Breeze and Waves Cottages, Paniman, Caramoan Peninsula, Philippines

Inquiries:

Breeze & Waves Cottages did not have a website at the time of writing, but you can visit Hotels.com for the best deals on accommodations in the Paniman, Caramoan Peninsula, Philippines area.

Location:

The location of Breeze & Waves Cottages in Paniman is actually really good. It's right on the beach, near the center of this tiny town. The town is really small so there really aren't any bad locations, but since all the rooms in the new building at Breeze and Waves Cottages face the ocean it makes them ideal for this area. On the other hand, getting to Paniman, Caramoan Peninsula is somewhat of an adventure and it's probably the remoteness of this location that makes this an ideal spot for the filming of the hit TV show, "Survivor".

The easiest way to get to Paniman in the Caramoan Province from Donsol is to first take a van to Legaspi. From the main van/jeepney terminal in Legaspi, take the van bound for Naga, but tell the driver that you are going to Sabang so that they can drop you off in Pili at the Sabang Road junction. This journey from Legaspi to Pili takes about 2 hours. From the junction, take a bus to Goa which takes approximately 30 minutes. The bus will stop at the jeepney/bus terminal in Goa where you will take a 20 to 30 minute jeepney ride to Sabang. In Sabang, look for the Harry or Scandinavia offices or boats that go to Guijalo Port on Caramoan Peninsula. The boat takes about 2 hours to reach Guijalo Port, just be aware that the last boat leaves at about 2PM.  Also, there is no dock in Sabang so be prepared to walk in the ocean to board the boat or, if you are willing, let one of the porters carry you on their shoulders to the boat for a small fee (of about Php. 10). The porters will also carry your bags to the boat for the same price. When you finally arrive at Guijalo Port, you will need to take a 45-minute tricycle ride reach Paniman. Please note that there is only one ATM/bank machine on Caramoan Peninsula and it's located in the center of Caramoan on the way to Paniman. If you need money, get it before you reach Paniman or Caramoan Peninsula as the ATM machine in Caramoan isn't reliable. As difficult as it may sound to get to Paniman, it's really not. It is time consuming and an adventure, but well worth it. It's easier to get back as you can often take a van from Sabang directly to Naga, where you can catch an overnight bus back to Manila.

The alternative (and more scenic) way to reach Sabang from Legaspi is to take a van from the Legaspi jeepney/van terminal to Tiwi via the scenic coastal road. Unfortunately we can't recommend taking this route because many people end up getting stuck in Tiwi waiting for a van or bus to Sabang that isn't always available. You may have to hire an uncomfortable tricycle from Tiwi to Sabang which can run you about Php.500 and take several hours.

Room Comfort:

At the time of our visit, the new building of this family owned establishment wasn't officially open for business as they were still in the process of finishing construction and decorating the rooms. Despite not being finished, they started renting rooms in February of 2010 and they rented us the last 2 (of the 8 built) available rooms. The 2 cottages that they also own and rent were occupied, so were lucky that they had any rooms available as there is only one other establishment that rents cottages/rooms in in Paniman and it isn't as nice.

Our spacious room had a single and double bed. At the time of our stay there were no mirrors or a television set in our room, but we learned that they were already on order. The room did have an in-wall air conditioning unit that we rarely used. There was no hot water, nor where there plans to add hot water heaters in the near future. The owners do plan on adding tables and chairs on the shared veranda to each of the rooms, but at the time of our stay, only plastic chairs were available to use.  As we mentioned, the rooms weren't fully furnished at the time of our stay, but nevertheless they were functional enough for us to be comfortable and enjoy our multi-night stay at this establishment. Once the rooms are fully furnished, this will be a great place to stay.

Finally, the new building didn't have an electric generator back-up, but we didn't experience any brown or black outs during our stay. Similar to the cottages, the owners do plan on having a power generator back-up for the new building in the near future.

Cleanliness:

The rooms were new and clean. The restaurant was also clean.

Service:

The owners were kind, honest and friendly. Myrma, who was the part owner of this establishment, was always available and accommodating. We can't say enough good things about the owners of this establishment. She can arrange island hopping tours, transportation and anything else you might need in the area. She is also big on supporting the local community which we appreciate as well. Any establishment that isn't corrupted by greed and profits and supports the local community by giving back and employing local people has earned our respect.

Food:

There is an onsite restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ate fish and rice for dinner and although the dishes were simple, they were a good value. The breakfasts weren't consistent in terms of how many toasts, eggs, and so on you get, but if you are specific about what you want, you will always get it (provided that they have it).

Overall Value:

The rooms area a good value for Paniman, Caramoan. This area is still pristine and even with the increase in tourists to the area, it is still off the beaten track. We highly recommend a trip to this area. 

Other Notes:

• This area plays host to the Survivor TV show and depending on what and where they are filming, they might restrict access to some islands and areas to locals and tourists. At the time of our stay in Paniman, they had several sets set-up with the Survivor challenges that we were able to enjoy while they were not using them.
• Waves and Breezes Cottages has several items from the Survivor TV show at their restaurant, including the chairs that were used at tribal council.  
• Although you can enjoy the beach in Paninam, the sand is dark and filled with boats. The beaches on the many nearby islands are more ideal for sunbathing as they are white, beautiful and deserted. The boat tours are more expensive in this area than in El Nido, Palawan, especially if you can't find anyone to share the boat and costs with.

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