Since I was not a swimmer, I was advised not to go Sohoton Caves. To fully enjoy Sohoton Caves you have to swim through the caves, lagoons and then dive from a cliff into the open sea. As an alternative, they suggested that I go instead to Blue Lagoon.
To go to the Blue Lagoon, you travel by land to the town of Caob and then take an hour boat ride to reach the lagoon. The boat ride takes you around the mangroves of Caob which are a tourist attraction by itself, and then into the clear and clean waters surrounded by tree covered limestone cliffs.
When you finally reached the Blue Lagoon, you will be awed by the beauty of nature in its unspoilt best. The pristine shallow waters even has live corals in bright colors. The place reminded me of the Big Lagoon of El Nido, only this time, more serene and isolated because not a lot of tourists have actually been to this place.
However, there is trouble in this paradise. A local resident has claimed ownership of the area and is actually building a pavilion on the left side of a limestone cliff which sits at the middle of the blue lagoon. The pretty view therefore of both sides of the lagoon is obstructed. Furthermore, said "owner" has installed exposed electric wires along the waterway route to the lagoon. You actually have to get permission from said "owner" to access the place.
The provincial government and Department of Tourism from what I heard is disputing this claim. Rightfully so, since I believe that any body of water is public domain and ownership can not be granted to any individual or entity.
Hopefully, said ownership issue will be resolved soon and the place can be developed properly to ensure proper preservation of this truly beautiful place.
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