HAPPY CAMPER WENT TO PALAUI: JONEL YU MENDOZA (FEATURED TRAVELER)

Palaui Island nestles at the the northwestern part of Cagayan Province, a newly discovered booming tourist spot after  survivor US filmed some of their episode there. The place also homed Anguib beach a pristine white sand beach who offered  calm cool water and wonderful view that will make you want to stay and is also part of Cagayan Special Economic Zone.One of my friend experienced this wonderful paradise and he shared to me his experiences and adventures in this beautiful place.Jonel Yu Mendoza a certified back packer who loves to travel with random people and always ready to face adventures and discover new places that is not inhabited or some remote island. He shares to me his memorable experience at the Island of Palaui.

Here is my interview with Jonel.

Me: Which place did you visited?

Jonel: Palaui Island in Santa Ana Cagayan

Me: What can you say about the place?

Jonel: I am so speechless I am enchated by the beauty of the place  and after my experience there I watch all the episode of survivor US ,Blood versus water and I now understand why they choose the place to shoot their episodes.The place is really jaw dropping and I really had amazing experience with the place.

Me: What are some of the Highlights of the place?

Jonel: There are few highlights of the place like the sands it is so fine like the sands in Boracay and the water is so pristine and it is a nice place  if you want some peace and if you want to meditate. I also like mangapit suspension bridge because it is like the Golden Gate bridge of the Philippines.

Me: can you share some memorable experience about the place.

Jonel: I've been to a lot of beaches with sand bars but the sand bars in Palaui is one of the most beautiful sandbars I've ever seen and also I cannot forget the light house there,it is called Cape Engano , where it is locate at the top of the hill and it provides a really good view  of the island .I also can't forget the hospitality of the people there and their eagerness to show you around. I actually travel alone but after spending some time in the place I gained new friends both tourist and locals and I guess the friendship that I built during my trip is what I can say the most memorabe experience to me.(provides a 360- degree view of babuyan Island and the Dos hermanas Island (Two Sisters) on the North , Pacific Ocean on the West and Engano cove on the East.) 

According to Jonel one day is not enough to visit the place, it's like you just want to stay there . The place is suitable to those people who love sands,sun and serenity.The place is not yet commercialized so you really have to prepare your camping equipments because there in no accommodation on site . The place is a haven  and a perfect place to people who wants to  beach bum.

ABOUT JONEL:

Full time relationship manager and part time traveler, he also arrange itineraries for guest and a great tour guide for tourist who wants to just backpack and camp. he's been to so many places especially those newly discovered  island destination and beach here in the Philippines and he is comfortable traveling with random people.

QUICK WEEKEND GETAWAY TO CAGBALETE ISLAND

Cagbalete Island:Boracay of the Pacific as one of my travel buddy called it for its water is towards Pacific ocean. A paradise just near Manila with  its turquoise water and white sands, there's no need to go far to experience an island escape.

Our trip to Cagbalete island is just a quick weekend getaway we left Manila Friday evening and since I am a Local of Tiaong Quezon we decided to stay at Tiaong Friday night and started our journey going to Mauban Saturday morning we thought we couldn't make it to the passenger boat for according to some articles the passenger boat only have  two schedule one at 10 am and 1 pm and if that happens we have to either take the 1pm boat or arrange for a private trip which will cost us 2000-3000 but luckily during weekends the passenger boat departs every 30 minutes .

We planned this trip for almost a month but I forgot to reserve a room for I thought it would be easy to get one so a week before our trip I called 5 resorts Dona Choleng,Villa Cleofas, Pensacola Beach resort,Joven's Blue Sea beach resort and MVT Sto. Nino beach resort but unfortunately they are fully booked during that weekend so we don't have any choice than to camp, so if you wanted to get a room it is advisable to book in advance, the good thing about resorts here is that they have common CR and common cooking area and they also provide lights to campers starting 6 pm up to 6 am.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FOR DIY CAGBALETE TRIP

From Manila take the bus going to Lucena  from LRT taft station or Cubao station,if you're going to take the Lucena grand terminal bus they are going to drop you off to Grand terminal where there are bus and UV express going to Mauban  (bus fare is MLA- Lucena is around 210 php)since we have to go to Mauban market to buy some stuff we needed for the trip so we took the bus ride. Again you have 2 options going to Mauban by bus or by UV express.

• BUS- drop off is at Mauban bus terminal that you have to  take a tricycle ride going to their registration place then after that another trycicle ride to sabang port. (bus fare is 54 php plus tricycle ride is 10 php per person or 40php if yu are a s 
• UV express- UV express goes directly to Sabang Port (van fare is 70 php)

At  the registration you have to pay 50 php its for tourism fee and they are going to  provide you with a brochure guide to Mauban Quezon, then someone will guide you to the trike area, actually the boat dock is just near the registration area it's about just one block so you can walk going to the dock.

your guide to Mauban Quezon

At the sabang port you can take the passenger boat  (fare is 50 php) or the private boat which will cost you around 2000php to 3000php, to lessen our trip cost we decided to take the passenger boat but be ready it can be really crowded during weekends.

passenger boat during weekends

At the island there are several resorts you can choose from but have them book in advance the good thing about rooms in this resort is that they are really affordable imagine a kubo that can accomodate up to 12 pax can only cost 3500 php. We decided to stay in Pansacola Beach Resort  which is located at the tip of the Island .

Maps of resorts

Once you arrive through passenger boat you have to do a 15 mins trek to your resort, there are guides who will assist you and can recommend resorts for you since the closet resort to the Port is the Pansacola we stayed their and we brought our own tent so entrance for Pansacola is 200php and you have to pay 200php to set up you own tent and 500 php if you are going to rent their tent. They only have electric power from 6pm - 6am they have power outlets where you can charge your phone.

trekking going to resort

If you are a thrifty traveler you can bring your own foods or you can cook there, they have a common cooking area you just have to buy charcoal for 35php and if you dont have cooking utensils you can rent with them for 50 php. It is advisable to bring canned goods so you don't have to cook. There is also a lot of vendors there who sell ice buko, panutsa even pinagong . There's a sari sari store there run by resort's owner for Pensacola Ate Fe and Kuya Rommel they are nice. For travelers who who don't feel bringing your food the resort also offers meal plan for 820 php per pax it includes 3 meals and 2 snacks. 

There's also some activities you can try like beach volleyball and island hopping Kuya guide offered island hopping  for 150 php and its unlimited time, he told us island hopping is only for 1 hour but since it's kinda late in the afternoon so it's going to be unlimited and they brought us to Yang In where during low tide you can see some sand bars, they also brought us to the river where the mangroves are and to corals area where we did some snorkeling. At night the resort have fire dancers and fireworks displays and after that there's a bonfire where you can just chill out at the seashore  and do some stargazing.

Watch this short youtube video created by my friend akkim, this will showcase the beauty of Cagbalete Island

The place is really nice  with its white sands  the only thing is that the water is so shallow  and there is a lot of seaweeds near the seashore so it is advisable that you take advantage of high tide or walk a bit far from the shore, and resorts are far from each other It took me like 10 minutes walk from Pensacola to Dona Choleng and guess what there is also an island cemetery there and I feel it kinda creepy but you're going to be awed by the beauty of the place.

 So you really don't have to spend that much having a great vacation and  amazing beach experience approximately we just spent 1500 php all in for this trip.

photo credits from

Akkim

Marc

Rochie

Kuwebang Lagpas

PRE SUMMER TRIP TO KUWEBANG LAGPAS

We are starting to feel the summer heat and we are having that great urge to dive in the water and looking forward to have that sun kissed skin, most of us really like the summer season for this is our chance to have that relaxing out of town getaway.

My soul is looking for an adventure so I grabbed my backpack and went to a place just within my province... Quezon. I am a native of Quezon but I just recently found out that there are some really good place in  my province and one of them is Kuwebang lagpas in Pagbilao Quezon.

Kuwebang Lagpas is located in Brg. Polo in Pagbilao Quezon  it is approximately 3-4 hours travel from Manila depending on the mode of transportation you are going to use. My friends and I went there last February but since we have to travel going to Quezon after work we decided to stay in Tiaong Quezon, my hometown for the night so we can  just travel early going to Pagbilao, but if you will originate from Manila its best to travel around 2am. From Manila you can ride a bus at LRT Buendia or Cubao station going to Lucena City be sure that the bus sign is Lucena grand terminal because there is where all the jeepney going to Pagbilao is (some bus going o Lucena have their final stop in SM dalahican). The bus fare from LRT Buendia going to Lucena city is 220 php, At the grand terminal theres some fastfood there and carinderia so if you want to have a quick breakfast you can just choose there where to eat.then at the grand terminal there are  Jeepneys  going to Pagbilao fare is 12 php and the jeepney will drop you off the Pagbilao market so if you want to buy some stuff like drinking water, paper plates  and canned goods you can just buy it there although there is a sari sari store at the island still its best to buy stuff you need at the market , next you have to ride a tricycle going to Isla Polo the fare is 300 php you may think its pricey but its been a 45 minutes tricycle ride going to the island so it is just worth the price, though the travel is long you can just enjoy the beauty of nature so you can grab your camera and start taking some pictures . The island is just near Pagbilao power plant and you can take a selfie with the power plant tower, so at isla polo you have to ride a boat it is just a 2 minutes ride because they will just take you to the other side of the water.

The fare for the boat is 25 php that is roundtrip but we paid 185 including the entrance for the for an overnight stay at the beach, after the boat ride you should be ready for a 5 minutes trek advisable to wear comfortable footwear some of the stones are pointed so you have to be really careful. 

hiking going to the place

But all the travelling is really nothing compare to the beauty of the place it is so picturesque, you can feel the calmness of the sea and the sea water is quite cool unlike with other beaches that their water is somehow warm so to set your expectation there is no hotel there you should sleep inside the tent though they have open cottages but its is a great experience camping at the beach if you don't have tent you can rent their tent for 300php and it can fit 4 but if you want to rent the cottage that is fo 350php, so the place have restrooms there is separate restrooms for ladies and gents but if you want to take a bath there like a batalan there (old fashioned restrooms where you can find in the province just walls no roof and no door it is made of coconut palm) and you have to buy water that you can use for bathing it cost 50php per container best advice stay at the beach water and just take a bath when you don't have any plans of swimming again. The island only have power supply during the night but still there is no lamp post there so you have to bring flaslight .  You can cook there but you have to bring your own cooking utensil so its best to bring  cooked food there and canned goods again don't forget to bring drinking water, if you want to grill fish and meat you also have to bring your own grill, bonfire is not allowed for it may damage the sand , so when we decided to toast marshmallow we just toast it using a lighter, also bring mosquito repellent to avoid mosquito bite at night.

The island is really beautiful  you can swim all day with its cool water or explore the cave, you can chill there and maybe have a few drink inside, the other part of the cave is not advisable for swimming  because theres a lot of sea urchins there and besides some part of the water's floor is rock so not really sure which part is deep. You can also do snorkeling and there is no bar in there so you have to bring your own liquor  and at night you can go star gazing.

Few Notes:

• theres an alternative route going to the island you can ride a boat from jeepney stop to island but it cost more.
• Coordinate with the island caretaker her name is Gemma they don't allow other boat that is not affiliated with them her number is 09475911630

Pictures of the Island