20141005 Cagbalete Island. Mauban. Quezon Day 2

Map of Cagbalete Island

Map taken from: http://www.tourmauban.com/readmore.cfm?ID=31

With fine white sand, a beautiful sunrise, relaxed atmosphere, super low tide phenomenon, a very long and beautiful beach line and the surreal bonsai island, Cagbalete Island is still my favourite beach that can easily be reached from Manila.

This is an account on when we explored all the resorts on the east side of Cagbalete. If you look at the map above, that's from Nilandingan Cove to Pansacola Beach.

Click here for our Day 1 itinerary.

Day 2:

Sunrise viewed at Joven's Blue Sea Resort, Cagbalete

0530 Woke up to one of the most beautiful sunrises I've had this year. The magnificent sunrise was accompanied by the gentle sound of the waves on that quiet morning. The color of the sky and the sea was indistinguishable from one another. It was peaceful and relaxing. For a moment, it felt like there was nothing else in the world but the Sun and the reflection of its light.

0600 The super low tide phenomenon was already on its way so we started to walk to Bonsai Island.

Walking towards the horizon

Near Bonsai Island at low-tide

0620 It took us 20 minutes to get to Bonsai Island. In low tide, Bonsai Island is amazing. It is home to different flocks of birds. It was still early at the time and the water comes up to our knees and up to our waist. The weight of the water would make the hike a little harder. If you prefer simply walking on land, you can wait further until the low-tide grants your wish. After a few more hours, the water would've completely receded until the path to Bonsai Island and it would be easier to go there. Which meant, all the people who already planned to go there after this phenomenon were still cooking or having breakfast back at the beach. And we were the only ones on this huge rock. It was surreal and utterly amazing.
 

The edges of Bonsai Island

The rocks are very slippery

Watching and listening to the waves

I think that the presence of the flock of birds that morning was because they were hunting for food that was just recently revealed by the low tide. Once they've emptied the rock of small crabs. They went to a part of the beach were the water had recently subsided, revealing their next meal.

0700 We followed the flock of birds back to the shore until new patches of the sea were revealed to us. There was a huge patch of sand that looked so inviting with the pureness of its color and its ripples. You don't miss these patches because there is no softer and purer sand in Cagbalete than that which was recently revealed by the sea. It felt so nice that I lied down on the sand for some time.

After that, we decided to check all the resorts north of Joven's since we planned on experiencing a different part of the island the next day.

Tanginang sand yan, ang sarap sa likod promise

0730 Villa Cleofas

When I've read about Villa Cleofas, it had a mix of bad and good reviews about their service. But it was one of my top picks because of its accessibility. It had almost the same distance as Joven's from Sabang. I also liked how it looked like from the beach. It was simple and spacious. The cottages and the tents were lined up in a way that no one blocks the view of the other. And it gave enough space for people to silently contemplate the sea. I also liked their Nipa huts with front porches that had long wooden bench and a table. It looks like a nice place to have a private dinner or a drinking session with a view of the sea. It's a resort I would really consider when I go back there. I would've considered checking in that day but all the good spots where you can pitch your tent were already taken.

0750 MVT Sto. Nino. I had the opportunity to stay in MVT on my earlier visits to Cagbalete. The place feels very secluded and private. Which also means you need to bring all the you need and your food if you choose to stay here. The main part of the resort/mansion is behind a huge area of mangroves. Unfortunately, this blocks the view of the sea and the wind. And I'm someone who always takes the view of the sea and the feel of the wind when choosing an accommodation. If there are two reasons that I would stay in MVT, it would be: 1) If there's sudden storm brewing. This, perhaps, is a very safe place or 2) If you are throwing a big party.

The mansion, as I call it, have a lot of rooms that are accessible to each other. The huge staircase is a nice props for a group photo opportunity. The dining area at the mansion is also huge and is perfect for a large party. Last time I went there, they also had a dining area and beach chairs where you can enjoy the view of the sea.

0830 Nilandingan Cove

Nilandingan cove is a full hour walk by the shore from Villa Cleofas. It's a nice walk from MVT to Nilandingan if you walk through the sea. There's a lot of super soft sand patches and mangroves in that area.

Path from the Private Resort after MVT to Nilandingan Cove

Don't be fooled by the map, Nilandingan is not close to MVT at all. With out breakfast to energize us, all the walk we did was almost tiring if not for the super soft patches that just relaxes your feet. Anyhow, being the furthest resort from Sabang. You really need to bring all the things you need here. I also suggest that you go here using a private boat. What I really like about Nilandingan Cove is its remoteness. It was quiet and relaxing. It was just you, your group, the beach and the sea. It was as if you own that stretch of sand and sea. I was also impressed by how clean the grounds were on a Sunday morning, and just after it rained that night. There were two boys and a man cleaning it and they said that it's just their usual daily routine with smiles on their faces. I recognized the spade that the man was using, in other blogs, I read somewhere that other groups borrowed the spade and created a trench in the sand and turned it in to a dining area. I also liked how the trees inside the resort were lined up and evenly spaced enough to fit a large tent on each block. It's the nicest camping area I've seen in Cagbalete. It's like Apuao Grande Island, Camarines Norte and the nice camping area in Anawangin, Zambales.

 

There are also a lot of trees and mangroves near Nilandingan that are interesting to the eyes

There's a certain calm and security in putting your tent between trees.

If you have enough number of people or money to rent a private boat and bring all the stuff you need to go here, I suggest that you stay here. I would.

Thanks to the care taker at the time who gave time to show me around the area. Check out their website: http://nilandingancoveph.weebly.com/

1030 Back at Joven's Resort. Cooked and ate brunch. We just relaxed and enjoyed our stay there because we've decided that we would keep our accommodation at Joven's. Seeing the other resorts, we were very comfortable with where we were. We had a nice spot with the view of the sea and we didn't want to break our camp anymore and just enjoy the day.
 

Low tide around Cagbalete Island

1430 By this time, we were ready to complete our exploration and headed south.

1445 Villa Noe

Villa Noe

What's nice about the resorts in Cagbalete is that they are near enough to be accessible to another. But far enough to give privacy for their guests.

Anyhow, I didn't pay a lot of attention to Villa Noe at the time because a lot of the groups from the passenger boat who didn't like the large crowd at Dona Choleng gathered in Villa Noe. The beach and the area was clean.

1505 Dona Choleng

Dona Choleng

Dona Choleng is the newer resort in Cagbalete in 2014. There were already a crowd the first time we went here on our first day. And there were even more people on our second day. It's a popular choice because it has a lot of good reviews online. Honestly, when I was planning the trip, my first picks were Dona Choleng and Villa Cleofas. I was just repelled by the noise of the crowd. You can't help it.

There are people who enjoy the beach more with a lot of party and loud music. I prefer a quieter ambiance when at the beach.

I think that Dona Choleng has a great location. It's near the stores and is very close to Sabang. This is important if you plan on doing your own cooking and going to the market.

The patches of the sand between Dona Choleng and Pansacola were super soft and clean as well. I know that the walk to Pansacola takes a bit of time, but it's worth it.

 

A walk to Pansacola

The tide was already coming in

And it always reveals a soft and clean patch of sand

Almost there

 

That's the corner. After that is Pansacola

1540 Arrive at Pansacola

Pansacola Resort has the best sand among the resorts in the eastern side of the island. The white and fine sand is all around Cagbalete, but the sand in Pansacola was exceptionally soft. I would've rolled around the beach if there weren't too many people there at the time. They have different kinds of accommodation and have a very wide beach. The wide stretch of sand in Pansacola is even visible in Google Map.
 

Pansacola Beach Resort

I can't say anything about their service because I've never stayed there before and haven't talked to their employees, but I can say that it looks like a nice place to visit with a lot of friends. Since the place is huge, you wouldn't have any problems playing volleyball or frisbee even when the high tide kicks in.

It's one of the longest running resorts in Cagbalete, but they've never neglected the maintenance of the place. That's maybe one of the reasons why it's still famous with tourists.

1625 Joven's Blue Sea. It took us 45 minutes from Pansacola to Joven's. The rest of the day was just filled with swimming, eating and enjoying the beach. I still wish we had squid and that the sun was out at the time. I think that the color of the water is at its most beautiful under the sun. And also, GoPro Hero 3+ works poorly without good lighting. But overall, it was a beautiful day at the beach

Back at Joven's

Day 3

0500 The next day, we woke up at 5:00AM to pack and wait for the sunrise. The passenger boat from Sabang has two trips to Mauban. One in the morning at 7:30AM and one in the afternoon at 1PM. We initially planned on staying until 1PM and then going to either one of the falls near Mauban or Kamay Ni Hesus in Lucban. But as things would have it, we had to go back as early as we can to attend to some personal matters.

0640 We left Joven's. It rained that night so there was ankle-deep mud all about the trail. I didn't mind this because it's a normal encounter when trekking on the rainy seasons. But your company might, especially if you have children. As I've said in our first day, I've read of other options to get to and from Sabang like riding a horse, a carabao, or renting small private boats. It's best to get a contact for these services before you go to Cagbalete or when you land in Sabang. You don't know when they might come in handy.

0700 Arrived at Sabang Port. We waited for a few minutes before boarding started. The same way as how you get to the island. You would have to wait for the small boat that would transfer you to the passenger boat.

Small Boat. There are no seats and you would just have to stand up, it's just a quick transfer.

0840 ETA Brgy. Daungan Port. We just walked around town and had lunch at one of the eateries near the bus terminal.

0930 ETD Mauban Bus Terminal to Lucena Grand Terminal.
We wanted to look at the products at the Tourism Center but it was still closed then. I haven't tasted any better Lambanogs than the ones we buy at Mauban. I wanted to go around to search for this but the bus to Cubao was already leaving so we jumped on the bus and just decided to buy pasalubongs at Lucena.

Yes, sometimes you need to share a bus seat with a washing machine

1100 Arrived at Lucena Grand Terminal. There's a lot of Yema cakes, longanissa and lambanog to choose from here.

Lucena Grand Terminal

1130 ETD Lucena Grand Terminal to Cubao

1500 ETA Boni Pioneer Edsa

It's important to know that all of the resorts in Cagbalete are nice picks. Their sand are white and soft and felt nice to the feet. They also have nice locations where you can pitch your tent. All of them have a nice beach front and an ambiance. In Cagbalete, relaxing at a beautiful beach doesn't have to be expensive. I truly truly hope that Mauban would not stop taking care of Cagbalete. I hope that people residing in the island would give great importance in preserving its natural beauty. Except the residential area in Sabang, they have done a good job in keeping Cagbalete Island clean.

I also wish that all of us practice "Leave No Trace" principle. And help in maintaining the beauty of our waters and our lands. Do you know why some mountaineers go through the hardest and most difficult trails? It's because they know that people willing to take on those hardships truly  appreciate beauty. They know that people willing to endure the long walks and technical climbs are truly in love with nature. And these are the paths that are truly beautiful because we protect the things that we love.

I've been to Cagbalete Island a few times, will be going there again in 2015, and would like to enjoy it's beauty a few more times again in the future.
I hope Cagbalete Island's accessibility would not be the reason for its deterioration. But rather, it becomes a reason for us to conserve its beauty even more.
As the famous song goes: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time".

Expenses in PHP for 3D/2N:
420 210 Bus. JAC Liner Bus. Buendia to Lucena Grand Terminal and back
108 54 Minibus. Lucena Grand Terminal to Mauban and back
50 Environmental Fee. Mauban Brgy Daungan Pantalan
45 Breakfast. Canteen near Municipal Hall
100 50 Passenger Boat to Cagbalete Island and back
400 Accommodation. Tent Space. 200/Day. P500/night/3 pax Tent Rental Joven’s Blue Sea Resort
250 Food and supplies
5L Water is P75 at Joven’s
200 Kayak/Hour
125 Sinigang at Joven's
50 Entrance Fee
30 Fresh coconut
140 Lunch at Mauban
_________
1918

Summary of Itinerary Day 2

0530 Woke up to one of the most beautiful sunrises I've had this year.
0600 ETD Joven's Blue Sea Resort to Bonsai Island
0620 ETA Bonsai Island

0700 ETD Bonsai Island to the Beach

0730 ETA Villa Cleofas

0750 ETA  MVT Sto. Nino

0830 ETA Nilandingan Cove

1030 ETA Joven's Resort. Cooked and ate brunch

1430 ETD Joven's Blue Sea

1445 ETA Villa Noe

1505 ETA Dona Choleng

1540 ETA Pansacola

1625 ETA  Joven's Blue Sea. Dinner. Chill

Day 3
0500 Wake up call
0640 ETD Joven's to Sabang Port

0700 Arrived at Sabang Port

0840 ETA Brgy. Daungan Port. Breakfast

0930 ETD Mauban Bus Terminal to Lucena Grand Terminal
1100 Arrived at Lucena Grand Terminal

1130 ETD Lucena Grand Terminal to Cubao

1500 ETA Boni Pioneer Edsa

20141004. Cagbalete Island. Mauban. Quezon

Life at the beach

Why Cagbalete Island is still my favourite beach near Manila?

1) Fine white sand
2) Relaxed atmosphere
3) Patches of *SUPER* soft sand
4) Beautiful sunrise
5) Super low tide phenomenon
6) Very long and beautiful beach line
7) The surreal bonsai island
8) Affordable vacation

Just writing this post makes me want to go back. And why not? This beautiful island is just 364 pesos away.

DAY 1: Saturday
0100 From Mandaluyong. Head to Jac Liner Buendia
0130 Meet up at Jac Liner Buendia
0200 ETD Bus to Lucena Grand Terminal. P210
0530 ETA at Lucena Grand Terminal
0545 ETD Mini­bus. To Mauban

Pantalan

0700 ETA at Mauban, Quezon Bus Terminal. It's only a 15-minute walk from the Terminal to Brgy. Daungan Pantalan. Don't forget to check the departure time of the passenger boat.

If you have more time and would like to explore a little bit of Mauban, you can ask for a guide at the registration area to show you around. Price of the guide depends on where you want to go. There are a lot of falls that you can visit around Mauban and they have a nice pamphlet that describes each of the attraction. You can also check Mauban products near the church. Don't forget to buy Lambanog.

We paid the environmental fee here and left our bags before we went to get breakfast. People here are very kind, one of the person manning the area even took us to a nice eatery near the Tourism information Center.

0800 After Breakfast, we just walked around Mauban. There are a lot of canteens in the area if you just ask around. We went to Rizal Hill Park and the small stores near it. They sell clothes, head lamps and flash lights in that area. We also checked the Tourism Information Center. It was closed at the time so all I know is that they sell a lot of Mauban-made products. We also went to the church which looked peaceful and humble that day. It's a different ambiance when you go there on a Holy Week were people of Mauban bring out huge statues of Sto. Ninos and Mama Marys. And everyone is there to join the parade. I've been to Mauban a few times now but I've only experienced the parade once. I'd love to join the parade again. The Church is behind the Tourism Information Center. And to get to the Tourism Information Center, you just need to cross the street from the Bus Terminal and go left.

Tourism Information Center

Buy supplies and food in Mauban Market 5 minutes away from the Port. There are seafood vendors in Cagbalete island but the selection is limited on the rainy season. Better be prepared either way.

By the way, you can buy all of the essentials that you need here. They have a large selection of food and clothes. In one of our trips, we dragged one of our friends to join us on the trip a few hours before we left for Mauban. She only brought a shoulder bag, her sense of adventure and a lot of experience in Ukay-Ukays. It's a good thing that Mauban has a lot of Ukay-Ukays. Great times, great friends.

0915 We went to the boat to secure good seats. Boat arrives at 0800 and 1500 on normal days. Time varies depending on the season. We got there early to secure our seats. But the locals in the area only started flocking and arrived around 0945 before the boat finally left at 1000.

We waited for a while, but it was a good choice since we had comfortable seats for the hour and a half boat ride.

Passenger Boat to Cagbalete

1000 ETD to Cagbalete Island
1130 ETA Sabang Port, Cagbalete Island. Don't forget to ask the schedule for return trip of passenger boat.

1200 From Sabang Port, you only need to walk 15 to 20 minutes to get to the nearest resorts. I've read of other options like riding a horse, a carabao, or renting small private boats. I didn't mind these options since we are used to long walks. I later found out that it's best to get a contact for these services. You might need them in case it starts to rain on your way back, unless you don't mind wading through ankle-deep-almost-knee-high mud.

You can also buy fresh fishes here. All of the squid were already bought when we got there so we decided to just go back in the afternoon. Fresh squid was one of the reasons why we went to Cagbalete.

Anyhow, from Sabang, you just need to follow the crowd and walk until you reach a large field and a crossroad. Going right would lead you to Dona Choleng. Going left is the direction you need to take to get to Joven's Blue Sea or Villa Cleofas. But both are accessible from Dona Choleng if you don't mind walking on the beach line. Last time we went here, there were signs for Dona Choleng, but signs leading to Joven's Blue Sea resort were knocked by the storm earlier that month.


1215 From the fork, we went right to check out Dona Choleng since it's the newer resort near Sabang back in 2014. The restaurant looked alright as well. But since there were a lot of people in Dona Choleng at the time we decided to check the other resorts by walking through the beach and passed by Villa Noe.

A fork in the road

Path to Dona Choleng

1230 When we saw Joven's Blue Sea, we knew we found what we were looking for. Joven's Blue Sea Beach front looked inviting, it was clean and relaxing. There were only 2 small groups staying there at the time. I'm not sure if it was just an illusion brought about by the name of the resort, but the sea looked a littler bluer in that part of the island. The quietness and tranquility were just perfect for the relaxing weekend that we planned. They have two common shower area. One shower area had four separate decent toilets. They also have a grill and a dining area. You can also order your food from them. But when you have good cooks for companions, you would never mind the commute to the market and cooking your own food. I still remember how the Boatmen in Nagsasa loved and praised Desiree's Spaghetti. Sana may Spaghetti ulit next outing. Being one of the resorts near Sabang, staying here also gives you access to the market, fresh fishes and supplies should you ever need them.

We stayed at Joven's Blue Sea Resort and had the pleasure to meet Tita Rexie. She was very kind and accommodating. She even provided us with nice beach chairs and a table so we can be comfortable even if we are only renting tent space. Thank you Tita Rexie!

You can contact them at 09392899752/ 09178545024/ 09179848505.Check their FB for more information. https://www.facebook.com/jovenresort

View from our corner of Joven's

 
1300 Make camp. Cook. Eat. Relax at the beach while enjoying fresh buko.

Home for the weekend

1500 Kayak to Bonsai Island. Joven's Blue Sea had two kayaks and we rented both to go to the Bonsai Island. They rent a single kayak for P200 for an hour. We just wanted to check the place and see how it looks like before we visit it again in the morning. When the tide is high, Bonsai Island is really just a handful of Bonsais sticking out in the water. But behind the protection of the Bonsai Island, it was amazing to watch the clashing of waves from the open sea.

 

Pagod na. Hindi na talaga kaya. Promise. Pahinga muna. Hehe.

It was starting to rain then. And what else can you do when it's raining at the beach? Enjoy and swim!

1630 ETD Joven's Blue Sea to Sabang Port. The trail is prominent and easy to follow. It's a 15-20 minutes walk to Sabang. In Sabang, there are a lot of Sari-sari stores, small eateries and BBQ stalls. But of course, we were looking for fresh squids. We walked all the to the beach and checked three vendors but all of the squids were already purchased. Apparently, the fishermen there use squids as baits to catch larger fishes. Buti pa ung mga isda dun, nakakapag squid! We settled for the popular fish there. I forgot what it was called but they said that it was good with crispy fry.

Path to Sabang from Joven's

 

This fish is a must try

Be careful when getting the fish. Make sure that it's tightly tied.

1800 Cooked and ate dinner. We were surprised that the fish didn't have a lot of bones and it had a lot of meat. We tried cooking it with crispy fry and simply frying it. Our neighbor had their version of the fish grilled in the barbeque. The fish was very tasty and was good whatever way it was cooked. That's fresh fish for you. We didn't even need any sauce. Sulit!

We charged our phones and cameras at the dining area and enjoyed the night. Lights were on by 6PM and normally runs until 1AM.

If you're wondering why you haven't read about the *SUPER* soft patches of sand, the beautiful sunrise, super low tide phenomenon, the beach line and our walk to the surreal bonsai island. That's because the best is yet to come. On our second day, we explored all the resorts on the East side of the island. Yes, that's from Nilandingan Cove to Pansacola Beach. The best is yet to come.


Expenses in PHP for 2 Nights
420 210 Bus. JAC Liner Bus. Buendia to Lucena Grand Terminal and back
108 54 Mini­bus. Lucena Grand Terminal to Mauban and back
50 Environmental Fee. Mauban Brgy Daungan Pantalan
45 Breakfast. Canteen near Municipal Hall
100 50 Passenger Boat to Cagbalete Island and back
400 Accommodation. Tent Space. 200/Day. Tent Rental is at P500/night/3 pax
250 Food and supplies. 5L Water is P75 at Joven’s
200 Kayak/Hour
125 Sinigang at Joven's
50 Entrance Fee
30 Fresh coconut
140 Lunch at Mauban
_________
1918


Summary of Itinerary
0100 From Mandaluyong. Head to Jac Liner Buendia
0130 Meet up at Jac Liner Buendia
0200 ETD Bus to Lucena Grand Terminal. P210
0530 ETA at Lucena Grand Terminal
0545 ETD Mini­bus. To Mauban
0700 ETA at Mauban, Quezon Bus Terminal
0750 Breakfast. Buy supplies and food in Mauban Market
0915 Went to the boat to secure seats
1000 ETD to Cagbalete Island
1130 ETA Sabang Port, Cagbalete Island
1200 ETA Fork in the road to the resorts
1215 ETA Dona Choleng's
1230 ETA Joven's Blue Sea
1300 Cook, eat and relax at the beach while enjoying fresh buko.
1500 Kayak to Bonsai Island
1630 ETD Joven's Blue Sea to Sabang Port. Buy fresh seafood
1800 Cooked and ate dinner. Chill