We've been planning a trip to Caramoan Peninsula for ages. The plan wouldn't always push through because of conflicting schedule and limited airline promo fares so we would end up scratching our plan and going to different destinations instead. Finally, we were able to make our four-day Caramoan trip this year a reality.
August is perhaps not a good time to visit Bicol region because it's a typhoon season. Our desire, however, to explore this hidden gem in Camarines Sur was unstoppable. In order to stick with our plan, we decided to travel to Bicol by land. Flying to Naga is the fastest way to get to Bicol but the chance of getting a flight cancelled frightened us. We could not afford to move our trip (again) so we thought traveling by bus would be a far better option in case the weather turns harsh.
The most popular way to get to Caramoan by land is to take a bus from Manila to Naga City then another bus from Naga City to Sabang Port, the jump-off point to Caramoan Island. However, I learned that Peñafrancia Tours has a daily trip plying directly to Sabang Port. We took the latter option. I think they're the only bus line that offers such trip so we called them one week in advance to make a reservation. Fare is P765 per person for one way.
We arrived at Araneta Bus Terminal in Cubao 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time. However, the bus left one hour behind its original 8:30 PM schedule. The whole trip from Manila to Sabang Port took 10 grueling hours - my longest bus ride ever. There were 3 bus stops for restroom break and light snacks.
The first of the three bus stops in Tiaong, Quezon
