A lot of people in this blog can see how 'crazy' I can get for the sake of having a unique photo taken. I slipped and hit my head on a rock in Bomod-ok falls in Sagada, I stood on top of the lighthouse in Capones Island in Zambales, I jumped off a cliff in Malapascua in Cebu. I even do headstands in different spots of the country and outside.

But sometimes the fun comes up at the expense of the structures of the places I've been. Let me count the ways.

Standing on Top of the Guisi Lighthouse in Guimaras Island

We were given a go signal to go on top of the lighthouse in Guisi, Guimaras. But I managed to really stay on top of a pedestal which looked dangerous if I fell.

This was an 18th century lighthouse and it's evident because of how rusted the metals looked. We were lucky enough to be given a go signal by the caretaker but I still persisted in climbing the topmost part. What if something happened to the lighthouse and it would fall off?

Photo Shots at the Temple Frames in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I had 'adventure' shots at the temple frames in Cambodia feeling all active just to have a few photos taken. I placed my feet on the sides to show that I could carry my weight without difficulty.

These temples are century-old buildings that are rich in history and I only thought about having snapshots taken for the sake of vanity.

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At the end of every travel series, I usually write an article about tips and things to know about that particular destination. The same goes true for my trip in Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove and Capones Island in Zambales.

It’s been two years since I waited for this trip to happen. One feature that enticed me to check this place out were the pine trees on a sandy beach which is truly a unique setting in the Philippine landscape.

We visited these three places and in summary:

1. Anawangin Cove had a good angle of the beach, the sand, the mountain range, the lake and the pine trees. 
2. Nagsasa Cove is a bigger and more secluded version of Anawangin with much lesser people.
3. Capones Island was unassuming and actually became the highlight of the trip with its golden cogon grass and the lighthouse.

There are a lot more beautiful places to visit in this part of Zambales but we didn’t have enough time to explore everything. We were four in all and we met up in Olongapo. Please note that these are based on my personal experience and hopefully this will just serve as a guide to help you in planning your own itinerary to these wonderful places in Central Luzon.

Itinerary

Day 1:

• Arrive in Clark around 7pm  
• Travel to Olongapo & Find a place to sleep

Day 2:

• Travel to San Antonio & Buy food  
• Anawangin Cove – arrive lunch time or earlier, depart around 3pm 
• Nagsasa Cove – don’t miss the sunset here! and overnight

Day 3:

• Capones Island – trek to the lighthouse and beach bumming 
• Head home

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Pundaquit Zambales Trip: Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove and Capones Island
February 18-21, 2011

So how much did I spend in our trip to Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove and Capones Island in Zambales? Around 2556.50 Php. Air Fare is NOT included though as it varies on the promo. But just to let you know, our fare only cost only 250 Pesos each... roundtrip.

The amount is composed of expenses from Cebu to Clark and going back to Cebu (including airport terminal fees).

It helped a lot that we were able to travel as a group (there were 4 of us) so we were able to divide our expenses. We made sure to stick on a budget on this trip and discussed our itinerary over a conference call in Skype to make sure that we stayed on track.

Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove
Zambales Trip: Exploring Anawangin Cove

Zambales Trip: Cooking and Camping in Nagsasa Cove
Zambales Trip: Morning Jog in Nagsasa Cove

Zambales Trip: Golden Cogon Grasses in the Island of Capones
Zambales Trip: Standing on Top of the Lighthouse in Capones Island

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After taking our last dip in the waters of Anawangin Cove, we proceeded to another cove called Nagsasa. As described by others who’ve been here, Nagsasa Cove is a bigger and more secluded version of Anawangin. There aren’t as many people but it’s not as deserted anymore. Travelers who have more time to spare head to this cove for a better and more relaxing escape. This has also been my primary destination why I wanted to visit Zambales in the first place.

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales
February 19, 2011

small outrigger boat that fit around 15 people

I’ve never really thought about how treacherous the water was going to be. I assumed that every trip would always turn out fine. Only then did I realize how lucky we were to have a perfect weather. Even so, outrigger boats don’t want to throw caution to the wind, else unfortunate events may happen.

other visitors already in Nagsasa

setting up our tent behind thorny trees

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