I've been dreaming of going to Camarines Sur for as long as I can remember. I've read blogs and have seen pictures of pristine beaches at Caramoan group of islands.
Finally, my dream has been fulfilled.
Caramoan Islands (or also known as the Caramoan Peninsula) is a group of islands isolated from the rest of the Camarines Sur. It is the perfect island hopping get-away where you can do a lot of adventures like snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, limestone cliff / rock climbing, caving or just wading and swimming through its fine white sand beaches.
Even before "Survivor" show, Caramoan is already famous for it's white sand beaches and
serene atmosphere that they offer.
Caramoan is the 2nd class municipality of the Caramoan Peninsula and is located in the province of Bicol, Camarines Sur, in the southernmost tip of Luzon, Philippines (501Km from Manila).
Caramoan island promises the perfect travel adventure ahead and I really suggest that you visit their respective beaches because, Bicolandia has so much to offer! :-)
How to get there:
By Land:
You can take a bus at Ali Mall bus station going to Bicol, specifically Naga", it's a 9-10 hours of long joy ride but you can check out the sceneries outside the window so that you won't feel a little bored.
Once you get to the Naga bus terminal which is just a few blocks away from SM City Naga, then you can ride a bus "Raymond bus" going straight to Caramoan via RORO. From Naga Terminal to Caramoan, you'll be paying P250.00. P100 for the bus ride then P150 for RORO.
Or you can ride a bus from EDSA Kamuning or EDSA Cubao station, look for Raymond Bus Terminal because, apparently, they offer straight trips from Edsa to Caramoan! :-) Isn't that fab?;-) From what I've heard, they paid a total of P700-P800 for the whole ride.
From Sabang Port, you’ll need to take a commercial boat bound to Guijalo, Caramoan Port which usually takes about 2 hours. Note: that boats from Guijalo to Sabang port only travel until 11 in the morning.
Once you get to Caramoan, there'll be plenty of tricycles waiting for you there to transport you going to Centro. When you get to Centro, you can choose from a variety of hotels and inns that they have there.
We chose Rex Tourist Inn since before we went there, we have been texting them and making some thrifty deals on how we can accommodate their rooms in a cheaper way.
Rex Tourist Inn offers neat and good smelling rooms, very friendly staff as well. You can contact them via this number -> 09153295658 or visit their official website
or check out some of the inns/hotels in this list:
Villa Juliana Inn
Mobile: +639212261395/+639294884928/+639076557984
La Casa Roa
Landline: (+6354)8113184
Email: dollyrperez@gmail.com
CMC Villa Caramoan
Mobile: +639064205644/+639209030226
Email: cmccaramoan@yahoo.com
BC Hometel Tourist Inn
Mobile: +639274027220/+639218357454
Email: danfhel@gmail.com
Caramoan Kayaks Inn
Mobile: +639219873157/+639204742637
Gota Village Resort
Landline: (+632)8170831/ (+632)7109086
Mobile: +639283083969
Email: gotavillage@gmail.com, infocamsur@gmail.com
Caramoan Bed and Dine
Mobile: +639204768619/+639204768577/+639158268563
West Peninsula Villas
Mobile: +639212642538
Email: joy_sancarlos@yahoo.com
River View Vacation Inn
Mobile: +639088655322/+639193955743
Email: riverviewinncaramoan@gmail.com
Golden Hub Tourist Inn
Mobile: +639082626173/+639088948252
Wow na Wow Tourist Inn
Mobile: +639195999673
Vista del Mar Caramoan
Mobile: +639198136766/+639202816362
Hunongan Cove
Mobile:+639283083969
Email: camsurtourism@gmail.com, gotavillage@gmail.com
Breeze & Waves Cottages
Mobile: +639198319497
Residencia de Salvacion Bed and Bath
La Playa Camp and Picnic Grounds (Puerto Merced)
Mobile: +639198136766/+639202816362/+639183420823
Once you get to Centro, you will need to go to Brgy. Paniman via Tricycle as well (This is the backpacking style, you can go straight to the island hopping if you happen to get a package tour through the inns that they have there) At Brgy. Paniman, you can get a deal of island hopping. You can approach any of the Manongs there and they'll be glad to offer you the island hopping tour. The off you go! :-)
By Air:
It is a 45-minute flight from Manila Domestic Airport to Naga City, the heart of Bicol Region. From Naga City, you’ll also need to travel to Sabang Port which is approximately 1.5-2hours drive and ride the commercial boat to Guijalo, Caramoan Port. Same route as above. :-)
Note: Take note of your travel time. I totally regret missing our flight from Manila to Naga because we got to the airport late. Only seconds from the last person who was check in, but since Cebu Pacific is just follow their strict rules, we missed our flight. *cry-cry* But just the same, you can take the bus route for a more adventure ride. :-)
Caramoan Group of Islands
Since we went there last November 1, we actually felt like we owned the island! Pure white sand beach and clear water greeted us.
Next stop is Matukad island, only a few minutes from Lahos island. Another pristine powder white sand beach. I super love Matukad. It actually reminds me of Virgin island in Bantayan group of islands as well.
Say hello to our delicious lunch! It's so nice to eat at the beach. I was so full that time.
After that we also passed by Gota beach. A famous beach resort at Caramoan.
The best time to go to Caramoan is from late October to May (summer time), this months, you can enjoy basking in the sun, not worrying if the rainy weather will ruin your parade.
Till our next adventure!
