Calaguas : The Enchanted Paradise in Bicolandias Gateway

The Inception

As soon as the sunburn I acquired from our Zambales beach caravan started to heal, I and Kaye, my newfound travel buddy who is also my teammate started planning the next beach trip after Nagsasa Capones and Anawangin adventure.In between searh engines and browsing blog sites, we stumbled upon this site Lakwatsero's do it yourself guide to Calaguas and that marked the 2 weeks planning of our next adventure. Our goal: to conquer Calaguas.

It took us two weeks to plan the trip and in those days I never had a day passed without browsing on different travel blogs that would later on help us in planning our very own version of a DIY trip to the unexploited paradise.

The 2000 challenge.
Like many travelers who would like to get the most out of their money, we started challenging ourselves to the "2K challenge". We would be spending this money just for the Calaguas trip albeit we know the blog has been posted a year or 2 ago. Hence some price increased especially the boat rental.Nevertheless, the team is determined to carry on with the challenge. As the song would say, it’s not about the money.

Meet up
Our meeting place was in Farmer's Plaza 3rd Floor in front of KFC in Araneta Center. Call time was set at 8:PM since the last trip to Daet was at 9:00 PM via Amihan Bus. The team was complete at exactly 8 :45 PM. We paid the tickets to Talobatib Junction for Php580 per person, and boarded the bus after bio breaks at the bus terminal's toilet.
The 9:00 PM departure was delayed by 15 minutes due to some issues with the air conditioning system of one of their buses so we were instructed to transfer to another bus. We left Araneta center at 9:15 PM. The rev of the bus engine signaled the beginning of an exciting summer getaway.
The Journey to Talobatib
While in the bus we entertained ourselves by musing at Karen's never ending ride at the MRT, joking at Don for he will be missing one group member who didn’t make it to the finals, and so on. After nearly an hour of chatting, the group then started to get tired and turned to sleep. I was in the middle of a dream when Kaye woke me up and asked me if I want to freshen up.

I was familiar with the place, Kamsa Kamsa restaurant in Gumaca Quezon. Like most travelers do I took the opportunity to pee after paying Php5 Pesos at the toilet's gate keeper. I ordered mami for Php40 pesos, the air conditioning system in the bus is like a freezer, that my blanket won’t even protect me from its cold. I was literally freezing and a bowl of mami gave me enough heat. We boarded the bus right after we finished our food.
It was 5:00 AM when the bus conductor woke us up. We are already in Talobatib junction. We crossed the street and decided to wait for the bus that would take us to Paracale. There was an open Carenderia right accross the street and the Bicolano in me got too excited to order pancit bato for my breakfast.After learning that it would only cost him Php10 for a plate of pancit bato, Don decided to treat the team for breakfast. I got disappointed with its taste since the one I'm used to is not consistent with what I just bought, that one tasted so plain.

While waiting for the bus the group of tricycle drivers along the street insisted to take us to Paracale at a cheap rate of Php200 per tricycle, we were hesitant at the onset since it would only cost us Php25 if we are going to take the bus via Paracale, but due to their persistence and too much excitement of our team to get to Calaguas as early as possible we decided to take the offer. We left Talobatib junction at exactly 6:00 AM and arrived in Paracale 30 minutes thereafter.

My haggling skills deactivated
The group decided to chip in Php300 Pesos for our food and grocery expenses. So we had a total budget of Php1800.00 for our food and its good for four meals for 6 persons. Our boatmen lives in Mahabang Buhangin so they politely declined our offer to share our food. We had chicken adobo and pinangat na tuna for lunch, grilled pork for dinner, egg omelet and steamed hotdog for breakfast, and grilled tuna for our next day lunch. As opposed to our trip to Anawangin Nagsasa and Capones, where we spend the same amount and we were a group of seven then, I would say that we were able to get the most out of our money, in fact we managed to buy a styrofoam container and a griller which I assumed would not fit with our budget. Luckily Don volunteered to pay for our drinks. (3 liters of emperador light ) while my boss brought with him an absolute vodka (which we weren’t able to drink after all).

While Wayne and Don where doing the rest of the shopping for our food, I and my boss looked for kuya Nelson, our contact for the boat that will take us to Calaguas. It’s not hard to find him though since they have this meat stall in the paracale market. If you asked anyone his whereabouts,for sure they knew where he is. It seems to me that the people in Paracale, just like my people in Hernani and Ligao, knows each other.

I strongly believed in my haggling skills but this time, it did not work at all. In short I wasn’t able to lower down the boatride to Php2300, but paid Php3000 instead. Kuya Nelson insisted that the price quote I was referring to was 2 years ago and on top of my head - this guy is correct. So I set aside my haggling skills this time, what's important to the group now is to reach Calaguas as early as possible. I know we had all day but there was something in me that is driving me to get there as early. Later on I would realize what it was.

The Boat ride to Calaguas
Although I’m not used to getting much of an attention, kuya Nelson’s crew/boatmen made us feel were very important and that it was a custom in this place to load the stuff of the passengers in the boat, though it seems to me that I am not worth their attention, and that I can manage, I just decided to go with the flow rather than insult someone’s hospitality. After loading all our stuff into the boat, we all hoped in to the small boat that can load up to 15 person.We left Paracale Port at exactly 8:30AM.

The port is not that extra ordinary, it is a place where fishermen docks their boat to sell their bounty in a place where the river meets the sea. Nevertheless this port serves as an avenue to everyone’s dream paradise. So I just ignored the not so good things I’ve seen in the port and focused in the picture of a paradise that my feet will set in to in less than 4 hours from then.

Unfazed by the billowing waves
The sea looks calm at the onset but as we get closer to a nearby island called Maculabo, Kaye and Karen started to get nervous. Kaye having used to the Zambales waves was a bit tormented by the waves she is experiencing in the Pacific Ocean. Though we learned from most blogsites that the waves are indeed horrible, it is far opposite than what was expected. If the waves are as huge as a 2 storey house, what would it look like if we did the trip via Vinzons? The waves are said to be bigger in Vinzons than in Paracale. Nevertheless I just ignored the waves; by just looking at our boatmen’s facial reactions I knew for a fact that these waves are the normal ones. There’s nothing to worry about. Every once in a while the noise coming from the boat’s engine lowered down, signaling a huge wave coming our way, this is how the boatman maneuvered the boat, his experience in the sea was my comfort, and the promise of a beautiful paradise was my hope.

After more than 2 hours of traversing the sea against the wind, the team got accustomed to the big waves, like a couple on a get to know each other stage, this time we were acquainted with the wave and no fear can be seen in everyones face but the team is overwhelmed over the spectacular view in the nearby islands of Cumalasag and the rest of Tinaga. It was exactly 11:30 when we reach Mahabang Buhangin the happy beach.

Enchanted Calaguas
God must be in his brightest mood when He created Calaguas: a very gentle paradise, inhabited with warm and gentle people, a long stretch of white powdery sand that even if you walk on it barefooted at noon time it wont burn your soles rather would caress it and gently relieves your pain acquired from the long journey, and then, it ultimately heals your soul.The initial sight of the beach would bring one's self total awe and it would lead you to thank God for this very beautiful creation. One would forget that he/she almost died in nervous breakdown while traversing the Pacific Ocean caused by the billowing waves and the whistling wind.

At last I finally set my foot to Calaguas. I felt I became free from my incantation over its unimaginable beauty, from the first time I've heard about Calaguas up to the last hour while in the boat, I could not rid myself with the thoughts of it. At last I had been with my first love in Camarines Norte. The mere sight of the long stretch of white powdery sand in Mahabang Buhangin is a total bliss, and the serenity of the place is a cure for Karen's heartache, for my insatiable desire to be with nature, for my boss work and non work related stress, a norturing add on to Wayne and Kayes relationship, and a rejuvinating potion for Don's aging body ( peace Don). At last I could stay with you within the next 26 hours, at last I could bathe in your crystal clear waters, that is so revitalizing and brings me back to life, At last my teammates has the chance to strengthen the friendship that flourishes in every adventure we embark into, at last my soul will be healed from my unending search of freedom and a temporary solace, at last I am in Calaguas. At last I'm home.

The Accommodation
Once we arrived in the island, I immediately looked for Mang Bert but later on found out that his place has no space for camping since the said part where there's enough camping space of the beachfront had been sold to a certain Dr. Sacay. Thus the team after all the debates and my persistence, transferred over to Mang Ramon's place which is at the far end of the beach. Here we were able to spot a good camping site and the toilet and kitchen is easily accessible. We paid Php75 per person for camping fee , Php20 per person for environmental charges and Php150 for cottage. All in all we paid Php120 per person for the accommodation and environmental charges, but we gave the couple extra just to show them our appreciation of their hospitality and kindness. Because of Mang Ramon and Ate Elisa I would say that the people in Calaguas acepted us wholeheartedly and these people are less money oriented than most resort caretakers are. Calaguas is indeed a place for happy people who is contented with the gift of nature and the kindness of humanity. Calaguas Island is indeed a happy beach.

While Wayne, TL Ro and Don were setting up the camp I prepared our first meal in Calaguas; we had pinangat na tuna and chicken adobo for lunch. Perfect to re energize us after a long travel. We had our lunch at exactly 1:00 PM. Just before we finished setting up the camp and preparing lunch, exactly after 40 minutes after we docked at Mahabang Buhangin, it rained hard which is accompanied by a strong wind. I was so thankful that we were not in the middle of the sea when this happened or the boat were riding with might sink. The wind that blows up my face and the rain it comes with, brings me shivers not because of its cold but because of the thought that it could have happened to us in the middle of the sea if we decided to wait for the bus in Talobatib junction. Thank God we gave in to the tricycle driver’s persuasion. Maybe this was the reason why there is an urgency among us to get to Calaguas before noontime.

The Happy Beach
Just as we finished lunch, everyone decided to explore Calaguas. Karen and Don had their version of footprints in the sand picture, the couple Wayne and Kaye with TL Ro decided to take a dip in the crystal clear water of the yet pristine beach of Calaguas. While I would love to join the group I had decided to regain energy and take a short nap. Calaguas is so beautiful and I would need energy to better express my appreciation of this unexploited part of the Philippines, who according to bloggers I subscribed to is well loved than that of Boracay. Now this would be hard for me to elucidate on the comparison since I never was and never dreamed of going to Boracay, but my take on the matter is, the beauty that Calaguas has to offer, and the serenity and tranquility of this place, is a perfect getaway for those who seek to commune with nature, and escape the hassles and bustles of the metro, this is a perfect place for you. A back to basic concept of travelling less the luxury of electricity and sophisticated water system, which I really don't care about, this is the place of my solitude. My haven. My paradise. As I roam around and feasted on the panoramic view I only see in postcards, I remembered this song, Heaven is a place on earth. And at that time I felt I was in heaven.

Being in Calaguas is a fulfillment of my dream. Even when I was still in high school it has always been my dream to visit all the beautiful and pristine beaches in the Philippines. I closed my eyes and fall asleep of the thought that my insatiable desire to be in places like this is once again fulfilled. As I closed my eyes I said to myself, this is indeed my happy beach.

I was awakened by the noise of a raven right on top of the tree in our campsite.It was then that I realized it was already 5:00 PM. My teammates are taking a dip in the beach and I decided to join them. Here water is really good for swimming and the sand is still fine even if you go farther from the shore. My cynical mind would really not believe that I would not be stepping in a single pebble in the beach water and in fact I didn't. After 30 minutes of swimming albeit not being convinced that I havent stepped in a pebble nor stone at the beach, I decided to tag Karen and the group for a walk to the southern end of Mahabang buhangin.

A sunset to remember
We walked barefooted along the shore up to the rocky part of Mahabang buhangin, where Kaye had her not so daring pictorials, that I even thought it was designed for a men's magazine. hahaha. Anyway, the golden sunset in Calaguas is yet another picturesque in the said paradise. Silhouette pictures of couples in vacation is something that shouldnt be missed. For one thing sunset in calaguas is magical. It makes me think that the day just gets better as it nears to its end. Just like people, we get more substance as we age. We gain knowledge as we grow, and as we travel we learn a lot of mysteries from God. Looking at the sunset is so surreal,although sunset really dont last that long, it teaches us that nothing is permanent, in someway or another it teaches us that nothing in this earth is tangible, even those we love so much we have to let go, hoping for the promise that someday everything will be in its perfect place.

Party at the campsite
It as past 8:00 PM when we finished our dinner. The group decided to stay in the campsite and enjoyed the next itinerary : our empoy session. I almost passed out after i sipped my last shot of emperador light. This is one of my greatest frustrations, to get drunk in the beach and pass out.I had been declining invites from my teammates for a drinking session after shift, for the very same reason that I would reserve my appetite for liquor on occasions like this. I fall asleep never noticing that I was responding to Don's Lunatic harangue in the tent.Karen just informed me about it the next day, and as usual Don was once again in the spotlight hahaha.

Last Day in Calaguas
Karen Don and myself woke up almost all at the same time although we just wanted to lie in the tent a little bit more, I think all three of us has the same reason; hang over from last nights drinking session. After 30 minutes of snuggling at the tent, hoping to get more sleep, It suddenly hit me that its 7:00 AM and its our last day here so I'll make the most out of it. As usual, I volunteered to prepare our breakfast though Karen had always been willing to help I just felt cooking is easier done solo. hehehe.

TL Ro was done with his coffee when I started preparing breakfast, just like what I thought, he woke up early and had an early jogging exercise at the shoreline. I was a bit of an envious but its okay, I had this plan that right after breakfast I would swim like a fish until we hit the sea again back to Paracale, just like what I did in Nagsasa, I will only stop swimming once I smelled from the air the aroma of a grilled fish. Although we had an enticing meal for our breakfast, the call of the beach was more powerful than the food served in front of me,so I finished the food as fast as I can, and, thinking its our last day, I hurried down to the beach and swam to my hearts content in in its crystal clear waters. I made sure that I was able to apply sunblock before indulging into a 3 hour swimming.

Swimming is a tiresome form of an exercise, but for all of us this only happens every once in a while, so we decided to enjoy the remaining time left on our stay in Calaguas Island. That time, I thought, right after we alight the bus from Araneta and go back to work again, I could carry on with a new perspective, and a new hope. As I look at Kaye and Wayne, who, by the way was celebrating their aniversary in the island, I could say that this trip made their relationship stronger. After this trip I'm sure Karen will be ready to move on, and as a whole, this trip made each one of us a better person.

After our lunch time I decided to take a last dip at the beach. Karen, Don and Kaye came along. It was 12:30PM so the group has 15 minutes to swim and the next 15 minutes to pack up. We left Calaguas Island with a smile although we know we will surely miss our happy beach.We left Calaguas at 1:20PM

Our boat rental comes with a side trip to Maculabo Island, however since the girls were once again intimidated by the waves, the group called out the sidetrip. Good thing so we have ample time to prepare for the next journey, that will take us back to Manila. Except for Wayne and TL Ro, all four of us wll be reporting back to work at 5:00 AM the next Day.

We reached Paracale Port at 3: 15 PM. Kuya Nelson was waiting for us. As we alight the boat, the ever generous Don gave our boatmen extra for taking care of us while aboard. Before we parted ways with kuya Nelson I informed him Angel Juares of http://lakwatsero.com said hello, he smiled right back.

Side Trip to Daet
We left Paracale at 4:00 PM and reached Daet at 5:00 PM . We then took a tricycle that will take us to Philtranco terminal in Daet. Fair is at Php10. The aircon bus leaves Daet at 8:00PM so we had ample time to roam around the town of Daet. We asked from locals. where to find a restaurant that sells pinangat, I recommended Graceland to my boss but I didn't know that their menu includes the said delicacy ,luckily one of the locals informed us they do. So we didnt waste our time and immediately hurried to Graceland. We ordered their Soo Bicol menu that includes boiled rice, pinangat and grilled liempo, not bad for Php106. I was so famished that I didint wait for the others hahaha.After our diinner we roam around and shopped for our pasalubong right accross Graceland. We embarked into the bus at exactly 8:00PM.Yes were back to reality, but the memories of Calaguas Island will surely stay.

Expenses :

Round Trip fair ( Philtranco and Amihan) Php1160.00
tricycle fair from Talobatib to Paracale 67.00
Food ( stop over on our way to Daet ) 40.00
Pansit Bato 10.00/plate
Grocery/food 300.00/person
BoatRide 500.00(3000/6)
FX from Paracale to Daet 90.00
Entrance fee + Cottage fee + Environmental Charges 120.00/person
Tricycle fare from FX terminal to Philtranco Daet 10.00/person
Dinner at Graceland Daet( Sooo Bicol+mango yoghurt) 181.00

Total Php2478.00

Itenerary

Day O

8:30PM Assembly
9:00PM Departure (Last trip to Daet )

Day 1
5:30AM Arrival to Talobatib
6:00AM Arrival to Paracale
6:00AM to 8:30AM Finding our boatman and food shopping
8:30AM departure from Paracale Port
11:30AM Arrival to Calaguas
1:00PM Lunch
2:00PM to 3:00PM Siesta
3:00PM to 5:00PM Swimming
4:00PM to 5:30PM Exploring Mahabang Buhangin/Sunset watching
7:00PM Dinner
8:00PM to11:00PM Empoy Session
11:00PM We called it a day

Day 2
7:00AM Waking up and all that morning rituals
8:00AM Breakfast
8:30AM to11:30AM Swimming/hiking to the southern part of mahabang
buhangin to text Karen's Mom
12:00PM Lunch
12:15PM to12:45PM Last Dip in Calaguas Waters
12:45PM to 1:00PM Pack Up
1:20PM Depart Calaguas
3:30PM Arrival to Paracale Port
4:20PM FX ride from Paracale to Daet
5:00PM Arrival to Daet fx terminal
5:20PM to 5:30PM tricycle to Philtranco Daet
5:30PM to 5:40PM purchased ticket and left stuff to manong guard so
can explore Daet


6:00PM to 7:30 Exploring Daet,dinner at Graceland, shopping for
pasalubong
8:00PM Left Daet for Manila

Day 3
3:30AM Arrival to Manila
5:00AM Back to work


Name Of Caretakers : Mang Ramon and Aling Eliza
how can you reach them? Ask Kuya Nelson's boatmen

Boat Owner : Kuya Nelson
CP no. 09203179315

** Some of the locals sells fresh catch at relatively low price ( Php 40.00 to Php70.00 per kg)you might want to consider this.
** Unlike some beaches in Zambales I haven't had an annoying encounter with any mosquito here but I would still recommend you bring off lotion.
**Pacific waves could be at rage in the afternoon so it is recommended you leave the place not later than 2:00PM.

Thats it... Enjoy your Calaguas vagabonding..