Where to stay in Casiguran? This was a question that popped up our minds when we decided to travel one last time for 2021. My sister Joy, who is based in Laguna was home for the holidays. Her wish is to stay somewhere else during her birthday which is Dec. 30th. She said she wanted to do a soul-searching kind of trip with my other sister, Juliet. When I heard about their plans, I invited myself to their trip including my dog and my nephew, Bink.
I actually have plans to stay at Last Campsite in Casiguran and just waiting for the perfect timing. I have even paid in advance one night stay that falls on Thursday then if we like the vibe we’ll book for second night. In our case this time, there’s no way we would extend our stay because we want to celebrate New Year at home.
Check-tin time at The Last Campsite is 5pm which is kinda late. In many hotels around the Philippines and Asia that I have visited, usually the standard check-in time is 2pm so this was quite new to me. Check out time is 12nn. I was told by Christopher, the one who manages the The Last Campsite’s Facebook fan page that they’re not so strict. As long as the nipa hut we booked is available and no one’s checking in the next day, we can either check in a little bit early or check out a little bit late.
This trip is spur of the moment so we did not really plan at all. We hired a tricycle from our town in Irosin to bring us to Inlagadian, Casiguran. From the main road, there’s a compulsory walk to reach The Last Campsite. My guess is it takes 30 minutes to get there. When it is rainy, it can get muddy plus there’s a small creek that you need to pass by. I suggest to wear flat footwear for your own convenience.
We arrived in The Last Campsite close to 6pm already so it was kind of dark but wow, we love the serenity of the place. We were greeted by the staff. There’s a short wooden bridge decorated with a string of lights that caught our attention then A-shaped wooden huts greeted us to our surprise. At first, we were a bit sad when we learned that there are very few people booked that day. Like hello, we wanna socialize and meet people. We occupied two huts because my sister Joy has asthma. She can’t stay in a room with a dog so my sister Juliet joined. In another hut, I shared it with my dog and my 8-year old nephew Pink.
I literally have no idea how my sisters planned ahead but I learned we didn’t have cooking utensils. The guy manning the place was so generous to let us borrow some of their cooking utensils. They even obliged to cook us unripe papaya with coconut milk which we requested and to pay when we check out. The spot to wash dishes was a bit dark but the guy was so generous enough to check us after sometime making sure that we don’t walk in the path where there’s a big hole.
A while back, I thought this stay is not gonna be spectacular because we won’t be meeting new friends however, I was so damn wrong. The Last Campsite in Casiguran is dotted by coconut trees. There’s a nearby small river as well. It was so peaceful that time that we can hear every single cricket singing and even mysterious sounds from few birds.
The Last Campsite is literally one of the best places to do forest bathing. This is the idea of immersing yourself in nature. NO phone, no commercial noise and just you. Honestly, I can stay for months here in The Last Campsite as long as I don’t share it with big loud group of guests.
In Japan, forest bathing or shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. Please don't be confused of activities associated to visits to forests such as exercise, or hiking, or jogging. These do not represent what forest bathing is. The real meaning of forest bathing is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world. A two-hour forest bath will help you to unplug from technology and slow down. It will bring you into the present moment and de-stress and relax you.
Author's note: Thank you for reading this review. I am dedicating my whole stay here in Sorsogon to explore all destinations worth sharing to the world. Let me know if you have any suggestion where to travel next. I usually travel with my dog and sister. If you want to get updated of our whereabouts related to Sorsogon tourism, check our official Facebook fan page called LANTUAG SA SORSOGON. This is the link https://facebook.com/lantuagsasorsogon
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