The CWC Challenge

Most resorts offer the same basic features and services - a pool, a beach, some pretty cabanas and restaurants, and the promise of days in the sun, sand and sea. A few have some specialties, like dive sites and surf spots and,  most recently, a shot at wakeboarding.

My friends and I decided to try out Camsur Watersports Complex, a large resort devoted mostly to wakeboarding, in Naga City, Camarines Sur. 

Get ready to ramp it up (or faceplant, whichever..)

We took an evening trip via bus (hooray for lazy boy seats - Php 850, one way) to Naga. The 8 hour trip was tiring, but fun, dotted with midnight stop-overs serving lugaw and siopao, trying to sleep inspite of the bus swaying crazily and the sights of roadside forests, bayans and long, empty fields.

Memoirs of an 8-hour trip: endless roads and cars, and views of sleepy stop-overs

Arrival at the Naga Terminal

 From there, a shuttle service took us on a 30-45 minute ride to CWC, and after checking in, we went to our respective accomodations.

Hello CWC! Left: the reception and main building; Right: registration desk for activities

CWC boasts a large variety of accommodations to suit one's needs, be it inexpensive, luxurious, for families or vacationing couples. Ours was the Dwell Homes, fair-sized square-type 'houses' that includes the bed, a desk and chair, an armchair for lounging, bathroom with a rain shower unit and powerful airconditioning, perfect for the hot, summer weather. I found the Dwell Home charming and cozy inspite of its simplicity, and it's good enough for a one-night stay.

Dwell Homes grouped together. Since they all look alike, it's a little tricky finding yours

Inside the Dwell Home: beds are on one side of the room while a comfy armchair is on the other, with a nice, fluffy rug on the floor. Sliding doors behind the armchair open up to a mini patio.

A desk sits opposite of the armchair which acts as a station for your laptop and gadgets or storage for your clothes; The bathroom has both a nice rain-shower unit AND a handheld unit.

The accommodations were placed far away from the main activity area, so its a pretty long walk from your room to the clubhouse or pool. Its a good thing because even with the chattering of the crowds and loud, pumping music, you'll still have solitude and quiet in your room. It's bad on a hot day though, since you'll have to trek under the encruciating sun for five minutes before you get to any shade. More trees, or a sheltered walkway, is called for.

We explored the place before the actual wakeboarding activity. CWC's main body of water is a huge man-made lake over which a complicated pulley contraption operates. Generally when you wakeboard you get pulled behind a speedboat, but that would prove not only costly, especially with dozens of people lining up to wakeboard in a continuous stream everyday, but also requires an bigger amount of space. The pulley system at CWC simulates wakeboarding around the lake without the speedboat, making the process faster (and probably less expensive).

The main "lake" is the (figurative) center of CWC. An intricate pulley system allows wakeboarders to circle the lake, and stations are placed around it, manned by staff on the look-out for any accidents from the beginners

Left: the starting point for wakeboarding, in full view of the clubhouse and all its lounging/dining guests - that puts a little on you not to have a spectacular faceplant, doesn't it? Right: rental equipment - boards, helmets and life vests galore.

Several yards away is a smaller 'lake' that allows wakeboarding in a straight line, perfect for beginners

Admittedly, I didnt try wakeboarding just yet, and was content, for the moment, to just relax and watch my friends do the activity themselves. They enjoyed it a lot though, so maybe we'll go again next time, and I'll be able to write about how it felt when I finally try it out.

Aside from the wakeboarding lake, another longer "lake" is close by, this time catering to kids, and adults who want to take a break from wakeboarding, serving as the swimming and water play area - for a fee, of course (around Php 200 for swimming, and more for renting the boats). Dotting the waters are huge, inflatable play areas like obstacle courses, giant floating 'ice bergs' and such, that the people can swim to, climb on and fool around in. It was like a set from Wipe Out, and we eagerly donned our life vests and hopped off the dock to try out the infatables.

By the way, life vests are still required here, because, apart from a small portion of the shore, the lake is actually over 18 feet deep. Swimming there, even on a life vest, can be pretty scary, as you kick and manuever your way to the inflatables, with your feet having NO chance of touching the bottom for support. The water was murky too (although clean - I'm sure because I must have inhaled a cup's worth and I'm still okay) so you cannot see the bottom at all, adding to the uncertainty.

The 'water park' - one cant help getting excited upon seeing this

Left: the shore and entry dock (tents are placed around the lake for lounging); Right: one of the many inflatables

Still, we had a blast trying out the inflatables, racing through obstacle courses, bouncing around and jumping and shrieking into the water, like kids.

For a more serene swim, guests can also opt for the pool (Php 150 for all guests, but free if you've already signed up for wakeboarding).

Pool bordered by cabanas for lounging

Or you can also get a relaxing massage right by the lake (privacy optional, unfortunately).

Lakeside massage huts. Curtains allow for a bit of privacy, except for windy days

We had our meals at the Clubhouse, which has a lot of different kinds of cuisine to cater to locals and tourists alike. The most notable meals I had were the breakfasts (bacon and eggs on day 1, French toast and sausages on day 2), and Penne Arabiata, which is penne pasta and sausage in tomato-based sauce, with a spicy kick from slivers of siling sigang in the dish. 

Bacon, eggs and toast and French Toast with eggs and sausage - I do like continental breakfasts...

Spicy and saucy Penne Arabiata

The crown jewel of the menu, though, was the famed Bicolano Special, a pizza consisting of a crunchy thin crust slathered with laing (yes, laing), bicol express and mozarella cheese. Dont be fooled by its seemingly weird ingredients - the combination of the leafy laing, spicy bicol express and creamy cheese was perfect. It was a pairing similar to the spinach and cheese dip appetizers we find at most restaurants. This came highly recommended by anyone who'se been to CWC, and yes, I am recommending it as well. Highly. 

Bicolano Special a.k.a. Laing Pizza - a must try

If you get tired hanging out at CWC all day and want some 'variety', you can also take the scheduled shuttle service to SM City Naga, which was what we did come dinner time. The mall was small compared to those we'll find at the Metro, but it has a lot of food establishments you wont find in the city, souvenier shops selling Camsur-related shirts and Pili nut products, and a nearby market for more local goods.

We went back to resort by 9pm, where we had our usual drinks-til-morning at one of the Dwell Homes. The Clubhouse in actually open til midnight, and there's a bar next door, but if you want a more intimate setting when drinking with friends, having it at the accommodations, slumber-party style, is perfectly acceptable (as is bringing in your own drinks and chips), as long as you don't make too much noise, of course. We ordered some snacks for take-out (Ceviche aka kinilaw, Nachos and salsa, Spicy Gambas and more of that Laing Pizza), and we were ready to roll.

Our own little drinks and party night

All in all, even without actually wakeboarding, it was a fun experience. My only beef with the whole thing was that everything at CWC has a price tag on it, so if you dont have a lot of cash to spare, you could end up doing pretty much nothing (although simply relaxing in your room or lounging by the lake is good enough on its own). Also, with the sheer amount of tourists, visitors and events going on, it can sometimes feel like one big party where you dont really want to have to mingle with everyone.

But hey, if you've got your savings at hand, a sense of adventure and ready to paint the town (or resort) red, why not? It'll be a blast, one way or another.

Cheers to a wakeboarder's sunset