Inside the Metro- Revisiting the Walled City (Intramuros)

Had to run errands somewhere near Manila City Hall and so I decided to bring my camera and take a tour in the historic Intramuros.

It was some sort of "going down memory lane" for me as I used to spend most of my time here back in college.

Intramuros is the oldest city in Manila. It was built by the Spaniards during the 16th Century. The city government managed to preserve the old structure of Intramuros, at least its walls, that's why it was then called "The Walled City".

Overlooking the walls are different buildings including the clock tower in Manila City Hall and the Club Intramuros Golf Course.

Also located in Intramuros are two of the oldest and most known churches in the Philippines, Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church.

San Agustin Church

Manila Cathedral

Inside San Agustin Church

Wedding venues and gardens are all over Intramuros. Two of which are Casa Real Garden and Baluarte de San Diego.

Casa Real Garden

Baluarte de San Diego

 One of the main attraction here is the Kalesa Ride Tour. A 30 mins ride costs 350 pesos, that's good for 2-3 persons.

And finally, go check out the handicraft stores and art galleries that's located in almost every corner of Intramuros.

Other Things to do:

Visit Fort Santiago - 75/head
Visit Baluarte de San Diego- 75/head
Dine at Barbara's- 500/head

Invading Calaguas and Surfing at Bagasbas

What’s the best thing to do this summer than to explore the beach? And if you've practically explored the famous Boracay and Palawan, better try experiencing the equally beautiful island of Calaguas. Plus take a side trip to the nearby Bagasbas Beach to try out the boards.

 Calaguas Island is located at Vinzons, Camarines Norte. Travel time is approximately 9 hours by land from Manila to the town proper plus a 2 ½ hour boat ride from the town to the island. Bagasbas Beach, on the other hand, is located in Daet, Camarines Norte. 

Anyone can arrange a DIY trip to Calaguas but for convenience, we opted to avail the trip package arranged by CALAGUAS HULLABALOO group for Php 3,200.00 inclusive of MNL-DAET-MNL bus ticket.

We arrived at the Port in Vinzons at around 8 in the morning and left for Calaguas at half past 9. 

Port at Vinzon's

when the river and ocean meet

There's not much of activities to do in Calaguas so be sure to bring your snorkeling gears, your Frisbees or some playing cards for that matter. Or you can just sit, relax and enjoy the amazing scenery in Calaguas.

Here are some photos of the peaceful and mesmerizing Island of Calaguas:

Peaceful and serene by day, but thanks to the mobile bar that the hullabaloo group set up for their guests, Calaguas turned into a cool party place. Free flowing cocktail drinks for FREE... How was that even possible?

It was a drink til' you drop night for all of us but we've managed to wake up early the next day and once again experienced the water of Calaguas, plus we wouldn't want to miss out the last buffet meal here before we left for Bagasbas Beach at around 9:00 am.

We went back to the port, another 2 1/2 hrs boat ride, this time a more bumpy ride for the waves are really big. And then around 8 mins jeepney ride to the market where the bus that will take us to Bagasbas is waiting. And finally, a 45 mins ride going to Bagasbas Beach.

We arrived at Bagasbas at around 2 in the afternoon, had our late lunch courtesy of Surfer's Inn (also part of the package) and then signed up for the surfing clinic. Surfing costs Php300 per hour but you can avail of a 30 minutes surfing lesson for Php150 provided that you'll have a partner that will consume the next 30 minutes.

After experiencing the waves of Bagasbas, we had dinner at Catherine's and then prepare to head back to Manila.

It was a quick, tiring yet fun filled experience and again, I have seen nature at its best in Calaguas. You wouldn't want to miss the experience too... :)

Here's our itinerary:

Day 0
08:00PM- Bus Station
08:30PM- ETD- Manila-Daet

Day 1
07:00AM - ETA Daet/ Breakfast
08:00AM - ETD for Calaguas Island (tentative) or side trip macolabo island
10:00AM - ETA Calaguas Island/ set camp explore
12:00 NN- Lunch
01:00PM - Siesta/ swimming/ explore/ picture happy campers
06:00PM - Dinner
07:00PM - Socials
10:00PM - Lights out

Day 2
06:00AM - Wakeup call
07:00AM - Breakfast
09:00AM - Break Camp
10:00AM - ETD Calaguas - Daet
12:00NN - ETD Daet
01:00PM - Late Lunch 
02:00PM - Surfing Bagasbas 
05:00 PM- Rest
06:00 PM- Dinner 
08:00 PM- ETD Daet-Manila


Things to bring:
* beach and resort wear* footgear: rubber slippers, beach sandals
* wide brim-hat
* sunglasses
* sleeping bags -
* insect repellant and or soap with critonella to ward of mosquitoes
* sunscreen, sunblock, sun tan.
* flashlights
* first aid kit / medicines
* camera with enough battery and memory cards
* cellphone (warning: signal can still be patchy at times)
* a waterproof pouch and bag to store your valuables in 
* moist towelettes

*The package is inclusive of a buffet lunch and dinner on day 1, buffet breakfast on day 2 and lunch at Bagasbas. They also provided the tent for the camp.