I first heard of Anawangin Cove from some officemates who went there last May 2009. They spoke good things about it: fine sand, crystal clear water, magnificent rock formations, pine trees by the beach etc. etc. etc. But what thrilled me the most was the idea that it is still untouched by commercialism: no electricity, no cellular phone signal and no beach houses for rent. Unfortunately, I wasn’t available to make it on the two occasions that they scheduled a trip to Anawangin Cove. They are planning another one before the year ends, but I can no longer wait until year end comes before I pay Anawangin Cove a visit. So being an adventurer that I am, I surfed the net and planned my own sojourn to Anawangin Cove on the upcoming long weekend of Aug. 28-30, 2009. With me was a former officemate who owns a tent that will serve as our dwelling place for our stay. The news that a typhoon is expected to hit the Philippines over the weekend did not stop me from traveling.
I left Manila at exactly 11:30pm at Victory Liner terminal in Pasay City. Based from the information I got from the internet, it will take around six hours to get to the town of San Antonio, Zambales. I supposed the estimate was based on daytime travel because it took me only three hours to get to San Antonio. My original plan was just to buy some food in San Antonio upon my arrival because I was expecting to arrive there at 5:30am. Fortunately, there was a 24-hour grocery store somewhere relatively near the town plaza. Our tricycle driver was kind enough to make a quick stop so we can shop for mineral water, beers, chips, bread and canned foods.
At 3:00am, we are already in the baranggay of Pandaquit where I instructed our boatman to meet us up. Since we arrived earlier than expected, we needed to wait for almost an hour before the boatman arrived. He brought us to his house, where he offered a table for us to temporarily sleep while waiting for the sun to show-up a bit. According to Mang Alfring (our boatman, 09196498563), it is hard to navigate the sea without some light. At some time pass 5:00am he woke us up and told us we are ready to sail. To my great surprise, the place where we stayed was surrounded by mountains which I failed to recognize since it was pitch black when we arrived. At that point in time, I knew already that I am up for an unforgettable weekend.
Honestly, I was a little afraid as we sail because the waves were really big. A word of advice, be sure to place your camera inside a ziplock plastic bag to ensure that it will be dry. I was so wet the whole time. My hands were completely locked to the two sides of the boat because we don’t have any life jacket during our sailing. However the sight of Capones Island , Camara Island and all other small islands were enough to overcome all my fears. In my personal opinion, the most beautiful sight to look forward to is as the boat makes its final turn towards Anawangin Cove. Awesome will be an understatement to describe how beautiful it is. Indescribable! You won’t ever think that you are still in the Philippines, I promise! 
We were warmly welcomed by Nanay Ligaya, the island’s caretaker. She gave us a table that we can use during our stay. Immediately, we searched for a good spot near the pine trees and fixed our tent. I approached Nanay Ligaya and told her we weren’t able to buy some cooked rice because we arrive so early in the morning. She offered to cook us some rice so we can have something for breakfast. She indeed is so hospitable. I shared her some adobo so she can also have something for breakfast. At around 8:00am, we started to go around the island. We first checked the river stream at the back of the woods. The water was more than knee-high, but we braved to cross it to get a better glimpse of the other side of the island. And of course, we did not miss to take some pictures. I have not seen any place as picturesque as Anawangin. It has a very calming ambiance. All pictures taken can be mistaken as postcards.
At 10:00am, people started to arrive in the island. By late noon, we are already over 100 in the island, but there is still a lot of area to put up one’s tent. Swimming, playing freezebie, surfing, guitar-playing and drinking are some of the things that you can do in the island. I took sometime to read a book from lunch time to around 4:30pm. After which , I headed to the beach. I took away all my inhibitions and played like a kid against the waves. Never minding the rain and the thunder. I was once more a kid.
Unfortunately, it was raining the whole evening that is why we missed to do bonfire and stargazing. At some point, the water level started to rose up to over knee-high resulting to relocations of some tents. There were some people trapped at the other side of the island. Thank God ! through the spirit of Bayanihan , some campers joined together to get the stranded trekkers to the island. Honestly, I thought it was my end. I prayed so hard. I must live to tell my story, that was my motivation.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience to be in Anawangin Cove. It is not everyday that you will find a great treasure in the Philippines, and Anawangin will be one of my rare find.
I will definitely be back in Anawangin Cove.
