No electricity, no internet, no mobile phones. It was a 2 day encounter with nature, making new friends and getting in touch with life. Anawangin Cove.
It was a 7 hour ride from Baguio City to Olongapo City. We were supposed to go to Anawangin with our friends but it turned out we had to go on our own. With a handful of clothes and camping materials, we decided to go.
We were used to going to beaches and mountain climbing swimming and trekking is secondary to us. We decided to go to Anawangin to camp, talk about life and our goals in life. It was getting in touch with nature and I think Mother Earth was listening to us during our talks.
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| San Antonio, Zambales |
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| Town of San Antonio, Zambales ( You can buy food here before goin g to the islands and coves |
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| We are going to San Miguel port instead of the usual Pundakit port. |
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This is your landmark. Stop here if you are a commuter. From here, you can ride a tricycle going to Pundakit or San Miguel
Our boatman, Mr Johnny (who I placed in the mobile phone as Johnny Anawangin, cute right?) is from San Miguel. So we took the San Miguel beach as our port instead of the usual Pundaquit beach. It was a 20 minute boat ride from San Miguel to Pundaquit and en route was astonishing! Seeing one island to another and capturing the rock formation is amazing. God is a great architect. He designed these marvelous rocks! An aethist would probably say, the rock formation is caused by the water and acid etcetera etcetera but for me, this paradise is truly made by God. |
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| San Miguel Beach |
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| En route to Anawangin Cove |
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| With our boatman, our boat is really small and accomodates 4 passengers only. Yes, no shade! |
Unlike the ones we see in the reviews of bloggers in 2007 to 2011, Anawangin is different now. The usual secret get away tag, is no longer applicable nowadays. As of this writing, April 2012, Anawangin Cove is slowly developing. I can forsee this place to be comparable to Boracay maybe in a few years time. Food is now being served and delivered to your tents and cottages unlike the usual grill and cook-your-own food style. They have comfort rooms and shower rooms unlike the old Anawangin where you pee and poop anywhere and cover it with a few soil. Today, its really different.
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| First photo in Anawangin. Our boatman lead us to Anawangin Wildlife Campsite. Parcel 1 and 2 of the Anawangin cove with the timberland as its natural habitat. |
The new managers of Anawangin started March 2012. Since Anawangin was closed to the public last year because the owner of the cove was so disappointed with their visitors, they reopened it to the public in March 2012. Anawangin is divided in to 4 different parts, with four different area managers too. First is the Wildlife Campsite. Second is Ligaya’s beach. Third is the Manayson Beach. And lastly, Editha’s campsite. Visitors and campers should know that their payment is per area or campsite. Overnight fee is charged at 100php per head and 50php for Day tour per campsite. You are not allowed to go through the other campsites without the fees. I can see this place now as being commercialized and in terms of business, slowly catching up with the likes of Bohol and Boracay. At first we didn’t know that Anawangin is divided into these parts so were just trekking from one place to another, going through the fences and taking pictures. But a local informed us about this.
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| Our new found friend, Manang Vangie. One of the faithful and ever hardworking caretaker of Anawangin Wildlife Campsite. We're textmates too! |
According to the folks managing and taking care of the cove, the owner of the island is a nature lover. He is spending all his retirement money by planting trees in the mountains and the timberland. With all of the trees he has planted, not of all them grew as expected. A few of them ruined by the storm or simply die on their own. But according to the caretaker, he never gave up. He continued to by seedlings and plant each and every tree with his workers. I am amazed by this fact that some people do really care about nature.
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| My husband's native tongue easily got along with the locals. We blended well with them and had interesting conversations in Ilocano, which is the native language of the Zambal. |
And so in the cove, the pine trees were so young. Some were bagged down because of its inability to live on its own. We went trekking in the cove looking for dried tree trunks. Since this trip is after Holy week, we can see traces of people who probably stayed here during the Holy Week. Unfortunately, they were not foot prints or tracks, but peeled peanuts, egg shells, bags of potato chips, empty plastic bags, and worst, a sanitary napkin.
We found 3 lakes along the cove and a spring connecting them. Although parts of the spring is dry at this, still the rock formation and the pebbles makes some great design and architecture.
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| Tent rentals are available through your boatman at a very reasonable price. |
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| Closed last year? Now open. |
Bonfire is not allowed near the trees. Well obviously as you know, the trees might get burned. Also, you can get dried trunks and woods in the forest but for convenience sake, you can also buy them at the sari sari stores (small variety store) located inside the campsite.
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| Bonfire at night. One of the best activities you can do since there is no electricity in the cove. The best time to talk about life, reflect and meditate too. |
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| Not all trees would survive their habitat. Some of them would simply die naturally. |
We walked for a few more meters and saw a stagnant body of water. We realized this is a track going to the other side of the cove. We didn’t pass through this body of water since we saw water snakes swimming. I was supposed to walk through it. Good thing my husband checked the water first. I’m safe. I’m with a nurse and a biologist.
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| We are lucky during our stay because the camp is not crowded. If you really want to experience good times in Anawangin, schedule your trips on weekdays or avoid going to the area during holidays. |
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| Picnic areas available for day tour. Day tour for 50php only per head for the entrance fee. |
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| God is great! God is amazing! |
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| Small variety store within the camp. We didn't know at first that they were selling cooked rice. Older blogs suggested that there were no stores in Anawangin so brought a lot of food and water. |
If you think you cannot sleep in tents, or forgot to bring or rent one, a small cabana with one room is also located in the Wildlife Campsite. Tent rentals are available through your boatman at a reasonable price. You can also take this is a package, like the boat transfers from one island to another with the tent rental.
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| If you don't like tents, you can stay here. One room cabana. They are making a lot too. At this time of writing, April 2012, there are only 2 cabanas available for rental. |
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| The small room in the cabana |
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| Please clean as you go. Obviously, this is not part of the natural habitat |
Too tired from the trekking, we didn’t go further and climb the mountains. It could be a wonder going up there but lack of time and equipments forbid us from walking further. So we went back and took our lunch.
Slowly catching up: Henna tattoo is also available at Wildlife Campsite. Sizzling sisig is also one of the specialties of the cove at the moment, which is located in Pangga’s Place, Area 4. We were expecting they will serve seafood but surprisingly their specialty is Beef Sisig.
You don’t need to worry about stuff you need in case you forgot to bring one. There are 6 sari sari stores (small variety store) in the cove. Most of them selling halo halo, alcoholic beverages, ice cubes and anything that you might probably need. Hot coffee, uncooked and cooked rice, mineral water and practically basic commodities may also be bought at a very reasonable price.
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| Ate Merlyn's SISIG! A lot of special sisig. Beef Sisig is their best seller. Unfortunately available during our stay since we arrived after Holy week, we decided to have Chicken sisig and Lechon sisig instead. Delicious especially if you put red chili in it. Rating their food as 3.5/5 Better if there's a side dish or soup. |
We are blessed because our boatman, Mr Johnny guided us in Wildlife Campsite. For me, this is the best area of Anawangin if you are for overnight camping since you are in touch with the young pine trees. A timberland is present in this area and the homey Mother Earth is very hospitable and accommodating.
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| Our very hospitable boatman, Mr Johnny Olegario, who I call Johnny Anawangin in my cellphone. Cute name, Johnny Anawangin! He was too hospitable that after our trip in Anawangin, he let us enter his home so we can freshen and wash up before our trip back to Baguio. |
Other photos from Anawangin Cove:
Our trip in Anawangin is one of a kind. Comparing this trip to our trips either international or domestic, I think Anawangin for me is rated at 10/10. This is the only trip and vacation where I can truly say, I had a good rest. You see vacations are really tiring and expensive too! But Anawangin Cove allowed me to have a slow paced life for 2 days. Everything was affordable too. Also, I was able to do things at my own pace without hurrying up. There are things also that I have accomplished while I was in Anawangin, which I think is quite difficult to do in a fast paced life. The nature gave us a relaxing mood and sleeping with the pine trees is fantastic!
It was only quite disappointing since some visitors of the cove are exploiting the place. I remember back then, when I was still hiking mountains during my teenage years, our leader would always remind us to "clean as you" and "Bring your trash with you. But is seems, people nowadays do not mind at all. They thought that since they paid 100php for overnight of 50php for day tour, they have the right to leave their trash behind. When we arrived in the campsite, the caretakers are segregating the garbage tourists left during the Holy Week and it was a lot of garbage! People who came to Anawangin last Holy Week who did not bring their trash back home should be ashamed of themselves. These are the kind of people who will slowly kill this place by abusing it. Lack of discipline and respect are the key areas lacking here. These people should not be allowed in the camp if I'm the manager. The place is a wonderful gift to mankind and tourists should be the ones who will help maintain the beauty of the cove. I hope everyone gets this message right. We don't own the place. So give some respect.
Our boatman said there are other coves near Anawangin and I am hoping that I could also stay in these coves one of this days. If you want a real place with your love ones, Anawangin Cove is a place I can recommend. And if you are coming, you can tag me too! J
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