Surviving Caramoan Islands

(Our boatman waiting for us before the sun sets)

Very little is known about Caramoan Islands. Even I had no idea what to expect when my friends and I decided to go here. Anyhow, this was my first stop during my backpacking Asia trip so it deserves to be one of my very first posts.

Few Things to Know about Caramoan and Why You Should Come Visit

Caramoan Islands are a part of Camarines Sur region located in Southern Luzon, Philippines. It can be reached by a combination of air, land and sea.

These islands are almost unexploited, less known and not commercialized compared to the other islands in the Philippines and the rest of South East Asia. Meaning you’ll get to see and experience nature at its finest. It’s like a secret paradise.

It won’t cost you a fortune to travel here. Even island activities i.e. snorkeling, kayaking, island hopping are cheap! Traveling here highly brings island hopping to a whole new level!

This is where they shoot Survivor TV Series. The secret island has been a host to France, Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Sweden, Bulgaria, Serbia Survivor series. You can brag to your friends that you’ve been to the island where Survivor series are shot!

What To Expect

The Philippines is an archipelago with 7,107 islands. Most of its islands are not easy to get to. Caramoan is one of them.

(without this bridge we would have been carried by these men on their shoulders!)

There will be lots of adventures in transportation. We had our fair share of boats from hell moments! Bring big black trash bags to secure your belongings. They will get wet!

(the view from where I was seated)

How we got here is a combination of the three. We flew from Manila to Naga then took a van from Naga to the town of Sabang then took a boat from Sabang to Caramoan Port. Allot at least half day for travel time. Once you see the water and the beaches, it will be so worth it!

You will see beautiful and deserted beaches. It is like having the whole island to yourself.

(sandbar)

Where We Stayed

(West Pen Villas)

I highly recommend West Pen Villas.  Not only because the cottages are clean and beautiful, it is also situated in town and is safe. They also catered to my vegetarian needs. One should know that the Philippines is not a vegetarian friendly country and 99% meat eating country. I loved the fact that they cooked fresh and tasty vegetables for us. They also helped us arrange our boat tours to go around the islands. On top of that the people are genuinely helpful and friendly. You can’t go wrong with this place.

(Caramoan Survivors… literally)

In summary, the islands can really qualify as a secret hideaway and paradise. And those who dare travel them will be surely rewarded. It will be worth the adventure and if you did what we did, it will be worth all the boat from hell moments!