Its a surreal place made even more magical by the first light of the day. As the sun rose from slumber, pink and orange clouds accentuated the Kapurpurawan's otherworldly form.

hidden gem

Its unlike most of the waterfalls I have photographed. Instead of single drop, it has a fantastic wide configuration, with silky strands of water flowing over rounded boulders and on to mini-cascades and pools downstream. It looks delicate rather than powerful.
The day I was there was not exactly the perfect day to shoot waterfalls. We were in Burgos, Ilocos Norte a little after 9 in the morning after 10 hours on the road. It was a cloudless day and the sun was shining brightly but my companions and I decided to go ahead with the trek to Kaangrian, I reckon we may never get the chance to visit it again during the rainy season when the falls is fuller.

All of us were very excited we forgot to have lunch first, thanks partly to the over zealous Burgos policemen who escorted us to the jumpoff point after we failed to contact our guide (cellular phone coverage is spotty at best). Luckily we met our guide along the dirt road leading to the falls.

A few wild guavas (lots along the trail) and an hour or so of hike later, we reached Kaangrian. The last few hundred meters were on slippery and muddy single tracks, but the trail is fully shaded.

So there we were, at lunch time, with nothing but a few cookies and chocolate bars. Lunch will have to wait. The area around the falls was cool and shaded, but the falls itself was in the open. Now we will have to wait.



The say patience is a virtue. I was glad we had plenty of it that day. Our guide and another local who tagged along decided to snooze it off, while we went around trying on different POVs, hoping and praying for some clouds to block the sun.



After more than 2 hours of waiting, just when we were about to pack up and leave, the sky went overcast. It was pure bliss. At that moment everybody went on a shooting frenzy (the guides are still snoozing). After a few minutes the sun shone again, but by that time we all had smiles on our faces.



More about Kaangrian Falls

• Kaangrian means "pungent smell" in the local dialect. This is because of guano from nearby bat cave(s).
• There is a second (much bigger) layer downstream but it requires a bit of climbing down slippery boulders and forest roots. (Reserved for the next visit)

Maira-ira coast, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

In a few hours I'll be heading north again, to the magnetic province of Ilocos Norte. Its wild shores, rock formations, and hidden waterfalls beckons.

Tucked in a cove on a sprawling 14-hectare property in Gumasa, Isla Jardin del Mar offers a secluded sanctuary away from the rat race.

Gumasa is a small fishing village in Glan, Sarangani's southernmost municipality. It is known (at least among those in the nearby provinces) for its white sand beaches that has remained largely undeveloped and not frequently visited by tourists, probably owing to the fact that its in Mindanao (alarm signals: Abu Sayyaf). Not just that, its in the southern most part of mainland Mindanao.

There are a handful of resorts there and Isla Jardin del Mar is (currently) the farthest from town. Its hidden in a small cove, detached from Gumasa's main beach.  The beach area is a bit rocky in some portions and the sand not as fine as the ones in the main beach. But what it lacked it made up by offering something even more important than fine sand: peace and quiet. (Boracay comes to mind here: all fine sand)



I'm not a big fan of developed resorts, but Isla Jardin made sure that  man-made structures do not pollute the real essence of the place. Cottages are not visible from the beach area - they are spaced nicely from each other and are well hidden behind palm trees and coastal foliage.



The beach is nicely side-lit when the sun gets low late in the afternoon. If you prefer to a directly view of the sunset, there is a foot trail that leads to a cliff on the western end of the cove. Its the perfect place to watch the sun going down the Celebes sea horizon. Unfortunately sunset that afternoon was a bit overcast, and the tide was against us (coral rocks that would be perfect for foreground elements are underwater). A friend and I ended up shooting a piece of driftwood on the beach.



Isla Jardin also has an area for viewing the sunrise, but unfortunately the trail leading to the sunrise viewpoint is not yet finished. From the beach you would be able to partially see the sunrise. If you are lucky you'd be treated to a great display of colors - quite a good substitute for actually seeing that great ball of fire rise from the horizon.



Our second day of stay was pleasantly sunny - clear azure skies with a thin layer of clouds on the horizon.



It was a perfect to sit under the shade and read a book, or take a quick dip when it gets too hot. It was a perfect opportunity to do nothing at all :).



More photos here. Read about my previous trip to Gumasa here and here.

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