CamNorte: Worth the trip

MANILA, Philippines - Tired of visiting the same places over and over again? In the 7,107 islands of the Philippines, you will never run out of new places to discover and experience. Spice up your summer. Take a different route and go on an 8-hour road trip to Camarines Norte, the gateway to the Bicol Region.

CamNorte is home to authentic adventures. Be it camping under the stars or dancing with the waves on top of a surf board, CamNorte has it.

Calaguas and Bagasbas made CamNorte popular both to campers and to surfers. Campers find solitude in the long stretch of Mahabang Buhangin beach in Calaguas, while surfers enjoy the small yet strong waves of Bagasbas.

But there’s more to CamNorte than the usual Bagasbas and Calaguas trips. Here are activities beyond the usual:

Bathe under the natural showers of Malatap Falls. Most waterfalls require long treks but not in the tranquil village of Malatap in Labo. A 10-minute walk from the Manila-Bicol Southroad highway gave me a refreshing sight: a two-tiered waterfalls flowing through igneous rocks. The Malatap Falls has been a playground for kids and an aid to mothers who wash their clothes in the nearby stream. Kids enjoy climbing a big boulder then plunging into the water on the first tier of the falls. The water’s deeper on this side, which makes it perfect for swimming.

CamNorte Provincial Tourism Office head Debee Francisco said that Malatap Falls is one of the areas that they’re trying to develop as a tourist destination of the province.

Local kids enjoy the cool waters of Malatap Falls in Labo.

Ride the waves of Baybay beach. Balancing on top of a surf board can be fun but if you want to put a twist on surfing, try kayak surfing at the Baybay beach in Mercedes. Baybay beach faces the Pacific Ocean – no wonder the waves can give a thrilling ride to kayakers. First-timers wouldn’t have a hard time riding a tandem kayak with one of the trained local kayakers who can teach them how to paddle for P200/hour.

Mercedes Tourism Operations officer Colen Ibasco said that the once lonely Baybay Beach became lively since kayaking was introduced in their town last year. The municipality of Mercedes together with the Philippine Kayaking Association held the kayaking competition during the Kadagatan Festival in August 2011. The festival runs every first week of August.

Kayak surfing is best done when the sun is about to sleep. Sunset in the seven-kilometer stretch of Baybay beach is one picture perfect scene.

Rejuvenate in the natural water spa of Mampurog River. Twenty minutes away from Daet is the quiet town of San Lorenzo Ruiz, where a serene river called Mampurog lies. The Mampurog River is a sweet escape for weekend picnics with family and friends.

As soon as the vehicle is parked, my companions and I made our way down a stony stairway to the river. I dipped my feet first and the cold water sent chills up my spine. 

My companions began relaxing by the huge but smooth boulders, then encouraged me to experience it myself.

The water passing through the boulders was like a massage on our exhausted backs. It was indeed a treat. Picnic huts can be rented for P200.

The Mampurog River offers a hydro-massage that can relax the body after a tiring day.

Take home hand-woven piña cloth (Formosa variety). Before heading back home, visit the Labo Progressive Multi-purpose Cooperative in Labo, where you can get a glimpse of the meticulous piña barong-making. It’s interesting to note that each fiber was hand-scraped out of the leaves of the Piña Formosa and was tied one by one by jail inmates. Weaving the fiber together through the loom requires skill and patience. The weavers, mostly housewives in the town, underwent training under the Department of Science and Technology for months. Because of the extensive labor and skill that it requires, a barong could cost around P4,000.

When you go beyond the normal route, you realize that travel is more than just sightseeing. It is putting oneself in the shoes of a local and experiencing the place in a new light. Despite being 343 kilometers away from Manila, CamNorte is worth a visit.

How to get there:

By land: Take a bus bound for Daet. Fare is around P600. From Daet, you can hire a tricycle to bring you to Mercedes, Labo, or San Lorenzo Ruiz or take a jeepney as the locals do.

By Air: Take a plane to Naga. Daet is a two-hour van ride away. 

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