A day after my Calaguas Island jaunt in Camarines Norte, I found myself on the road again to another off-the-beaten-track sort of spot in the province of Sorsogon. I had been roughing it out for a week or so, either sleeping in tent or in the most Spartan accommodation I could find, so I was somewhat longing for a break from my two-week backpacking trip while at my hometown in Albay. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of time for any sort of breather because I be would be leaving the country in a week and the opportunity to explore the secluded beaches around Matnog, the southern most part of Sorsogon was just too hard to pass up.
Matnog Ferry Terminal
I stuffed my backpack with a week’s worth of clothes just in case I ended up traversing to the province of Masbate later on, and in the name of traveling light, I left my borrowed tent and took my well-travelled tripod instead, which I reckoned was a perfectly rational choice at that time. Never mind if I ended up squeezing myself in someone else’s tent or sleeping on a hammock in someone’s balcony – my tripod and camera are like my ATM and ID; they come with me wherever I go.
Fork in the road to Bulan and Matnog
Somewhat invigorated from one night of semi-decent sleep, off I went on another exciting adventure, this time with my college friend Karen, her family and her friends. Originally planned as a solo sojourn, I was glad friends and family came tagging along on each leg of my trips, making it easier on the pocket and even more enjoyable.
Riding on the top of a jeepney
On a dreary Saturday morning matching my still sluggish bearing, I took a regular bus from Ligao City to meet up with my travel mates at the bus terminal in Daraga, Albay, about half an hour away from my hometown. We then took another bus heading to Bulan, Sorsogon after missing the bus plying the route directly to Matnog, which left surprisingly on time. It was an uneventful two-hour bus ride through idyllic countryside and along scenic coastlines, and after a quick stopover at Sorsogon City, we finally alighted at the fork in the road at Barangay Trece.
The fork was marked by a monument of Bulan Lions’ Club International and was quite hard to miss. We waited at the nearby waiting shed for some time, dodging the pricey offers of the persistent tricycle drivers who wanted to take us to Matnog Ferry Terminal on a special trip. Good thing it didn’t take long before a jeepney brimming with passengers and baggage pulled up and let us hitch a ride. Karen and her daughter Reese sat at the entrance of the jeepney while the rest of us clambered up to the top load of the jeepney, which turned out to be a rather enjoyable ride for me.
Juag Fish Sanctuary
It was only past 10:00 a.m when we arrived at the port of Matnog so we took the time to stock up on food and water in addition to the groceries each of us had brought with us. We decided to eat our packed lunch here while waiting for our boatman who was recommended by Karen’s friend. Apparently they were very satisfied with his service and he happened to own one of the fish sanctuaries at Juag Lagoon, which was part of our itinerary.
Kuya Alex showing off one of his exotic collections
After agreeing on a price (P1500 for the six of us) and our itinerary for two days, we finally sailed through the rough waters fronting the Philippine Sea. Now if I hadn’t braved the turbulent waves to Calaguas Island recently, I would be holding on for dear life with this kind of boat ride. Good thing the surrounding islands were near and before we knew it, we were swiftly cruising through the calmer part of the sea towards the marine sanctuary. We spent a great deal of time at our boatman’s very own fish sanctuary and probably the most popular one in Juag Lagoon. We had so much fun that we went back again the next day, had our lunch here and whiled away our time getting cozy with Kuya Alex’s interesting collection of marine species before going to our last destination.
Subic Beach
We continued our island tour at the unique pink sandy shores of Subic Beach. There were actually two stretches of beach at Calintaan Island but we camped at the smaller one as recommended by out boatman. He said a few families live on the bigger island while the smaller one is quieter with only the caretaker and his family around. There were two big groups of tourists who were on a day tour there when we arrived, but we had the whole beach for ourselves later in the afternoon when they left.
Subic Beach at Dawn
I didn’t expect that Subic Beach would surpass my expectations and impress me as much as it did, especially since memories of Calaguas Island were still fresh and vivid in in my mind. I simply wanted to see what this side of the province had to offer and yet it turned out to be another very memorable trip. Interesting conversations over The Bar, firefly watching at night, star gazing and beach strolls were some of the highlights of our overnight camping at Subic Beach.
Gloomy weather at Tikling Island
The next day was no less interesting as we got to see the beautiful coconut laden shores of Tikling Island after another side trip at Juag Lagoon. I was glad we didn’t skip visiting the beach despite of the huge rambling waves that seemed to dissuade us from pursuing it. Its clear azure water and sugary pinkish sand somehow reminded me of Potipot Island in Zambales, only less known.
A few hours after lunch time, we were all back at the shores of Matnog all pleased with how our weekend turned out, in fact too pleased that the rest of group planned to return the following week this time with their kids and relatives.
Boatman: Alex Genablazo
Contact Number: 0918-3045437
Shout out to my friend Karen and to the rest of the group for making this trip possible.
To be impressed with Subic beach after you have just been to Calaguas would only mean that Subic beach is awesome. Another one to include in my must-visit beaches in the Philippines.
It’s beautiful in its own way.
wow! i never thought sorsogon has this much to offer. thanks claire! i have a friend there so might as well, hmmmm…
There is typhoon right now in Bicol but after that, your “might” should be changed to “will”
i didnt know til last year that Bicol has gorgeous beaches. sulit ang trip to your hometown Claire! .. and btw, im still waiting for your “payong” shots ^_^
hahaha, marami akong payong shots sa Outback at beaches ng Oz
The best thing in travel is to be with people who are close to you. Sharing and relating their life’s experience, is worth of learning and remembering. When reunion comes, you have something to remember and to laugh at.:-).
Hi claire. how are you now?
Hi Kuya Bon, I’m doing great in my new home so far. I miss the warm weather though
Claire , you’re in the wrong part of Australia , lol , you should be here above the Tropic of Capricorn.Stay warm!
Hmmm, then I would have to contend with hurricanes and flood. I guess you can’t have everything in this world
LOL! Just hold on tight and wear a mask and snorkel !
I having many fond memories of touring Bicol , it’s a province I would love to spend more time travelling through.Great pics as always Claire.
Nice, which provinces have you visited before Mark?
As far north on Luzon as La Union and Mt Province , south to Bicol including Sorsogon, Bulusan etc , sadly not the coast of Quezon . Also Cebu and many years ago I visited Zamboanga and Davao , it wasn’t too safe then lol , even in Davao . One day I hope to get back there.So still a lot of places left to visit.My ultimate would be Guimaras . I love island hopping!
i hope weather permits as it has been raining nowadays, i am planning to visit the islands off the coast of matnog next month!
Nice one Jerik, Hope your trip pushes through, it’s also near Samar by the way. You might want to do a side trip to Biri or Capul Island
super love your “subic beach at dawn” photo. can i ask, how do you get that shot?
tips please! hehe
Hi Saggi, just very slow shutter speed, 12-16 aperture with the aid of tripod.
Ano yung hawak ni Kuya Alex? =o
Isang higanteng sea cucumber
Sea Cucumber pala yun, kala ko kung anong may bulutong ehehe =P
Sama naman ako minsan claire… Epic pics…
Sure, the more the cheaper and the merrier
Subic at dawn is so beautiful. I suddenly miss traveling and seeing the welcome/thank you arcs of our provinces.
This particular arch was very memorable to me. I thought it was so cool seeing it 2 decades ago when geography of Phil was still something alien to me;)
Hi Claire! Nice nga ang subic beach, how far is Matnog from Donsol? TIA
Maybe about an hour to Matnog Ferry Terminal then another 30 minutes or so of boat ride.
Thanks Claire, will try to visit this
Now I wanna revisit Sorsogon!!!
Go girl, this time with your habibi already and baby backpacker Luna
ang ganda claire… nabanggit nga rin sa akin ito nung bangkero namin dati sa donsol… will definitely visit this place… another place added to my list
Yep malapit na to sa Donsol at pwedeng sidetrip din on the way to Samar
wow. may sidetrip na pagpumunta ng donsol
Madami pa pwedeng daanan sa Sorsogon. Mateo Hot Spring din at yung Barcelona Church pati na rin Paguriran Island
I love looking at your photos Claire! It looks like you always have so much fun with your friends around! The last photo is stunning!
Thanks Nelieta, I am fortunate I’m surrounded by people who share the same interests as me.
wow. thanks for sharing this claire. didn’t know marami din beaches dito na part ng sorsogon. i remember that fork between bulan and matnog. nadadaanan namin yan when we go to sorsogon via landtrip from cebu-leyte-samar
sana mabisita ko din mga beaches dito in the future 
Pwedeng sidetrip nga to, malapit lang sa port
hi claire,
i’m 29 yrs woman going to travel alone to sorsogon well to bulan to be exact. i was wondering if you can give me some tips. my biggest concern is the safety. i heard lots of news about kidnapping.. btw i’m from indonesia, thank you claire. i really appreciate ur reply…
Hi Rita, that’s very brave of you to explore an off the beaten path. Do you have friends or relatives in Bulan? How many days are you planning to spend here and what kind of adventures do you want to try. Most of the accommodation and resorts are located in the city.