San Antonio, Zambales, home to the lovely coves: Anawangin, Talisayin, Nagsasa, and Silaungin, is just approximately 4-5 hours away from the Metro and is just 30 minutes away from my hometown San Narciso. Whenever people learn that I'm from Zambales I'm often asked if I have been to Anawangin. With much shame and regret I would answer, "No, I haven't". Over the past years, Anawangin and the other coves have gained popularity and became one of the top picks for quick getaways. I intended to know why so I finally gave in.

What started as a drunken conversation eventually turned into an impulsive getaway. While some of us were still terribly hungover, we packed the leftovers from the night's party and hit the road. We didn't have any concrete plans until we're in Pundaquit. Lucky enough, one of my cousins have a friend there who happens to have boat rentals. 

After some discussions and more haggling, we finally came up with an itinerary. Since we went on a sunday and some of us have works the following day, we opted for just a day tour. (Funny that I have to use the term "tour". I sounded like a tourist for a moment there. Hmm. )

Le Cousins at Capones Island.

First off, Capones Island. What others didn't know is that there are two entry points to the island. If you want to see the old lighthouse, just tell your boatman to anchor your boat on that side of the island. Otherwise, they would take you to the opposite side. Just like what happened to us. Another lesson learned. 

This side of the island wasn't that bad, though. It's a long stretch of white sand beach. The sand's not as powdery as the other islands in the country but we didn't mind. The patterns of the wall caught my eye. Mix of browns, greens and some grays, very earthy. On both ends of the island, you'll see an array of rocks in all sizes imaginable. That would've been my spot if we stayed longer. Sadly, we only stayed for half an hour.

Touch down Anawangin! 

Alright, first impressions. The waters looked more inviting to me than that of Nagsasa and Talisayin. Read my post about Talisayin Cove here.  It's a lot smaller compared to the other coves, though. I finally understood why many people refer to this cove as "tent city". I expected it to be crowded but I didn't expect it to be this crowded. 

Carefree weekends, Bro! 

To stray away from the crowd, we went to a quick hike to the view deck. There are no guides for this but  worry not,  the trail's easy. No diverging paths whatsoever. Just follow the path until you reach the top. From here you'll see the entirety of Anawangin, it's shore and the lagoon opposite to it. Mountain, beach, lagoon and agoo trees, I just love the contrast of colors, very vivid. 

The unknown cove on the opposite side of Anawangin

After admiring the view and some photo ops, we started the descent. As soon as we reached our table, we had lunch and of course, some more beer. Ha-ha. Though we only stayed for the afternoon,  I'm guessing that an overnight camping would have been as fun. :)

P.S terrible hangover + tipsiness + 30 mins boat ride = Not a good idea. 

TIP BITS: 

1. Boat rides can be very pricey since the cove has gone overwhelmingly popular to tourists. If you want to save, better be in groups, the more the cheaper. The locals are friendly so feel free to haggle but please, please,  do it humbly and politely. I've seen tourists shouting and even threatening the locals just to get a discount. Tsk.

2. There are small stores in the cove but commodities are sold in much higher prices. Better yet,  bring and cook your own food. Water and coolers with ice are already included in some boat packages. Grillers are free to use, too. 

3. To save more, you can bring your own tent or hammock so you won't need to rent one. Tent rentals costs approximately 300 Php per night. 

4. If you want to push your getaway further, try trekking to the cove via Mt. Pundaquit. Guides are available at the jump off point. If you want to trek but still want to go island hopping, no problemo. Trek your way to the cove then  by boat, take a side trip to the islands on your way back to Pundaquit. :)

Photo Credits to Aunt Emy for our group pictures and Cousin Irma for my solo pictures.

A year ago, I was invited to an all-expense-paid day tour to the bigger yet lesser-known brother of Anawagin Cove ---Talisayen Cove. According to one of the locals, the cove derived its name from talisay  (or commonly referred to as lugo tree or umbrella tree), which used to be abundant in the area. It took us more or less an hour of boat ride going to this cove as it's farther from the shores of Pundaquit. 

The features of Talisayen is very similar to that of the other coves of San Antonio: clean and calm waters, light gray sand, and the plethora of agoo trees.  Talisayen doesn't have a lagoon unlike Anawangin or waterfalls unlike Nagsasa, but it does have a wider shoreline. Perhaps twice as wide as Anawangin. 

The rocky side of the cove, en route to the view deck. Nice spot to have a pictorial. He-he. From here you'll reach the view deck in about five minutes as the trail is just short and easy. 

Compared to Anawagin and Nagsasa cove, Talisayen have a concrete view deck. It's like a huge balcony atop the hill. This is a double-edged sword, though. With the balcony, there's no need to worry if you'll slip or if you're standing too close to the cliff. On the other hand, it also altered the natural structure of the hill.  Either way, the azure sea was truly a sight to behold. 

(c) Shella Limos

If you're trying to relax and avoid the crowd then this is the cove for you. What makes it favorable over the other coves is its quietude. It's not as commercialized and crowded as the others. Also, if you're not into camping, cottages are available for rent. 

Just a friendly reminder, the waves are stronger in the afternoon. So if anyone in your group is faint-hearted, I suggest you guys leave earlier when the sea's calmer. Remember, the cove is an hour or so away from Pundaquit, so it'll be one hella of a boat ride.

Way back in highschool, we were asked to identify one historical place in Zambales, visit the site, make a presentation and paper about it as a part of our final requirement in History. This shouldn't be a problem since there are a lot of historical places in the province that are accessible, plus written sources are readily available. However, our group wanted to take it to the next level, so we rooted for Mt. Pinatubo. 

Geographically speaking, Mt. Pinatubo is situated at Botolan, Zambales, which is just about an hour away from our hometown, San Narciso. Going to the actual site from Botolan proper is another story. We were told that the trail was only known to the Aetas and that it would take us days to reach the crater. With that being said, we opted for our Plan B. Not a bad choice actually, we still got a high grade. Hehe

Anyhow, it was not until 2013, when I resided in Clark, Pampaga,  that I learned about the alternative route to Mt. Pinatubo --- via Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. The route is safer and easier that the trek can be done in a day. I told myself I have to go ASAP while I'm still not that busy. I intended to travel DIY style, as always,  but this time it turned out to be more expensive to travel solo, so I searched for the cheapest public tour online. 

Gladly, I found TriPinas!  They were offering the cheapest All-in Pinatubo public tour so I booked immediately. My transaction with them was uber fast and hassle-free, I must say. 

I told my father about my plan and he asked if he can tag along. Though I wasn't that sure if he is still fit to do so, it's not everyday that he would volunteer on trips like that so I agreed without hesitations. Perfect timing as this served as our Father-Daughter Post-Valentines date. I'm not loveless, mind you, but I just wanted to approach this day differently, meaning, to stray away from all the cheesiness, or bitterness, if I may add, that this day usually brings. Ergo, yes to the outdoors! :)

(Grand) Canyon de Pinatubo? Look how happy he is. :)

Ms. Ann herself,  the head/founder of TriPinas, was our tour coordinator that day. Everything was organized and in accordance to the itinerary. Kudos!

Considered as a minor hike, the trail's easy and beginner-friendly. Perfect for those who want to try hiking or trekking for the first time. We used the old way so it took us more or less two hours to reach the crater. The first part of the trail was a lahar (lava) area so almost everything's just dry and hot, hot, hot. For me, the scorching sun had to be the biggest hurdle in this terrain, as there were no trees or huge rocks to seek shade to. Good thing there were some small stream crossings which helped us cool down a bit. As we passed through some lush vegetation, we knew that we're just a few steps away from the crater. 

I wasn't expecting to be this chilly here, so hello for a sunbath! :)

Upon reaching the crater, Ms. Ann gave a quick lecture about the history of Mt. Pinatubo. She also explained why the color of crater lake differ from time to time. Apparently, we were eluded by the blue green algae, the ones responsible for the turquoise color of the lake. The lake was somewhere between dark green to blue green when we were there.  Nonetheless, it's just as rewarding. 

The Majestic Mt. Pinatubo, February 2014.

Adieu, Your Majesty. Hope to see you soon in turquoise. :)

(All photos were taken by yours truly. Self portraits were shot with the use of an improvised tripod.)