I've been hearing about this destination since 2013. They say its a paradise, pristine water, isolated, virgin, untouched, pristine water. Did I just mention pristine water twice? Well, I did and its a fact. Calaguas is a remote island located in Camarines Norte. 14° 11' 0" North, 122° 54' 0" East geographical coordinates to be exact (www.maplandia.com). You'll be crossing part of the pacific ocean to reach this destination, so expect that it will not be a friendly boat ride. A warning for those with a weak stomach, you might throw up the entire trip.
May 17, 2016 after we spend the night in Bagasbas in Daet Camarines Norte, we finally closed our booking with bestofcalaguastour (http://www.bestcalaguastour.com). A tourist agency that operates in Vinzons Daet Camarines Norte, another municipality which is just 30minutes away from where we stay. The agency is manage by Kuya Noli Pajarin who happens to be a municipal accountant of the town of Vinzons. He is a very friendly and accommodating guy, he will entertain all your questions and explain the itinerary for your trip in detail. He can also customized it, to meet your preference.
You have two options for your Calaguas escapade, you can either do a DIY (Do-it-yourself) or book a package from a tourist agency who knows every detail of the place. Just like we did, and it covers everything from environmental fee, food, shelter and water supply for the entire trip which is very important because there is no drinkable water source in the island. They serve seafood by the way and its fresh. All you need to do is to relax, enjoy the beach and wait for the food to be serve. Live like king in this remote island.
We reach the island around 11am in the morning after almost 2 hour boat ride, and upon reaching the shore and unload our things in our cottage, we hit the beach and beat the heat. The water is like gatorade blue, and the sand is as white and powdery as flour. You'll only see cottages and camping tents along the beach shore, there is also small cabanas on the far side of the beach but there were no hotels, bar and restaurant that operates in the island. Their is no power source only generator set is running and only until 12midnight. It's very laid back, peaceful and relaxing. If you want to disconnect from the rest of the world, this is just the place for you.
The package also include island hoping, snorkeling, kayaking and beach volleyball. And we did the island hoping in the afternoon at Cagbalisay Island, there is a 5-10 minutes trekking on this island to reach the top and see panoramic view with stone formation. It beautiful and breath taking, I never thought a view like this exist in our province and the beach shore of the island is composed of shells and corals washed away by the tides.
We snorkel just 500 meters away Cagbalisay island, they provided us with life jacket and snorkeling set, it is also included in the package. There were lots of colorful coral underwater. So many formation you will see, full of marine life but be wary because the current is a bit strong. My son Buwie really enjoy the water, he's very brave to swim is a 15-20 foot deep water. I just tied him to my swim buoy because we forgot to bring his lifebuoy and the life jacket available is for adult size.
We hid back to Calaguas after the island hoping, and enjoy the rest of the day, swimming while watching the setting sun.
We slept under the moonlight that night, we just lay the vestibule of our tent in the sand and enjoy the skyscape of clear full moon sky. Its quite humid and were sweating inside the tent and my son can't sleep, so we decided to sleep outside. Its a nice experience for him to bivouac in the sand.
The next day we trek to a nearby hill, an easy but very rewarding climb and we to saw the panoramic view of the whole island. The neighboring island and the nearby community which has also has a docking port for boats can be seen on top.
Breakfast was served when we get back to the cottage, and my son is already awake with his tito. they cooked sunny side up, boneless danggit, homemade longganisa with hot coffee. Very Filipino, a very delicious and sumptuous combination to jump start our day.
We enjoy the rest of the morning swimming and exploring the island and around 11:30am we load our things and hid back to Vinzons. And these concludes our trip in Calaguas.
Tips:
- If your planning to go the Calaguas for the first time, consider booking at www.bestofcalaguastour.com. It will make your life easier and your trip enjoyable
contact number: +6392006611018
Overnight package: P2,300 per head (infants/kids are free)
Inclusion: 2 days, 1 night stay
Food (4 meals)
Water supply
boat transfer to and from the island
picnic cottage
camping tent
entrance/Environmental fee
Island Hoping
Snorkeling
Trekking
Kayak
Beach volleyball
- If you are traveling with kids/infant bring portable battery operated fan and insect repellent as well.
- For DIY trip, I suggest you spend a night in Daet or be there as early as possible to arrange your logistics and basic necessities.
- Get a bigger boat as much as possible for a smooth safe trip
- Bring fully charge camera battery and an empty memory card.
- Bring a a lot a positive vibes and energy to fully enjoy your stay
