Barangay Daraga is a community of simplicity and harmony and a place where people share the tradition and culture of warm Filipino hospitality. It is where a way of life during back times and modern ways blend and exist.
Daraga is one of the four (4) barangays that occupy Lahuy Island in the town of Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines. A peaceful community where residents look after one another with utmost care and concern, know one another, and seem related to one another by blood.
Daraga is a humble community; that’s why it was a surprise to me to find them all so very welcoming to visitors; that’s why there were no doubts or fears that crept into my veins to go around the community hour after my arrival.
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Still, in a boat from afar, I was awed by the sights I was looking at from the seashore to the mountaintop, the beige and grey shoreline and the multi-shades of green on the mountain, the colorful fishing boats docked at the coastline, painted houses, building. The residents gathered along the shore, resting and chatting after the day of work.
By the time I got off the boat at first, I had noticed everyone was looking at me, sensing that another stranger had come into the community. Having been to different places, such an occasion is no new to me. They look at you with gladness for your arrival and gauge how they will handle you and how you will interact with them.
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As I passed a group seated under the tree by the seashore, I now took the first step and initiative to greet them. Such a move is my style to make the residents comfortable with my presence, so as I uttered my greeting, they responded with a smile. Following that brief exchange of greetings, my niece introduced me to them, so the more they flashed a smile and welcomed me.
Upon settling at my niece's house, I immediately shot the sights that kept amazing from afar and right where I was standing. I asked my guide, the skippers of my nephew-in-law, to bring me to the top of the hill to get full shots of the ocean, the islands nearby, and the barangay. As I got to the top, the more my heart was pounding with the scenic views I was looking and only then did I discover that is so much more to explore inside the island, so many adventures to engage and plenty of places to visit.
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Early the next day, upon my arrival, I strolled the community all by myself to fully immerse myself with the residents. I was in a store selling general merchandise items to buy cigarettes and water for the stroll.
The intent of buying turned to personal casual chatting, talking about different things. I could not even notice I was already late for our island-hopping take-off schedule because I enjoyed having casual conversations with the store owners amicably.
Quick Facts
Name of the Place: Daraga
Location: Lahuy Island, Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Distance from the Mainland: 20 Km Approx
Travel Time: 35 Min to 1 hr
Best Character of the Place: Peaceful, with accommodating residents.
Places to Visit
1. Manlawi Disappearing Sandbar & Floating Cottages
The Unique characteristic of Manlawi Sandbar is that it disappears during high tide and surfaces only during low tide.
2. Cotivas Island and Sandbar
Spend your day swimming in sky-blue ocean water.
Have the chance to drink and eat fresh fruit that treats kidney stones – Buko fruits. There are buko vendors selling fruit beside the makeshift cottages.
Please click here to watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/obJbciDPpFY
3. Basot Island
Visit the Guinahoan Lighthouse on top of the hill and enjoy the exhilarating sights and the cold breezes of the Pacific Ocean.
4. Isla Soledad
Isla Soledad is an island resort with two (2) different seawater wave conditions; rough and calm.
Please click here to watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X7VeAeMtIpc
Click the below link to read more about Isla Soledad: ISLA SOLEDAD - LAHUY ISLAND, CARAMOAN, CAMARINES SUR, PHILIPPINES (underratedadventures.com)
Activities You Can Do
Mountain Hiking
Island Hopping
Swimming
Sightseeing
Accessibility
No existing hotel or lodging, but the residents can accommodate you in case of a worse situation for your housing stay.
Should you opt to go back to the mainland on the same day of your visit; you should leave the island at least 2 hours before sundown to have an allowance for your trip back to the mainland.
Mobile phone and internet signal; there are networks with good signals but there are also poor to no signal.
With an Electric Power supply
No modern water supply distribution – For washing and bathing, the waters are fetched from an open well.
Ideal Season for a Visit
Summer seasons are the ideal period to visit. The island is on the Pacific coast, and during the summer seasons, the sea is calm most of the time.
During rainy seasons, you need to avoid when there is low pressure coming or typhoon signals because the sea is rough. Although going to Lahuy the sea route is between and close to several islands along the way, extra precautions for safety should be considered first and foremost.
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