Anawangin Cove
Anawangin Cove is a crescent (moon) shaped cove with an immaculate white sand beach and an evergreen forest cover near the shore , It's like Baguio meets Boracay as we described it.
Map : Map your way to San Antonio Zambales using this handy google map.
Brief History:
"... The sand in Anawangin Cove is mainly Mt. Pinatubo lahar. I gathered some samples and it is very similar indeed to the lahar that can be found in Porac and Mabalacat on the other side of Mt. Pinatubo
.... The pine trees, (actually Agoho trees) did not exist in the area before the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. Looks like the ash fall somehow brought with it Agoho seeds as well and they grew into the forest we see at Anawangin today." - By: EPPGArcia 2008
What to do in Anawangin:
Camp, Dive, Climb and Have Fun under the Sun!
- Camping : Set up your tent and hammock under the pine trees for shade.
- Bonfire : Gather fallen twigs and light up a fire for warmth during the night.
- Climbing : Get a nice view of the whole scenery of Anawangin Cove on top of the cliff.
- Trekking : Explore the Enchanted Forrest for wild animals and streams behind it.
- Beach Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, skim boarding, snorkeling and other outdoor and water sports you can think of. (we actually saw some people doing these activities)
What we did?
Day 1
3:00 am - We met at 24hour Mcdo Philcoa, had breakfast
4:30 am - Jay slept in the waiting area of Victory Bus Liner Caloocan, while the rest of us waited for the counter to open to buy tickets.
5:20 am - departed from the bus liner, slept throughout the trip.
8:00 am - Arrived in San Antonio Zambales Market, we split into two groups, one group is in charged of buying a gallon of water, another group is in charged of buying food in the market.
10:00 am - we went to Pundaquit and look for Robert, our contact boatman bought some ice cubes then we sailed for 30 minutes in open sea.
10:30 am - we look for campsite in Anawangin shore, set up the tent, build fire, cooked our lunch (fried tilapia), marinated pork chop and loin for dinner, then slept / chillax under the pine trees till 4:00 pm
4:00 pm - swim, take some pictures, and gather fallen twigs in the Forrest for bonfire.
6:00 pm - cooked crab and corn soup, hotdog, rice, took a bath then build a bonfire
around 9:00 pm - ate our dinner, hehehe it took us a while to cook in charcoal, we ran out of butane maybe because of the fire accident happened to us. - (see the link of the fire accident below)
11:00 pm - we went to shore pitch some blanket and portable light in the sand, and drink "Grandma" - Gran Matador Brandi hehehe.
1:00 am - slept in the shore, we didn't actually used the tent, but its fun to sleep in the shore with sleeping bag and "malong" or blanket on the sand.
Day 2
around 6:00 am woke up, took some pictures of the lake, then walked / trekked to the mountain cliff before the sun comes out, took some pictures again.
8:00 am - swim, sun bathing, stroll
10:00 am - cook breakfast (coffee, fried rice, itlog na pula with kamatis, lucky me pancit canton and hotdogs)
11:00 am - packed up, took a bath, eat lunch then head back to manila.
Getting There :
Commute via Victory Bus liner:
- Taxi from Philcoa to Caloocan Php 150
- Victory Liner Bus Caloocan to San Antonio Zambales Via Sta Cruz - Php 251
- Best Time to travel, 4:30 am (1st Trip to Sta Cruz)
- approx 3 hours travel time from Manila to San Antonio.
- There are two stop-overs during the trip, one is in Double Happiness Pampanga the other one is in Victory Bus Liner in Olongapo City.
In San Antonio, there is a market place where you can buy all the things you need to your camping trip.
* Remember that there are no modern facilities and establishments in Anawangin except for a couple of Restrooms and Water Pumps
From San Antonio Market take a tricycle going to Pundaquit shore,
Tricycle Fee : 30 php per person
Then take a 30 minute boat ride from Pundaquit to Anawangin Cove
Boat ride Fare : 800php per boat, 3-4 person
*note : prices will depend on your transaction with your boatmen.
In Anawangin, You need to pay 100php per person to the caretaker of the island.
What to Bring:
Tent : for sleeping, pitch your tent under the pine trees, there are no hotels and resorts available in Anawangin.
Hammock / "Duyan" : the best way to relax under the trees is with a hammock, there are serveral men who sell hammock on the shore but it is too expensive.
Water : Bring lots of drinking water since drinking from the water pump is not safe
Also bring your own food, there are no hotels and resorts that could prepare meals for you.
Life Vest or Floating Device: there are several stories in Anawangin that there is a strong current underneath the water or what they called Rip Tide, so it is better to be safe, bring a life jacket.
Flash light, lighter, sleeping bag, insect repellent, and other camping tools you need to survive the night.
Expenses:
Bus to San Antonio : 251 php
Tricycle to Pundaquit : 30 php
Boat to Anawangin : 200 php
Entrance Fee : 100 php
Room : Tent
Food : 200 php
Bus Fare back to Manila : 251 php
Tricycle back to San Antonio : 30 php
============================
Total : 1062 php
* camping tools and other snacks not included.
Bottomline:
If you want to enjoy nature, beach, forrest, lakes, rivers and mountains in one place, Anawangin is the best place for you.
We also called it a Camper's Haven, a place where you can definitely relax and chill this summer.
More Photos !
Who came ?
Anawangin, where Baguio Meets Boracay !!!!
