Umang Cave – a Japanese Hideout during WWII

UMANG CAVE

Photo from: https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/The-Natural-Wonders-of-Camarines-Sur

Umang Cave is a well-lit cavern, having one large chamber with three entrances and two skylights that allow much sunlight to illuminate its interior. The cave was named after the umang or hermit crabs that once thrived in abundance in this subterranean sanctuary. Large stalactites hung from the ceiling and car-sized boulders rested on the floor. Before returning down the river bed, we climbed up small “window” on the cave wall near the entrance that offered an view of the Manapot River, obscured by jungle vines. Read More: http://www.eazytraveler.net/2015/06/umang-cave-caramoan-spelunking-river-trekking/

Photo from: http://www.pinoytravelfreak.com/2012/03/caramoan-island-hopping-long-trip.html

There’s a nice little cave in Paniman called Umang Cave (umang means ’empty shell’, or ‘the hollow sound an empty shell makes’ in Bicolano). To access this cave, one has to wade through a chest-deep brackish water or ride a kayak/raft/small banca, whichever is convenient and available. I’ve learned about this cave a few months ago during my first trip in Caramoan, but I haven’t had a chance to see it because of the bad weather condition that time.

The cave was discovered by locals who were looking for a place to hide during the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines. It is believed that the Japanese had left some treasure inside the cave. It’s mostly dry inside. The stench of bat dung overpowered the place.

Light passes through the large opening and crevices, so it’s never dark in most parts. But the walls and rocks are not very stable. Read More: http://pinoywanderingboy.blogspot.com/2012/12/caramoan-umang-cave-photo-essay.html

Photo from: http://www.eazytraveler.net/2015/06/umang-cave-caramoan-spelunking-river-trekking/

Umang Cave is not very far from our jump off point in Paniman, but this place is not known to most tourist or at least is off limits due to exclusivity to survivor franchise. It was a good 10 to 15 minutes of boat ride, traversing a river that meets the sea until we reached the dead end with thick foliage that’s more like jungle haven, the river being mostly shallow waters. We treated carefully to avoid any sandbanks that may get us stuck, our guide was very skillful with this.

We were greeted by a cavernous place, filled with the smell of bat urine, musty odor and a dry but humid landscape. It’s obvious that there are people who had stayed here before but had long left the place, rickety ramps along the entrance and things left here show signs of disturbance. The beauty of the place is preserved, it’s tranquility with rocks big and small all scatter around. Unlike any other caves I’ve seen, this one has openings in the roof, so sunlight actually lights the inside of the cave, giving it a creepy feel on the dark shadowy corners, but there’s no sign of water inside, in fact its very dry. There’s more to the cave if you further the exploration, its just too dangerous though as boulders of rocks fall to the cave floor making the rubles unstable. As for me, its good enough that I’ve seen this place. Read More: http://www.pala-lagaw.com/2012/01/caramoan-off-beaten-path-to-umang-cave.html