Captivated by Camarines Sur

By Christine S. Dayrit - Found on www.goodnewspilipinas.com

Camarines Sur is an enchanting anvil-shaped province whose dramatic skyline is dominated by picturesque volcanoes. This exotic paradise tucked away in the Bicol Peninsula has a scenic and diverse landscape that will satisfy even the most adrenalin charged adventure traveler. Magnificent in all its splendour - it has mystical caves, ancient landscapes, turquoise waters, majestic falls, world class conservation and wildlife sanctuary, remote limestone forests exhibiting various flora and fauna, exquisite dive sites and breath taking scenery. Spellbindingly beautiful is the Caramoan peninsula, off the eastern coast of San Jose, with hundreds of islands waiting to be explored. Extremely rugged rock formations lodged in its azure waters make the place a sight to behold. Bays, islands, islets, limestone cliffs, highlands are home to an abundant wildlife. Despite its current beauty, many of the islands and sections of the forest of the Caramoan Peninsula are still waiting to be discovered. Here, Mother Nature has sculpted beautiful stone patterns by the beach. Watch the waves crash against colossal rocks and revel in the sight and sound only nature can produce.

Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte, youthful TOYM awardee for entrepreneurship spearheads the progressive development of this beautiful province. Upon his gracious invitation, my group led by DOT regional director Nini Ravanilla, TOYM awardee for agriculture Lyndon Tan who hails from Bicol and I explored this ethereal paradise. Gov. Villafuerte enthused that Caramoan was initially referred to as “Gota de Leche” by the Dutch Traders due to the stalagmite drop-like milk formations abundant in the rocks of Gota Port. Its name was eventually changed to Caramoan which originated from “carahan”, an indigenous sea turtle.

Lagonoy town, on the other hand, is known for its cathedrals, caverns, and waterfalls. Explore these caverns which are fascinating passages through exquisite cathedrals with massive stalactites, icy lagoons where the eerie quietness is occasionally pierced by shrill cries of swooshing bats. People here are very friendly, willing to assist and guide a visitor who wants to discover the many caves that abound in the area, or bathe in the glory of its waterfalls. Atulayan and Aguirangan Islands are ivory colored beaches where rare shells abound while Gota beach has numerous white sand islets surrounded by caves.

The Lenten Season had just ushered, it was a unanimous decision to visit the historic churches in Naga City built centuries ago. Naga resembles Rome because the city has many centuries-old beautiful churches that can be found within short distances from each other. History records it was the seat of the Roman Catholic Church during the Spanish period. Today, it remains the pilgrimage center made prominent by the Penafrancia festival held every September in honor of the region's patroness, Our Lady of Penafrancia.

Established as the religious, educational and business center of the Bicolandia, Naga aptly deserves the sobriquet “Heart of Bicol.” There was so much more to see in this paradise yet so little time to explore. The spectacular Busay Falls with its seven-tiered cascading white foam and the 13-meter Malabsay Falls at the Mt Isarog National Park. The smallest species of freshwater fish called “sinarapan” can also be found in Lake Buhi near Mayon Volcano while in small Donsol Bay is the largest-ever recorded gathering of whale sharks, the largest fish in the world commonly called butanding in Sorsogon. Camarines Sur's latest addition to the roster of ecological sites is the Ragay gulf where marine enthusiasts will be fascinated by spotted, indo pacific bottlenose dolphins from January to July. Bird watching is also a highlight in the marshlands of Calabanga and in the Ecovillage within the Provincial capitol complex in Pili. The variety ranges from tropical birds, water fowls to birds of prey. The deer farm in Ocampo is brimming with different species of Australian deer. Owned by the Camarines Sur Government, it was started in 1966 with only 60 heads of five species from Australia. The number has multiplied to over 300 head. The Ecovillage, an ecotourism showcase, is an ideal tourist destination with aviaries, fishponds and breeding houses. Designed to display nature at its finest, the sprawling 25 hectare facility is a perfect blend of modernity and splendor. The Camsur Watersports Complex, a six hectare facility, will be the watersports mecca of South East Asia.

Every summer, the province of Camarines Sur, is filled with excitement for the most awaited occasion that commemorates the founding of the province, the Kaogma Festival. Dubbed as the “world's hottest festival,” it runs for 9 days from the 20th of May to the 28th. The Kaogma, which in the local vernacular translates to happiness, is the biggest and most colorful in the region. Since 2005 the Kaogma has been using the chili pepper or sili as its handle with the sili being the base of the hot, spicy and flavorful cuisine of the province. Just the thought of native delicacies like spicy laing, bicol express, pinangat pasta and mazapan pili is more than enough reason for us to vow to return.

In less than a week, I discovered the magic of these pieces of paradise Camarines Sur. Even as my friends and I reveled at such beauty, we encouraged ourselves to get lost and be sidetracked. As seasoned travelers, we packed a bag full of patience and curiosity. There's no such thing as a bad trip, just good travel stories to tell when you return home. Explore the beauty of the Philippines for the journey to your dream destination will be an experience of a lifetime.

Have you found a wonderful place that hardly anyone else knows about? Have you have experienced things on your travel that only can happen in the Philippines? In short, if you have your very your own Philippine Travel Story, please share it with us and send your story and pictures to travelstories@phrs.com.ph. We will be happy to post your story too!

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