipality. But braving the long sea travel and braving some of the sea waves would definitely rewards you with a stunning view of this beautiful municipality. This town has a lot of beautiful places and islands. The town is a sleepy town. It doesn't have much of an urban feel. It doesn’t have large supermarkets, restaurants or middle-size resorts. In fact, only few resorts and establishments that cater to tourists exist in this town. The neighboring town of Magsaysay is the town of Cuyo. These two towns are located on the main island of the Cuyo Group of Islands.

cocoro island, magsaysay,palawan

the location of magsaysay, palawan

If you want to visit the town of Magsaysay, you’ll need to travel on a ship from Iloilo City or from Puerto Princesa City. Two shipping companies ply the route Iloilo City-Cuyo-Puerto Princesa City. One is Montenegro Shipping Line and the other one is Milagrosa Shipping Line. The Montenegro has a larger ship plying this route and they have a much faster travel time compared to Milagrosa Shipping Line. When we travelled to Cuyo from Iloilo City, we rode the Montenegro ship and it took us 12 hours to reach Cuyo. And then going back to Iloilo City from Cuyo, we rode the Milagrosa ship and it took us almost 15 hours before we reached the port of Iloilo. From Cuyo port, you still need to ride a jeepney or a tricycle bound for Magsaysay. The town is about 20 to 30 minutes travel from Cuyo port.  There is an airport in Magsaysay but only private planes use this airport and mostly the airport is being used by airplanes delivering fresh seafood to Metro Manila.

Cuyo Airport located at Magsaysay, Palawan

Cuyo port

One of the destinations in Magsaysay town is the Quijano beach. This beach is famous for kite surfing and wind surfing. In order to reach this beach, you’ll be travelling through rough roads and barangay roads. Another destination is the Cocoro Island. This island is a big island with a several families living in the island. The island can be reach via a 30 to 45 minutes boat ride from a small port in Magsaysay. I forgot about the name of the port but it is a little bit far from the town center of Magsaysay. It’s about 15 to 20 minutes tricycle ride from the town center of Magsaysay. From this port, you can already see the islands of Magsaysay. Cocoro Island boasts a cream-colored sand beach, not really a white sand but somewhat more of a dirty white in color. The island doesn’t have a modern resort but there are some open cottages near the community.

cocoro island, magsaysay town, palawan

the port in magsaysay

Quijano beach

Another beautiful island in Magsaysay is Tagauayan Island. This is just a 20 minute boat ride from its neighbouring island, the Cocoro Island. Only few families live in this island. There are no resorts and only a couple of stores are located in the island. The island has a few hundred meters of white-sand beach. There’s also a marine sanctuary in the island where you can swim and snorkel but there’s a part in the island where the current is a bit strong and you need to be a good swimmer to brave that part of the island. There are other islands in Magsaysay but weren’t able to explore them since we were on a tight schedule and the waves are a bit rough going to the other islands.

tagauayan island, magsaysay town, palawan

tagauayan island, magsaysay town, palawan

So far, this town could surely surprise you when it comes to its beauty. They have beautiful beaches, a laid back atmosphere, a green surroundings and it’s a cheap place to enjoy the beach. It may be hard to reach and to travel to this island municipality but if you’re an adventurous person and you don’t care much of not having to stay on a 5, 4 or 3 star resort, then for sure you’ll enjoy and you will have a wonderful time in this simple town.

Milagrosa Fare matrix

montenegro ferry bound for cuyo and puerto princesa

How to get to Magsaysay:

If you have a budget, then you can charter a flight going directly to Magsaysay town. This town has a small airport that can accommodate small aircraft.

If you don’t have that large amount of budget, then you can just ride a Cebu Pacific, AirPhilippines, Philippine Airline and ZestAir plane bound for Iloilo City. And then from Iloilo City port, ride a Montenegro or Milagrosa ship bound for Puerto Princesa. The port in Iloilo City for Puerto Princesa-bound ships is different from the port for those vessels that are bound for Bacolod and Guimaras. Just tell the tricycle driver to drop you off at the port for Puerto Princesa-bound ship. The Puerto Princesa-bound ship will have a stopover at Cuyo port before proceeding to Puerto Princesa. The travel time is 12 to 15 hours. And then from Cuyo port, ride a tricycle or a jeepney bound for Magsaysay. The travel time is 20 to 30 minutes.

location of magsaysay town, palawan

location of magsaysay town, palawan

You can also reach Magsaysay via Puerto Princesa. Ride a plane bound for Puerto Princesa and then from Puerto Princesa, ride a Montenegro or Milagrosa ship bound for Iloilo City. These ships will also have a stopover at Cuyo port. This is a much longer route compared to the Iloilo City-Cuyo route.

Tikling Island, Juag Fish Sanctuary and Subic Beach at Calintaan Island, Matnog, Sorsogon.

Matnog is a town located at the southern part of the Bicol Region. This town is part of the Sorsogon Province. Matnog is also the jump-off point to the Visayas area from the mainland Luzon. If you are travelling by land and on your way to Samar or the Visayas or even to Mindanao, you’ll be passing by the Matnog port. There are RORO or ferries plying the Matnog-Allen route. The RORO or ferries operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The port of Matnog is a busy port. Several ferry companies operate the Matnog-Allen ferry route. Most of the ferry leaves the port every 2 hours.

Matnog Port, Sorsogon Province

Subic Beach at Calintaan Island, Matnog, Sorsogon

Aside from being known as the jump-off point to the Visayas area, Matnog is also beginning to gain popularity in the tourism industry. Many tourists are now visiting this town because of its beautiful islands. One of them is Calintaan Island, which is just a 30-minute boat ride from the town’s public market. The island has a barangay or a community and they also have 24 hours electricity coming from the mainland. Calintaan Island is just near the mainland that a long electrical wire connects the island’s electric supply from the mainland. This island also has a beach that has fine white sand with crushed red corals, therefore giving its sand a different hue. The beach is famously called as the Subic Beach. Yes, you read it right, the town of Matnog also has its own Subic, and it is much better compared to the other famous Subic Beach in Zambales province.  The Subic Beach is not that commercialized compared to other beaches in the Philippines. There is a resort in Subic Beach but they don’t have big facilities or accommodation. They only have open cottages for rent and these are nipa huts. If you are planning for an overnight stay and you want a more comfortable accommodation, better bring a tent and a sleeping bag.  Also, you need to bring an insect repellent.

The sand at Subic Beach is a mixture of white sand and crushed red corals

Subic Beach, Calintaan Island, Matnog

The other attraction near the Subic Beach and near the port of Matnog is the Juag Fish Sanctuary. There are lots of fish in this sanctuary. Just pay the entrance fee and then you can now swim and snorkel with the fish. This sanctuary is on a lagoon so it’s just on the shallow part of the sea near Calintaan Island. You can also visit the Parola. This is the old lighthouse in Calintaan and it is located in the middle of the sea.

The Parola or the old lighthouse near the Calintaan Island

The other island near the Matnog port is the Tikling Island. This is just a 20 to 30-minute boat ride from the Matnog’s public market and also it is just a mere 30-minute boat ride from Subic Beach, Calintaan Island. This island is just a small island. There is no resort in the area but there are some open cottages in the island. The small island is a private island and you need to ask permission from the caretaker. The island boasts a fine white sand beach but the beach is not that kid-friendly because there’s a sudden drop in depth by the shore. From the island, you can visibly see the passing ferries from the Matnog port.

Tikling Island, Matnog, Sorsogon

If you want to visit these destinations, you can rent a boat from the port near the public market. Don’t go to Matnog port because that port only serves the ferries that ply the Matnog to Allen, Samar route. The smaller port near the public market is where you can rent a boat for island hopping. The price for the boat depends on the capacity of the boat. The usual price for the boat rental ranges from 1500 to 3000 pesos. The small port near the town’s public market is also where most of the small and large pumpboats and fishing boats are docked. There are also several large boats that ply the Matnog-Capul route. Capul is an island municipality of Northern Samar. There are also passenger boats that ply the route Matnog-San Vicente. The town of San Vicente is also an island municipality of Northern Samar.

entrance gate of Matnog Port

the location of Tikling Island and Calintaan Island, Matnog town, Sorsogon

Location of Matnog, Sorsogon

How to get to Matnog:

By plane:

Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Philippine Airlines and Zest Airways have several daily flights to Legazpi Airport. From Legazpi Airport, you can ride a taxi or a tricycle to the central terminal. From the central terminal, you can ride a bus bound for Sorsogon City. The travel time from Legazpi City to Sorsogon City is about an hour. And then from Sorsogon City, ride a jeepney going to Matnog. There are also passenger vans in Legazpi City that are bound for Matnog, Sorsogon. The travel time is about 1 to 2 hours.

By Bus:

From Manila, there are several buses bound for Bicol region. Ride a bus that is bound directly for Matnog or you can ride a bus that is bound for Samar. There are a number of bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City, that have buses bound for Matnog and Samar. There are also bus terminals in Pasay City, near Pasay Rotonda. The usual travel time from Metro Manila to Matnog is 11 to 13 hours. Most of the buses that are bound for Matnog are ordinary buses or non-airconditioned buses. If you want a more comfortable bus ride, then you can ride an airconditioned bus bound for Legazpi City and then from Legazpi City central terminal, transfer to a bus bound for Matnog or bound for Sorsogon City and then from Sorsogon City, ride a jeepney bound for Matnog. You can also ride a passenger van from Legazpi City to Matnog, Sorsogon. I already forgot how much the fare was for the jeepneys and buses. But the fare for the airconditioned buses from Manila to Legazpi City ranges from 600 to 1000 pesos.

By Train:

The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. And then from Ligao City, you can ride a bus bound for Matnog, Sorsogon. Usually these buses are coming from Manila and most of these buses pass by the town of Ligao mostly in the morning. From Ligao City, you can also ride a jeepney to Legazpi City and then at Legazpi City central terminal, ride a bus bound for Matnog or you can ride a bus bound for Sorsogon City and then ride another jeepney bound for Matnog. You can also ride a van from Legazpi City to Matnog. 

Claveria, Masbate. The beautiful town in Burias Island.

The province of Masbate is one of the least known tourist destination in Bicol. Usually, the name Bicol is synonymous to Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. To many people, Masbate is just a cattle land or a cattle-producing province. They also feared Masbate because of the news regarding the political killings and other crimes that happens in Masbate.  But this province has a lot to offer when it comes to tourism at sana mapalitan ang mga negative views ng province into something positive. One of the least known tourist destination in Masbate province is in the town of Claveria, located at Burias Island. The Burias Island is one of the big islands that comprise the Masbate province. The other island is Ticao Island. Burias Island is composed of two towns. This island is just an hour boat ride from Pio Duran Port.

The semi-white sand beach of Brgy San Isidro, Claveria, Burias island, Masbate

A few weeks ago, me and my friends were planning for a getaway and our original plan was to go to Caramoan, Camarines Sur. But a few days before the day that we were supposed to go to Caramoan, a lot of my friends backed out from the said travel and since it would be expensive to go to Caramoan and island hop, some of us just then decided to travel to other destination that is much cheaper for a small group. Me, my cousin and one of my friend decided that we will just go to Claveria, Burias Island. I’ve been to Caramoan twice already and I’ve never been to Claveria in Burias Island, so going to Claveria makes me feel more excited since this would be my first time and also for my friend and my cousin, this would also be their first time to travel to Burias. I had also been to Masbate province but only at the main island.

So our plan was to spend in Burias for 2 days and 1 night. My cousin and I travelled from our house to Ligao City. That was about an hour bus travel. At Ligao City, we waited for my friend who was coming from Tabaco City, which is also about an hour jeepney ride to Ligao City. We met at around 7 in the morning and then from Ligao City, we rode a jeepney bound for Pio Duran. The town of Pio Duran is the nearest jumpoff point to Burias Island. The jeepney ride from Ligao City to Pio Duran is 1 hour and the fare is 55 pesos per person. Punuan ang jeep going to Pio Duran and my cousin insisted na sa bubong ng jeep na lang kami sumakay. So since it was her request at game naman ako at ng kaibigan ko sa idea nya, sa bubong ng jeep na lang kami umupo. She said she wants to enjoy the view, kya kahit alam kong masusunog kami sa sikat ng araw, game pa din ako kasi mas enjoy nga naman talaga sumakay sa bubong ng jeep, maliban na lang kung sa jeep na Cubao-Quiapo na route ang sasakyan mo, hindi masaya ang nasa bubong, lalo na bawal yan sa Metro Manila.hehehe!

Anyway, we arrived at Pio Duran at around 9am and we weren’t able to make it to the last boat trip going to Claveria. There are daily trips going to Claveria. Two boats leave Pio Duran at around 7:30am and 8 am. There are also other boats that goes to the other barangays of Claveria but these boats doesn’t have a fixed schedule. They will leave Pio Duran only if there are a good number of passengers. These boats are bound for Barangay Buyo, Sampinitan and Taguilid, all in the town of Claveria.

The Pio Duran port for Burias-bound boats

Since it was already 9 in the morning and the last boat bound for Claveria already left, we have no choice but to take our chances sa ibang bangka papunta ng ibang barangay. When we arrive in Pio Duran, there was another boat bound for Buyo but the boat crew said that they can’t guarantee what time they will be leaving. They said that their original schedule is to leave in the afternoon but if there are a good number of passengers, they will leave earlier. While chitchatting with the boat crew, they asked me where in Claveria are we heading and I replied that we are heading to Barangay San Isidro. The crew said that it was good that we didn’t took the boat that is bound for Claveria port since it is way too far from San Isidro, they said it is about more than 2 hours of motorcycle ride. They said that we are in the right boat since their boat is bound for Barangay Buyo, which is just a 30 minutes to an hour motorcycle ride to Barangay San Isidro. Nagtanong pa ako ng ibang information tungkol sa Claveria and Burias and they gave me a lot of information. And they offered their motorcycle in Buyo at sila na lang din daw maghahatid sa amin papuntang San Isidro.

Well, since it was a weekend, there are only few passengers arriving at the port. The pump boat can accommodate at least 40 to 50 passengers and we were only 10 in the boat. We waited for almost 3 hours and we thought that the boat will actually leave at their original schedule. By around 12 noon, after the crew ate their lunch, they informed us that we will now leave for Claveria town but we will not go straight to Buyo but we will also be dropping by at Claveria port. Our travel time from Pio Duran to Buyo took about 4hours since there was a lot of stopover at some other barangay in Claveria. The usual travel time from Pio Duran to Buyo is only about an hour. The fare from Pio Duran to Buyo is 120 pesos. For Pio Duran to Claveria port, the fare is 100 pesos.

Claveria Port, Masbate Province

There is no port in Buyo. The boat will just docked at the beach and during low tide you’ll have to wade on knee-deep water. From Buyo, we rented 3 motorcycle para ihatid kami sa San Isidro Beach. The road to San Isidro to Buyo are not 100% paved. I think only a few portions are cemented. Most are potholed roads, some are not even considered as road but rather as a trail. Sobrang rough road talaga na hindi kakayanin kung 3 kayo sa isang motor. Dapat isang pasahero lang. May part pa ng kalsada na kailangan mo bumaba kasi baka matumba ang motor sa sobrang tarik ng daan. After 30 minutes, we arrived at Barangay San Isidro beach, and there is only one resort in San Isidro. The resort has no name and the caretaker informed us that it is a resthouse owned by a French guy. When we arrived at the resort, there were 4 French who were having a vacation. Sabi nga nung caretaker hindi daw kami pwede dun since andun yung anak ng resort owner pero nakiusap na lang kami na magtetent lang naman kami. Buti na lang pumayag yung caretaker and he also informed us that the 4 French will also be leaving on Sunday and if we want pwede na kami sumabay sa bangka. Our plan was to spend just 2 days in Burias but when our boatmen from Buyo informed us that there is only one trip going back to Pio Duran from Buyo, which is at 6 am only, nagdecide kami na Monday morning na lang bumalik ng Pio Duran pero nung sinabi ng caretaker ng resort sa San Isidro na pwede kami sumabay sa bangka ng mga French guests nya, we then informed the driver of the motorcycle na sabihan na lang yung boatmen na huwag na kami antayin sa Buyo kasi hindi na kami sasakay sa Buyo. We paid the motorcycle driver 175 pesos for the one-way trip.

crab at the beach

San Isidro beach, Claveria, Masbate Province

semi-white sand beach of San Isidro Beach, Claveria

Our lighting effect

Sobrang mabait din yung caretaker, they even offered us na magstay sa isang room nila but we insisted na magtetent na lang kami at gagamit ng isang open cottage na malayo sa mga French guests nya. At dahil wala din kaming lutuan, the caretaker gave us sinangag for our dinner. Hindi na kami nagluto kasi may mga ulam din kaming dala. The beach in San Isidro is cream sand, not really a white sand but on a sunny day, it appears as a white sand. Maganda ang beach nila. Masyadong mababaw but marami din mga sea urchin sa ibang part ng beach. It reminds me of Dumaluan beach in Panglao, Bohol na sobrang madami din ang sea urchin. Naligo at naligo kami sa dagat but we didn’t bother na magnight swimming kasi baka makaapak pa kami ng sea urchin. On a Sunday morning, lumangoy at lumangoy pa din kami. The caretaker informed us that they will be leaving at around 1pm and we should be ready by that time. The boat will docked at Pilar port instead of Pio Duran but it really doesn’t matter since we can also travel from Pilar to Daraga, Albay and then from Daraga we can then ride another bus to Nabua town.  And besides, it is only about an hour jeepney ride from Pilar to Daraga City. At around 2pm we then left San Isidro and started our boat ride to Pilar. It is a much longer route but it gave us the opportunity to view the other part of Burias coastline. The travel time was around 2.5 hours and we just gave the boatmen 700 pesos as a fare para sa aming tatlo.

Claveria, Masbate

Our route

Our route. 

We arrived at Pilar port at around past 4pm and we boarded the jeepney bound for Daraga. The travel time is 1 hour and the fare is 50 pesos. My cousin and I were supposed to drop by at Guinobatan to buy a rice puto with macapuno fillings but since it was already dark when we arrived at Daraga, we just then rode another bus bound for Manila, but we just got off at the town of Nabua and then rode a multicab bound for Iriga City. Our adventure in Burias was awesome. We were all first-timer. It was our first time to go to that island and to Claveria town. The island of Burias has a lot to offer. The Claveria town has a long coastline of cream sand beach na pwedeng ipagmalaki at maging tourist destination. But in order for that to happen, kailangan muna na ayusin ang kalsada kasi napakadelikado ng kalsada papunta ng San Isidro. It is much safer to ride a boat to San Isidro than riding a motorcycle but it would also mean na mas mahabang byahe ang kailangan kasi iikot pa ang bangka sa isla. If you’re a traveller looking for an exciting and adventurous travel, then I would recommend that you visit the town of Claveria or San Pascual in Burias Island, Masbate Province. Oh, byahe na!

Albay Province. The Quest for Sili Ice Cream

My cousin and I have been doing some travelling for the past few days. My cousin just went home from the US and she missed a lot of things here in the Philippines, from foods, the beaches, friends, et cetera. She wanted to eat a lot of Pinoy foods, yung mga foods na madalas nyang kainin dito sa Pilipinas and she wants to visit those places na madalas nyang puntuhan nung nasa Pilipinas pa sya nakatira. So one lazy morning, we decided to hit the road at nagjoyride papuntang Albay. One of our plans for the day is to try the Sili Ice Cream at 1^st Colonial Grill in Daraga and to swim at Busay Falls.

So off we go to Albay. We are using our uncle’s old car and we are hoping that it can go for a long distance drive. We are crossing our fingers. Mahirap kasi magtulak ng sasakyan.heheh! We left our house at around 10 in the morning and we did a running tour or should I call it a moving tour of some of the towns that we were passing by. Our first stop was in Guinobatan. This town is famous for putong bigas with macapuno fillings. Masarap sya and we bought several puto and ate it. We plan to buy several more but we decided that we will buy later na lang na paguwi namin para medyo mainit pa at bagong luto.

Guinobatan's specialty, the putong bigas with macapuno

the rice puto with macapuno fillings

After eating several puto, we then continued our trip. Our next stop was Camalig. We visited the old church of Camalig and took some pictures, nagpictorial muna kami ng konti lang, mga adik kasi kami sa pagpapapicture.hehehe! So after doing some photoshoot, we then hit the road again. Palitan kami ng pinsan ko sa pagdrive ng kotse kya hindi naman masyado nakakapagod sa pagdadrive.

St. John the Baptist Church, Camalig, Albay

Our next stop is in the town of Daraga. We visited the Cagsawa ruins and of course, we also have our photoshoot. Malas namin natabunan ng ulap ang Mt. Mayon so we weren’t able to admire its beauty and we don’t have a shot with the Mt. Mayon and the Cagsawa Ruins as a backdrop. After doing some photoshoot, my cousin did some shopping for souvenirs. I think she spent around more than an hour just doing some shopping for shirts and other items. At ng nasatisfy na ang pinsan ko sa pagbili ng mga souvenirs, we then left the place and proceeded to 1^st Colonial Grill in Daraga to have a taste of the Sili Ice Cream and also to take our lunch. Upon arrival at the restaurant, we immediately ordered the Sili Ice Cream but according to the waiter, tunaw pa daw ang Sili Ice Cream nila and not yet available. We travelled for several kilometers for that ice cream tapos wala palang available. So we just ordered the Malunggay Ice Cream and the Tinutong na Bigas Ice Cream (roasted rice flavoured ice cream) and informed the waiter that we will be drop by later in the evening to check kung matigas na yung Sili Ice Cream at pwede ng maiserve.

Cagsawa Ruins, Daraga, Albay

1st Colonial Grill, Daraga City Branch, Rizal St. 

We ordered our lunch, and since we were craving for the dessert and not for the main meal, we just ordered simple lunch, and after eating our main meal, we informed the waiter to serve the ice cream. They brought the Tinutong na Bigas Ice Cream and the Malunggay Ice Cream at siempre, before eating those ice cream, nagkaroon ulit kami ng pictorial, at ang bida sa pictorial na yun ay ang ice cream. Inabot din siguro ng 10 minutes yung pictorial namin, buti na lang hindi pa naman natunaw agad yung ice cream at hindi pa naman naging soup.hahaha! The Malunggay Ice Cream tasted like an avocado ice cream and I think it was something leafy in taste. I really don’t like the taste of it. The Tinutong na Bigas ice cream tasted better. It tasted like a coffee or a coffee mocha ice cream. It has a tinutong na bigas toppings but I would suggest na huwag nyo ng kainin yung toppings kasi mapait yun.

Grilled Liempo and Tinapa Rice

the colonial ice cream

Tinutong na Bigas Ice Cream

After na masatisfy na ang curiosity naming sa mga kakaibang flavour, we then left the restaurant and travelled to Malilipot town of Albay. This town is famous for the multi-tiered waterfalls called the Busay Falls. Malilipot town is about 20 to 30 minutes travel from Daraga City, that is via a private car. But if you will be using the public transport, it could take you about 45 minutes to an hour travel.

We arrived at Busay Falls at around 5 in the afternoon, and since it was already late in the afternoon, we then agreed that we will just spend an hour swimming in the waterfalls. It was my second time to be at Busay Falls and I’ve been to several of its other falls too. Gusto ko sana ipagmalaki sa pinsan ko kung gaano kadami ang falls sa Busay pero kulang na ang oras namin para mapuntahan pa ang ibang mga falls kya sa main waterfalls na lang kami nagenjoy sa paglangoy. We enjoyed the cool water of Busay and even though we still want to stay much longer at that place, kailangan na din namin magbyahe na papunta ng Legazpi City. So by around 6pm, we then left Busay Falls and went to Legazpi City.

Busay Falls, Malilipot, Albay

I have been to Legazpi City for several times but I’ve never been to one of its new attraction, which is the Embarcadero. Actually hindi na nga sya new attraction kasi medjo matagal na din sya nageexist. Mga more than a year na din ata but I’ve never been there so icoconsider ko na lang sya as new.hehehe! So we arrived at Embarcadero a few minutes before 7pm. Nawala kasi kami because I don’t know the street going to that place. Nagtanong tanong na lang kami para makarating sa Embarcadero.

When we arrived at Embarcadero, we toured the area, naglakad lakad at siempre, nagpictorial ulet. Buti na lang digital na ang mga camera dahil kung kailangan pa ng film ng camera namin, malamang ilang roll ng film na ang naubos namin.hehehe! After we toured the mall, we then travelled back again to 1^st Colonial Grill to check if the Sili Ice Cream is now available. Binalikan talaga namin yung restaurant kasi yun naman talaga ang gusto namin na matry. Buti na lang sa pagbalik namin medjo matigas na ng konti yung ice cream so we were able to ordered one. We also ordered a meal for our dinner and since our main reason for going back to that restaurant is the Sili ice cream, konti lang yung kinain namin for dinner. After namin makain yung main meal, pinaserve na namin yung sili ice cream plus we also ordered the pili nut ice cream. At dahil first time namin kakain ng kakaibang food, hindi mawawala ang picture taking. We again spent about several minutes taking pictures of the ice cream and of course kasama na din ang mga mukha namin sa pagpicture taking. When we tasted the sili ice cream, my cousin was somewhat disappointed because she was expecting that the ice cream has that kind of taste where you will have the chili effect in your throat. Hindi namin nalasahan ang anghang ng sili, or maybe because we were Bicolanos and Bicolanas at sanay na ang mga dila namin sa anghang kaya parang walang wala lang yung sili flavour. But the sili ice cream still has that sili effect but just a so very much slight anghang effect.  Anyway, it still fulfilled our curiosity and we were still a happy traveller. Mas maisusuggest ko pa din na tikman nyo na lang yung tinutong na bigas ice cream because it tasted much better.

Sili Ice Cream of 1st Colonial Grill

And because it’s getting late in the evening already, we then decided to start driving back home because it would be difficult if masiraan ang kotse na gamit namin. We weren’t able to buy the putong bigas in Guinobatan on our way back because the putong bigas stalls are already closed when we passed by the Guinobatan town. We arrived at our house at around past 11 in the evening. It was such an awesome travel. Both I and my cousin had so much fun doing the joy ride and dropping by on the same restaurant twice on a single day just to taste the Sili Ice cream. We did a lot for a day. Ang layo ng natravel namin. But we didn’t spend that much kasi minimal lang naman yung gastos namin sa mga lugar na pinuntahan namin. I hope you would also travel sa probinsya nyo or sa ibang katabing probinsya para naman madiscover nyo ang mga ganda at mga kakaibang bagay sa lugar nyo. Happy travelling! Woooot!

The Vinzons and Mercedes, Camarines Norte Travel

Few months ago, a friend of mine invited me to join them on their Calaguas Island trip for the summer, and since Calaguas is one of my favourite islands, I never hesitate to say yes. Even though I’ve been to Calaguas twice already, I’m still excited to go to that island. So last April, the last weekend of April, we were set for a beach bumming in Calaguas. At first, I thought the original plan was whole day Saturday to Monday, but only to found out that we will only be at Calaguas on Sunday and Monday morning.

the beautiful sea of Calaguas

Weeks before the said beach bumming, I already cleared all my schedules for the weekend until Monday. But since my friend informed me that we will be leaving on a Saturday afternoon, I then have the whole morning as a free time. Well, I don’t want to waste the entire morning sitting in our house so I then texted my friend that I will be leaving earlier than the group’s original schedule. Sabi ko sa kanila mauuna na lang akong pupunta ng Camarines Norte, kasi gusto ko din magikot ikot sa Daet and nearby towns.

So on that Saturday morning, at 8am, I left our house and travelled all the way to Naga City. And then at Naga City, since I am on a budget trip, I just decided to take the ordinary bus going to Daet town instead of riding a passenger van to Daet. The fare for the bus is 110 pesos while the fare for the van is 188 pesos. It’s a huge savings. Even though it would take me longer to reach Daet by riding a bus, it doesn’t really matter since I am not in a hurry. The meeting time of the group in Naga City was 2pm. And for me, I will just be meeting them when they arrived in Daet by around 4pm or 5pm.  The travel time for the bus from Naga City to Daet is 3 hours, while for the van, the travel time is 2 hours.

I just slept on the bus for most of the entire 3 hour travel. I was so sleepy because I wasn’t been able to get a good sleep the night before. Upon arrival at Daet, I asked for directions on how to go to Vinzons. Our group has two options on how to go to Calaguas. The first option is via Paracale and the second option is via Vinzons. For the past 2 Calaguas travels that I did, I always took the Paracale route due to the fact that it is much nearer to Calaguas and boats in Paracale are much cheaper than in Vinzons.

Central Terminal, Daet, Camarines Norte

Anyway, I was then directed by locals that I should take a tricycle going to central terminal and from there, I could catch a jeepney bound for Vinzons. The tricycle fare from Daet van and bus terminal to central terminal is 8 pesos. When I arrived at the central terminal, the jeepney bound for Vinzons was about to leave so it was already full. Kesa naman magantay na naman ako, sumakay na lang ako sa jeep kahit na sumabit na lang ako. The jeepney ride from Daet to Vinzons is just about 15 minutes and the fare is 15 pesos. From the Vinzons poblacion, I then rode a tricycle bound for Minaogan. This is where the port of Vinzons is located. From there, I asked for the price of boats that we could rent going to Calaguas island. And since it was summer and it was also a weekend, most of the boats have already been rented by other groups and there are only few options left for me. The cheapest that I got was 6000 pesos pero natawad ko na lang ng 5000. We were 14 in the group and we need a bigger boat. I relayed the info to my group and we all agreed that it would be much cheaper for the group if sa Vinzons na lang kami sasakay because if we will travel all the way to Paracale, it would cost us another 1400 for the fare from Daet to Paracale.

Vinzons Port, Minaogan

Jeepney terminal in Vinzons, Camarines Norte

After kong makapagnegotiate sa bangka, umalis na din ako sa port and proceeded to downtown Vinzons, nagwalking tour lang ako kasi maaga pa naman and my friends are still in Naga City. I took some pictures of Vinzons landmarks:  the Vinzon’s town hall, plaza, and its old town church, the Saint Peter the Apostle Church in Vinzons which is the oldest church in Camarines Norte. And then after taking some pictures umalis na din ako pabalik ng Daet. From Daet, I then decided to go to another neighbouring town which is Mercedes.

Saint Peter the Apostle Church in Vinzons

Vinzons Municipal Hall

The town of Mercedes is just a 15 minute jeepney ride from Daet. The fare is 10 pesos. The town also has its own tourist destination. There are 7 beautiful islands off the coast of Mercedes. I don’t have plans of island hopping on that day since I know it would be expensive to island hop alone, and besides, in a few hours I’ll be meeting my friends in Daet who’ll be arriving from Naga City. So what I did in Mercedes was just some information gathering and a walking tour. I took some pictures of their known landmarks; their fish port, church, the Baybay Beach and the town hall. I also had the chance to talk to the town secretary and he shared to me the information regarding the tourist destinations in their town. After chit chatting for a few minutes, I then decided to go back to Daet to meet my friends. It was also beginning to get dark so I rode a jeepney back to Daet.

Mercedes Municipal Hall

Mercedes Fish Port

the church in Mercedes

Baybay Beach, Mercedes

At around 6 pm, my friends arrived in Daet and we then buy some stuff and foods at the market na lulutuin namin kinabukasan as our breakfast and lunch and also foods that we would be bringing to Calaguas. Nakitulog kami sa bahay ng isa sa mga kaibigan ng kaibigan ko and uminom kami buong gabi. Actually I got drunk kaya kinabukasan hilong hilo ako, uminom kasi ng uminom eh! hehehe! We woke up early in the morning so that we could travel early to Calaguas. We rented a tricycle in Daet that could bring us to Vinzons port. We paid the driver 20 pesos per person for the Daet to Vinzons trip. When we arrived at the port, the boat was already waiting for us so we then boarded the boat immediately. So ayun, dahil lasing pa ako, natulog na lang ako sa buong byahe. Sa sobrang tulog ko di ko na nga namalayan na nakatulog ako sa part ng boat na walang bubong kaya ang resulta ay nasunog agad ang balat ko.hahaha!

Mt. Labo, Camarines Norte

Anyway, after 3 hours of travel, we finally arrived at Calaguas. Ahhhhh, ohhhhh, finally, nakita ko na naman ang magandang Calaguas. I don’t know what it is in this island that always makes me want to visit it again. The island is so beautiful and so unique. Even though there are a lot of people in the island compared to my previous visits in which I and some of my friends are the only people in the beach, the island is still beautiful to my eyes.

Calaguas beach

So after setting foot at the beach, we then pitched our tent. We didn’t bother to get a cottage since most of the cottages are occupied. There is a 100 pesos entrance fee in the resort plus another 20 pesos environmental fee that is being collected by the barangay. The Mahabang Buhangin is part of Barangay Mangkawayan of Tinaga Island and Tinaga Island is just one of the islands of the Calaguas Group of Islands of Vinzons, Camarines Norte.

Naglunch na agad kami and some of my friends started walking along the beach and some just slept at the beach. At siempre ako ay natulog lang din ng ilang oras. So most of our stay in Calaguas we just sleep, swim and eat and then repeat again, sleep, swim and eat. Nagpakabum lang talaga kami.hehehe!

Calaguas, Vinzons, Camarines Norte

Sunset at Calaguas

Mahabang Buhangin, Calaguas, Vinzons, CamNorte

Nagikot ikot din kami sa isla and I toured some of my friends to the other cove and to the community in the island since kabisado ko na din ang mga trail kasi pang 3^rd time ko na sa isla. So by Monday morning, we left the island na and travelled back to Vinzons. At the Vinzons port, the van that my friends have contracted was already waiting for us. We boarded the van and kahit medjo siksikan kami it doesn’t really matter. And since it was already 12 noon when we arrived at Vinzons, we instructed the driver to have a stopover at Daet so that we could take our lunch. Dumaan na lang kami sa isang fastfood chain and then after eating lunch, we travelled na to Naga City. After 2 hours of travel, we finally arrived at Naga City and then umuwi na din kami sa kanya kanyang destination. Actually, hindi naman pala ako agad umuwi because 2 of my friends wants to have some drinking session. May natira pa kasing 1 bottle of brandy kaya inubos na lang namin yun.hehehe! So far, our Calaguas adventure was fun. Even though it was already my 3^rd time to visit that island, nagenjoy pa din ako kasi iba din yung mga taong kasama ko and it was also my first time to travel via Vinzons route.

Sunrise at Calaguas

Calaguas beach

the other cove in Calaguas

There were a lot of changes na nangyari sa Calaguas. Mas marami na ang tao na nakakaalam ng lugar and mas madami na din ang pumupunta dun compared 2 years ago na konti pa lang ang mga pumupunta dun. Dumami na din ang mga basura na nakita ko sa beach and I hope the Barangay Council should do something to address this problem. And I also hope that people that are going in Calaguas should also be a responsible tourist para mapanatili pa din ang kagandahan ng isla. I hope the island will remain undeveloped and not end up being like Boracay, Puerto Galera or even like the Anawangin in Zambales.