Captured: CARAMOAN

December was a family bonding month. Aside from the usual get-togethers during the holiday season (and the trip to Boracay that I shared on my previous post), the entire family went to Caramoan. We were a 25-pax group. With a 4-car convoy, we set off with our 45-minute trip to CWC, where we transferred to the shuttle which brought us to Bongalon Port. The boat ride from Bongalon port to Guijalo port in Caramoan is one hour and a half. Good thing, the M/V LRay fast craft was quite roomy, giving you chance to move around during the trip, watch the waves and landforms on the sides, take pictures or simply snooze a bit.

Upon arriving at Guijalo port, we were picked up by vans for another 20-minute road trip to Gota Village. Gota was the location for at least three foreign survivor series – France, Bulgaria and Israel.

(Gota Village will again be closed to public from February 16 due to the shoot of another edition of Survivor Israel)

Caramoan is a peninsula. Gota is part of Caramoan. It’s on the edge of the mainland. Gota Village is the most developed resort and the Hunongan Cove. These two are the best spots, since they are on the beachfront, but there are other cheaper accommodations located at the town proper, which I think, are only 5-10 minutes away from the beach.

In Gota Village, there’s no cable TV, but there is a Television Set and DVD player (with DVD movies available for free). No network signals for Globe and Sun. Smart, yes… though kinda erratic... but definitely better than none.

If you’re planning to visit Caramoan, don’t settle for Gota only. Make sure you go island hopping. The magnificent views are on the other islands, which are mostly untouched… virgin, at that. ;-) Matukad Island for example, has a hidden lagoon. You can also go swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, rock climbing, among other activities.

On top of that, you can also go to the Our Lady of Peace Grotto (which we failed to do). It has a giant statue of Our Lady (resembling that of Jesus Christ in Brazil) on top of a hill. When you’re up there, you can have a breathtaking view of the entire Caramoan.

To wrap up, if you love nature, peace and quiet, Caramoan is for you. If not, go for CWC.

If you're interested to visit the place, and needs help... I have contacts on affordable accommodations and tour packages. You can get in touch with me, thru this blog. Just leave your comments. Thanks!