I was craving for some downtime and a change to a less urban type of scenery after a busy itinerary in Naga and Legazpi City. No doubt, my #1 agenda for the whole trip to Bicol region was to visit the “Survivor” Islands of Caramoan! Caramoan became known internationally as the setting of several foreign “Surivor” TV series franchises in Italy, Isreal, France, Serbia, , Bulgaria, and Sweden. The islands have risen as one of the hot ticket destinations in the Philippines … of course, I wanted to get my fill of this tropical paradise. I stayed in Caramoan for two nights. Since I was traveling solo, I initially hoped to join other tourists for island hopping tour. Unfortunately, I failed to find a group when I arrived. I had to go island hopping all by my lonesome. The night before, I felt a bit scared. I’ve never done it solo before. Would I still enjoy it without any company? What could I possibly do the whole day alone? What if something happens to me while I’m in some remote island?
Solo Travel in Caramoan, Camarines Sur
Planning the Caramoan Island Hopping Tour
Caramoan has many beautiful off-shore islands sprinkled across its vast waters. I chose to visit the “Matukad group” since it was the cheapest option and covers the actual sites where the Survivor series were shot. I booked the island hopping tour for P1,500 at a souvenir store near Rex Tourist Inn. Since Paniman Beach, the main jump-off point to Matukad, was still another 15 minutes away from Caramoan Centro, I had to charter a habal-habal (single motorcycle). I paid P200 for the round-trip transfers, which was probably overpriced … the distance from Caramoan Centro to Paniman Beach was just around six kilometers.
Paniman Beach
Surivor Caramoan: My Solo Island Hopping Escape
I arrived in Paniman Beach at 8:00am. I wasn’t exactly alone during the island hopping trip since I had the two boatmen as company. “We” explored the Matukad group of islands starting with Gota Beach, the famed exclusive resort in Caramoan. The actual site of the resort was located in an inland location, a hundred meters from the shore.
Beach near Gota Resort
Gota Beach Resort
Landing at the beach, I couldn’t tell that there was a sprawling village of high-end resort cottages nearby. The only structures visible were the nipa/wood houses of the resort security. Found out that the entrance fee at Gota Beach was P300 for a day tour. Would’ve wanted to go since I wanted to see the tribal council set-ups, which was still maintained at the resort property but I was worried I might not have enough cash. Shelling out P1,500 for the whole boat was already expensive and there weren’t any ATMs in Caramoan if I go bankrupt.
Hunongan Beach Resort
Lahos Island
Got really excited getting near Lahos Island. From afar, it looked like two smaller islands connected by a narrow white sand beach. The moment my bare feet touched the shore for the first time, I was thinking about how cool it was to finally reach my goal of arriving in the Caramoan Islands. I liked the jagged rocks and the pristine blue waters. The rawness was similar to El Nido, but in a more subdued form … beautiful nonetheless. It was “cool” for the first 20 minutes but beyond that, it felt kinda lonely not having anyone to share the experience with. To keep me occupied, I explored as much of the beach as I could … going from one corner of the island to the other, climbing up the rocks to get a better view of the islands, taking souvenir self-portaits. Although it wasn’t the “fun” experience I expected when I was first captivated by the idea of solo travel, I guess I got what I asked for. Only thing I could do was to tune out the loneliness and just give in to the breathtaking scenery around me.
Aproaching Lahos Island
Self-portrait in Lahos Island, Caramoan
Jagged cliffs and off-white sand of Lahos Island
Salamander? in the bushes
MY pumpboat service for the day
Climbing the low rocks at one side of Lahos Island
Gorgeous view to die for
Telephoto view of Matukad Island
Bieber fever, haha… playing with my hair was definitely a sign that I had too much free time on my hands … time move on to the next destination
Tayak Beach
Tayak Beach was where the last survivor castaways settled in Caramoan. Remnants of the production sets were still at the beach area during my visit.
Tayak Beach
Wooden structure where the castaways slept in Tayak Beach
Looks like a shrine of some sort
What’s left of the huts used by the production crew at one corner of the beach
Secret Beach
Manong boatman with his Survivor “Art Crew” t-shirt. It’s a nice thought that the production team provides employment to locals also.
We weren’t able to dock at secret beach. Forgot if it was because the tide was either too high or too low. The boatmen suggested I should have started the island hopping trip earlier like 6AM.
Matukad Island
I had my brief Survivor moment when the boatmen left me alone at Matukad Beach during lunchtime. The chance that the boatmen might not come back certainly entered my mind but I wasn’t alarmed … I wouldn’t mind being left in such a beautiful place. I had a lot of downtime in Matukad Island (too much actually!). I used up the chance to take as much photos as I could and explore every photo-op I could think of.
Approaching Matukad Island
Climbed the jagged rocks stacked at one side of the beach
View of the Caramoan mainland
Starting to go up the stacked rocks
Breathtaking panoramic view at the top
video footage on top of the stacked rocks | music: “Beautiful” by Athlete
I ate my packed lunch at Matukad Beach. Had Lutong Bahay prepare and pack food for me. Spent P120 for two meals (fried chicken and rice).
Hidden Lagoon
When the boatmen came back (thank goodness!), they led me to a steep rock cliff to see a hidden pond/lagoon. They reached the top in no time. I had to take my time to make sure I got a good grip/foothold while climbing since the cliff was really steep. One slip and I could fall in a bed of sharp rocks. I was able to see the mystical mother bangus (milkfish) believed to be the guardian of the island. According to local tales, there used to be two bangus seen swimming at the lagoon. One day, a fisherman went to the island and brought one of the bangus back to his family (for dinner I suppose). Only then did the townspeople knew that the bangus was cursed when all of the family members died shortly after finishing their meal.
View of Matukad Beach while climbing the cliff
See the bangus?
The climb
Dark clouds approaching
Last Stop at a Grey Sand Beach
I finally told the boatmen to head back to the mainland since it started to rain. I don’t know why but they took me to a grey sand beach along the way. Although it wasn’t as pretty as the other beaches I visited in Caramoan, this tiny beach we went to seemed like a nice hideaway spot :D
Passing by Hunongan Beach Resort again
All in all, I’m glad I pushed through with the trip even on my own. It was a personally revealing experience … but I couldn’t possibly do something like this ALL the time. It would be too expensive! seriously … it was, in a way, fulfilling to cross an item off my travel bucket list but I realized that some forms of travel area better if there’s somebody to share the experience with.
Caramoan Island Hopping Tips
- Caramoan Island Hopping Tour – P1,500 whole day pumpboat rental for Matukad group.
- P2,000 for “Sabitang Laya/Manlawi island group,” and P3,000 to visit 9 islands covering both island groups.
- Daytour in Gota Beach – P300 entrance fee (not sure if its inclusive of resort facilities)
- Packed lunch from Lutong Bahay – P60 (x2 meals = P120)
- Roundtrip habal-habal transfers – P200
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
Beautiful photos! You should have negotiated the island hopping rate. We got it for Php 1,000 since there was only 2 of us on the boat. We also stayed at Rex but hired a boat man who lives near the Paniman Beach.
Looking forward for the rest of the posts! :-)
Thanks for the tip Gabz. Knowing that there’s a cheaper rate would be really helpful to those who are still planning their trip … and for me, if ever I’m coming back to Caramoan. Next time, I’d probably head straight to Paniman too and scout the beach for local fishermen who’d be willing to rent out their boat for the day.
Yes, in fact we are helping our boat man in promoting his service and house for rent – http://bit.ly/oYlXkf
You can contact him next time :)
True. Thanks again Gabz :)
You’re correct.. the place is comparable to El Nido, Palawan..
Probably just lesser in fish diversity and corals.
The place is recuperating from Dynamite fishing activities prior to the Survivor.
The resorts/boatmans or whatever are very zealous of their clients..
I ask myself where are the tourist? coz it seems like its just me and my buddy.
You wont see them around, the lodgings are far to spread wide..
Not until you meet them in the island hoppings, then you’ll know they are there.
Its a beautiful place, but a tiresome bus ride by land from Manila..
I could write a song, “How far is it to paradise?” just kidding!!!
I love their church, over 300 years old, with red bricks for it facade.
The trip is all worth it!!
So that explains it. Yeah, really far from Manila 9-10 hours by land to Naga (or 45 minutes-1 hour by air) + 2-3 hours to Sabang + 2 hours to Caramoan :)
Hi Marcos, thanks for sharing your very nice pictures. There are instances wherein a traveller wants to go solo or be with a group, each has its own advantage/disadvantage. More often, mas OK if may kasama ka, lalo na if may mga emergencies. Mas maganda siguro na may particular site for pinoy travel/photo bloggers to announce/post their planned trips for others to know. It will be a great opportunity for bloggers to bond, share the travel costs and explore future travels. Next time you have some travel plans, pls. post it ;-)
All the best in your fture travels.
Sige Lina, I’ll keep that in mind. Usually I go to PinoyExchange.com to check if another member is also planning a trip to places I’m also headed to.
awww.. :( i also wish to travel alone, for some “muni-muni” time. although i haven’t done it yet, im sure it would really be super sad :( but your “sentiment” was cute :) anyway. i wish that you’ll someday have your someone to travel with :) beautiful photos as always! more fun trips to come crushie! :)
Right … I actually had to prepare doing solo trips back then. Whenever me and my friends went for a nightout, I’d secretly come 30 minutes earlier just to know how it feels being all alone … haha kinda lame actually, but at least I would know what to expect. There are a lot of advantages of solo travel but I learned two things that are just sad doing alone … one is island hopping and the other is drinking :D
I like the photos, they remind me of Coron island. I wouldn’t mind going there by myself to such beautiful islands, away from the hustle and bustle of city life and to clear my mind. thanks for sharing your travel experience. How about organizing a tour?
My pleasure sam. Organizing a tour? I’ll think about that first :)
i like to go and take an island hopping tour sometime..but i have a handicap..as i could not walk well i walk with a cane…would it be possible to enjoy the island hopping tour even without going up and down the cliffs.. of course i would be with friends who can assist me up and down the boat.
Of course pong. I only went up the rocks since I wanted to take more photos of the place. It would actually be a challenge to climb the rocks (for most people even without handicap) since the rocks are very sharp.
Thanks for sharing much needed info for future Caramoan trip.
The downside of travelling solo -nobody to split the cost with… :(
lovely photos :)
Cool! Glad to be of service Nathalie ^_^
Good luck on your trip!
dream destination ko pag-uwi ng pinas. btw, nice photos.:)
Go lng katt! Caramoan is a great place to visit.
thanks :D
Marc, your photos are great. Time flies. I never knew that the little brother I saw at my friends house has now turned into a free spirited talented young man…great job B. :) Your Manang Pol and I were planning to go to Cambodia some time next year, perhaps you would want to come. We’ll visit my sisters there.
Thanks Nang Kitchie. If you see me again, I’m still the same shy guy, hehe :) I want to go back to Cambodia! I’m just waiting for cheap airfare. Go na dayun … hopefully :D
Wow!!!!!! Fantastic… Bicolano po ako at pangarap kong mapapunta dyan sa Caramoan sayang noong vacation nagkataon na bumabagyo. Keep it up and good luck for your more adventures…cuz
thanks cuz ^_^
will be going here on the 19th and I’m uber excited already! Thanks for sharing this!
Woah! Enjoy joan, hehe.
Hi, wow! you take such beautiful pictures of our beautiful country! Please continue to share them with us. Maybe say something also about the local people and culture, if possible?
Your pictures help in promoting our country – entice responsible tourists to come and enjoy the amazing people and sites. Definitely, we do not want irresponsible tourists who leave behind clutter or exploit and abuse our other beautiful resources like our women and children.
Mabuhay ka!
Btw, we are friends – Carl and I.
Thanks Josefina. About the blogging more about local people and culture … I definitely want to bring more value to my blog posts but I usually just write about my own experiences here. I think, it’s better to experience the local culture personally that just reading about it anyways.
Take Care :)
astig mga shots mo marcos :)… ill use this as a reference, will be in camsur in december… that’s what also worries me about traveling solo, parang ang lungkot & as much as possible i want to share experiences with somebody… but im on the process na of setting my mind about solo travel, sabi nga its all in the mind :)…
thanks *mOmOt KuYiT* …. Oo nga its all in the mind. You can make your own fun if you’re doing solo travels :D
I’ll let you know ah. We can also visit Vietnam. My sisters will be with us to show us around. Depende lang ah. We’re actually thinking of going to New Zealand, too. Will ask your Manang Pol na lang. Will figure things out, especially the expenses…
Ahh… sige Nang Kitchie … excited mode na for next year :D
Good job. I was raised in Sorsogon and currently working in Metro Manila, but haven’t been to Camoroan Island. You are very lucky because you have enjoyed the nature. I will also plan to visit that place. Thanks for the pictures. I thought the beaches are just ordinary & I did not give importance to what some foreigners are saying that truly it’s wonderful.
Thanks wilmyr. I can relate :) I’ve gone to destinations faaaaar from home and realize later on that there are places, which are near my home, that are also equally as beautiful and worthwhile. Sometimes it takes an outsider to tell us these things.
Hi, Marcos! Nice pictures! I appreciate the detail you put into this entry. :)
Would you know if going to both island groups take up only one whole day or two? What do you suggest?
Most people do both island groups in one whole day only. Pwede naman na one day lang.
Marcos, this blog of yours is such a great help. Thanks for the information. Me and my 4 friends will be in Caramoan in January 24. Sad to say we don’t have any IT at the moment. When we get there, having this blog of yours as part of my IT, we will explore cheaper deals and hopefully contribute to this post.
Cool Betelgeuse! that’ll be much appreciated ^_^