By: Jim Morales
The beauty of travelling is that you get to experience a whole different thing from what you normally do and bask in the afterglow that follows a most memorable journey. Every once in a while, you are likely to visit a place that does not only bring out the goodness in a friendship but also provides a wonderful moment to discover God's artistic design of nature.
When a friend invited us on a trip to Zambales, I didn't hesitate knowing that part of my bucket list is to explore the whole world around. He mentioned Anawangin but the name didn't really stick to my head simply because it didn't even ring a bell.
So I was half excited knowing it would be my 2nd trip this summer after spending holy week in Bukidnon. It was carefully planned by my friends, all we needed is to contribute our pay of 1500 pesos, which covers pretty much everything (food, transportation back and forth, entrance fee, boat ride, etc). We were a group of 12 so maybe that explains why it sounded cheap.
Since I wasn't really hands on with the preparations and its sort, I did a little research to give myself something to expect. Anawangin cove is by far one of the most popular destinations for campers and beach goers alike. The cove faces the South China Sea and is surrounded by mountains of rocks theoretically known to be formed by ages of volcanic activities in the past. But what really stuck on my head was the fact that the cove was still not covered by electricity and cellular networks as well. No hotel rooms, no spas and gimiks, no rides such as parasailing and zorbs. It's just simply a hidden cove. Now, this I knew was an adventure in the making...
We departed from Manila early Saturday morning for a four-hour land travel trip to Olonggapo City, where we alighted and transferred to another bus which transported us to San Antonio, Zambales. Then from San Antonio, you can take a short tricycle ride going to Pundaquit, a small fishing village considered to be the best jump-off point if you want to visit the Camara Island, Capones Island and Anawangin Cove since it is the closest shores to these destinations. Here you'll be warmly welcomed by the locales that will treat you as their valued guests. If you’re planning to have an overnight stay at the cove and you forgot to bring your own tent, then it's best to rent from them. We were able to haggle for a "good-for-4-person-tent” at the best price of 300 pesos only. Not bad, huh?
Capones Island, Anawangin and Nagsasa Cove can only be reached by a ferry ride from Pundaquit, where you can ask fisherman folks to carry you around. Usually it comes in a package so better group yourselves into four per boat.
The sea was a little bit rough so it feels like riding a roller coaster. But the experience was unwaveringly fun.
The boat ride was ecstatic as we simply danced with the waves. Our first stop was in Capones Island, known for its haunted stories surrounding the famous light house. The view from this island is simply spectacular and of course breathtaking.
We had lunch at the island and later on decided to stroll around the place. Too bad we weren’t able to visit the famous light house ‘coz it was believed snakes were out on the ground due to extreme hot weather. Although it was intimidatingly hot, a lot of the tourists were never bothered to be kissed by the sun. We too had fun basking under the heat. Who would if the place is as beautiful as the one you see above?
Then we took a short ferry ride goin’ to Anawangin cove. From afar, it simply looks like Boracay Island with a mountain backdrop. But when we got closer, it was heaven in our eyes. It was beautiful and exquisite in its grandeur. The place is different in its own way. It’s more than meets the eye – a mixture of white sand and volcanic ashes covers the land, and a beautiful lagoon artistically decorated with pine trees added flavor to the picturesque view. 
The mountains behind made us feel we’re in Hollywood. We were truly captivated by such splendor and all we can say is, “Philippines is just so blessed. Everybody needs to see and admire this”. We were like a bunch of excited kids thrilled to stroll around the cove with nothing much but extreme enthusiasm and unspoken delight.
One can enjoy the scenery with uprooted trees complimenting the lagoon.
Here you’ll feel the powdery sand, as fine as Boracay’s but not as white though due to mixture with volcanic ashes during the Mt. Pinatubo explosion.
The luscious green pine trees (actually, these aren't pine trees, people just call it like that) adoring this magnificent landscape makes you somehow feel you’re a foreign in your own land.
Perhaps a not so good bridge to see for city goers like me but it sure does complement the woody appeal of the place.
The boat in the lagoon feels like were doing an Amazon River trek. It also made us remember the movie Anaconda. Wild!
While I took this picture, it made me wonder why people are so anxious to get white yet on occasions like this, they wear bikinis for photo ops.
A bunch of campers from different walks of life who wants to escape the bustling city jungle. Here, no cellphones, internet and electricity –just an abundant opportunity to reflect and enjoy life at its most solemn moment. It feels good to nest at Mother Nature’s womb.
Since Anawangin Cove at that time was a little bit overpopulated, we opted to stay at a neighboring cove at Nagsasa, which bears more or less a lot of resemblance to Anawangin. Still a boat ride ferried us to the other cove for another 30 minutes. Since the boat has no cover to shade us from the sun, it’s best to bring your own shield-like towels or sarong. Don’t forget to sprinkle some sunscreen protector as the sun rays might get a little too hefty on the skin.
As expected, Nagsasa Cove is as beautiful as Anawangin. The place is perfect for amateur photographers or for lovers perhaps. Every part of it spells abundance. It’s a gift to us so it’s a wishful desire on my part to ask visitors to leave no dirt on these beautiful coves. Let’s help preserve its bounty and beauty so our future children will get to have the splendid opportunity to bask around these coves. Ok?
The Cove at its pristine beauty.
Part of our itinerary was to visit a falls uphill. It was just a short walk from the mainland part of the Nagsasa Cove. Although the sun was blooming at full set, it was definitely worth the trip.
I don’t know if this is considered to be a pond but certainly it’s part of the falls’ long whooping intestine.
And of course you’ll have the wonderful opportunity to interact with the cove’s locales, the Aetas. Cool, right?
It was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience for all of us. Sad to say the government is not doing much to promote such magnificent tourist attraction. I tried asking my fellow officemates if they’ve ever heard of Anawangin, but none of them ever did. Well the “adventurous” and the “seeker” will always get the price, right? And the experience I had in these islands and coves was simply priceless – till now while writing, it still stirs something in me --- something immeasurable, in vast unspoken ways, and leaves unforgettable memories long after the trip has concluded.
