CARAMOAN, part six : Boracay + Palawan = MATUKAD!!!

"We're not worthy! We're not worthy!!!"

By far,
the most beautiful island
we visited in the Caramoan Peninsula;

as we arrived,
I received a text message that
(yes, SMART has a one-bar signal here)
Signal no. 3 had been hoisted over Bicol,


and as I pointed out Lahus Island across the channel,
the god of beaches smiled down on the sons of a beach

who braved the high swells of the waves, and
who dared visit Matukad on what was supposed to be a stormy day.


armed with a single bottle of single malt,
and a cooler full of ice cubes,

we proceeded to maximize our stay
in this wonderful wonderful place,


an island with two distinct beaches,
a freshwater pool at the summit of this hill,


and strange new plants that would stimulate
the interest even of John Locke from LOST:







This is THE BEACH that most reminded me
of what Boracay looked and felt like
back during my first trips there from
the late '80s to the early '90s...

no passé house music blaring out of every bar,
no vendors selling fake "oakleys",
no pushy boatmen offering banana boat rides,
no empty bottles of mineral water littering the beach.

Back in those days,
we went to Boracay for the beaches,
and the partying was incidental;

Nowadays,
people go to "Bora" for the parties,
and "oh, incidentally, there's a beach".




MATUKAD is a BEACH,
first and foremost,
front and center,
untouched and unspoiled.

But who says you can't party
in this virgin territory?

Scotch and a smoke...

Yoga by the shore...

start a Scandal...

Jump around...

Float calmly...

and in honor of this Olympic year,
some Greco-Roman Wrestling...

and even Shotput!!!

After all that activity,
our intrepid boatmen surprised us with a merienda treat:

Mini Marlins,
fresh from the sea, grilled on the spot!!!

The smoky flavor of the fish was
perfectly complemented the peaty whiskey,

but some people just don't know when to stop,

and can't control their intake of Scotch on the Rocks!

Finally,
a respectful Toast to Matukad Island,

and a firm commitment to keep it pristine,
and take care of the God-given beauty of this natural wonder,
one of the best beaches of the Philippines.



We shall return.

CARAMOAN, part five : The Twin Beachfronts of LAHUS ISLAND

The only thing better than spending time on what is
arguably the Crown Jewel of Caramoan,

is spending time there with two of my best friends,
Dr. Honey Palugod and Dr. Elmo Isip,

who, along with the absent Jun, Louie, and Joseph,
have been my core barkada for a quarter of a century.











Lahus Island
is owned by the Bicharas of Albay,
a prominent political clan whose most famous relation
is the dancer Maribeth.

I'm not really sure how one goes about
buying an island here in the Philippines,
but I'm grateful that the Bicharas didn't seal it off
like the Elizaldes did with their Boracay beachfront property.










We wanted to spend the night here,
but the strong rains of Typhoon Frank,

and the high tides brought about
by the gravitational pull of the full moon,

might have forced us to spend the night
sleeping standing up like cows.


Not to mention the sea snakes...
or other creatures that might be lurking in the rocks.





The small island of Lahus has a beach on both sides,
separated by a dune of white sand,
and bookended by more of those
magnificent Jurassic Park rockfaces.


There's even a natural jacuzzi,
and underneath, a tropical aquarium.





And directly across it,
less than ten minutes away by pumpboat,
is another island with twin beaches,
Matukad!!!


No wonder this Manila Boy is smiling!!!

CARAMOAN, part four : Forget Gota Beach, Go Straight to HUNONGAN COVE!!!

Gota Beach gained fame earlier this year
as the main location of Survivor : France.

The French who outwitted, outlasted, and outplayed
each other have long gone,

and the production has left behind
some rather unattractive pre-fab beach houses,

which Pres. GMA typically enjoyed and approved
during her visit to the peninsula.



These structures now cost visitors P3,000 per night,
and P300 per person "landing fee" for a day trip.

Totally NOT worth it,
so we quickly skedaddled out of there!

Instead,
our motherly tour guide Eva (and her husband Adam)
instructed our boatmen to take us to Hunongan,

a secluded cove where the first resort in Caramoan
is scheduled to open later this year.

It's a pretty small beach;
very private, very beautiful.

And when these luxury Bahay Kubos are completed,
I imagine the rates here will be at Amanpulo levels.

We were already amazed at the
elegance of this tiny cove,





but Hunongan was a mere teaser for
the real jewels of Caramoan:

And so we set sail once again,
this time, towards the sister islands:

Lahus and Matukad!!!

CARAMOAN, part three : Things To Do in PANIMAN When You're Stranded

Paniman Beach,
like Caticlan to Boracay,

is the take-off point to the beaches and islands
of Gota, Hunongan, Lahus, and Matukad.

But unlike Caticlan,
Paniman is a destination by itself:

the dramatic limestone rock formations start here,
and the beach, although brown, is of very very fine sand.

Paniman Beach even has its own "Willy's Rock",



and its very first Banana Boat!!!



Perhaps the most affordable chillspot ever...



and despite Storm Signal #3,
we maximized our massive P10.00 investment!!!







We arrived in CamSur just as Typhoon Frank
started lashing the region, and it was like
facing a massive wall of disappointment;

the waves were just too high for island-hopping,
and we were effectively stranded.



Nevertheless,
Paniman Beach offered unlimited opportunities
for other recreational and leisure activities:


1. Rock Climbing



2. Hide & Seek



3. Team Building: "Kum Ba Yah"!!!




4. Hibernating






And below the cliffs,
a picturesque lagoon of brackish (salt-fresh) water,





where we helped the friendly fisherfolk pull in their nets,
and purchased the catch of the day.








And then,
an element of extreme danger:



The Sea Snake,
one of the most venomous in the world.

Avoid these cold-blooded, paddle-tailed,
yellow-and-black-banded creatures at all cost.






While the sea snakes are by no means edible,
Grilled Liempo most definitely is the perfect beach food!



We were lucky that we were able to rent,
on that stormy day,

what is so far,
the one and only beach hut on Paniman.






There are dozens of beach children running around,
unjaded and uncorrupted by the evils of overdevelopment,

and the genuine smiles of welcome from their sun-browned faces,
as well as those from their equally hospitable fisherman elders,

made me feel like i was once again
among the Ilonggos of Boracay in the late 1980s...



if Boracay today is Paradise Lost,
then Caramoan now is Paradise Found!!