Caramoan, Bicol: How to Get to the Island

Last September 2013, my college friends and I embarked on a 4 day journey to the Island of Caramoan. Yes, this is also one of the chosen islands of the famous reality show 'Survivor'. But before I share our awesome experiences, let me share to you first some tips on how to get to Bicol.

1. What bus should we take? 

We chose to travel in comfort with Isarog Lines. To endure the 9-hour road trip to Naga (Bicol) Terminal, get the Jr. Extreme Lazy Boy seater that for P1,100 at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal in Cubao. Weekends are packed so get your tickets a few days or a day before the trip. If you're lucky, they can give you at least 10% off so don't hesitate to ask.

Traveling in comfort with Isarog's Jr. Extreme Lazy Boy Seater

For inquiries, you can contact them at (02)913-3551/(02)482-1600 or visit this site for their schedules.

2. How do you get to Caramoan from Naga City? 

We left at 9pm and arrived at 6am at the Naga Bus Terminal. In our case, we took a package from Caramoan Discovery Tours so we have everything taken care of. But to those who prefer to DIY, go to the eastern side of SM Naga and take an aircon van (Filcab) to Sabang Port for P100/pax. It takes almost 2 hrs to get there. Make sure to arrive on or before 9am so you won't miss the small ferry to Guijalo Port.

Sabang Port

3. From Sabang Port, how long does it take to get to Guijalo Port?
4. How much do we have to pay for the fares and environmental fees?

From Sabang Port, we had to wait for 30 minutes until the 'roro' (small ferry) arrived. Fare costs P170. The boat was full and took us another 2 hours to get to Guijalo Port.

Isn't she a cutie?

Our multicab waited there and paid another P30 for the environmental fee. For DIY travelers, there are lots of multicabs and tricycles waiting at the port that can take you to town.

5. How long is the travel time from Guijalo Port to the town proper?

Guijalo Port

Since we stayed at the Central Caramoan Discovery Hotel, it took us 15-20mins and realized that we scored a sweet deal on our package starting with this:

Where we are staying

In total, it takes almost 13 hours to get to the town of Caramoan.

Home sweet home

You can always book a flight to Naga through Cebu Pac to save 7 hrs but if you'd rather save the extra peso, take this route. Plus, you get a glimpse of the famous Mayon Volcano.

In case you're already interested on what package we got, here's a summary of our itinerary:

For more inquiries and discounts, you can check out Caramoan Discovery Travel's rates and packages here.

I'll be posting more of Caramoan on my next entry. Hope this post helped you. :)