Down South: The Taguines Lagoon of Camiguin

So the original plan – and the main reason we chose Camiguin to visit – was to hike up to the crater summit of Mt. Hibok-Hibok. Pretty much everything was in place; we even made plans with the hiker-guide who will lead us up to the summit before daybreak, so we can make a dayhike out of it. But then, tropical depression Marce happened, and when nature speaks and howls, humanity is pretty much helpless. BUT! Not entirely hopeless.

Not to sugarcoat anything, we were pretty much stranded on the island.

When the afternoon and night went on with the rain continuously falling, we knew the climb was a no-go. Even if we did continue the hike in the rain (hey, it won’t be the first time for us), there won’t be anything to view when we arrive at the summit. In fact, there was practically zero hope of a clearing. Not even a tiny break.

And the option of cutting our Camiguin sojourn trip and heading back to Cagayan de Oro a day early was also taken out of our hands, because the entire island was declared under Storm Signal No. 1. Which automatically translates to all ferry and boat rides to and from the island being prohibited.

Here’s the thing: we didn’t even know when the ferry rides will resume, because it’s all dependent on the storm warning signal. It didn’t even matter that the rain and wind was verrrry mild.

But we also did not want to stay cooped up in our cottage the entire day (although the prospect did appeal to us. When else would we get to sleep all day, eh?). So we asked our landlord for suggestions, and he mentioned the Taguines Lagoon.

And he said there’s a zipline, too! A quick search on Facebook mentioned that they are open that day, despite the non-stop showers, and the next thing we knew, we were in our ready-to-get-wet outfits and umbrellas, and riding a multicab to the lagoon.

Just a bit of a background here.

Taguines Lagoon, located in the town of Mahinog, just a few minutes away from the Benoni Port of Camiguin, is an artificial inland lagoon. This man-made lagoon was created primarily for fishbreeding purposes, which explains why the local Bureau of Fisheries office is also located there.

Perhaps to make the most of the lagoon, various activities for locals, tourists and water sports enthusiasts were offered, mostly courtesy of the Taguines Lagoon Aquasports and Recreational Facility.

Early on, I had doubts that the zipline will be available. After all, the lines or cables are bound to be wet after more than a day of rain. But that still did not stop me from feeling slightly disappointed, because it would have been fun to zipline over the lagoon. It would’ve been a whole new experience for us.

By the way, those who are interested in trying out the zipline would have to coordinate with the staff over at the J&A Fishpen Restaurant.

Check out the wide and calm lagoon, and the ziplines over it. That looked like it’d be fun, didn’t it?

When we arrived at the reception area or main building of the Taguines Lagoon Aquasports and Recreational Facility, it was deserted, except for two ladies manning the store. Which also happens to be where you’d book any activities you’d want to do.

We had a bit of coffee and light snacks while talking about what we’d try, until we finally decided on kayaking and pedal boat. After all, the zipline is already out of the equation.

It was quite a novel experience, having the entire lagoon ALL TO OURSELVES. Literally. We were the only ones there. People dining at a restaurant by the lagoon were looking over at us, probably wondering what those four dorks are doing in the middle of the lagoon while the skies alternated between light showers and mild rain.

But did we care? Nope. Not really. Not one whit.

Look how deserted it is! We’re in our own universe right here.

Two of the activities that may be done, we did. We took turns, trying out tandem kayaking and pedal boat in turns. And I’ve the photos to prove that.

 

And can you spot the raindrops on the lagoon’s surface?

Again, did we care? Nope.

And the whole time, we’d be looking up to see clouds obscuring Mt. Hibok-Hibok… and again feel disappointed that we couldn’t climb it.

But we were also wishing that it wouldn’t suddenly become bright and shiny in the middle of the day. Otherwise, we’d feel even worse not climbing in the first place. Haha! See our dilemma??

This is my first time on a pedal boat. Well, except for a brief attempt before, but that did not even last more than 5 minutes because I just tried it on “for size”. I can’t say I loved or enjoyed it at the time, because it was too brief to come to any conclusion.

There we were, getting instructions from a staff member…. and ending up unable to fully put his instructions to use.

Here’s the thing. I’m paired with Lorie, who happens to have long legs. And we’re supposed to do it in sync. Well, that…. did not go over quite as smoothly as we’d hoped. XDDDD

So for the half-hour we were out on the water, we were literally mostly spinning in a circle on the same spot, because it was so hard to go anywhere on a straight line. XDDD

This means, also, that the lagoon was mostly filled with the sound  of our laughter (and some jeering).

Out of the four of us, only one was thinking of protecting himself from the rain. From this angle, it looks incongruous to see someone with an umbrella on a pedal boat, doesn’t it? But hey, whatever rocks your (pedal) boat, I guess.

Maybe it’s because there were just the four of us, but they let us extend a bit on the pedal boat, without paying extra. 🙂

All in all, it was not a wasted day. We left after a couple of hours, made a short walk to the J&A Restaurant and Fishpen for late lunch, then headed back to the town proper of Mambajao for some last-minute pasalubong shopping. Because we were hopeful that the ban on ferries will be lifted the next day, and we can go back to the mainland, as planned.

I can totally imagine this place a-hoppin’ and alive during summer, or non-rainy days, with lots of people trying out the various activities. Aside from boating adventures, I think I heard mention of a Zorb ball also being available.

Despite nature not so subtly telling us it’s not in our stars to be able to climb up to the summit of Mt. Hibok-Hibok, we were still able to make a fun and enjoyable day of it, rain and all. I guess this is a classic case of making lemonades when you’re given lemons, eh?

The facility is open every day of the week, from 6am to 5pm. We spotted some inns and B&Bs around the lake, perfect for those who want to try out the activities in the facility without having to stay more than an hour away at Mambajao and other towns.

For more information on the other activities (and their corresponding rates) offered at the Taguines Lagoon Aqua-Sports and Recreational Facility, check out their Facebook page.