Stories and Taking Chances with Sandview Travel Calaguas

“So, how was your Calaguas trip?”, I quizzed from behind my desk as our HR peeps, Hershey and Pam, approached.

Their shoulders hung lifeless, beaten and worn as the 20-liter backpacks they were carrying, having just endured a three-hour boat ride and an eight-hour bus trip straight from Camarines Norte to our office bunks in Ortigas.

“AWESOME,” Hershey’s eyes glowed with excitement despite fatigue.

Over lunch, I devoured their stories of sun, sea and sand. They pitched a tent on the hill-fenced shore, but spent only a few hours IN it. The chalky sand and spotless blue sea, fringed with coconuts and beautiful, green slopes – they enthused – felt more home to their bare backs. Calaguas’ desertion is something too precious for urban dwellers like us to just spend time being holed up in a tent.

My cup of tea.

“It’s beyond worth the ache. You must go,” Hershey prompted.

And I determined that I would.

But a baby happened. And she walked, tumbled, and took over schedules and vacations. The plan to go Calaguas-ing got put in the backseat.

Nowadays, Calaguas is no longer the secret tucked in a backpacker’s bucket list like Hershey’s and Pam’s. The island’s gotten bigger, in the traveler sense of the word: cabanas, weekly beach nights, fire dancers, cellphone signal, generator-run electricity, and a more diverse crowd to accommodate. It’s not even surprising to see ATVs cruisin’ down its fine-grained shores.

But Hershey’s story stayed.

And you gotta agree, stories that stay even after four years like that should be pursued, shouldn’t it not?

So this summer, this momma is taking her chances – with Sandview Travel Calaguas and Sole Searching Soul.

They’re offering one blogger a chance to be whisked away to this immaculate island in the South, complete with buffet meals, bus and boat rides, a tent under the stars, and a 10-minute ATV ride up.

And I want in. Because mums need some R & R from mommy duties too, you know? And because, well, dreams and stories, are meant to be lived, not stored in a baul.

You can learn more about the contest via the Sole Searching Soul blog.

And hey, if you aren’t a blogger or are one but don’t intend to join the contest, you could still avail the lowest Calaguas tour rates from Sandview Calaguas Travel – including the first and only ATV ride on the island! Free ATV ride’s on Sandview Travel Calaguas (first 15 confirmations per month till May) if you indicate #SoleSearchingSoul on the promo code upon booking.

Roundtrip tour packages start from P2,200. You may view their complete tour package list on their site. Deets below:

URL : www.sandviewtravelcalaguas.com
SMART # : 0918-439-6807
GLOBE # : 0927-729-5562
SUN # : 0932-463-7072

*Photos courtesy of Sandview Travel Calaguas