Treetop Adventure, Surfing and Potipot Island

TREETOP ADVENTURE->CRYSTAL BEACH->POTIPOT ISLAND

The province of Zambales indeed has a lot to offer. Crystal Beach, Anawangin, Capones, Potipot Island and the list goes on. And did i mention that getting here was made easier by the construction of SCTEX thus making the 4-5 hour trip down to 3-4 hours now. Work is stressing us out so we decided to drive on that familiar route 

SUBIC TREETOP ADVENTURE. This is located at JEST Area, Upper Mau Cubi Point, Subic Bay. This is a series of suspended trails, bridges and motorized cable rides built high up the rain forest of Subic. There are a lot of activities here includingthe Treetop Adventure-Canopy Walk and Canopy Ride (Php350), Superman Ride (Php 200), Trekking Adventure (Php100) and the Tree Drop Adventure (Php 150) where you get to rapel down the side of a 60 foot tree. They also have various packages that you can choose from if you'd like to try all the adventures.

SUPERMAN RIDE. (Took photos of strangers hehe). This was a really cool ride though I must say that it definitely is too short. You'd be suspended like Superman and would be pulled backwards and pushed forward in a little over a minute.

TREE DROP ADVENTURE. Looking at it from afar, I was so confident that it's just a piece of cake. yet when it was our turn already I was scared like crazy haha! It was worth it I must say! Adrenaline rush indeed when I got dropped from the top point. It was really the closest feeling you'd get to falling down a building, yet you're definitely alive and unharmed after.

After the treetop adventure, we went straight to our sweet escape in Zambales--Crystal Beach. The Upper Room Attic in Crystal Beach is definitely one of the best place to chill by the beach. Imagine waking up in  the morning with this view in your balcony... BOOM!

This place is just so serene that you can just lay in the sand all day, get a tan, drink a beer and just chill. Yet you can't. Because the surfboards are too damn noisy screaming to be used. We're just beginners so the waves here are perfect for us. Just an update though, a new beach located in San Felipe is now the prime spot for surfing. You'd just have to take a 15-minute tricycle ride to reach San Felipe and you're ready to ride the waves. This place is not developed yet, but is seen to be the future IT PLACE for surfing. 

The adventure doesn't stop there. After surfing, we decided to go to Potipot Island. We left our car in Crystal Beach and took the bus to Dawal Beach Resort. This is around and hour and a half and costs P100/person. Once you reach Dawal, you'll be paying P400 for the boat ride, which is good for 6 people, to and from Potipot Island.

Potipot is an island off the shore of Candelaria in Zambales. The island is a very small patch of land with white sand and surrounded by gentle waters. There are no permanent structures at Potipot for overnight accomodations. You could either pitch tents or stay at the mainland’s beach resorts if you plan to stay in Zambales for the night.

The island is really small, it would only take you around 30 minutes to walk around it. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for beauty.

Our Subic/Zambales trip would never be complete without our stop at Extremely Expresso Cafe. This time, we decided to try their rice meals. Martin had steak and I had baby back ribs. Their steak was so-so but we are both giving their baby back ribs a two thumbs up!

Caramoan! Philippine's Secret Paradise

I wanted an adventure in the great wide somewhere, somewhere far far away.. and so it was given.


We have discovered Philippines' secret paradise!

Caramoan wasn't really a major tourism destination until word got around that the French version of the TV series Survivor was shot in one of the islands. One can take the 1-hour plane or the 8-hour bus ride to get to Naga City. Upon arrival, we had to embark on a good one hour and a half ride to Sabang port. Since it was low tide and the boat had difficulty docking at the port, the porters had to carry not only the baggage but also the passengers to keep us from getting wet.

For two hours we were cramped in the boat. Good thing the sights and views kept us preoccupied, while sleep claimed Martin for the rest of the boat ride. We docked at Guijalo port of Caramoan and loaded an owner-type orange van where we passed through mountainous terrain before we reached the main town. We stayed at Rex Tourist Inn, located at the heart and the busiest section of the town. With about half a day left to enjoy island hopping and swimming, we ate a hearty meal of lobsters, chicken and laing and headed to Paniman Island where the boats for island hopping were waiting for us.

Caramoan indeed gives 'island hopping' a new meaning:) We rented a boat to tour us for two days. The cost of island hopping for first day was P1500 and P2500 on the second day since the islands we'd visit on our second day are way farther thus needing more gasoline for the boat.

Anyway, lets start our first day tour already can we? the boat took us around the different isles and islands. We passed by Gota Beach where the Survivor France was shot. But our guides told us that where we were heading has finer sand and better beach front than Gota. And they were right.

True enough, Matukad Island offered us a breathtaking view, powdery off-white sand that can challenge Boracay’s, and serenity far from the chaotic city life and urban jungles. Time seemed to stand still in this little paradise as we dipped into the clear, cool waters and took our own sweet time marveling at the sights.

Also, Matukad Island has a hidden lagoon. If you climb the limestone formations at the end of the island, you’ll be able to see the lagoon at the center. We had second thoughts at the beginning but of course we still did it:) You have to be careful though as the rocks are a bit sharp and you’ll do a lot of wall climbing in the process. But the lagoon is really really beautiful and the view above is very rewarding as you’ll get to see the whole stretch of Matukad Island’s beach.

 

Then, we spent a quiet and lazy afternoon at the nearby Lahos Island. The rock formations in this island were interesting. We enjoyed the island since not a lot of people were there and the serenity of the place is just undeniable. 

After an hour and a half, we then went to Hunungan Island, a small deserted island with white powdery sand and amazing rock formations (again). As the day comes close to an end, we hopped off to our boat and had no choice but to put an end to our first day of island hopping experience. 

GOODMORNING CARAMOAN and a happy happy 1 year anniversary to us:) 

We didn't really like the idea of staying 30 minutes away from the beach so we transferred to La Playa where we got a beachfront place. This is exactly what we want. The La Aplaya rooms are really affordable, as we were able to get an overnight stay for only Php1,000 for a single fan room (believe me, you wouldn't need an air-conditioned room here).

The first itinerary's at Mt. Caglago in Tabgon Island where we had to take 500 steps to see Our Lady of The Most Holy Rosary. It is located in one of the tallest mountains in Caramoan so it really does offer an amazing 360 degrees view of the whole Caramoan Bay from atop. It was a really tiring experience but it's really relaxing after you reach the peak with its refreshing cold air and the view of Mama Mary and the breath taking islands:)

After the 500-step challenge, we then proceeded to another Island called Sabitang Laya. This island really delivered! When we got there, Martin and I immediately claimed it our fave Island to date. It is said to be one of the most popular spots in Caramoan because of the long stretch of white sand beach complemented by the amazing rock formations. The entire stretch actually looked like Boracay, sans D'Mall and the partying crowd. 

Oh, and one more thing, WE FELT HOW IT'S LIKE TO ACTUALLY OWN AN ISLAND. We had lunch, we took pictures, we wrote stuff on the sand, we marvel at the Island's beauty, we enjoyed the beach... we did all that ALONE:) Well, the 2 bangkeros and the tourist guide were there as well but we didn't really feel their presence since they were staying somewhere really far. What a way to spend our anniversary:)

OFF TO THE MOST AMAZING ISLAND EVER:) I thought Sabitang Laya's my fave until I saw Manlawi Island. It's a place that becomes a desert of white sand during low tide. Yet again, no one was there. Ooohhhh, Aaaahhhs and Woooows were all the words that were coming out of our mouth the moment we got there. It's indeed an ethereal paradise. We were running jumping, shouting, hugging, celebrating and just having fun cause really, there's too much going on that we need to celebrate. We were like kids in that place and it was pure bliss. We didn't want to leave the place but it was getting dark already so we had no choice. Scandy's malfunctioning na, the battery's acting up the whole trip especially when we were on this island so we weren't able to take a lot of pictures here. 

DINNER!

Last day in Caramoan. Twas a really difficult thing to be up by 5am to catch the sunrise since we could still feel the alcohol in our heads yet the moment we opened the window and the door, the sight was just priceless. Twas our first sunrise;) As the dawn breaks into a beautiful sunrise, we cant help but feel so blessed and grateful for what he had, we have and we will have.With the music playing and the sun rising, we relaxed and savored the moment we know we'd always keep close to our hearts.

That weekend, I left my heart in Caramoan and vowed to return:) An anniversary spent far far away with the person I truly love, what more could I ask for?:) Thank you for everything Martin:) LOVE LOVE BABY:P