IF your thoughts of summer don’t necessarily translate to sun and sand, and you’d much rather steer clear of the horde of beachcombers, then Camarines Norte (or Cam Norte) in the Bicol region might just be the perfect vacation place for you.

Roughly 343 km southeast of Manila and often bypassed by tourists on their way to wakeboarding in Cam Sur or cavorting with the whale sharks in Sorsogon, this laid-back destination has a lot to offer – cultural gems, world-class surfing spots, off the beaten path adventures and virtually untouched islands.

Now if you think that sounds just like a perfect summer vacation, here’s a guide on what you can do should you decide to head for and explore this down-to-earth province:

1. Conquer Calaguas. Described as pristine, undiscovered and breathtakingly beautiful, the Calaguas group of islands offers a hidden paradise. The main island, known as Mahabang Buhangin (Long Beach), has a kilometer-long stretch of sparkling powder-fine white sand and cool, sparkling emerald waters.

The elusive island (reached only by a two-hour boat ride through open seas) has no resorts or tourist infrastructure. Guests can stay overnight, but only if they’re ready to pitch their own tents and camp under the stars while dining on freshly caught seafood.

Tourism officials say it’s best to visit Calaguas between the months of February to September. Unfortunately, the rainy weather during our visit early February made it impossible for us to camp overnight on the island as we had planned. But based on pictures alone and the rave reviews of people who have been there, conquering Calaguas is definitely one reason for me to go back to Cam Norte this summer.

2. Learn to surf. Bagasbas Beach in Daet has long been a surfing destination because of its consistent waves through the year, earning for it the 62nd slot among top surfing spots in the world. Provincial Tourism Office head Atty. Debee Francisco says foreigners have been coming to surf at their shores since the 1970s. Joey Cuerdo, who organizes surfing clinics, adds that Bagasbas is strategically located because of its accessibility by land from Manila, unlike other surfing spots that require air travel.

“The beach is ideal for surfing beginners. The bottom is sandy and unti-unti yung lalim niya [it slopes gently] so it’s not dangerous. The beach is also very wide so there’s enough room for the learners and they don’t get in each other’s way,” says Cuerdo.

The Bagasbas Summer Surf, which is currently on its fourth year, will be held in April (tentatively the weekend after Easter). For a P500 participation fee (which includes a free event shirt and pair of Mojo sandals), visitors can get surfing lessons and enjoy other activities like beach volleyball, wall climbing, frisbee and dodgeball.

3. Ride a kite on the water. Another extreme sport making waves (literally) is kite surfing or kiteboarding, which combines the skills of surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding through the water, along with flying a kite.

According to Daet Mayor Tito Sarion, the international sporting event aims to promote Daet as a sports tourism destination. They recently concluded the 3rd Daet Kiteboarding International Fest last December, with tourists and athletes from different countries converging on Bagasbas beach.

Kiteboarding lessons are offered at Mike’s Kiteboarding Resort along Bagasbas beach for those who want to try this “not-for-the-weak” sport. The northeast monsoon season from November to March is an ideal time for kitesurfing. For rates and rental fees, check out www.mikes-kites.com

4. Go fiesta-hopping. This year, the province is also celebrating the 400th year of Daet’s first three parishes. Celebrations kicked off last February 2 at the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Church in the town of Paracale, which was founded by Fransiscan missionaries in 1581 and assigned a minister in 1611.

As guests of Gov. Egay Tallado, we witnessed religious celebrations at the Spanish-era church complemented by the Pabirik Festival and street dancing depicting the town’s lucrative gold mining industry. Aside from other celebrations to be held at the St. John the Baptist Parish in Daet on June 24 and St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Vinzons on June 29 this year, Cam Norte also has several other notable fiestas lined up.

The province-wide Bantayog Festival (named after the first Rizal monument built in the country which is Daet’s main landmark) will be held on April 15 while the Pinyasan Festival (celebrating the sweet “Queen” pineapple which is one of the province’s major products) will be held on June 24. If you’re interested in historic churches or street photography, schedule your trip around these dates to witness a fiesta with truly local flair.

5. Load up on local delicacies. Like other provinces in the Bicol region, Cam Norte specializes in pili and food cooked in gata (coconut milk) like laing, tinuktok (ground shrimp or crab wrapped in gabi leaves and cooked in gata), and kinunot (manta ray or shark meat cooked in coconut milk). The nautical-inspired Catherine’s Restaurant offers delicious versions of these as well as other familiar dishes like tapsilog (P85), grilled fish with mango salsa (P145) and fresh fruit shakes (P65). Other popular restaurants in Daet include Central Plaza Restaurant for Chinese cuisine, King Fisher Restaurant for seafood and Kusina ni Angel for home-cooked fare.

Keep a eye out for angko, delectable sticky rice balls filled with peanuts and minatamis (which I thought tasted like peanut butter or chocnut). This kakanin, a specialty of Vinzons town, costs P12 for a pack of five. A travel writer in our group (who wolfed down several packs of this in one sitting during our first dinner), said he won’t leave for Manila without buying lots of this pasalubong on our long drive back.

From snorkeling in Quinamanukan Island (Talisay), caving in Cadig cave (Labo), or hiking to several waterfalls, Cam Norte invites you to take your time.

While not everyone might enjoy trekking for 7 hours through hanging bridges and rugged mountains in the rain just to swim at the foot of a waterfall, for me, this road less traveled holds more appeal than the noisiest beach party. But that’s another story.

How to Get There

2011 is another adventure for Bagasbas Lighthouse, and we are determined to start our second year right with the Ultimate Barkada Getaway contest! This is our way of saying “thank you” to all the adventurous souls who patronized us last year. Bagasbas Lighthouse has lined up exciting activities not only for this summer, but for the rest of the year as well! Here’s to another year of fun and adventure!

PROMO EXTENDED!

Contest Mechanics:

Step 1: Get a Facebook account and like http://facebook.com/BagasbasLH.
Step 2: Get a Twitter account and folow htp://twitter.com/BagasbasLH. Once you’re a follower, tweet this in your profile: tweet this in your profile: “RT @BagasbasLH Retweet this and get a chance to win an ULTIMATE BARKADA GETAWAY at @BagasbasLH!”.
Step 3:  Send us your best barkada travel/out-of-town picture! It could be anywhere, from the mountains to the beach, from local to international travel! The more creative and fun, the better! J
Step 4: Email your entry to snapshots@bagasbaslighthouse.com using the following format.
Subject: Ultimate Barkada Weekend Getaway <BARKADA NAME>
Message Body: Message Body: Include names of participants, contact numbers and Twitter names.
Also     include, in 3 sentences or less, an  explanation why you deserve an ultimate barkada getaway.
Step 5: All qualified entries will posted on the “ENTRIES: Ultimate Barkada Getaway” album in the Bagasbas Lighthouse Facebook page (http://facebook.com/BagasbasLH). Invite people to “LIKE” your entry to get more votes!
Step 6: All qualified entries will posted on the “ENTRIES: Ultimate Barkada Getaway” album in the Bagasbas Lighthouse Facebook page (http://facebook.com/BagasbasLH). Invite people to “LIKE” your entry to get more votes!

You can send in your entries from February 20, 2011 up to March 20, 2011, up to 10:00 P.M. Voting will start on March 21, 2011 at 12:00 P.M., and will end on April 21, 2011 at 10:00 P.M. Announcement of the winners will be made on April 21st as well.

• TT Course Racing

• Kite n SUP

• Open Freestyle

The event will run from the 14 – 18 December 2010. The 14th December will be a registration and freeride warm-up day, with the competitions running for the following four days from the 15 – 18th December. The wind and the conditions will decide the final programme but regardless of whether there is wind, no wind, waves or flat water the 3rd Daet Kiteboard International will have you out on the water, competing and having fun!

The 3rd Daet Kiteboard International will be offering a US$10,000 prize package, which will consist of both cash and equipment prizes for the winning riders. The full details of the prize package will be released shortly, but the aim is to run the prizes from 1st to 5th positions at least.

But even if you don’t win on the day you could still be a winner in advance as the local event sponsors the Bagasbas Lighthouse Hotel and Mikes Kites are offering FREE ROOMS to the first 30 riders that pre-register for the event.

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Discipline Brief

TT Course Racing –

run under the IKA sanctioned course race rules but for this KTA Open event the only board you will need to bring is your twin-tip, so nice chance to save excess baggage costs on those flights in for those riders who normally compete on specialist race boards. So with an even playing field it could be anyone’s race out on the water and if this is your first competition event, then its your chance to take part in what could become kiteboarding Olympic discipline if the current bid is successful for the 2016 Games.

Prizes for this event in cash and equipment

Kite n SUP – Hopefully you have all heard of stand up paddleboards or SUP by now. SUP is of course a paddle and surf sport which given the potential range of conditions at Bagasbas gives the event the fail safe option of no wind paddleboard race or surf competitions. However the 3rd Daet Kiteboard International shall also be introducing for the first time in kiteboard competition kite SUP racing. The format for this will be based on the general race rules, but run as a team relay event. All will be explained and reviled in full at the first riders meeting of the event. Don’t worry though we will be providing the SUP boards, you just need to bring your kites.

Prizes for this fun team event in beer and points

Open Freestyle – With IKA freestyle rules but a competition that will work very much around the prevailing wind and water conditions with the focus adjusted to match. So if its strong winds and waves then big air moves will be encouraged. If its flatter water and more average wind conditions then new school freestyle will hold centre stage. Depending on rider numbers expression session style group as well as the more usual man-on-man heats will add another twist to this particular competition. This will be an IKA points ranking event.

Prizes for this event in cash and equipment

Registration

With the event support given by the Local Government Unit of Daet this event will have a subsidised rider entry fee of only US$50. This will be the same fee whether you enter just one or all of the disciplines, so you have nothing to loose in giving something new a try. Pre-registration at http://www.kiteboardtour.asia/competitor-info/single-event-registration.html

Registration will be held on the 14th December at Mikes Kites beach bar from 10am until 4pm.