Beach camping @ Anawangin, Zambales

When I first saw pictures of Anawangin, Zambales, showing pics of pine trees growing near a white sandy beach, I couldn't believe my eyes. Pine trees are known to grow mainly in cold temperatures such as Baguio but apparently, they can survive in hot temperatures as well.

To see is to believe so I packed my trusty backpack, underwater gear and my digicam Canon A430 to check out the famed Anawangin cove in Zambales. It was my first time to join a Photoholic tour organized by Travel Factor. This one-year old company is composed of yuppies who organize trips regularly on top of their full-time jobs.

During the long weekend (April 5-7, 2008), they had three trips scheduled: Northern Exposure in Ilocos, Caramoan plus wakeboarding and our beach camping escapade. I packed all my clothes as early as Wednesday night but I didn't read through the detailed itinerary so I left out important gear--eating utensils and a plate!

When we passed by the market of San Antonio, Zambales, I was able to buy the necessary utensils and off we went to Pundaquit where Canoe Beach Resort is located.

We ate lunch before heading to Anawangin Cove via a four-seater boat. As soon as we saw the beach front, we were amazed by the fine sand, the evergreen pine trees, the lush mountains on either side of the island and clear blue waters. Several beach bums were playing frisbee while others were trying their hand (or more appropriately feet) at skimboarding.

After setting up our tents, we explored the nearby river, which gave a beautiful view of the mountain behind it.

When we arrived at Anawangin, the beach front was already occupied by a lot of tents so we settled in the pine trees forest just two minutes away from the beach. Our area in Anawangin cove had two bathrooms, two changing rooms, and two waterpumps. Use of these facilities are included in the P50 environmental fee paid to the caretaker of the island. I wasn't able to get the number of the caretaker since there is no cellphone signal on Anawangin and it is not equipped with electricity. When going to the island, bring strong flashlights and possibly a pail so so you won't have problems getting water.

The mountaineers of Outdoor Addicts prepared our meals and set up our tents and they were very efficient about it.

Our meals were hot and satisfying. But what really blew me away was the fact that they brought a hot plate for the spicy sisig during our inuman session in Anawangin.

The card game introduced by Alli was such a laugh trip. You pick a card from the deck and you have to stick it in your forehead to let others see your card but you can't look at it yourself. You must base your decision to keep or change your card based on the reactions of your fellow card players. You are allowed up to 2 changes. The lowest card is the two of clubs while the highest card is the Ace of diamonds. The person with the lowest card has to drink Absolut citron (also courtesy of Alli).

Aside from drinking Absolut, we also got to drink Mojitos, which was served in a big Absolute mineral bottle. We wrapped up at around 1 am and it was so hot so I decided to sleep outside the tent. By 3 am, it got so cold so I snuggled back into the tent. Several others went stargazing and slept at the beach.

All these and more are enough reasons to go see Anawangin yourself.

The next morning, we explored a mini-cave on the left side of the island. When the sun came up, it cast a golden glow on the mountainside, resulting in a breathtaking view.

We left Anawangin cove at around 10 am and proceeded to Capones island where we trekked around 20 minutes to reach a run-down lighthouse. The incredible view and strong wind on top of the lighthouse are enough reasons to relax and chill (or to use the word coined by Travel Factor, chillax).

This trip also marks the first time I tried skimboarding and it was such a laughtrip as well. You have to read the waves well and be able to steady yourself on the skimboard as you ride the surf.

LEGEND OF ANAWANGIN. A bangkero in Anawangin told the interesting story how Anawangin was created. He said that the campsite area used to be covered by the sea. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, the ashfall created a cove that was eventually rehabilitated and pine trees came to be on the island. Since then, it has become one of the most popular tourist spots in the country.

If you want to join future trips of Travel Factor, feel free to visit their website at www.thetravelfactor.multiply.com