BusinessWorld Weekender: Embracing adventure in Caramoan

BLANK ITINERARIES, an anything-goes attitude, plus the willingness to do the damnedest things are the hallmarks of "adventure travel," a category that hits the sweet spot between planned expeditions to the North Pole and leisurely vacations that come with little umbrella drinks.

Caramoan offers much for intrepid travellers including the chance to scale the limestone face on Matukad island and awesome views whether you’re on a cliff or on Gota beach. -- Photos by Adolf Lopez

Put another way, adventure travel is knowing where you’re going without exactly being sure how you’re going to get there (by plane, by foot, or by donkey -- it doesn’t matter).

Eagle Creek, a brand of travel luggage sold at ROX, has embraced this philosophy espoused by backpackers in designing products that are both rugged and practical. Hence the brand carries, among other things, backpacks that have an "off-road" wheeled option, duffels with multiple handles, and gear bags that are the lightest in their class.

Another innovation comes in the form of packing solutions dubbed "Pack-It," which are zippered mesh "cubes" of different sizes made-to-fit their luggage. Rolled up shirts, pants and underwear can be organized into separate cubes, making it easier to locate a specific item without messing everything else up.

To field test their products, Eagle Creek invited a group of journalists to Caramoan in Camarines Sur, a town located on the tip of a peninsula that juts into the Maqueda Channel on the north and east, and Lagonoy Gulf on the south.

Geologically speaking, the most striking features in Caramoan are its vertical limestone cliffs, jagged outcroppings comparable to those in Palawan, which are said to have been formed over 140 million years.

We arrived at the recently renovated Gota Village Resort -- a complex of palochina cabanas a few meters off the beach itself -- after around 12 hours of travel that included a bus ride from Manila to Naga, a van ride to Camsur Watersports Complex (where some of us were able to sneak in a few kneeboarding attempts around the cable park), another transfer to Nato Port where we took the fast craft to Caramoan Port, and finally, another van ride to Gota.

The plan, we were told, was that there was no plan. Everything was freewheeling: we could join the activities if we wanted to, or lounge on the white sandy shore of Gota and enjoy a view framed by dark crags.

Caramoan lends itself to this kind of "whatever" stance because it has much to offer.

The "Adventure Menu Board" at the resort includes snorkeling, kayaking, spelunking, mountain biking, rock climbing, firefly-watching, and a host of other things.

If the outdoors isn’t your cup of tea, you can borrow DVDs from the customer service cabanas and hole up in your air-conditioned room.

Gota Village Resort offers a family package of three days and two nights, inclusive of board, meals, and transfers for P7,500/person for a family of four.

This includes an island-hopping tour that will bring guests to five of the scenic spots in the peninsula’s vicinity. Additional whole-day activities on the Adventure Menu Board range anywhere from P500 to P2,000.

Fully accepting the anything goes attitude of Eagle Creek, we found ourselves climbing a 200-meter limestone face on Matukad island, one of the many surrounding the peninsula, without any ropes in order to see a solitary bangus (milkfish) swimming in the lagoon on the other side.

Legend has it that a fisherman speared its mate and, as punishment, the fisherman’s two children died.

The climb is daunting because a misstep could mean a painful fall on the characteristic sharp edges of karst topography, one that could end with you having a perforated ass or worse. Despite our untested bouldering skills, the climb proceeded without any mishaps or injuries -- shredded rubber slippers, bruises, and abrasions aside.

Swept up by the spirit of adventure, we then decided that we would swim 1.2 kilometers in order to cross from Cagbalinad beach to Honongan beach. Somewhere halfway, you might find yourself asking why you’re doing this when there’s a boat right beside you. And the answer is, well, why not?

This kind of experience is precisely the point of adventure travel, said Eagle Creek brand manager Guia Abad, who came up with the idea of swimming across in the first place.

Not satisfied, we decided to do a bit of exploring through the mangrove area that connects Paniman island to Gota beach, and were pleasantly surprised to chance upon the structures erected for the eighth season of Survivor France, which was shot entirely in Caramoan.

Tired, sated and finally convinced that we had played the role of "adventure traveler" to the hilt, we spent our last day at Gota beach stretched out on the sand, reading books and listening to music.

Anything goes -- whether it’s risking life and limb to see a magical bangus or snoring under the sun.

Travel & Tourism

Embracing adventure in Caramoan

Story tools

Weekend Guide