Only a few days after coming back from our seven-day trip to Palawan, I came across an AirAsia seat sale with an airfare that was less than half of how much our Cebu Pacific Air fare was. At only ₱485.62, I thought to myself, “Some buffets cost more than this and it’s already a round trip ticket, so why would I not steal it when it’s more delicious than food?” Assuming I ended up not boarding the flight to Puerto Princesa, the truth is it wouldn’t have hurt that much. Not the case, though, as I went on a solo travel to El Nido.

The flight was in a year’s time but I pretty much knew that I was gonna be doing it on my own since my companions wouldn’t be interested in visiting the same place they just visited the prior year. I still informed them anyway just so they wouldn’t accuse me of being a selfish prick. *shrugs*

Arrival

I was heading directly to El Nido and was staying at El Nido Sands Inn again so I had a van ride arranged. My flight landed before midday and as I remember it I only waited for a few minutes before I got my arse on the van and its engine started grumbling. At six o’clock, I was back on the balcony overlooking limestone cliffs and anchored boats.

Our itinerary during the aforementioned Palawan trip was jam-packed in that we were essentially always on the run. There was no reason to do the same since the experience was still fresh and I wasn’t staying on the island for the same number of days. With that, I didn’t really do any planning; I only looked forward to getting some sun and seawater in El Nido.

After settling in my room (I don’t have problems being in a dorm but I opted not to be in one this time around), I went out to check the nearest ATM, hunted dinner, and watched tables unfold on the beach and be swarmed by people. It’s either I have yet to have the habit of taking photos of my beverages then or it was simply a sober night. Tapping my back if it was the latter. Good job, self!

El Nido Island Hopping

Eating isn’t a priority when I travel so having breakfast in the form of bread and cheese spread was already a luxury. Island hopping tours in town go by the alphabet and since I already did a combination of Tours A and C, I wanted to go on Tours B and D. Unfortunately, the latter wasn’t as popular as the former and it was an off-peak season again so the inn’s attendant wasn’t able to find a group that I could join in.

In the end I landed on a group that was doing Tour A, with the destinations being Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commandos Beach. People were crawling because it was the National Heroes’ Day and the islands I already visited weren’t how I remember them. #DramaKing

Big Lagoon

Unlike when I did the bundled tour, it was high tide when we came to Big Lagoon so it was such a marvel being able to explore it on a boat. The fact that I was the only outcast in the group, though, silenced my desire to tell the boatmen to stay around for a bit for some swimming. Boo! Sucks to be a #shytype.

Secret Lagoon

I’m not even gonna bother with photos to the entrance of Secret Lagoon because people were smothering it, waiting for their turn to penetrate it get through. Crazy how it was only us when we were there the year before. I started mingling more with the group here and even snapped at them. Saw Megan and Mikael on our way out and, true enough, the guy was “ahead of me” with only one tabò.

Shimizu Island

I’m not actually sure if it was Shimizu Island where lunch was served but if our watermen stuck to Tour A’s destinations, then that must’ve been the island. The food was even more heavenly than the last time and, with me gurgling with bottles even while still on the boat, sobriety was already a thing of the past. Booyah!

While the water was crystalline like everywhere else, I didn’t enjoy snorkeling that much because, where we were, majority of the corals have already undergone bleaching. Ouchie!

Seven Commandos Beach

For being the last stop of many tours, it wasn’t surprising that many visitors were making the most of the water at Seven Commandos Beach before calling it a day. For having benches for reflection relaxation and a store for refreshments, who wouldn’t wallow, right?

The tree swing was restless this time.

There was redemption on the snorkeling activity as there was a lot to take in with the submerged scenery here. In fact, I was sightseeing too much underwater, away from everyone, without paying attention to the time that one of the boatmen eventually came looking for me. Sarry!

Late dinner and more Red Horse was at a deserted Marber’s Restobar (can’t believe I don’t have photos of what I devoured). Afterwards, I retired back to the balcony, in front of my laptop, and abandoned myself to the quaint night and the lights illuminating it.

Taraw Cliff Canopy Walk

I was to climb Taraw Cliff (never thought about doing it when I had company) the next day but due to an accident earlier that year the activity was prohibited. Having already set my mind for it, I succumbed to doing the Canopy Walk which was supposed to be an alternative.

At the end of the trail was a platform overlooking the bay. Alas, it wasn’t any close to the view from Taraw Cliff. But hey! It’s already very good if you’re someone who doesn’t have the stomach for climbing cliffs.

I was done with the activity in less than 20 minutes and it felt like I was ripped off. Then again, it could’ve been due to my long-legged legs me being the only tourist around. The activity’s very safe with the quality of the hanging bridges and metal walkways and stairs. If you’re someone whose adrenaline loves the likes of tying your junk to a bungee or throwing it off planes, though, you’ll definitely prefer actually climbing Taraw Cliff instead.

Got some banana-pineapple shake (sosyal) to counter the blazing sun on my way back and came home to an empty inn. The sight was quite melancholic.

Nacpan Beach

Past midday I hopped on a scooter (remembering Bantayan!) and made my way to Nacpan Beach, stopping by the sign to Nagkalit-kalit Falls despite not having the slightest intention of getting wet there. Being in a van previously, I didn’t remember the road from the highway being unpaved at all.

I brought my loaf and cheese spread and at around two o’clock feasted on it together with the pancit bam-i I ordered at the cottage where I was loafing, all the while watching noobs people play volleyball using a minuscule net. For not having the custom of photographing everything yet, I don’t have a single proof of the cold beer that was quenching me. Shame!

The water was low but as serene and unclouded as it was.

When the sun drew closer to half past four I walked towards the capes to relive the cult for perspectives, saying hi to furries along the way.

I was already nearing my journey’s end when scooters scooted past me, making me bang my head the way Sia sang it, for the reason that I could’ve done the same had I seen someone ride one on the beach beforehand.

Nacpan and Calitang Beach—the twin beaches—were naturally in a dry state because of the tide.

I then carried on to the headland at the farther end. During my my first visit, our group had to retreat and stop exploring further because my companions were lazy asses one of my companions got dizzy.

Quite some view below, right? Only that it would’ve been way better if my scooter was with the lot. #bitter

The vantage point from this cape was made more picturesque by the presence of a tree, making the cape reminiscent of where the Kirikos lived during the Hunter Exam. With the right coverage, a shot could look as if looking at the beach through a forest. Kabog!

Pictured on the top right below is the headland with a view of the twin beaches. Would you go this far?

I got reunited with my scooter and lambasted it for not taking me across the beach 37 minutes past five and was back on the balcony yet again before darkness completely swallowed the day. That night I had pasta again at the same restaurant where I dined on my first night. Clingy, I know.

Puerto Princesa

I was leaving El Nido after lunch so on my penultimate day I just took a dip in front of the inn and fraternized with boats. That was also the last time my Ricoh camera was seen alive. Who was I to know that water was already seeping through the bastard?

I visit churches when I get the chance when traveling so I did that as well. You gotta be thankful, you know.

I arrived at Dallas Inn in Puerto Princesa at 6:00 PM and found myself chitchatting with a Kiwi couple in the 8-bed mixed dorm room. I’ve always sucked at geography and capitals and my knowledge that Auckland is the capital of New Zealand (well, it used to be) was debunked. Pretty much the same when I only learned in Sydney that Canberra is the capital of Australia. Yeah, my whole life has been a lie.

Despite having four bottles of Pale Pilsens that night I still managed to publish more than a year’s worth of post on my personal blog following flipping another year. Or was it all thanks to the drive brought about by the no-holds-barred moans of the foreign couple who banged the night away? Such music to my ears, it was.

The same melancholy in El Nido crept in on my last day after waking up and seeing that everyone had already gone for the day. But with Rasty and Airen—the inn’s cordial attendants—around, the feeling fleeted. We connected on Facebook and I remember Rasty being very approving of people who do local tourism on their own. He had a handful of necklaces with shells as pendants and asked me to take some to give to loved ones.

The greatest takeaway of the trip? Always bring a photo that you can easily dispose. ‘Course I added an entry to the map on the board. Ako pa sad! #kumpetitib

Tips

• For being among the most coveted destinations in the Philippines both by locals and forangers, flights to Palawan are aplenty and could be very cheap at times.
• Solo travel to El Nido is a piece of cake as you can easily join other groups in island hopping tours. Some may even include a visit to Nacpan Beach and/or Nagkalit-kalit Falls.
• Tricycles are readily available should you wish to check out nearby places and don’t know how to handle a scooter or motorcycle.
• Go for an accommodation near the beach so you can chill out or go swimming if you feel like doing so, pronto.
• As usual, avoid holidays and weekends if you want to steer clear of the horde of tourists. The presence of many people, bundled with the nature of tides, could mean that some stops during island hopping may be skipped.
• If you’re flying to and from Puerto Princesa and have or can make extra time, try to squeeze in activities there.
• Most importantly, don’t be gloomy when it’s gloomy. It was all drizzly before I flew out of Manila so I anticipated the same in El Nido especially with the forecast. For that reason I brought a laptop to be busy with in case I’ll be stuck indoors because of the weather. Life really is like a box of chocolates as the sun was melting me good throughout the trip.

Expenses

Visited: August 2016

The post Going Solo in El Nido: An Itinerary appeared first on Itinerant.

It was already 37 minutes past three in the morning when I did a final check if all the plugged gadgets were charging, ensuring we have enough juice for our El Nido island hopping activity. Following firefly watching in Iwahig (where I have no proof of the sightings because I was too busy dramatically thinking if a croc was gonna attack our boat in the dark), we flew from Puerto Princesa to El Nido in a van. It was one of those moments where you get to be thankful for an nth life, where n > 1.

We stayed at El Nido Sands Inn which was directly facing the playa. Of course, during that time I had no idea that “playa” is “beach” in Spanish. The place was basic with no air-conditioning, and I’m saying that not for a negative connotation but to point out that there really was no need for us to stay at a fancy accommodation since we were essentially staying for just one night. Young, wild, and free, if I may say. (On cue, Snoop and Wiz!)

El Nido island hopping has different flavors. We were to select from Tours A through D and we went for a combination of A and C, the supposed crowd favorite, and had a boat to ourselves since there were seven of us. After some food and beverage to start the day and some goofing on the balcony, we set off at eight minutes past nine.

Only a few meters away from the mainland, we were greeted by a turtle. I wasn’t adroit enough to take a snap though.

Helicopter Island

In around half an hour we arrived at our first destination—Helicopter Island. You might think of a position when you hear “helicopter” but even a kid should be able to tell why the island is named so. We spent the next 30 minutes snorkeling and socializing with Ariel’s minions besties.

Nemo, our favorite clam, and corals were in for the attendance check.

We still had a long day ahead of us so as much as we wanted to savor the white sand on our feet and check out the island itself, it was time to move on and set sail again.

Hidden Beach

El Nido is known for its limestone cliffs and it never comes short of them. Another 30 minutes elapsed and Hidden Beach was already in sight. The tide wasn’t what John Holt belts out in his song (it was already Atomic Kitten’s and Kardinal Offishall’s versions during my time) so the boat couldn’t be beached and we had to reach the beach ourselves.

The Beach and All Saints singing “Pure Shores” was what immediately came to my mind upon beaching. Trivia: Although the novel of the same name (Wikipedia, ikaw ba ‘yan?) from which the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio was based was set in Thailand, the author was allegedly inspired to write it after visiting Palawan. Di mabasol.

What six-letter s-verb first comes to mind?

We had a lot of choreographed group photos on this beach but majority of them have bombs so I’m settling with the one below. After frolicking for about half an hour, we made our way back to the boat and headed off to Matinloc Shrine.

Matinloc Island

After approximately 27 minutes (don’t ask me, but the duration of our transfers from one island to another up to this point seemed consistent), pointed cliffs of Matinloc Island greeted us before revealing the shrine behind them.

Aside from the Virgin Mary and angel statues under the dome, there was also a statue of Jesus Christ on the island.

Hardly any time was spent on swimming here; we exhausted our stay by sniffing around, taking photos, and climbing the cliffs by the shrine. As they say, never settle for less so aim for the high one!

Secret Beach

It was midday when we left for our next destination and along the way our boatmen started cooking our almuerzo. I didn’t really search beforehand what to expect so I was absolutely ecstatic when we were told that to reach Secret Beach we have to swim through a hole. *grinning emoji*

See that hole right there? Let’s get ready to rumble!

With uncalm waves, swimming to the concealed beach was so reminiscent of when we swam a great distance from our boat to the shores of Apo Island without life vests and, as confident as we were with our swimming skills, ended up struggling. That was another life and I’ll spare the story for a different post.

Just right before the orifice was a massive school of sardines which I would’ve mingled with had I already known how to hold my breath better then, had flippers, and the waves were pacific. (Muchas condiciones amp!)

But first, let me take a selfie with my ever reliable flappy little wings.

From the looks of it, the beach is also accessible when the tide is high (there, I finally spilled the lyrics) by climbing over the crevice (or whadever it’s called) seen below. Why’d I fail to ask the guides for kanfeermation, I wonder?

The soulmates didn’t join us; I had my Game of Thorns moment. Secret Beach certainly wasn’t a long stretch but we still spent a good amount of time on it.

Secret Lagoon

Seventeen minutes past one o’clock it was when we approached Secret Lagoon, our preantepenultimate stop. Again, our boat had to be docked away from the shore because of the water level. It was great, actually, because the background was like no other. Like no other!

If the view below doesn’t impress you then I don’t know what will. #gondo

An advantage of having a boat exclusively to your group, aside from providing flexibility in your pit stops, is it won’t be awkward taking photos on the bow (unless you’re comfortable with strangers watching you, of course). You can have as many shots as you want until the perfectionist in you is satisfied. Lights, camera, accion!

At half past one, we fin’lly feasted on the scrumptious meal our boatmen prepared. Por supuesto there was rice! Nyormnyorm.

When we’ve had our fill, we started our search for a Horcrux. Apart from watching out for sharp rocks on my way, I was also on the lookout for critters in the shallows. No big deal.

For not being witches and wizards who can apparate, we had to walk to the left to the entrance of the lagoon.

Fortunately, no sacrifice in the form of blood like what Dumbledore did was necessary as the hatch was wide open.

With the stillness of the water licked by a gloomy sky and the way we broke into the lagoon, it was as if we were in the cave where Voldemort You-Know-Who hid Slytherin’s Locket, one of his Horcruxes. If we weren’t there to steal it, then we probably were among the Inferi.

I failed to ask again but it appears that the lagoon can also be accessed through the crevice when there’s a rise in the water level.

Big Lagoon

Including our lunchtime, we lasted for an hour and around 40 minutes before proceeding to Big Lagoon which was roughly a 10-minute ride. Yet again, as the tide wasn’t in our boat’s favor, we made use of our limbs—for ten minutes—to reach deep waters.

Seeing what lay beyond reminded me of another movie: The Lord of the Rings.

Always watch out for this spiny sea creature. For being a prick having been pricked thrice already at the time of writing, perhaps I should add vinegar to my checklist?

Big Lagoon would be my favorite in the tour even with the low tide taken into consideration. The water was placid and perfect for practicing freediving, which is again quite a shame that I wasn’t any better with my lungs then and didn’t have fins.

Our plunge was a bit abrupt despite the size of the place but I still enjoyed it as evident in the lack of photos while we were at it. That didn’t mean that the shabu pose could escape though.

On our way back my company maximized the “availability” of land while I chose to be with marine life by retracing my steps. Was worth it.

Small Lagoon

We reached Small Lagoon at four o’clock after about ten minutes of transfer from the bigger one. One hole for the road! It was as peaceful as Secret Lagoon.

At this point my back was already burnt to a crisp. Not that I cared. I am dust, and to dust I shall return anyway.

And then we were finally off to our final stop.

Seven Commandos Beach

It was nearing five o’clock when we were arriving at Seven Commandos Beach and from afar I could already tell why it was the last stop. With the presence of huts, there was no denying that were was gonna be a place to buy food.

Of course, I was actually looking forward to drinks. And I naturally had my gesture of triumph when their presence was kanfeermed. Thinking back, I couldn’t believe I didn’t bring booze with us. Would’ve been sweet being squiffy all the way. Hic!

While we were waiting for the sun to set over beers, our girls were being hit on by a foranger. Isang round nemen jen!

There was a tree swing near the store and someone had his Wrecking Ball moment. #ngeshu #LawitDilaPaMore

Capping off the El Nido island hopping activity on Seven Commandos Beach is a great option. You can chill out on the sand, get one final soak, or just wait for the sun to be swallowed whole while finishing a bottle and thinking about decisions you failed to make in the shower. We passed an hour and a quarter more on the island.

As we were setting out for the mainland, another heavenly body was attitudinizing; the moon was beaming, as if reassuring the horizon that the sun is already out of the way. (Gracias, Samsung Galaxy Camera!)

And can I just mention the cavity on the cliff below? For what it’s worth, it felt like a Wall Titan should’ve been in it.

Apparently Seven Commandos Beach is not far from where we started the day, as in less than 20 minutes we were already back at El Nido Sands Inn, excited for dinner and the bottles of Excelente and G.S.M. Blue Mojito.

Tips

• Private tours are also possible in which you don’t get mixed with other tourists and you can select which islands to go to (i.e. you can stay on them as long as you want).
• Ask about how the day’s tide will affect your destinations.
• If you want to maximize visiting islands, I’d say you have to be in El Nido for at least two days.

Expenses

The following day we proceeded to Nagkalit-kalit Falls and Nacpan Beach.

Visited: August 2015

The post El Nido Island Hopping Tours A & C: What to Expect appeared first on Itinerant.

Bucas Grande has always been under my radar due to its proximity to my home province. When I fin’lly (wow, twang again) had the chance to visit it, what I actually had in mind was a typical island hopping activity. Apparently, you can also swim with stingless jellyfish in Sohoton Cove. (The use of “stingless” there may have been unnecessary. Who wants to get hurt, right?) My GoPro was still alive back then and the nasty little devils sure did a very good job in showcasing how much wonder there is beneath the surface.

Socorro

Because the municipality of Socorro where Bucas Grande belongs to is adjacent to Siargao Island, Sohoton Cove is easily reachable via island hopping tours from Siargao (I only learned recently that there’s already one in Klook). In our case, our entry point was Hayanggabon Port in Claver, Surigao del Norte and from there we looked for an available boat that can accommodate our headcount.

So as not to deviate from the main event, I’ll spare the details on a separate post on how we dropped by a fancy resort for sightseeing (I’m not really a fan of expensive stuff so I didn’t get its name) and went spelunking.

Cliff Jumping

Touring Sohoton Cove is regulated so we transferred to smaller boats (this may not be the case when you’re coming in from Siargao) in order for us to proceed and explore islets, lagoons, and limestone caves. There was even a cliff jumping spot. It’s not that high of a jump but to get to it you need to go through a cave. So instead of retracing your steps, you might as well exit through the platform by jumping into the water.

Before we headed back to our main boat our boatmen asked if we were interested in getting intimate with jellyfishes. We needed to pay extra as it wasn’t part of what we paid for but that was immediately out of the question as my eyes were already gleaming just from hearing it. It’s something you should never miss; it’s out of this world.

Stingless Jellyfish

As they may not be provided, make sure to bring gargles goggles if you have a pair. Or better yet, a mask and a snorkel. Believe me—and I take it that the photos so far are enough proof—that the experience is absolutely not the same when you’re just observing the critters from the surface. Had I known beforehand, I would’ve even brought flippers (not sure if they’d allow them though since using them might be harmful to the jellyfish).

If you have an underwater camera that has a wide-angle lens, use it not just for photos but for videos as well. I would say that the best way to do the latter would be to swim around. You’ll see how wicked it’ll appear and feel in the video below.

The stingless jellyfish in Sohoton Cove is not one of a kind. There’s Jellyfish Lake in Palau and a similar lake with the same name in Kakaban Island in Indonesia. It wasn’t a lake in Sohoton though so it’s likely that there will be times that the magnificent creatures aren’t around. But hey! It’s definitely a cheaper option for the same (or even better?!) experience. We went in the month of April and herewith is the hullabaloo. Volume up for unearthly sounds!

Video

Expenses

Visited: April 2017

The post Swim with Stingless Jellyfish in Sohoton Cove appeared first on Itinerant.

When I came across a blog post (which I can no longer find) on skydiving in Bantayan Island and saw that Skydive Greater Cebu was already accepting reservations, boy, the following day I found myself at the bank paying for the down payment amounting to ₱3,000. The activity cost ₱18,000 but they had an early bird promo which reduced the amount by ₱3,000. That meant I had ample time to save for the balance and my birthday. Very doable, if you ask me.

Transportation

Getting to Bantayan Island was easy-peasy. I just got on a bus heading to Hagnaya Port at Cebu North Bus Terminal and at the port took a ferry to Santa Fe. Some resorts on the island are partnered with Skydive Greater Cebu and if you’re doing the activity and you stay with them, you can get a discount for your accommodation. I stayed at Kota Beach Resort which is one.

There were no ATM’s in Santa Fe and despite having read about it I still forgot to bring my payment for the balance. Tanga lang. And so first thing on the dive big day, I rented a scooter and drove to the municipality of Bantayan (yes, its name is the same as the island’s) to get my hands on me moolah. I would’ve probably died, not from the dive, but from frustration if all banks were offline.

The Dive

There were four of us in the morning batch and all of us wrote the same thing on our palms that I had to change mine to “Undaunted@28“. After all, it was two days to my day. (Naman!)

Here’s our fighter aircraft, fighting.

Have some English ready for your innerview! I’ve been told beforehand to wear a long-sleeved shirt because of the cold but as I didn’t have anything good back then, I thought that maybe I could get away with what I’ll be wearing. Alas, they insisted that I wear their long sleeves. If you’re particular with what you wanna see in your photos and videos #OOTD, well, you have been warned.

The view from the top is simply breathtaking. Just look at those turquoises! As for the cold, I’d say that it was actually tolerable. (Tch, should’ve insisted on not wearing their shirt.)

I was told that most of the payment goes to the maintenance of the plane, which makes sense given how run-down-looking it was already. It can accommodate two pairs of skydivers.

And then it was high time to shoot my irate, let’s-do-dis, and f-yeah looks.

With the wind so hard on your face, you just gotta brace yourself. You will also be asked to lean your head back and cross your arms on your chest.

If you can’t do it now when you actually can, just do it. Did that make sense? I’m not sure either. Just never ever forget to scream your lungs out. Else you’d be the lamest person alive. Ever.

Keep your legs between your tandem instructor’s~!

At some point you will be allowed to spread your wings like a flying squirrel. (Hah! You thought it was gonna be eagle or butterfly, didn’t you? Aminin.)

The free fall was, without a doubt, the best part. You get to tumble in the sky like mad with the wind against every inch of you. When the chute was already out I was allowed to maneuver it for a bit. You simply pull the right and left handles depending on which direction you wanna go.

Kota Beach Resort

Landing on Skydive Greater Cebu’s partner resorts is also possible. The photo below shows our instructor walking away from Kota Beach Resort. It was later in the afternoon and not after our jump though as I opted to land back at the airport because I offered to take Amy, the Briton girl from Cornwall, to the beach as the place she was staying at—where I drove to and from—was not close to any of it.

We hung out for the rest of our stay on the island and even went back to the city together. One thing I remember well in our conversations was her being curious on why people wear rash guards on the beach. If you’re a Filipino, there’s NCIH that you don’t know.

One last look at the island from the port, just like the first time I laid my eyes on it, told me that skydiving in Bantayan wasn’t gonna be my last skydive experience, especially that the photos and videos were in the form of selfies. (My pores were not spared.)

P.S. You will be provided with a certificate (soft copy) and same day edit video so don’t forget to bring a USB flash drive or data cable (for your phone) for you to copy them. Allocate extra storage for the raw files, too!

Video

Visited: April 2016

The post Skydiving in Bantayan Island appeared first on Itinerant.

Carabao Island, locally known as Hambil, is a stone’s throw away from the famous Boracay Island, about an hour away from Caticlan, Aklan. Like Boracay (and Hinugtan Beach at that), it boasts the same powdery, white sand but is more tranquil and clean!

Transportation

We took an air-conditioned Ceres bus from Tagbak Terminal in Jaro, Iloilo City at 5:30 PM and arrived in Kalibo, Aklan around 9:00 PM. Regular fare was ₱250. Since pump boats from Caticlan to Carabao Island were only operating from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, we decided to stay overnight.

We went to the Kalibo Ceres Terminal at 4:30 AM to catch the first trip to Caticlan scheduled to leave at 5:00 AM. Fare was ₱100. The bus, which was non-air-conditioned, left a little late at around 5:20 AM that we arrived in Caticlan at 7:00 AM. We had breakfast at Andok’s while waiting for another friend who was coming from Boracay. Upon her arrival, we hired a tricycle to the port (₱20 per person) where boats going to Hambil are. The owner of Kameo Lodge advised us beforehand to take the boat M/V Ma. Celestial which will leave at 9:00 AM.

It was already 9:30 AM when we left and the sea was rough with huge waves. Nevertheless, the bangkeros were experts!

We arrived at Said Port in Hambil an hour after. The boat captain arranged motorcycles to bring us to Kameo Lodge for, again, ₱20 per person.

Accommodation

A week earlier, I was able to get in touch with the Kameo Lodge owner (via a friend who has worked on the island) for our reservation and time of arrival. Air-conditioned rooms good for four people cost ₱1,500 while fan rooms good for two people cost ₱500. The place is only a few steps away from the beautiful San Jose Beach.

Contact number: +63 917 813-9016

We took the air-conditioned room which had a big and clean bathroom.

Activities

It was a beautiful and sunny day with the beach being picturesque thanks to its powdery sand and turquoise waters. Before taking a dip, though, we decided to tour the whole island first. Motorcycle rate for the tour was ₱250 per person per hour and only one passenger per motorcycle was allowed as the destinations have steep roads.

We were able to visit Tagaytay Point, Pokpokan Point, Lanas Beach, and airport site before capping off the tour with fresh buko, which cost ₱100 for six.

We savored San Jose Beach, being near the lodge, until sunset.

We had our meals at the local market eatery where the price of soft drinks caught my attention. A 12-ounce bottle cost ₱40! It’s probably because they have to transport them from Caticlan and electricity on the island is very limited. We only spent a night and went back to Caticlan first thing in the morning by taking a boat at 6:00 AM. Locals were already swarming the port that early.

Overall, Carabao Island is for tourists who want relaxation and peace. The beach is perfect for lounging and swimming. I would like to visit it again and add Tablas Island, another hour-long boat ride, to the itinerary.

Visited: December 2016

The post Carabao Island on a Weekend appeared first on Itinerant.

When I first heard of Fortune Island and the pillars on it which resemble those of the Parthenon, I immediately locked it as a target because I know for a fact that in this life I’ll probably never step foot in Greece. So when I read in the comments of a blog post (while looking for beaches to go to) about a trip to Fortune Island organized by #JJTours, I hit up two friends and in no time I was already at the bank paying for our down payment. What did just happen.

Transportation

We huddled at the McDonald’s by the Buendia MRT Station on the day of the departure where Red Chuca, the tour manager, told us that the three of us wouldn’t have been accounted for had I not reminded him of our payment the day before; he was on the road when I made the deposit and it slipped his mind.

We left in two vans at 03:30 and arrived in Nasugbu, Batangas two hours later. Breakfast was at Jollibee before we proceeded to Fortune Island Resort which seemed to be the gateway to the island. There’s no electricity, freshwater source, store where you can buy food, and restroom (well, they said there was a functional one but I no longer bothered looking for it) on the island. That means that if you’re staying overnight given those conditions, you should know what you’re up against.

The Island

Looking at Fortune Island and its Grecian pillars from a distance undoubtedly made me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was around 20 minutes past the hour of eight when we arrived on the island. Travel time was an hour but takes longer for sure when the waves are feeling treacherous.

It’s already stated in many blogs but I’m still gonna say it anyway. Fortune Island used to be a luxury resort but was constantly ravaged by typhoons which eventually led to its abandonment. The structure below is what used to be the main building. There also used to be a pool which now only contains rubbish (what else).

This shipwreck is actually the remnants of the resort’s restaurant. It must’ve been obliterated by—you guessed that right—a typhoon or was simply left to decay. You can see pictures of how it used to look like in other blogs.

Camping

We set up camp right beshinde (an invented portmanteau of “behind” and “beside”) the main building where there was a good deal of shade provided by some trees.

Grecian Pillars

Wasting no time, I found meself exploring thee island with me mates. The pillars can be reached by a flight of stairs which also lead to the other side of the island where the real fun happens. Atop are some statues as well.

Because it would be dull to just stand around and look like one of the pillars (#twinning), I tried becoming Spidey for a change. (My left arm was actually trembling so hard when the photo below was taken that I could’ve egg rolled all the way down and sustained injuries.) Don’t try standing on any of the busted pillars though. I tried it and if I weren’t cautious I would’ve met more than just bruises.

And this is what where we just came from looked like from above. At first I was dumbfounded as to why people would opt to pitch tents under the ridiculously blazing sun but when night fell I understood why. On the right side of it is where you can cliff jump noob style. (Cocky, I know.)

At some point, I got annoyed by the heat that I decided to break one of the statues to show Zeus and his kin who’s boss. Hah!

Cliff Jumping

This, my friends, is the other side of Fortune Island as seen from above.

Steep stairs lead to it where you can jump off the cliffs to your heart’s content.

Look at me swim like a tadpole and act like I just conquered the island. Hilas!

The lowest point where one could jump would be at the foot of the stairs. People who don’t know how to swim can just take it from there and have a life vest ready. There was also a rope where one can hold on for dear life. I wanted to try a front flip but sort of got dizzy after jumping twice from a high point so I tried diving instead (not that I’m any good at either).

When it was almost 12:00 we retreated to our camp for lunch and went back right after with the rest of the gang.

From the picture below, there are two high points, one on each side, where you can jump off. The one on the left is convenient because of the presence of a platform where one can reflect about his/her decisions in life. (If Mother Nature created that I’m gonna marry her in my 30’s). However, it’s more difficult on this side as you will have to swim your way back to the stairs. On the other hand, the one on the right has no platform but it’s very near to the rope (and stairs) that will save your life. Pick your poison.

Video

Here’s a video of Matze, a German guy who was with the group, me, and Norry battling our way into the sea. It’s nowhere near being professional but I enjoyed making it. I just launched a video-editing software and Avicii did the rest of the job. Ah, let us not forget about that little surprise.

About half of our group took the plunge and in between us there was this group from Baguio which captured everyone’s attention as all of their girls actually jumped off. There were a number of bloopers, though, which included denim shorts becoming a skirt after the jump (“‘Yung shorts ko naging skirt!”) and a guy declaring that he’s okay being gay as long as he doesn’t have to jump (“‘Di na. Bakla nalang ako.”). Hahaha! In the end he still leapt. Kudos!

Siesta

When everyone already had their fair share of risking life jumping, we went back to the other side for a dip. Some continued cliff jumping at the noob style spot I was arrogantly referring to earlier. At three o’clock we headed to the left side of the horizon towards the end of the beach in an attempt to spot sharks.

This part of the beach is ideal should you want to answer calls of nature at nighttime. Dunno if it’s always the case but during our stay it was free from camping tourists.

A scene reminiscent of bayanihan, the Filipino term which means communal effort to achieve a goal best exampled by people literally lifting a house on their shoulders in order to move it to a new location, was demonstrated by live shells!

The shade and peace and quiet at the end of the line made it a perfect spot for everyone’s siesta.

There were no sightings even after an hour so we went back and went for another swim. Red had a Tribord snorkeling gear which at that time wasn’t available in the Philippines yet. It’s a mask that not only allows you to breathe through your mouth but through your nose as well. Truly badass. I had no underwater camera so I couldn’t show any proof but take it from me (and my broken heart) that the underwater scenery was superb. Probably among the best that I’ve seen.

Sunset

The final activity for the day was the sunset watching, set at 17:30. It was lovely. The sun almost made me believe in forever as it seemed to take all the time in the world setting.

While the sun continued teasing all its spectators, I backed away to the farthest part of the cliff to take a panoramic shot of the island.

When the sun was finally succumbing to its last emotional moments, I had it eaten by one of the lions just because. (I honestly don’t know where the use of “just because” to end a sentence originated but for the sake of it, please spare me.) Of course, one last shot as the sun started crossing the horizon was also obligatory.

Socials

We rinsed ourselves with whatever means possible and then had dinner which was as scrumptious as the other meals. We then moved our tents so that we could feel some wind as there was none at all where we originally pitched them. Socials commenced after everyone settled with their new locations but before that, our group was already setting off with a simple concoction of GSM Mojito and Sprite. Haha!

A lot happened during the socials and there was enough booze to knock everyone out ’til the end. Hahaha. I particularly liked that game of words in which you have to say a word that’s related to the one the person before you mentioned. The tricky part was the vetoing of the following:

• Words that start with “s” (damn this)
• Proper names
• Numbers
• Repeated words (per round only)
• Words not related to the previous word (obviously)

For every error and no word spoken within three seconds the person has to take a shot. I had a lot of blunders and WTF moments like starting a round with an s-word. Shot! As the mechanics wouldn’t be able to fill everyone up, a different shot glass was “rotated”. We also played Categories, where some really interesting ones were brought up. It was a night of absolute frolicking and thankfully none of the other campers told us off.

Come morning over breakfast, everyone was laughing over what happened, how it suddenly rained, and whatnots. Not that I really love drinking, but for me socials usually work better over a few drinks, especially if it’s to cap off a very long day. We had breakfast, gathered our shit things together, and started crossing back to the mainland minutes past ten o’clock (where we were finally able to rinse ourselves properly). Before we boarded the boat someone was calling everyone about a forgotten underwear and when I saw it I was, like, “Jesus Christ, that’s my underwear! Stop raising it above everyone’s head!”

From left to right (photo courtesy of Sir Jun): Red, Erwin, Faty, Alona, Alfred, Dolly, Basil, Matze, Denisse, Rod, Eike, Norry, me, Bianca, Jeremy, and Dana

We had bulalo for lunch in Tagaytay before finally parting ways at our meet-up place around four in the afternoon. It was my first time participating in a group tour and it was fulfilling having survived it with majority of the participants being strangers, in an island where scarcity was of great abundance.

Tips

If you intend to visit Fortune Island, here are my two cents (or three?):

• Everyone wasn’t kidding about the absence of freshwater there. If you’re the type who really needs to take a bath at the end of the day, bring enough water for that purpose. I survived with just two glasses just to kick the itchiness away.
• Wet tissues can be very great alternatives for the item above.
• Bring booze just because! Alam mo ‘yan!
• I haven’t taken pictures of them but garbage was all over the place. It would be great if regular cleanups could be done because I would say that the Greek architecture is among the reasons why tourists visit Fortune Island. If they’re taken away by some typhoon, the island might find it hard to compete against way cleaner islands.
• Because of garbage, pesky flies can be all over the place. So bring candles if you can! Or bombs! Really!
• If you got a snorkeling gear, definitely bring it. I would go back to the island just for its underwater scenery. You will even see something down there that will make you think how it got there.
• If you find it hard to find people to go with and you’re on-the-go to meet new people, you can watch out for organized tours like what we availed from #JJTours. They always include round-trip transportation and meals.

Lastly, Denisse and Sir Jun also blogged about the trip. Click!

Visited: June 2015

The post Fortune Island and its Greek Grandeur appeared first on Itinerant.

For a change, I spent Valentine’s Day on the beach with two of my roommates when I was a college freshman. On the eve of the Dinagyang Festival, we were out drinking, celebrating it our way. That’s when they mentioned their plan of visiting Maniwaya Island in Marinduque. As I can’t just let this life pass by without seeding my seemingly growing love for the beach, I didn’t bother putting up a fight.

Transportation

We took the 11:00 PM JAC Liner trip on a Friday from Buendia heading straight to Dalahican Port. If it isn’t available, you can just take one heading to Lucena and from there you can get a ride to the port. Travel time was three hours.

As of this writing there seems to be only two shipping lines from Lucena to Marinduque: Starhorse and Montenegro. I had no idea of the schedule at all but thankfully the latter had a 4:00 AM trip. The next one to it was late in the morning. Much time would’ve been wasted.

I must say I missed traveling by sea. I used to do it a lot in college with SuperFerry and Negros Navigation, when traveling by air wasn’t favored for me. A jacket would greatly help as it can be freezing even after daybreak. And yes, those benches will be your beds.

Santa Cruz

Travel time to Balanacan Port in Marinduque was another three hours and public transportation was readily available upon arrival. We took an hour-long jeepney ride to Santa Cruz which, surprisingly for me, is a first class municipality. We had breakfast at Rico’s Inn where the tricycle driver who spotted us the moment we got off the jeepney didn’t stop bugging us. I had tapsilog and lomi. Perfecto.

We gave in to the nuisance of the driver and allowed him to take us to the grocery and wet market. When everything was already in place, we headed to Buyabod Port which was roughly 15 minutes away. He asked us ₱200 for all those rides! Fvckin’ son of a… If there’s one thing that I always do when traveling, it’s asking the fee for a ride before taking it. I was caught off guard this time.

The weather was totally gloomy and rainy yet the water was calm. In 30 minutes we were already on the island, looking forward to what lies ahead.

Apparently the port in Maniwaya Island was damaged by a typhoon. From there, motorcycles can take you to the resort you’ll be staying at.

Resort & Accommodation

Upon arrival, we were immediately welcomed by Mr. Warlito Constantino, the resort owner. Unlike my companions, I was glad there was another group in the resort. They had the room next to ours and also had three tents set up.

And here’s the first taste of the beach. The sand is actually pretty fine but the amount of stones sort of conceal its quality.

I find the place similar to Anawangin in Zambales, with coconuts around instead of trees. You can see the tents I was talking about earlier below. Pitching one cost ₱300. As for the huts, they can be rented for ₱500 each. There also happened to be a karaoke machine for ₱1,000.

The kitchen can be used for ₱35. It had a stove and a complete set of cooking and eating utensils so if your group will be cooking all you need to bring are the ingredients and condiments. There was also drinking water but you can always bring yours as well if you want it that way.

The cottages, I think, were all of the same size and could probably even accommodate up to five people given the size of the foam on the floor and the sizes of the occupants.

The Beach

The “sand” up-close.

The rain ditched us like an almost-lover in the afternoon but there was still no sun, making the scenery positively blue.

A glimpse of the sun and all the hues of blue led me to doing one of my allegedly signature poses. As envious as he was, my friend in a bottle also posed. Ugh.

The following day the sun outshone its shyness and we had a game of stone skipping. What can I say? I sucked at it. Was a good start though as I don’t remember any instance of me ever doing it.

We explored the left side of the shore and found a good spot for taking photos. Timer, set, go! We must’ve looked silly from afar.

This part of the beach also happened to have less seagrasses.

Leaving the island was my primary concern as the only trip going back to Santa Cruz was at 7AM. However, we ended up not leaving that early because apparently there were two more options for going back to Manila. Maniwaya Island is a stopover for boats from Marinduque heading to General Luna in Quezon and vice versa. The former stops by at 10:00 AM while the latter is at midday. We were told there were no passengers heading to General Luna so we got on the second one.

Boac

From Santa Cruz we took an hour-long jeepney ride to Boac, the province’s capital. It was so reminiscent of Vigan with its old structures. We didn’t bother rushing ourselves as there were ferry trips even in the evening. We just had lunch, relaxed, and killed time in Kusina sa Plaza where the food was a bit pricey.

Their café was a different story though. The food was heavenly; the Mixed Berries and Kusina’s Special were, for lack of a better word, uhm!

Around 4:00 PM we found ourselves in a port-bound jeepney. Much to my delight, it departed even if there were only three of us. After an hour we were back at the port and since we were way too early, we ate lomi at a nearby carinderia. The vessel that we boarded this time had an air-conditioned area and we managed to secure a row for ourselves. Aside from the movie Wild Card, there was this annoying guy who was ranting on how Filipinos are so disrespectful by not sharing seats. He was probably pissed that there were four of them in their row. He’s also Filipino, by the way, which makes him disrespectful as well.

Like at Balanacan Port, public transportation was readily available at Dalahican Port. We took a bus which goes straight to Metro Manila.

Tips

If your love for the beach (and summer) is like mine and intend to visit Maniwaya Island, here are a few things which might be helpful:

• There’s mobile data coverage so those who are always on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram need not worry. Hashtag, anyone? #antisocial
• We haven’t been there ’cause it would’ve cost only the three of us a fortune but there’s a sandbar that you can go to (a reason for me to go back).
• The sea floor (yes, the term) in front of the resort had a considerable amount of seagrasses so if you find it uncomfortable you can simply move to the left side (when facing the horizon) where it wasn’t the case.
• If you want a little taste of luxury or most of your companions prefer it, there’s Marikit-Na Beach Resort for that. I didn’t catch a glimpse of it but based on what I’ve read, it seems perfect for a big group.
• Sir Warlito of Wawie’s Beach was way beyond accommodating. The kitchen was spacious enough for three but when he saw us eating lunch like we were rubbing elbows, he insisted that we use a hut for free! For any concern, just tell him. Rice, booze, fresh fish… Name it.

Expenses

Finally, let’s talk about money, money, and money. The list below is exclusive of food, and you and I both know why.

Visited: February 2015

The post Maniwaya Island: A Weekend Itinerary appeared first on Itinerant.