Lakwatsarah

Puraran Beach As it turns out, January isn't really a good month to see Catanduanes' full bloom beauty. The weather’s not cooperating and the breeze was too cold for us, we couldn't even gather the courage to drag ourselves into the water and swim. Not to mention the very strong waves. I passed the yearning to swim and bond with my camera underwater as the last thing I want is to find myself in the middle of Pacific Ocean. The water was  rough even near the shoreline. Despite the gloomy weather (which happened all throughout our stay), we didn't pass the chance to see Catanduanes famous tourist spots especially two of the top beaches of the province, Twin Rock Beach Resort and Puraran Beach. Travelers shouldn't miss these two gorgeous beaches especially during the calm summer months and even during the rainy season for seasoned surfers. The trip happened last January 18-20 with college buddy Yael.  Here's how we spent t...

Yael at the splashy beachside of Puraran ( click here to read Day 1 ) Day 2 'Ma'am maalon pa din po.' is what appears on the text message. Ok fine. We give up, no Caramoan for us. No Matukad island, no island hopping, no caving, no beach bumming, no snorkeling, no secret lagoon, nothing! Guess we're left with no other choice but to give a particular surfing spot a chance, the Puraran Beach in Baras, Catanduanes. It's that one tourist destination we consistently hear from the locals. Problem is, we don't know how to surf! To surf or not to surf? Guess we'll decide when we get there.

Rock Formations, Puraran Beach in Baras, Catanduanes January. Virac, Catanduanes. We're supposed to be doing island hopping in Caramoan, our main destination that weekend. A Bicolana friend recommended making Codon Port in Catanduanes our jump-off point, said to be the fastest way to reach the famed group of islands. Prior to the trip, being the "Ms. D-I-Y Planner" that I am, I was able to contact a boatman who offered us the cheapest rate among others for island hopping. I was expecting an epic Caramoan beach bumming kind of tour, thinking I was able to cover everything there is that I need to know for this trip. swimwear - check! waterproof camera - check! cheap accommodation - check! Cheapest Island Hopping Tour - check! Super discounted plane ticket (Mla-Virac-Mla) - check na check at last year pa namin binili yung ticket! There's just one big problem and a major factor I failed to (seriously) consider - the WEATHER!

Location: Bato Church, Maribina Falls, Twin Rock Beach Resort and Puraran Beach I am making 2013 a meaningful year. So I started the year traveling with my college buddy Yael along the splashy shorelines on the Pacific side of Catanduanes province, the Land of the Howling Wind. Isolated from its sister provinces in Bicol region, this slice of paradise has remained concealed from the invasion of tourists. Take a look what this laidback province has to offer.

The previous night camp drama may have come as a challenge, if not a struggle. My dream to finally sleep inside a camping tent was cut short, I scrambled to not fall face flat from a wooden plank-turned-bed that's like half of my body size (i guess the coldness of the night plus the strong wind made my shivering body frozen like ice) - it's our little piece of adventure. Regardless, we were thankful that we're safe. And with a good sunrise view greeting us for a new day, we made sure to hit the beach and the waves in the equally beautiful 1.5 km stretch of sandbar - low tide that is. I actually thought my first overnight camping jaunt would happen in Anawangin, a place in Zambales I've been eyeing to go since years ago. But Malawmawan Island didn't fail to impress, this island camp experience has surely been epic, as expected. The first day gave us some chill-out moments and the first night literally bought us chills with showers too! But our most enjoyable mo...

Our first day in Malawmawan Island was off to a good start as the island tour kept us all in awe and inspired with ideas for upcoming developments. We've seen a flock of hawks flying above the island, admired seascapes, played with the island dogs, feasted on fresh seafood...it was a day full of bliss.  But what transpired during the night caught us all by surprise. The Unexpected Night Camp Experience tent set-up It was getting dark and we're ready to camp out under the moon and the stars on a breezy Sunday night of August and dream of more wonderlands. I helped pitch the tent near the kubo and laid the sleeping bag. It was my first time to set up a tent ( madali lang pala ) - the excited me and Hannah went inside the tent as soon as we finished setting it all up. I couldn't wait to get a comfortable sleep. happy campers

After surviving more than 12 hours on the road , we finally reached Legazpi, Albay. We're going to spend the next 2 nights at the house of my aunt's sister, Tita Med. Our main purpose for that weekend trip is to attend the wedding of a relative who found love in city known for the spicy Bicol Express. I was ecstatic when we finally arrived at Tita Med's humble abode for their house has a very good spot to admire the beauty of the almost perfectly-coned Mt. Mayon from the city. Mt. Mayon at night Later that afternoon, we saw a short motorcade in time for the Magayon Festival. I can definitely feel the upbeat vibe of the city. And right after eating dinner, I set up my walking tripod at the front house to shoot my version of "Mt. Mayon at night" photo. My uber cool relatives were really supportive to show me around and decided to take me to Embarcadero .

View Larger Map More than 12 hours on the road - this has been by far, my longest road trip experience... It's 11pm already when I received an sms stating that my uncle and his family is about to leave their house in Novaliches, Quezon city. I'm waiting for them from my house in Laguna, my backpack is already set for our 3 day stay. I'm excited for my first ever road trip to the Bicol region! last taping - us at CWC in 2008 It was in 2008 when I had the chance to visit Naga for our last taping for our farewell episode in Star Magic Presents Astigs . It was memorable for it was my last field production work with ABS-CBN after deciding to leave the company and pursue into business and blogging.  This 2012, the Bicol trip came as a surprise after my uncle invited me to go with them to Legazpi, Albay, aunt Lily's hometown for a relative's wedding plus hoping to have a side trip in a private island in Sorsogon. I was smiling from ear to ear when i ...