Survivor Series: En Route to Caramoan

After our food tour of Naga City, we set our alarm clocks at 4:00 am (and actually got up at 5:00 am) and checked out from Golden Leaf Hotel to catch the van going to Sabang port, the gateway to Caramoan, Camarines Sur. Fare is Php100/pax. 

When you are off to Caramoan, make sure to leave Naga City as early as 6:00 am for you to catch the public boat which is  scheduled at 6:00-11:00 am daily. The travel time from Naga to Sabang is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Once you missed the last trip in Sabang, you will be obliged to charter a boat that would cost you a fortune. You might just opt to stay overnight at a hotel beside the port. The downside is, you'll miss a day in paradise, because there's nothing much to do in Sabang.

This is one of the hotels I saw beside the port.

There is also another port in Nato, where Ro-Ro to Guijalo is. I am not familiar though with the schedule. If you are the type who gets dizzy with the waves, the best option would be to catch the Ro-Ro to Guijalo.

When we arrived in Sabang port, we were approached by red-uniformed guys who offered to carry our stuff and reserve a seat on the boat. We refused. When we reached the shore, the boat was like meters away from it. So,  how the hell are we going to ride that boat? Then I remembered what my friend Ayee of http://biyahengpandesal.blogspot.com/ told me years ago that when they went to Caramoan, they were literally carried by those guys to the boat. 

Well, seems like the porters have become more sophisticated already and they now have a floater to bring the passengers to the boat. You just need to pay Php 10/pax and do the ultimate balancing act of your life for you to board the boat alive.

I wonder why the local government of Sabang build something like a wharf here so that it won't turn off guests? It will also help our beloved senior citizens to board the boat at peace.

I was told that the boat ride is approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the intensity of the waves of the sea. En route, I saw this island. I wonder if this is already part of Caramoan.

And I saw the majestic Mt. Mayon. (Dito ka lang pala sa akin magpapakita. Sa Legazpi nagtatago ka pa!)

The boat we boarded was full that time. Here's another thing, the boats bound to Guijalo needs some improvements. I wonder if the local Coast Guard  approved the design and features of these boats. Why? First, the passengers' only way to get into the boat is through its windows. And its windows are too narrow that an oversize person wouldn't fit in. How about evacuating the boat in case of emergency? I guess the passengers will just grasp the last breathe of their lives trapped inside the boat. Second, while they have plenty of life vests onboard, these orangey buddies  are tied together. Imagine detangling these in case of emergency, huh? Lastly, I saw boatmen smoking cigarettes a foot away from its engine, which is by the way fueled by gasoline and is flammable.

We also saw a falls halfway our journey.

And some greenery! 

When we docked at Guijalo port, we saw the Ro-Ro (from Nato port) leaving the area.

I thought disembarking the boat won't be much of hassle since the port here has a wharf. But I am wrong. Since it is low tide already, the boat cannot dock again. So we have to ride an uber small boat (the size of a kayak) to bring us closer to the wharf. And again, I felt I fainted for a second. This started our vacation ala Survivor in Caramoan.