Upon my return to Sorsogon
It’s been almost a decade since my last visit to sorsogon. When I had the chance to return, I immediately took it. The number of years between my visits made me think about the changes a place could’ve undertaken during that time. However, it wasn’t only the place that may have changed, a different me could’ve been looking at the world differently at that time.
Familiar places
As I browsed our itinerary, I saw a few familiar places I’d been to the first time I was in sorsogon; these were Juag Lagoon and subic Beach. Our group was running late, but that didn’t bother me or dampen my excitement. When our boats finally arrived, we were off island-hopping around Matnog, sorsogon.
As our boat approached subic Beach, I noticed how crowded it was. When I visited almost a decade ago, I barely saw other people and structures lining the shore. Now, there are more campsites and kubos visitors can rent. I alighted our boat and walked along the beach. The powdery, white sand was still as soft as I remembered and the cerulean waters were still as clear. The pandemic has taken its toll on the travel industry and many are willing to take risks because of the fewer restrictions and higher vaccination rates. It’s refreshing to see families and friends going on vacation again after more than two years of living in uncertainty and fear.
I waded in the cool waters as my companions took their photos and flew their drones. I looked back at my previous trips and thought about returning to some places, whether abroad or here in the Philippines. Would those places still be the same after years of not revisiting them? Would I still be the same person years from now? These are thoughts that I let linger until we left for our next destination.
New destinations
FOR this trip, we went to places I was unable to visit the first time I was in sorsogon. Other than beautiful beaches, sorsogon is home to other noteworthy natural attractions such as waterfalls and a lake. Bulusan Lake is one of the stops in our itinerary. As one of our companions stated, the park has undergone extensive development to become a more tourist-friendly destination. There are e-jeeps and shuttles that can take visitors from the tourist center to the lake in around 10 minutes. Once at the lake, visitors can rent kayaks or boats. If you’re not up to kayaking or boating, you can always just enjoy the view of the lake and relax.
Kambal Busay and Hidden Falls are just a short drive away from Bulusan Lake and are viable additions to your itinerary while in sorsogon. Both waterfalls are easily accessible once you are inside Zoe’s resort. We reached Kambal Busay after going down a flight of makeshift stairs. simply put, Kambal Busay is beautiful with its cascading and cool waters. It was a refreshing sight to behold after a hectic day of traveling. We went on a short walk to reach Hidden Falls. It’s not as grand as Kambal Busay, but still has its own beauty. The rush of the water was too strong to swim in, so we settled on taking photos from a distance.
Another something new I did in sorsogon was to join the Buhatan river Cruise. The boat took its time to leave the docking area and the hustle and bustle of the nearby main road. The surroundings were quiet, the waters serene, and we saw a few birds coming and going.
sorsogon is also home to some cultural and historic attractions. Our group went to Juban to see some of the traditional houses in the district, one of which is Casa Feliz. Visitors can spend the night experiencing and soaking in the ambiance of a traditional house.
During our trip, we also went to the sorsogon Museum. It used to be a prison, but is now home to artifacts, dioramas, and information about the province’s history. Learn about sorsogon’s prominent figures throughout its history during your trip here.