Travel: Beach Camping at Anawangin Cove

We went there last February 2012 with some friend's and family and stayed overnight. We're a group of 13, it was supposed to be 15 but some did not push through. We hire a van, since it was a friends van so it was discounted but i think the rental rate to zambales from manila is P3,000+/per day. I've searched the net for a boatman and found Mang Ariel. Fortunately, his boat is big and would accomodate up to 20 persons and his rate is P250/head overnight with capones and camara island hopping. He also lend us a cooler and cookingwares, so we're happy.

We were scheduled to leave from Manila at 3:00 am in the morning but unexpected events happen and we left Manila at almost 5:00am. We arrived at San Antonio town proper past 8:00 am and Mang Ariel was already there waiting for us. We already have a cooked food with us for lunch and some marinated pork for grilling by dinner but we also bought some fish, fruits, charcoal and other stuff at the market which was located at the back of the city hall. Off we went to Pundaquit, since we have our boatman as guide, it's an easy and fast ride.

This is at Pundaquit bay where boats are dock, we are waiting for our boat to board. The waves are pretty strong. Since it was almost 10:00am, Mang Ariel advise us to head to Anawangin to set camp and we can do our island hopping the next day.

Here comes Anawangin Cove

Thank God, we landed safely

This is the camping site, the pine tress are really a wonder. You can put a hammock between trees, if you don't have your own there are vendors around but beware price varies, we bought ours at P150 but there is P100 only.

This is the right side of the cove facing the ocean, you can go to the shore there but you have to trek the stones, be careful some stones are sharp and some are slippery. I only made it to that protruding stones.

The life in the cove is pretty simple, peaceful and kind of a survivor but i think development is on the way - i just hope they don't ruin the place. The caretaker, Ate Rose, said that the entrance will go up by march because they will build a water installation, to make it a bit easier for campers. Right now water in the comfort and shower rooms comes from the tank which was pump up from the well, but scattered around the cove are "poso" where you pump water manually from the well.
By late in the afternoon, we went trekking, there's a steep trail to the mountain at the left side of the cove facing the ocean. We only made at the first clearing, it was like the middle of the mountain. Well, such a shame i am not made for trekking haha. it was tiring, when you slip, the left side is already the ocean with rocks all over and little bamboos.

View of the cove from the top where we are but you can still go up. i bet the view up there is even more spectacular.

By around 7:00pm, it was a complete darkness so eat your dinner while there is still a little sun. Do bring a flashlight or a rechargable light for convenience. You can set up a bonfire, there are fallen logs all around but dont be stupid to set it up near a tree. We got to sleep by 8pm, it was a good sleep even when our neighbour went on a parlor game, be respectful on other people who are trying to sleep. Some of us woke up around 3:00am i got nervous, the wind was howling, i thought its gonna rain or some tornado is coming but they say its normal. Well, there are stars in the sky-if there's a star in the sky, there couldn't be a storm, right? - and you can go star gazing through the pine tress, its beautiful. We left Anawangin Cove at 8am and head to Capones but we never set foot in Capones. The wave was rough, some smaller boat can dock but ours is big. Our boatman already said that it will be hard to dock but he tried and then near the shore the boat hit a rock and then there's two big waves that almost go over the boat - when we got to Manila, we learned that there is a tropical depression, that's why. Oh my God, it was a terrifying adventure, good thing Mang Ariel and his sidekick has a presence of mind and got the boat away from the shore. Mang Ariel even cut his foot from a rock. THANK YOU Mang Ariel for bringing us safe home. The kids just went on swimming at Pundaquit Bay, Mang Ariel let us use his bathroom to shower but there are also bathroom at the shore that you can use for a fee.

This is Capones Island, the lighthouse is on the far left the boat can dock there on a calmer day but right now the waves is rougher there so they dock here instead. Even so, only small boats can go through.

This is Camara Island, it's really beautiful but waves is even strong here than Capones.

Even if we have not go island hopping, the experience in Anawangin is an experience of a lifetime. It would be nice to stay there for a couple more days but there is school and work to go to come monday. I really feel close to nature, it's another thing to be proud of as a Filipino. And here, it's truly is more fun in the Philippines. AMAZING...