Buhi, CamSur: Sinagpan Spring Resort

Buhi, Camarines Sur - Located in the southeastern part of the province of Camarines Sur lies a sleepy town with 38 barangays. Surround by mountain ranges and the prominent Mt. Asog or Mt. Iriga with its crater facing Lake Buhi. When we hear about Buhi, the first few things that comes across our mind can be, Sinarapan (Pandaka pygmea), the smallest fish in the world and tilapia or St. Peter's Fish. All these can be found in Lake Buhi and lakelets surrounding it. The Rinconada area is home to numerous spring resorts. 

In Buhi alone, I have visited three spring resorts catering to locals and even tourists who seek to find the not so visited places in CamSur. The Sinagpan Spring Resort is approximately 30 minutes away from the Barangay Town Hall of Sta. Justina.

This is the point of entry going to the resort. It's a rough terrain with a one way traffic only. Sedans are not advisable here (based from my experience) or else you'll get bumps underneath your car. This photo below was taken June 2011, it's still pretty much the same. You can always ask the locals for directions. 

Old photos from my 2011 visit CLICK HERE

This is the part where you begin to walk, the resort is near, I promise. 

But this is the challenging part, the HANGING BRIDGE and there's no other way around not unless you want to swim. It's really fun! I know it's challenging indeed especially if you're not used to crossing hanging bridges.

Just a few meters away from the bridge is the resort. It is highly noticeably with the colorful flagls around the compound. The resort is quite located on the foot of a hill. That's why the cottages are somewhat located on a higher pavement.

Sinagpan Spring Resort is a natural swimming pool continuously fed by gushing crystal clear spring water. The water is free flowing and will not leave you swimming in a stagnant pool water for a few days like artificial pools do. The compound is not that big, it is just enough for a spring resort of this kind.

Depth of Water

3 Ft  (until the white line) and 6 Ft on the right side

There are two main pools, one is bigger than the other which is also deeper around 6 feet. 

You can actually sit and rest on this side of the pool. 

3 feet before the white line then 6 feet thereafter.

  

Cottages around the pool. 

Tip: Make sure you bring everything you need. Although the place is but isolated, other amenities such as the dressing room and comfort room is clean and maintained enough but don't expect too much. There's also a sari-sari store in the compound and a videoke machine for karaoke afficionados out there. If you are not picky and adventurous you'll surely enjoy going to Sinagpan Spring Resort. The walk, the lushly green scenery, the hanging bridge and the crystal clear water will surely enlighten you up and enjoy nature.

Related post:

Lologon Spring Resort 

Benitta & Flora's Bakery + Cafe, the first cafe in Buhi, Camarines Sur

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#NcDFoodTrip: Benitta and Flora's Bakery Cafe in Buhi, Camarines Sur

Buhi, Camarines Sur - Known for the smallest fish in the world called Sinarapan and the ever tasty Tilapia, this town is actually keeping up to what are also available in a city. Buhi can still be considered a quiet town. Natong (laing) and Bicol Express cooked in the Buhinon way or Rinconada way has a distinct taste than those being served in prime cities here in Bicol. Fishing and farming are the main sources of livelihood of Buhinons. Everytime we visit our relatives, I always look forward to the goodness of cooking of our relatives and the forty-five to an hour drive away from Naga is always worth the wait. Sometimes, in order not to be left out in some aspects, businesses in Buhi started to evolve. 

A few weeks ago, we drove to Buhi to gather our harvested sacks of rice. We traveled after lunch and we really had no plans of staying too long. But since we seldom go home to this place, my father was asked to stay for a few rounds of drinks. While we were waiting, I thought of visiting this new cafe in the downtown area together with my sister. My fellow Bicol Bloggers visited this cafe  a few months ago for breakfast before heading to Legazpi, the cafe is called Benitta & Flora's Bakery + Cafe.

The cafe is located near the parish church. The street fronting the main gate of the church is the street leading to the cafe and it's only a few steps away. The bakery has two levels, dominant with black and dark orange facade with a round signage outside the vicinity.

The first thing that you will notice are the wall arts around and the accented brick wall (which I think are tiles) which are typical in many cafes these days.

On the left are the breads and pastries available  for any occasion. I have seen on their FB that they also accept made to order cakes for weddings and other special occasions. The place is fully air-conditioned with high ceiling.

The second level is very spacious and is very ideal for group dine-ins for meetings and other occasions. Every corner is again filled with wall art especially the rear end near the comfort room.

Most of the wall arts are about coffee, coffee and coffee. 

The part where there is a tower is actually a door to their kitchen I suppose. 

The food and drinks are very affordable and unassuming. On a personal note, everything is priced just right for the locals. 

Burgers starts at P110 to P135. Sanwiches start at P85 to P95. Appetizers from P50 to P70. Pastas from P90 to P100. All-day Breakfast for only P65. Rice Meals with chicken and pork bbq as the two choices at P150. Cold drinks starts from P40 to P80. Hot drinks at P40 and the French Pressed Coffee at P195. Milkshakes from only P80 to P85. Need I say more that the prices are really very affordable?

We ordered the Creamy Carbonara and Aglio Olio plus the Nacho Fries for our snack. I just hope that the fries was well drained, it was a bit too oily. The serving size of the pasta is ideally good for one. The creamy carbonara has a poached egg on top with white sauce and bacon bits. 

The Aglio Olio is one of their classic pastas with garlic, chili with a slice of foccasia bread. I can rate the taste of the food that we ordered as 3.5 stars out of 5. I was just looking for more spices but then I'm not complaining much because the prices are way so affordable. I still enjoyed the food in general. And hey they still have a lot more offerings on their menu that's why it's too early to judge them as a whole.

I had the Tarragon Tea which is only for P50.
"A tarragon herb, also known as dragon wort, is a very popular culinary herb used as flavoring agent, especially in the Mediterranean cuisines. This aromatic perennial growing herb is rich in phytonutrients as well antioxidants that help promote health and prevent diseases."

Cookies 'N Cream Milkshake for only P85.

I'll give the drinks a 4 out of 5 stars. 

I was amazed with this group of kids who dined at the cafe. They ordered cupcakes and just plain water but I could hear and see their joy while coming in to this joint. These are kids having the simple joys of life with the company of peers.

So there, if you happen to be in Buhi, this place is a must-visit. This is the very first cafe in town so don't forget to drop by! Congratulations Buhi for having Benitta & Flora's Bakery + Cafe!

Benitta & Flora's Bakery + Cafe
Facebook: Benitta&Flora's Bakery and Cafe
San Buena, Buhi, Camarines Sur
Contact No. 0917 913 2866
Email: benitta.floras@gmail.com

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Sorsogon: Prieto Diaz and Seamancor

Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon - The first part of my Sorsogon road trip series is home to a model site.  A model not primarily of people but of natural resources, a coastal environment to be specific. Behind this model site are the hardworking vanguards/stewards of their very own natural treasure in Prieto Diaz.

Seamancor Eco-Developers Inc. is a people's organization established back in 1994 in Prieto Diaz. It is under the Coastal Environment Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Seamancor stands for Seagrass, Mangrove, and Corals, mainly because these are the three main models that Prieto Diaz is rich of.  Seanmancor was awarded 25 years of stewardship of the 500 hectare mangrove forest by the DENR.

The community of Prieto Diaz and members of Semancor were able to develop a sustainable coastal resource management system with the help of DENR and other non-govenrment organizations.  Not only do they protect the mangroves, but they also provide livelihood programs for the members. The organization is a success story of DENR maintained for more than two decades now.

836 hectares of seagrass, around 500 hectares of mangroves and  800 hectares of protected coral reefs and marine sanctuary. Get a glimpse of this beautiful coastal environment of Prieto Diaz. For three days and two nights I was able to get up close and personal with the portion of Seamancor's treasure. Apart from the natural wonders, immersing with the community is a very humble experience that you can't ever get in the metro.

For so many years, my mom has been bringing quite a number of classes to Prieto Diaz since late 90s. I was still in my  elementary to early high school years those days and I just couldn't join the trip because I was religiously attending my classes. After more than two decades, finally I was able to tag along. 

While Donsol and Matnog are well known tourist destinations in Sorsogon, I did not regret that I got to experience Prieto Diaz first. 

Prieto Diaz's common visitors are students and professors who study  marine life and coastal environment Seanmancor started way back in the late 90s with a few amenities. My mom  recalls they still had to bring in utensils and kitchen wares in order to make things easier during their stay. Over the years, because of the determination of the members they were able to establish a good eco-tourism program for the guests.

Seamancor offers catering services with packaged meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food, accommodation and tour can be as low as P650 up depending on the type of menu, number of days you'll be staying and how many you are in the group. You can request for Prieto Diaz's best which are mainly seafood.

Accommodation: Basic rooms with clean comfort rooms and shower rooms. Guests can also have the option of pitching in a tent within the compound or hang a hammock in between the trees. They also have a videoke machine for the guests.

The famous danggit of Seamancor for breakfast

Sorsogon road trip complete set of photos are available in my Flickr, CLICK HERE.

FTW - Unlimited brewed coffee during our stay
This is the sunrise view by the beach which is near the park.

While other members of Seamancor are in charge of the catering service, others serve as tour guides to guests inside the mangrove forest, during sea grass exploration and snorkeling in "Halabang La-pis". Other members are into danggit production and accessories/ornaments making.

SEAGRASS BED EXPLORATION

Since we arrived in Prieto Diaz nearly lunch time, the first activity of the day was conducted in the afternoon. Seagrass bed exploration. The students had instruments to measure the salinity, ph and other technical terms I am not aware of. Lol. All I did was to take photos of the students doing their task and documented the different types of seagrass they have discovered. It's fun checking out live seashells rather than seeing the shells as ornaments and accessories. 

Students identifying the types of seagrass per quadrant. Also, egrets are everywhere but they usually stay away from people.

While the students were busy conducting their activity, I saw Manong catching crabs and reaching for them under the sand. He was really good at it. He circles around the seagrass bed and in just one look he knows if there's a crab hiding underneath. After that, we made a deal with Manong and bought his bag of crablets. We had the crabs cooked in the kitchen of Seamancor. Just in case you see fisherfolks with a fresh catch all you have to do is negotiate with them. You'll be surprised how low they price the seafoods.

Happy tummy!!

The seagrass dances smoothly, especially when the boat passes by. It's kinda hypnotic actually

INTO THE MANGROVES

Our second day was dedicated to mangroves and corals. Motorized boats are prohibited in the area to protect the seagrass and to prevent pollution. Row boats are being used instead. Each boat has a bankero and a tour guide. Tour guides and the bangkero are in matching uniforms, a floral camisa chino and red pants.  

The students doing their routine.

CORAL and MARINE SANCTUARY EXPLORATION 

Edible sea urchin (middle). 

All of these sea creatures were returned to sea after documenting them.

Rich marine sanctuary in Prieto Diaz.

This puffer fish was really memorable, it's just so amazing seeing one in real life. I can never forget the sound it was making while we were holding it.

A photo posted by nagacitydeck.com / joDLT (@nagacitydeck) on Mar 6, 2015 at 4:21am PST

All of these sea creatures were returned to sea after documenting them.

The white board is actually a slate where students write down the data. No papers and ballpoint pens but only pencils. 

Snorkeling in Halabang Lapis. Lapis is not pronounced as the pencil or lapis in Filipino, but instead "La-pis" with a stress on the La. Cho Maning, one of the members of Seamancor guided us the whole day. But beyond tour guiding, he knows every specie of seagrass and mangrove plus every marine life and sea creatures there are in Prieto Diaz. And oh don't worry, they have life vests as part of the package.

It was quite a windy day, water current was a bit strong too. Water level was around 10 to 15 feet.

It was my first time to snorkel. Yes, I have this amount of fear for sharks swimming in deep water. Too much Jaws perhaps. I have no waterproof camera nor any action cam. Since it was my first time, I had to document it. With all the courage, I used the dry pouch, slipped my iPhone in, sealed it properly, dipped it in the water and finally recorded at least less than a minute underwater. I did not attempt diving in any further because I know the limitation of my phone. There are many aquarium fishes. My phone just can't capture it well.

Watch how I took the video starting from 0:27. Adjust to HD for a better resolution.

Around noon time, another boat approached us, they brought our lunch right in the middle of the sea!  After having our lunch, the water level was decreasing, we had to go back fast or else we will rely on leg power and walk to the shore. 

After lunch we went to a watch tower to have a 360 degree view of the mangrove in Prieto Diaz. 

This tower is definitely not in good condition. I hope Seamancor and the local government can do something about this. The coconot trees are actually obstructing the view, but it's okay. Only three of us went up, Manong Bangkero and Kuya Kiko (in red, who works in PDRRMC of CamSur) two of them assisted me so that I can go up the slob to have a better view of the mangroves. Kung hanggang saan abot ang paningin mo, lahat mangrove ang makikita mo. That's how vast the mangrove in Prieto Diaz is.

A panoramic view of the mangrove model site. I used the dslr for this, no good when it comes to quality of the panoramic view, Photoshop did not recognize my photos properly when I photostitched this. haha

seaside view

Upon seeing this view, I can say that Prieto Diaz really deserves to be a model site of natural and reforested mangroves.

Our second day ended well. A stroll around the town of Prieto Diaz and Brgy. Diamante is just pleasing to the eye. Simple living at its finest.

A local bakery with freshly baked breads every afternoon.

These yummy donuts costs P5.00 each only.

Playing, the old fashioned way.

We also went to the town proper of Prieto Diaz.

LIVELIHOOD

Accessories making made of sea shells. For as low as P10.00 you can buy your pasalubong for many of your friends. Mostly of the braclets and necklaces costs only P10.00. Others are twenty, the jewelry boxes ranges from P30.00 to P50.00. Chimes for as low as P50.00 to P100.00 depending on the size.

The green shell is my favorite. A single braid costs P10 and the thick one costs twice as much. Still way too cheap.

Danggit Production

One pack is only for P100.00

Mangrove Seed Production

Many of the seedlings will be brought to Tacloban. 

Given that Seamancor  Eco Developers Inc. is the caretaker of Prieto Diaz, they still need some reminders from time to time. Mom and her organization conducted a presentation about how Seamancor should continue to better vanguards each day. Proper waste disposal and how they can earn from trash were also shared to the members. We saw a number of plastic wrappers near the mangroves and shore, this indicates it is still a problem that they need to work on. 

Sunday is indeed a swim day.

So there you have it guys, experiencing Prieto Diaz has a different light, it's more than sightseeing. It's experiencing and understanding how important nature is for human existence.  It will make you appreciate more the littlest things there is in marine life. So if you stay in Seamancor in Sabang Beah, Brgy. Diamante of Prieto Diaz you are helping the community in many ways. 

Seamancor Facebook Page

Sabang Beach, Brgy. Diamante

Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon

Contact Person: Budoy

Contact Number: 09089782822

For the second part of my Sorsogon road trip series, we visited Paguriran Island and Lagoon. 

CLICK HERE for the blog post. 

Sorsogon road trip complete set of photos are available in my Flickr, CLICK HERE.

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