20140222. Mt. Daguldol and Naambon Falls, Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

MT. DAGULDUL

Naambon Falls

Mount Daguldol Chronicles

Day 1 February 22 Saturday
0500 AM Meet up ALPS EDSA TERMINAL # 721 EDSA Southbound, Fronting Nepa Q-mart Brgy. Pinagkaisahan Quezon City.

0600 ETD. Cubao. Bus. The ALPS Cubao Edsa Terminal. This bus company is also the bus that I rode for my 11-hour bus ride in my Solo Backpacking Bicol Adventure. I was very well acquainted with it. The leg room in this bus is wide, the seats were comfortable and the space below the seats is enough to house a 45-L backpack for the duration of the trip. I believe this would cost you P184.

0900 ETA San Juan, Batangas. ETD Brgy. Hugom. Chartered Jeep. I suggest you go to the market here before you head to Hugom, for the reason stated below.

0930 ETA Market Place. Breakfast. Tsktsk. I was still a bit sleepy by this time, I forgot to take pictures of the last Market Place where you could buy meat. In any event, there are only two stores there that sell meat, there were canteens and bakery so you can also have breakfast and coffee here. Just a warning, the meat here is expensive, since they really don't have any competitions. It would be better to pass by San Juan wet market instead of going here, I think. Don't worry about other things like condiments, ingredients or vegetables. You will find these things in Hugom.


1000 ETA Brgy Hugom. We went around and realized that we forgot to bring a pack lunch. We had enough food to cook but then our itinerary stated we needed pack lunch and might not have the time to cook on our way to the campsite. It's a good thing that there were a lot of canteens in this place. We bought grilled squid and fried Tilapia for our pack lunch. We also had our brunch here and coffee while waiting for other groups to get here. The grilled squid was worth every peso.

1115 And so it begins. After lounging around and checking barangay Hugom. The start of the trek is at hand.

Start trek ceremony

The first 30 minutes was spent walking at the beach to get to the jump point. There were no shade here at all. But the sea breeze was a welcomed friend, and we enjoyed passing by around at least 10 different resorts, one of them is La Luz. This is when we realized we were just at the side of La Luz Resort earlier. I was taking a mental note of the resorts and the facilities that they have for future reference, most of them have floating dive boards which I might enjoy jumping from when I go back there again. There were also jet skis, floating small huts for when you want to drink with friends while waiting for the sunset.

Laiya Beach

Beach Trek

1145 Arrived at Jump off point. You better stretch before you take this on. It's never true when you think that the first part of treks are just for warm up. You will already be tested by the steepness and the heat in the first few minutes of the ascent. Luckily, it doesn't last long.

1230 Arrived at the first hut, with descent chair, roof and a view of the sea. Enjoy the cool breeze here but don't take too long in your rest here. This is 20 minutes away from Naambon Falls. It's definitely better there.

First Hut

1250 Arrived at Naambon Falls. To get here, you need to find a fork 10 minutes from the first hut. You just need to descend on the left side and follow the trail. You will hear the water even from the fork. We would've eaten our lunch here but we didn't want to be burdened by the heaviness with the additional weight in our body. We just lounged around and explored the falls. There were around 6 levels of Naambon falls. At the very bottom is a large pool where it would've been nice to jump and take a dip if it were the rainy season. The water was only ankle deep when we got there and as you can see in the pictures, the water itself is not impressive. But the waterfalls and the rock formation that it created was a spectacle. This must be a magnificent sight if the water was raging. Nevertheless, your climb will not be complete if you do not pass by here. We were all glad that we did.

Naambon Falls

Joanne at Naambon Falls

 Resumed trek. The trail is very straightforward and well established. There are also huts every now and then so you can rest and ask for directions if you feel that you are lost. I doubt you will. Shades from trees are also better in this part of the trek.

1400 ETA at a house and halo halo. There is a water source here and a halo halo stand. I believe there is also a comfort room. You don't really search for one when any excess water in your body has been drained by the heat and the trek. There is a comfortable wooden bench and table here so its an ideal place for eating lunch.

Water source and halo halo

1440 ETA at another hut. This time, they have Coconuts, Mountain Dew, Puto and pure Honey for sale. They also have a water source here. This is the last place where you could get a mountain dew or simple type of food so buy all you can if you came unprepared. Don't worry, there's a water source and a coconut station near the camp site..

1530 Photo opportunity or simply a chance to admire the sea. This place is shaded and windy and it's just a nice place to rest and look at the refereshing trees and the sea.

Joanne, she isn't resting because she's tired. I think she fell asleep while waiting for some of us to catch up. That's our runner right there.

1600 One more hut with wooden bench and a nice roof. I just thought I put this down in case you ever need a shelter in a storm.

1645 ETA coconut station manned by kids. There is also a wooden bench here and this is the intersection between the camps and the water source. To the right of this is where you will need to descend to get to the water source. Going left and up is where the other campsites and the summit are.

Desiree with food is a happy Desiree

1700 ETA Campsite. So that means it took us 6 hours from Brgy Hugom to this campsite of Mt. Daguldol with a side trip to Naambon Falls. Regular trek time is around 4-5 hours. We did enjoy our time at Naambon Falls.

I saw two other campsites on our way here. The first one is 5 minutes away from the last coconut station. The first camp has a water source and is well protected from the sun. Although, there aren't anything to see here. It still a nice place when you want to feel secluded and just be surrounded by trees and nature. The second one is also 5 minutes away from the last coconut station. We didn't checked it out anymore but I think it has the same properties as the third campsite. The third one is 5 minutes away from the second campsite. All of them have equal space enough to put 20 tents with out being too crowded. It can also get windy, cold and foggy so prepare your jacket if you're not used to this kind of temperature.

Third Campsite

And we reached the campsite just in time for the sunset.

View from Mt. Daguldol

Free time and socials. We were a large group so there were bound to be people who are just a natural at comedy and entertainment. Our very own coordinator took it unto himself to house the social. I bet other people that are not included in our group thought that there was a new comedy bar on the top of this mountain. The night was filled with food, drinks, talks of mountain adventures and equipments, tips and the like and a great deal of jokes and laughter. It was a nice night at Mt. Daguldol.

The next day, we just enjoyed our time at the camp and enjoyed the rest of the day swimming at Laiya beach before heading home. But that's a different story that you can read here.

Day 2 Feb 23 Sunday
0500 Wake up cal
0600 summit photo ops sunrise *optional*
0630 Breakfast
0700 Break Camp
0730 Start descend
1030 ETA Brgy Hugom
1100 swimming time
1200 Lunch (Hosted meal)
0100 swimming Ulit
0400 Prepare for departure
0500 ETD Brgy Hugom
0530 ETD San Juan Batangas. Bus
0900 ETA Cubao
1000 Home sweet Home!!!!!


Expenses in Peso:
850 - Event fee (includes all transfers, guide fee, registration fee, 2nd day lunch barbeque at the beach, use of cottage and comfort rooms)
165 Food and Supplies 
38 Breakfast
80 Pack Lunch
20 Coconut
25 Halo Halo
110 Pasalubong na naging Dinner na din
__________________________
1,288


Original itinerary was lifted from Hommer Pernia's Event Page
Day 1 Feb 22 Saturday
4:30 AM Meet up ALPS EDSA TERMINAL # 721 EDSA Southbound, Fronting Nepa Q-mart Brgy. Pinagkaisahan, Quezon City
05:00 AM ETD. Cubao. Bus. The ALPS Cubao Edsa Terminal
08:30 AM ETA San Juan, Batangas. ETD Brgy. Hugom. Chartered Jeep.
09:30 AM ETA Market Place. Breakfast
10:00 AM ETA Brgy Hugom. Secure guide and brgy fees
10:30 AM Start trekking
12:00 AM Naambon Falls (Lunch)
02:00 PM ETA Mang Lizardo's place
04:00 PM ETA Niyugan Campsite, Set Camp
05:30 PM Summit photo ops sunset
07:00 PM Dinner
08:00 PM Socials
11:00 Lights OFF???????

Day 2 Feb 23 Sunday
05:00 AM Wake up cal
06:00 AM summit photo ops sunrise *optional*
06:30 AM Breakfast
07:00 AM Break Camp
07:30 AM start descend
10:30 AM ETA Brgy Hugom
11:00 AM swimming time
12:00 PM Lunch (Hosted meal)
01:00 PM swimming Ulit
04:00 PM Prepare for departure
05:00 PM ETD Brgy Hugom
05:30 PM ETD San Juan Batangas. Bus
09:00 PM ETA Cubao
10:00 PM Home sweet Home!!!!!

20140119. Anawangin Traverse and Nagsasa Cove

Nagsasa Cove Chronicles

Nagsasa Cove under the setting sun

In summary, overnight at Nagsasa Cove is one of the best nights of my life. And it's one of the best 
beaches to experience nature. Personally, it's the only beach I've ever truly connected with nature. Even with the multitude of people huddled in bonfires scattered on the whole stretch of the beach, there was stillness and peace. And a quiet that you would yearn for every once in a while. I wouldn't mind going here every year. I can say that this is my favourite beach… so far.

We have explored and enjoyed trekking Mt. Pundaquit, relaxed and feasted on the beautiful and refreshing sceneries of Anawanging Cove. Now, I will tell you about the marvel that is Nagsasa Cove. Let me continue from where I left you in my Mt. Pundaquit to Anawangin Cove Traverse Chronicles entry.

Day 1

Smiling and hoping we get there before dark

The boat ride took 40 minutes but we didn't really noticed it because there was beauty everywhere you look. The feel of the mountains, the sea and rock formations were significantly different bathe under the setting sun. It was one of those magical scenes that only the perfect timing and nature can provide. It was gorgeous.

1700 Nagsasa Cove. At first glance, under what little light we still had, it was a twin of Anawangin Cove. I expected less people here but both beaches had the same adequate amount of people. Thankfully, it wasn't crowded at all. The encampment here feels more restrictive than in Anawangin. I saw four different campgrounds divided by bamboo walls which made it look smaller than it is. They say that it's for added security and so that caretakers can look after our things better. It was fine for me. Having a more secured place gave me peace of mind. Besides, we'll be able to go around the grounds better knowing that our things are safe.

We arrived at Nagsasa Cove an hour before the sky went dark. Enough time to make camp and to build our makeshift cooking area. It was already late so all of the camping area and tables near the sea were taken. I thought that those were the spots were I want to camp. Wouldn't that be your first choice too? Well, it's funny sometimes how we get the things we want even before we know we want it. I loved the spot were we ended up camping. This is our view.

Nagsasa Cove under the setting sun

Let me describe the encampment so you would know what to expect. There are around 12 opened huts with tables and benches. The overnight registration here cost P100 per head and renting a hut would only cost P100 for the whole group. There is a water source at the back of the camp. I was informed that this is coming from the mountains and that the locals here use it as drinking water. We've used this to cook our food along with the firewood that they sell for P150. There are also 3 comfort rooms and 4 separate areas where you can take a bath. A store is also situated at the back. They have most of the things that you might need. They even have tomato sauce and cold colas. Of course, the prices are almost doubled here.

I've always loved lying down on the ground and looking at the sky. So my description of the camp wouldn't be complete if I don't show you how the trees and the sky might look like if you lie down on the sand.

Laid back on the sand

Now that you are familiar with the site, let me proceed with our day. Just like I said, we arrived just before the sun completely left the sky. So we had to hurry build our camp and our makeshift cooking area. We dug on the sand, bought firewood, got a barbeque grill from the area, made our camp while being distracted and just staring every now and then at the glorious sun diving into the horizon.

Desiree fixing her tent

This huge open hut just cost us P100

Joanne, diligently learning how to set up a tent

Ranier trying to build a fire. Old school.

I've always known that you should always handle machetes with great care. But this was the day that I found out personally that you should never really hold a machete unless absolutely necessary. If you absolutely have to wield a machete here are two things to keep in mind: 1) Never ever strike a wood with your hands still pressed on the wood no matter how much dexterity you have -- or think you have. 2) Always make sure that the machete will hit something and would never swing outside your sight. I've almost lose my thumb and cleaved my right leg because I didn't know these two things. Thankfully, I've always asked and prayed for protection and safe travels. I am blessed to come out of this encounter in one piece.

We only explored a little of this place. We focused on building our little world in the corner of the encampment. When the fire for cooking was already stabled, it was time for the ladies to show off their cooking skills, while we build our bonfire on the beach! I will also never forget the kindness of our boatman Jonard or locally known as Nognog. He helped us chop the firewood when we were too busy doing others things and even gave us fresh fishes that we later cooked in our bonfire. Thank you very much!

What is a beach party, without spaghetti?

Fresh fish on the open fire

Barbeques, spaghetti, the sand, the surf, the sea and open fires.

The view of the sky taken from my point and shoot camera. I need a DSLR someday.

And there we were, with our backs on the soft sand. Some were curled towards the warmth of the bonfire. The sea breeze was gentle and cool. The combination was so perfect that all of my companions drifted off to the world of the dreaming. I struggled to stay awake. I skirmished to remember every detail of that night, watching the sparks take flight from the fire, seeing the waxing and waning of the surf illuminated by the resplendent moon. I tried to commit to memory the field of stars that were above us and the dancing of flames from several bonfires. This filled the beach with a multitude of lights swaying from all directions. I took in the scent of the sea and the coolness of the air and the whole world in front of me, for I knew that from then on, I will always remember that night as one of the best night of my life.

Day 2

0800 Wake up call. The main agenda for today is to explore Nagsasa Cove. Everyone was intent in doing this that we forgot breakfast. We went to the  right side of the cove, facing the sea. It was advised by the boatmen that there would be more sights to see here. We would've risen earlier to go on a trek to the small falls near the cove but the boatmen also said that it was almost dried at the moment. They told me that there is also a big falls that is more than an hour away. I didn't opt to take this since we initially planned to go to Capones Lighthouse and since I saw how beautiful Nagsasa Cove is. I was determined to enjoy the beach, the rock formations, the sea, the sandbars, and the lake that used several mountains as its backdrop and the enchanting horizon. It was a wonder to behold.

Commence exploration

The sand between the lake and the sea

Along the way, we saw a small shark that looked like it has been washed ashore for quite sometime. It was about an arm long and has the same features as the gentle giants of the sea. The Whale sharks that I've encountered in Donsol, Bicol. The white spots were also very prominent in its body. I'm not entirely sure what family it belonged to since there were visible teeth and I've never seen a Whale shark that has visible teeth. I could be wrong though. I have to check this out when I visit the Whale sharks of Oslob, Cebu.

I wonder how this small shark got there? Is the sea near Nagsasa Cove their natural home? Maybe it is a baby whale shark and their checking out the Northern parts of Luzon where they can make a new home. They love the weather here in the Philippines, afterall. I was sorely tempted to take it home but I decided to leave it at the hut where we stayed. I hope they display it and perhaps someone more knowledgeable would find it and explore the answers to my questions.

We arrived at the sandbar that the locals have mentioned but at this time, it was only visible when the waves recede. Still, it was a nice experience to walk here.

The beautiful landscape in standstill

Happy Joanne! Hugging the view again!

That's me climbing rocks

Joanne sometimes has this funny expression. I don't really know what she's thinking.

Again, climbing rocks

The two ladies laughing and swimming in the clear waters of Nagsasa

1000 And so we left the ladies in their entertainment and head back to our camp to prepare our Lunch. We picked a few firewood along the way, never expect to find any of them on your stay here since it's scarce and some of them are wet. It was our turn to cook. And when Ranier does it. He do it Master Chef style.

Ranier having just developed a new technique of cooking using bamboo sticks

The two ladies chilling while waiting for food

Special fried rice, meat loaf and then some

Around this time, you can also trek to the Waterfalls especially if it's the rainy season. But like I said earlier, we've decided to enjoy Nagsasa Cove to the very last moment.

This is our camp

The sound of the waves and the winds, relaxation at its finest

Lost at sea

1500 By this time, we had to break camp and leave the island if we want to be able to go to Capones and Camara. We prepared to leave and paid the registration. We said our farewells and "see you soon"s to Nagsasa Cove.

with the kindest, most accommodating boatman, Jonard/Nognog

1530 Board Boat. Attempted to go to Capones and Camara but the waves were so huge that I thought there was a professional surfing competition being held. Our boat was too small to brave the waves. I was informed that a bigger boat would be able to take them on. But we were only four, and the bigger the boat, the larger the cost. In any event, I will remember this for when we go back here. If you've already been to Anawangin Cove and have explored Nagsasa Cove and you really really want to go on an island hopping even if you are only using a small boat, the best time to do this is early in the morning. You have to leave by 7AM and hope that the winds and waves will be kind to you. One of the things that you should also know is, if you are riding a small boat. You would never escape getting wet. It's better to just wash up when you get to Brgy. Pundaquit.

The island hopping attempt was foiled. But it wasn't just a simple boat ride. It was a magnificent show of nature. The trip from Nagsasa Cove to Brgy Pundaquit was filled with beautiful rock formations, secret coves, mysterious caves that begged to be explored and the mountain ranges of Zambales. Even from the distance the constant sight of Capones Island was tempting and kept on reminding me that we should go back there... and we will. One of the things that surprised me is a flying fish. I know it's a normal sight when you are riding a boat, but this one is awesome. I saw it fly/glide from the highest point that looked like more than 12 feet! I thought they only knew how to jump and skip on the surface of the water. This is the first time that I've actually seen one that seemingly flied. It was only for an instant and it surprised me that I had to look at my companions to confirm what I saw. I've seen a group of jumping wild Tunas and Dolphins before, but this was even cooler!

The horizon under the afternoon sun

1630 Brgy. Pundaquit. Walked to Ma'am Alice's house. Wash up. Paid the boat fee . Don't forget your to tip your boatman, they work really hard and are very kind to their passengers.

Brgy. Pundaquit Beach

1810 ETD. Tricycle. Brgy. Pundaquit to San Antonio

1830 San Antonio Municipal Hall. Dinner. If you arrive here earlier than we did, they say that there are a lot of canteens near in the market. Otherwise, the nearest food place will be 7-11 Convenient store. But we were determined to try the cooking skills of the locals at San Antonio so we decided to ask around some more. Just 10 minute walk away from 7-11 are a line of canteens. This would be behind the plaza on the left side when you are coming from 7-11. I think their specialty is goto. They refill their huge tub every 10 minutes because people kept on ordering them. Ranier and Joanne confirmed that the Goto was excellent. I wasn't able to try this anymore because I was already satisfied with my order of Sisig and Bicol Express.

I think they really loved their goto

1930 ETD. Bus. Ordinary. San Antonio to Olongapo.
We've waited for a bus heading directly to Cubao. But it was a Sunday night so the waiting proved to be futile. All of the buses were already filled with some people already standing in the middle. It will be a four hour bus ride so we wanted to have a seat at least. We just decided on taking the Victory Liner Bus again bound for Olongapo.

2030 Olongapo Victory Liner Bus Terminal. Same as the one in Cubao, Buses here leaves at least every 30 minutes or when the bus gets filled. Since it was the peak season, two buses bound for Cubao already left the terminal in just the 20 minutes that we were there.

2045 ETD. Bus. Regular AC. Olongapo to Cubao.

2345 Cubao Victory Liner Terminal.

Nagsasa Cove will always have a special place in my heart. I might go here once a year and introduce it to my other friends whenever I can. This place felt like home.

Estimated List of Expenses in PHP:

201.5 Food and supplies

212 Bus. Regular AC. Cubao to Olongapo. 3AM First Trip

44 Bus. Ordinary. Olongapo to San Antonio

54 Breakfast and Coffee. 7-11 San Antonio

125 Trek Guide - P500/4

50 Anawangin Cove Registration. Day trip

37.5 Firewood - P150/Bundle

100 Nagsasa Cove Registration. Overnight trip

25 Nagsasa Cove Hut Rental. P100/4

400 Small Boat for 4. Anawangin to Nagsasa. Nagsasa to Pundaquit. P1600/4

50 Boatman tip (P200/4)

20 Tricycle. Pundaquit to San Antonio Municipal Hall

50 Dinner at San Antonio

44 Bus. Ordinary. San Antonio to Olongapo

207 Bus. Regular AC. Olongapo to Manila

__________________________________

Total: P1620

Itinerary:

Day 1

0300 Assembly at Cubao Victory Liner Bus Terminal

0330 ETD. Bus. Regular AC. Cubao to Olongapo

0630 Olongapo Victory Liner Bus Terminal

0645 ETD. Bus. Ordinary. Olongapo to San Antonio

0750 San Antonio. Breakfast at 7-11. Waited for service

0815 Wet Market. Bought meat and condiments

0845 Brgy. Pundaquit. Jump off

0850 Met with Jong our guide for the trek. Start trek Mt. Pundaquit

0910 Dried River bed

1000 Tree with trail sign

1050 Summit. Took our time to capture the moment

1130 Start descent

1245 Dried river bed

1305 Forest

1330 Anawangin Cove. Lunch. Explore Anawangin Cove and Rock Formation

1620 ETD. Boat. Anawangin Cove to Nagsasa Cove. Paid registration

1700 Nagsasa Cove. Make camp.

Prepare firewood and makeshift cooking area.

Explore. Relax. Dinner. Bonfire. Lied down at the beach

Day 2

0800 Wake up call. Explore. Forget Breakfast. Swim. Climb rock formations

0800 Lunch. Lazed around. You can trek to the Waterfalls especially if it's the rainy season

1500 Break camp. Paid registration

1530 Board Boat. Attempted to go to Capones and Camara but the waves were so huge that I thought there was a professional surfing competition being held

1630 Brgy. Pundaquit. Wash up

1810 ETD. Tricycle. Brgy. Pundaquit to San Antonio

1830 San Antonio Municipal Hall. Dinner.

1930 ETD. Bus. Ordinary. San Antonio to Olongapo

2030 Olongapo Victory Liner Bus Terminal

2045 ETD. Bus. Regular AC. Olongapo to Cubao

2345 Cubao Victory Liner Terminal

Helpful links:

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anawangin-Nagsasa-Travel-and-Tour-Package/106866556073958

 http://www.adaphobic.com/philippines/zambales/a-complete-travel-guide-to-nagsasa-anawangin-and-capones-sample-itineraries/

http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2008/04/anawangin-cove-via-mt-pundaquit-464.html

http://www.lakwatsero.com/destinations/nagsasa-cove/ 

http://www.thepinaysolobackpacker.com/anawangin-capones-and-camara-travel-guide/

http://vacacionista.wordpress.com/tag/nagsasa/