Come South, CamSur!
June 12-16, 2009
Just a guide on how we got to Camarines Sur.I created this entry to help out fellow bloggers/readers who have plans to go to this part of the country. We’re a bunch of cheapskates and we want to make sure we get the cheapest rates there are so we wouldn’t spend as much in the Caramoan islands. This is just a series of entries that I’ll be posting one by one.
From Cebu, we booked flights to Manila in advance because of a promo fare from Philippine airlines, I got stranded too when we exchanged our etickets to boarding passes because my flight was scheduled 4 hours later. Bummer.
Got stranded at the airport, again. Good thing there were SmartBro computer kiosks for me to surf the four wasted hours away.
Anyway in Manila, we went to bus station in Araneta Cubao, in front Ali Mall. My colleagues already bought tickets when they went ahead. They went to the Isarog Bus Liners because we specifically wanted to ride the Lazy Boy Seats because we wanted to have a good rest during the eight-hour travel. Yep, you heard it right, it’s an eight-hour trip from Manila to Naga. We haven’t slept that day or the day before that because we just got back from our office job. Call center kasi.
Bus station in Araneta Cubao
Isarog Bus Liner Schedule
Lazy Boy and the toilet!
It was great that we got to recline our seats and have foot rests. Lazy boy talaga ang dating. It wasn’t that much of a bumpy ride compared to when we went back from Naga to Manila. Just make sure that your seats are in the middle of the bus. At least there weren’t that many stopovers because the Isarog Bus Liner that we were in had a built-in bathroom that you can just take a leak inside.
When we arrived in Naga, around 3:30am, we got some seats at the Naga terminal so we could get some breakfast. I got sick so I bought some noodle soup to warm my stomach. We asked some people where the terminal is for those who were planing to go to Sabang Port (port going to the Caramoan). The people informed us that it’s just a short distance from the bus terminal.
It’s actually just beside SM Naga so for those people who haven’t prepared their stuff to bring can buy at SM once they’re open. Talk about convenience.
warming my stomach, jeep
SM Naga is just beside the terminal, couldn’t wait for it to be open
We were at the jeep when it left around 5:30am, the trip was 2 hours long when we got to the Sabang Port. We had to wait for us to get settled because we got confused of where to go since the locales suddenly tried to convince us to use one of their pump boats at P2000 so we can go directly to Guijalo port. Of course, we didn’t have enough money and we were trying to look for the normal ride going to Guijalo. At P120 per person, we waited for the main ride to depart which was about 8:30am.
signing the manifesto just in case
Yes, they will carry you to the boat.
slumdog millionaire? auto flush
Note: Please do prepare yourself to be carried by the locales (at 5 bucks) to take you to the boat. They don’t really have a docking area and unless you want to get wet for 2 hours during the travel beside other dry people, it’s best to pay the 5 bucks and let them carry you. But we gave the carriers 50 bucks for four of us including our luggage just because we felt that they were good to us.
kid and his banca
Yeah, that’s the boat. haha
We arrived around 10:30am at the Guijalo port and we looked for Kuya Jay (our contact tour guide) who was actually waiting for us since 6:30am! We rode a tricycle going to the town proper so we could go to the Villa Juliana Inn, where we were staying. Of all the inns/hotels, Vill Juliana Inn has the best rate at 500 bucks per night which is good for 4 persons, we decided to stay there. Whoa, we only paid 125 pesos per night! hehe. When you get to the place, just make sure that you get some blankets and towels if you didn’t bring some. I guess they didn’t give it to us because we didn’t ask. Toinks. Also, you can ask for a tariff of the rates of the tricycle rides as well as the pump boat rides where you can get the agreed rates for island hopping.
Villa Juliana Inn! – They were all yellow
Villa Juliana room rate – P500 per night (good for 4 persons), air-conditioned rooms are from P750-P800.
Before we went island hopping, we dropped by the Lutong Bahay which is a carenderia/eatery where we had lunch. It was a long travel and we were all hungry.
Lutong Bahay, where we usually ate. It’s just a carenderia but meals cost around 35-45 pesos plus the 10 pesos for the rice. Manila price bah?
riding at the top of the tryke, bumpy ride.
And so we travelled going to Paniman where we were about to start out island hopping adventure–>After 13 hours worth of travelling. sheesh.
Again the prices:
Manila to Naga: P850 pesos (8 hours) – bus with lazy boy seats
Naga to Sabang Port: P80 (2 hours) – jeepney
Sabang Port to Guijalo Port: P120 (2 hours) – pumpboat
Guilajo Port to Town Proper: P100 – tricycle
Villa Juliana room rate – P500 per night (good for 4 persons)
Contact details of the Bus for booking (book in advance!)
Cubao Booking Office
Araneta Center Bus Terminal (Ali-Mall)
Telephone numbers +63 02 9133551 or +63 02 4383916
Naga City Booking Office
Naga City Central Bus Terminal
Telephone numbers +63 54 4738804 or +63 54 8117764
