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Bicol Express Day 3: Getting to Caramoan in 1 piece.

Bicol Express: Day 3. April 27, 2012. 4:30+AM. 
Camsur Watersports Complex.
Ansarap ng kain ko. 'Di ko namalayan na basurahan pala ang nasa tabi ko.
...
Wake-up call. Bid goodbye to our hosts and took a quick breakfast [sort of] before taking the rides bound for Caramoan. There are no 7/11s in Cebu so you could imagine how excited I got when I saw slurpees.

 How to get to Caramoan from CWC?
Start: CamSur Watersports Complex to Sabang Port
resulta ng wakeboarding kagabi.
Ride a bus going to the town of San Jose. Ask the conductor to drop you off at San Jose Church.
The bus going to San Jose would either be JC Liner [orange bus] or Florencia [green bus].

Travel Time: 2 hours
Fare: 62.00
Mode of Transportation: Bus

Whacky Tip: Read the sign board and make sure that the bus is bound to pass by or for San Jose. To be sure, before embarking, ask the conductor if it's heading to San Jose.

We took the JC Liner. I planned to stay up the whole duration of the bus ride. But I spoke to soon, Riz told me I blacked out about 5 mins after we paid the conductor.
...
Quick Stopover: 
As soon as you get down, San Jose Church's edifice is the first thing you'd see. 

CamSur is all green. Andaming palayan men.
Right in front of San Jose Church is the road leading to Sabang Port. Ride a jeepney or hail a tricycle to Sabang Port. Jeepney fare is 17.00 while tricycle is 50.00. 

Travel Time: 20 minutes
Fare: 50.00
Mode of Transportation: Tricycle or Jeepney


We originally planned to take the jeep but it was already full when we got to the jeepney stop. A tricycle driver approached us and offered what we heard was 15.00 each. But he claimed he said 50.00.  
Note to self: Verify fare before taking the ride. Clean ears more often.

Sabang Port, San Jose to Guijalo Port, Caramoan
The jeepney or tricycle stops at the drop off point for outrigger boats bound for Guijalo Port. Don't hesitate to ask for the boat ready for boarding. 

Travel Time: 2 hours
Fare: 120.00 each
Mode of Transportation: Killer Outrigger boat


The outriggers for Guijalo are not that big. Frankly, I can't blame you if you feel wary. There isn't any door leading to the seats. You have to hurdle over the window to get it. The space is very tight. Like I told the girls, this is  what claustrophobics would describe as a very very bad idea. 


I can't help but map out a flight plan as soon as I enter the dragon through the window. All I can think of is not to panic grab a life jacket, and pull the girls out, if that catastrophe ever happen.

The ride was not at all comfortable. It was like riding a mechanical bull in a roller coaster cart. It was that bad that there were occasional water splashes and water starts to sip into the boat. This is what paranoids would describe as a very very bad idea. 




But I tried my hardest not to fret. It wasn't at all bad if you have this view to compensate for the occasional mini heart attacks.  This is just a sneak peek of Caramoan, my friends.






April 27, 2012. 10:00++ AM. 
Touchdown Caramoan!


Finish: Guijalo Port, Caramoan to Centro, Caramoan

Photo bum. At naki-pose pa talaga si koyang stranger.

As soon as my feet stepped on Caramoan grounds, I felt relieved and ecstatic. We registered on tourism office's booth. We're on the right track as confirmed by the friendly tourism officer. A dispatcher approached and offered a tricycle to ourselves but we thought it was too expensive. Unanimously, we decided to commute and take a regular tricycle ride going to Centro.

Travel Time: 20 minutes to Centro
Fare: 25.00 each
Mode of Transportation: Tricycle

Whacky Tip: Right on the entrance of Guijalo Port is the terminal for the tricycle going to Centro. Initially, they'd offer you about 300.00 for the ride going to Centro Proper. You'd have the tricycle for yourself, yes. But if you plan on getting to Centro in a cheaper way, just tell them you're planning to commute. As of April 2012, fare from Guijalo Port to Centro is 25.00.







Caramoan is a 1st class municipality on the Caramoan Peninsula, in the province of Camarines Sur, Bicol Region, Philippines. It is a hilly peninsula, with deep gorges and a rough, rocky terrain. The place has a National Park which has caves, limestone formations, white sandy beaches, an islet lake and a subterranean river, make it popular with tourists. It is accessible by public transport from the town of Caramoan, and local people have established trails in the park for visitors. --from Wikipedia


Famous for: Caramoan Islands, home of the Survivor series franchise
There are a lot of places to stay in Caramoan. You can scour and bug google on information regarding that. If you plan not to make reservations or if you simply take the leap of faith then by all means, go. The tourism officer stationed in the port arrival area will be more than happy to help you with your crossroad.
April 27, 2012. 10:30++ PM. 
Touchdown West Peninsula Villas.

..to be continued.

Whacky Notes: [EXPENSES]
Quickie Breakfast = 80.00
Bus [CWC to San Jose Church] = 186.00 / 3 = 62.00 each
Tricycle [San Jose Church to Sabang Port, San Jose] = 150.00 / 3 = 50.00
Outrigger Boat [Sabang Port, San Jose to Guijalo Port, Caramoan] = 360.00 / 3 = 120.00
Tricycle [ Guijalo Port, Caramoan to Centro, Caramoan] = 75.00 / 3 = 25.00




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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 6, 2012 at 9:48 AM

    thanks for the guide! bookmarked :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. OsangJuly 7, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    nice nice... friendly ang Caramoan... unlike other places... heheheh

    ReplyDelete
  3. MustachioJuly 7, 2012 at 11:43 PM

    7/11 this 7/11 watch out :-)

    ReplyDelete

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