Calaguas/ Caramoan in my travel list

I am going to Calaguas Island.

i am inspired now by two beautiful beach paradisoes in camarines Norte. The islands surrounding the Caramoan has long been in my list and hopefully this will soon push through. Before that happens though, i have to include in my list the island of Calaguas, also in Camarines. they certainly make a good night thought...

After visiting the beautiful Anawangin in Zambales, discovering the Island of Capones and its lighthouse, and trekking the Batulao, i suppose this will be a very adventurous year yet.

i am dreaming....








still dreaming...

Picturesque Batulao Took me Peak after Peak

this post was a week overdue since we were up this helm 28th of march.. and yet after more than a week, i can still feel the gruelling midday heat that we tried and victored on..

we took the new trail up and unlike the previous mountains that we hiked, this one took us through 10 peaks, some just couple of meters from the ascending point. but the sun at 2pm did exhaust us more than anything. and after i lost count of all the stops that we had, and when i started to feel my legs crumbling under me due to strains of ascent and descent, i was rewarded with the most scenic mountain silhouette this part of luzon.

on the peak, i could make the outline of the taal lake, taal volcano, nearby batangas mountains and the outlying towns. being on the summit without cover by 4pm was a sweating retreat. i basked under the sun, had a grab of a clubhouse sandwich we packed and took my nap.


an hour later, we decided to go down the old trail where the initial descent was steep. steep. steep. whereby on the new trail was marked by peaks, the old was marked with camps. I could say that this mountain had been taken care of well and good. each camp was marked by a rock under a talisay tree. and upon reaching the first camp, indeed it was the best-maintained and cleanest campsite i’d been to.

Much as i want to dwell and stay overnyt, this was not an option. I had work eary the next day, and for the first time i experienced a night hike. i forgot all about my aching limbs, for the moment, for the coward in me began imagining things. In the dark…
don’t be threatened by the foolish me though, this mountain is adaptable for night hike especially with full moon.

unexercised fellows like me however, got a dose of my own medicine. with the help of two tablets of alaxan, life did move on.


to get there:
from Alabang:
airconditioned van to tagaytay: 65.00 (1.5hr)
tagaytay to evercrest- batulao : 23.00 (30minutes)
evercrest to jump-off- tryke: 80.00-100.00
hiking fee new and old trail : 20.00 each
freshen up at the sarisari store in front of evercrest for 20.00
(new trail takes less time but if staying overnyt, the old trail has charming camp1)

alternate route:
take a nasugbu bound bus and alight at evercrest.