Book your flight bound to Cebu. From there, ride Mybus to Sm Cebu. Transfer to another bus going to South Bus Terminal. Upon arriving, look for the bus bound to Moalboal.
You can also book a grab bound directly to South bus terminal from Mactan airport.
Itinerary:
Day 1
8am: ETA NAIA
9:15am: ETA Mactan Airport
9:40am: ETD airport
10:10am: ETA SM Cebu
10:30am- ETD SM Cebu
10:45am- ETA South Bus Terminal
11:10am-ETD Bus terminal
2:30pm-ETA Moalboal, check-in at Nicco’s Place, rest
5pm-sunset at Panagsama beach
7pm-Boodle fight
Day 1 Expenses:
50-bus from airport to Sm Cebu
25- bus from sm to south bus terminal
156- bus to Moalboal
450-dorm type ac room at Nicco’s place
Contacts: Niccolo Stevens or Nicco’s Place in Facebook
Day 2:
8am- stretching, breathing exercises
9am- start of dive (Panagsama beach- Sardines Run and Nicco’s secret spot)
1pm- end of dive, clean up, check-in at Hostel Panagsama
2pm- late lunch at Ven’z Kitchen
5pm- sunset at Ester’s Bar
7pm- dinner at Altrove
Day 2 Expenses:
950- dive trip with Nicco
400- Dorm type ac room at Hostel Panagsama
Contacts: Inday Ayala- (0915) 258 0859
Day 3:
7am- Sardines Run again
8:30am- breakfast at Chief Mau
9:30am- go to White Beach
11am-clean up, check out
12noon- lunch at Smooth Café
1pm-ETD Moalboal
3:30pm- ETA at Lagunde, Oslob, check-in at Luzmin BH Cottages
Note: Not recommended! ang layo sa Tan-awan kung nasan yung whale sharks. Tapos yung accommodation, dadaan pa sa mga supplies ng hardware bago makadating sa cr 😱
Day 3 Expenses
100-rt tricycle fare to and fromWhite beach
50- tricycle to bus terminal from Panagsama Hostel
102-bus from moalboal to bato terminal
46-bato to lagunde, oslob
250- bamboo fan room (good for 4pax)
Day 4:
7am- ETA Tan-awan, Oslob
Instead of freediving with the whale sharks, we just lazed around the beach area. The locals are feeding them that’s why they kept on staying near the surface. They acquired their scars when bumping against the boats of the locals who are feeding them 😱
11am- check out, ETD Oslob
3pm- ETA South Bus Terminal, super late lunch(patay gutom na ko!)
4pm- Check in at Island Breeze Hostel
4:30pm- Bought danggit at Taboan(yun pala malapit lang sa south bus terminal. dapat pala bumili na muna bago nag check in
7pm- dinner at Choobi Choobi 😋😋
Day 4 Expenses:
190-bus from Oslob to South bus terminal
60- 180/3 grab from south bus terminal to island breeze hostel
360- 1080/3 overnight stay at island breeze hostel
30-jeep to Taboan, buy danggit
40- 120/3 grab to Choobi Choobi 😋
Day 5:
10am-ETD Mactan Airport
11:30am- ETA Naia T3
Day 5 Expenses:
120- grab from hostel to Mybus terminal in SM Cebu
50- bus to Mactan airport
Computed expenses excluding airfare and food: 3429 pesos
You can hand carry your fins as long as you are using thin mesh bag :))
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Option 1- Book a flight bound to Surigao then ride a tricyle to Surigao port. Locals call it Boulevard. Ride a boat bound to San Jose port in Dinagat island.
Option 2- Book a flight bound to Butuan (cheaper). Look for vans outside the airport bound to Surigao terminal. Ride a tricycle going to Surigao port or Boulevard then look for a boat bound to San Jose port.
ITINERARY
Day 1:
7am-ETA Butuan airport
7:20am-ETD Airport
9:40am-ETA Surigao Terminal, breakfast
10:20am- ETA Boulevard(Port)
10:40am-ETD Boulevard port
11:40am-ETA San Jose Port (Dinagat Island)
12:10- ETA Duyos Island, Check in, relax
9pm- Lights out
Note: There are two ports bound to Dinagat Island. Make sure to ride the boat going to San Jose port
Boat Schedule
Boulevard- San Jose Port
5:30am – first trip
6:30pm – last trip
San Jose Port- Boulevard
5:30 am – first trip
5:30 pm – last trip
*Note: There are daily trips to San Jose port and the boat departs every hour
Day 2
6:10am- ETD Duyos island
7am- ETA Lake Bababu, orientation, start trek
8am- ETA Lake
11am- ETD Lake
12noon- ETA Pangabangan Tidal Pool
1:10pm- ETD Pangabangan
1:35pm- ETA Punta Villa Beach Resort, start freediving
2:30pm- ETD Punta Villa
4:30pm- ETA San Jose Port
6pm- ETA Surigao Port, dinner
Day 3
2am- ETD Surigao terminal
6:30am-ETA Tandag terminal, breakfast
7:30am- ETD Tandag
8:50am-ETA Salvation, jump off to Britania group of islands
9:20am- Start of island hopping
◦ Hagonoy Island
◦ Naked island
◦ Buslon Island
◦ Hiyur Hiyuran Island
5pm-End of island hopping, clean up, dinner
6pm-ETD Britania
7pm-ETA Barobo
8pm- ETA Hinatuan, check in at Marky’s Hostel
*Note: There is no direct trip from Britania to Hinatuan so we needed to ride the bus bound to Barobo Terminal and catch the bus to Hinatuan
Day 4
7am- ETD Marky’s hostel
7:40am- ETA Enchanted River
8am- Start of Island hopping (Fetchita’s resort, Sibadan, Rock Island)
10:30am- end of island hopping
11am- check out at Marky’s Hostel
11:30am- ETA Hinatuan Terminal
12:30pm- ETA Barobo, start of island hopping
◦ Vanishing island
◦ Cabgan island
◦ Turtle island
4pm- end of island hopping, wash up
4:30pm-ETD Hinatuan
8pm- ETA Butuan, go home
*Note: People usually use the Fish port as their jump off point but we opted to go to Haga port. The minimun boat rental for the island hopping at the Fish port is 2k but we were able to haggle the price when we arrived in Haga
EXPENSES:
*Note: Some of the expenses were divided by two since I came with my friend
Expenses Day 1
250- Van to Surigao Terminal
100- Tricycle from Surigao Terminal to Boulevard (Good for 7 pax)
120- boat fare to Dinagat
1k- (500 each for accommodation 2 pax)
3500- (1750 each for 2 pax) island hopping for 2 days (8 destinations) good for 6pax
Expenses for Day 2:
Lake Bababu
300- (150 each)guide fee
10- beach entrance
25- entrance to lake
Pangabangan Tidal Pool
10-beach entrance
20-tidal pool
Punta villa
20-beach entrance
120- boat fare from San Jose port to Surigao port
100-(50 each) tricycle from Surigao port to terminal
Expenses for Day 3:
250- van from surigao to tandag
80-van from tandag to salvacion, britania
30-tricycle from salvacion highway to jump off point
1k- (500 each)island hopping
50-entrance fee to britania
30-entrance to runway
30- tricycle from britania to salvacion
400-(200 each) accommodation per night at Marky’s
Expenses for Day 4
400- (200 each) tricycle to Enchanted River (good for 3)
500- (250 each) boat to island hopping(good for 5pax)
20- Entrance at Fetchita’s
20- Entrance at Sibadan
110- Bus from Hinatuan to Barobo
80- (40 each) tricycle to Haga port (jump off point of Barobo island hopping)
1300- (650 each) Barobo island hopping
80-(40 each) tricycle to barobo terminal
173- bus to butuan
150-(75 each) tricycle to airport
Total for 1 pax= 6218 excluding airfare and food
CONTACT NUMBERS:
SURIGAO DEL NORTE
Dinagat Island
Boatman for island hopping (Kuya Dadong Balele)- 09484559773
Lake Bababu- 09382558957, 09301393172, 09506409520
Duyos Island- 09090668104
SURIGAO DEL SUR
Britania Group of Islands
Boatman for island hopping (Micko)- 09354761635
Tourism- 09107378689, 09197042380
List of Resorts/ Accommodations in Britania (Room Rates)
Oasis- 09461594357
10pax-2500
20pax-5k
2pax-1500
YSha’s -09214829523
14 pax-3500
10pax-3k
8pax-2k
4pax-2k
Viel’s- 09105525717, 09278562427
2pax-1500
10pax-3500
free wifi
cooking area
no corkage
Optional:
Bonbon Beach-1k entrance
2k room per night good for 30 pax
2 persons- 1500
Hinatuan
Marky’s Hostel- 09284397785, 09053879319
Barobo
Tricycle- 09105794192
Boatman for island hopping- 09469953698
THINGS TO KNOW:
In Dinagat Island
Duyos island has their own generator
We had to pay 50 pesos for every meal they will cook (ex. boiled eggs, pancit canton)
There is one store in the island and the products are not overpriced 🙂
It’s better to bring your own food since there is no restaurant in the island.
Punta Villa Beach Resort has beautiful corals a few meters away from the shore.
It will take around 1 hour to reach Lake Bababu. It has an underwater cave and for freedivers, you will notice a change in temperature when you reach around 5 meters below. The water suddenly gets warmer.
There is signal for Globe subscribers but the data connection is weak around the accommodation area. It’s better to stay near the docking area for stronger connection.
In Britania group of islands:
Hagonoy Island is the most beautiful among the 4 islands included in the island hopping. It’s also the furthest. The locals usually stay longer at Buslon island (nearest). So it’s better to go to Hagonoy island first.
In Enchanted River:
It’s better to arrive in Enchanted River by 7:30am especially during weekends. They said it opens by 8am but that’s because the shuttle starts sending people to the river starting that time. It’s around 10-15 minutes walk.
For drone pilots, they don’t allow anyone to fly their drones around the river’s vicinity. There was an incident in which one of the guests was injured that’s why they were strict about it.
You can go to the nearest resort, White Blue Resort, located just outside the docking port for island hopping to fly your drones. Mine took 350-400 meters (distance) to reach the river. There are wires above the river so its better to fly your drone around 70 meters altitude just to be safe.
For freedivers, no one is allowed to dive in the left side of the river anymore 😦 They assigned an area in the right side where people can swim. It actually looks like a lap pool in there.
In Barobo:
There are people in the terminal who will charge too much for your fare. Contact the number above and check the usual rate 🙂
For freedivers, they mentioned a good marine life in Westlife, Cabgan but we weren’t able to go there due to swimsuit malfunction 😱😭
There are cheap inns a few meters away from Barobo terminal.
Balabac is located in the southern part of Palawan. You will need to book your flight to Puerto Princesa and from there, you have two options to reach Balabac.
How to go to Balabac?
Option 1:
From PPS airport, ride a tricycle to San Jose Terminal. Find a van or bus that will go to Rio Tuba. There are daily trips as early as 4am to 9pm. Travel time is around 5-6 hours. This is not the option I chose but from what I heard, the vans and buses will not send you directly to Rio Tuba Port. Rather, they will drop you off at Rio Tuba terminal then you will need to ride another tricycle to reach the port.
There is no fix schedule of the passenger boat from Rio Tuba going to Balabac mainland because the trips depend on sea condition. It is advised to arrive at the port as early as 10am. Travel time is 4hrs and the fare for one way is around 450.
Option 2:
Rent a private van that will fetch you anywhere you chose in Puerto Princesa and send you directly to Buliluyan Port. That’s what we did and it was very convenient. The driver also picked us up from Buliluyan port after our tour then send us back to Puerto Princesa.
Note: Our group has 16 members
ITINERARY
Day 0
11pm-ETD PPS Baywalk, we also ate our dinner here
Look for Boyet sa Baywalk food stand. Ang sarap ng luto nila dito! 😋😋
5am- ETA Buliluyan Port
Day 1
9:20- ETD Buliluyan Port, start of island hopping
10am- ETA Tangkahan Island
11:30am- ETA Patawan Island
2pm- ETA Candaraman island, end of island hopping, set up camp
11pm- Lights out
Day 2
7am-ETD Candaraman island, start of island hopping
7:15am- ETA Starfish sandbar
8:30am- ETA Canibugan Island
10am- ETA Mansalangan Sandbar
12noon- ETA Sebaring Island, lunch
This island has one of the finest sand that I have ever touched! Mukang mas fine pa siguro sa Boracay.
4:30pm- End of island hopping, ETA campsite (Candaraman island)
12midnight- Lights out
Day 3
6am-ETD Candaraman island
6:15am- ETA Starfish sandbar
9am- ETA Onuk Island
3pm-ETD Onuk
So far, Onuk Island is the most beautiful island that I have ever been. Please consider that I’ve been to some beautiful places such as Maldives, Bali, Phuket and a lot of beaches here in the Philippines but for me, it holds the crown 👸🏼
4:30pm- ETA Sicsican island
5:30pm- ETA Candaraman island, sunset
11pm- Lights out
Note: We saw a really large turtle on our way to Sicsican island from Onuk island. You might want to prepare your cameras.
Day 4
7:30am -ETD Candaraman Island
10am- ETA Buliluyan port
11am -ETD Buliluyan port
6pm-ETA Puerto Princes, check-in at Victoria’s Inn
Note: There is water shortage in this inn and the staff is not accommodating. You can also book a late flight to lessen your expenses instead of staying another night in PPS.
Day 5
9:30am- Check out, pass by Pasalubong Center to buy crocodile sisig
10:15am- ETA PPS airport
EXPENSES
Expenses for Day 1:
750- Van fare from PPS to Buliluyan port
Note: We are 16 in our group and we hired 2 vans. We paid each van 6000 for one way trip ride. (PPS-Buliluyan port)
1500- island hopping rate per day inclusive of meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and tent
100- entrance fee at Tangkahan island
100- entrance fee at Patawan island
100- entrance fee at Candaraman island
100- overnight fee at Candaraman island
100- *optional, rent for mattress per night
150- *optional, room rate per pax/ night
Note: We decided to do a DIY trip but I will include a package rate and inclusions from our contacts later 🙂 Also, rates are allocated per pax not group. Nakasulat na ha. Baka may magtatanong nanaman. hahaha
Expenses for Day 2:
1500- island hopping, 3 meals and tent
100- overnight fee at Candaraman island
100- entrance fee at Canibugan island
100- entrance fee at Mansalangan sandbar
150- entrance fee at Sebaring island
32- cottage fee at Sebaring (500 pesos/ 16 pax)
100- *optional, rent for mattress per night
Expenses for Day 3:
1500- island hopping fee, tent, 3 meals
1500- Entrance fee at Onuk island
100- Entrance fee at Sicsican island
100- *optional, rent for mattress per night
Note: If you want to stay overnight at Onuk island, you’ll need to pay 3500 inclusive of entrance fee, overnight fee, room accommodations and 3 meals. If you want to extend your stay for let’s say another 2 nights, you’ll only need to add 500 per night.
Expenses for Day 4:
750- Van from Buliluyan port to PPS
400- Overnight rate inclusive of breakfast
Expenses for Day 5:
100- Fare to airport from Victoria’s Inn
Note: Terminal fee in PPS is included in flight fare
I forgot to mention, it was Kuya Aying’s (owner of travel agency) birthday when we went to Balabac and he served us lechon and a lot more! I was too excited to eat, this was the only picture that I was able to take 😱🤣🤣
TOTAL EXPENSES: 9282 (exclusive of airfare and souvenirs
CONTACTS:
Another option is to contact Kuya Aying to avail his package tour instead of DIY.
Kuya Aying: 09291658328, 09978207801
All-IN PACKAGE for 3 days and 2 nights tour:
Rates:
10k for 5-7pax
9500 for 8-10 pax
9k for 11-15pax
Inclusive of:
• PPS-Buliluyan Port-PPS van transfer
• Island hopping min of 3 islands per day (max of 16pax/boat) depende sa weather yung Pink Island
• 3 meals per day, at least 2 viands
• island entrances + overnight charges
• onuk entrance
Exclusive:
•Overnight fee at Onuk: 3500
Note: Super accommodating ni kuya tsaka asawa nya kaya ask lang kayo baka pwede pang bawasan yung rate ☺️ Baka lang naman. haha
Organizer of our group:
Joel Yanto Grefiel- 09987733213
He made our tour very convenient ☺️☺️ You can contact him for more details
Boatmen/ tour guides:
Junjun Jobilo – 09127820004, 09958763737
Francis Rabulan – 09280532697, 09061855788
Contact at Candaraman island
Angel – 09983827256 / 09067093943
Contact at Sebaring Island– 09464135108
Van driver:
Kuya Popoy: 09613133063
THINGS TO KNOW
There is no signal in Balabac group of islands for Globe subscribers. Smart users in our group mentioned that there is a signal but there is no data.
In Candaraman island, where we built our campsite, there is generator that runs from 6pm-10pm
There is a charging port but there are only 9 sockets for all of the guests. It is advisible to bring your own extension to make sure that you will have your chance to charge your gadgets.
I was a bit worried that something might explode here but all of our gadgets are safe 🙂
They charge 10 pesos for each gadget but they are not strict about it. During our last night in Candaraman, they just ask us to give them the charging fee without asking how many gadgets did we charge.
There are 4 shared bathrooms but only 3 of them have toilet bowls. There is a water pump in Candaraman but there is no faucet in any bathroom. You will need to fetch water from the drums located just outside the bathrooms.
There are no sandmites in our campsite in Candaraman island.
One of our group members who already visited Balabac before mentioned that there are sandmites in Sebaring island where they previously built their camp.
It was humid during night time. We even moved our mattress outside the tent during the 3rd night. There are no mosquitos so all is well.
There are geckos in the trees and cottages. So if you don’t like reptiles like me, brace yourselves!! hahaha
You can ask the caretakers to buy you alcohols, snacks and drinks. I don’t know where they buy them but they give those to us upon our return from island hopping.
There are no stores in Candaraman island.
There is a store in Sebaring Island. They even sell cold drinks. You can buy 1 San Miguel Apple for 80 pesos 🤣
Bring extra money. Atm is hours away from this destination.
Try crocodile sisig when you return to Puerto Princesa 🙂
There are news about crocodiles attacking people in Balabac mainland last year but all the islands we visited are safe and crocodile-free.
I know you will spend a lot of money for this trip but please don’t forget to give tips to the boatmen and tour guides 🙂 Any amount will do. It may seem little to us but it will mean a lot to them.
Let’s all be responsible travellers 🙂 Keep the islands clean ❤️
My first stop is in Malapascua Island, Cebu because from there, I can join a group tour to Kalanggaman Island in Leyte.
How to go to Malapascua Island?
Book a flight bound to Cebu. From Mactan airport, you can ride a taxi or book a grab bound to North Bus Terminal. It will cost around 200-250 pesos and will take around 30mins if there is no traffic.
A cheaper alternative route from Mactan airport is to ride MyBus bound to SM Cebu. It costs 40 pesos and once you reached SM, you can transfer to another bus bound to North Bus Terminal for free. That free bus ride only applies to those who came from the airport and used MyBus.
Upon arriving at the North Bus Terminal, look for V-hire bound to Daanbantayan and ask the driver to drop you off at Maya port. It is better to ride a van than to take the bus for shorter travel time. Vans (200 pesos) take 3-3.5hrs ride while buses(160) take around 4-5hrs.
At Maya port, ride a boat(100 pesos) bound to Malapascua island. Note that there are boat trips every 30mins but if the passenger count does not reach 15, the trip will be cancelled and you will need to wait for the other passengers to arrive. If you want to reach the island right away or you are in a big group, you can hire the boat for 1500 for one way trip.
The last trip departs at 7pm and the ride takes for around 45mins.
ITINERARY
Day 1
6:30am-ETD NAIA 4
7:40-ETA Mactan, Cebu
8am-ETD Mactan airport
8:45-ETA SM Cebu (So traffic!!)
8:55-ETD SM Cebu
9:05-ETA North Bus Terminal
9:25-ETD terminal
Stop over at Titay’s (super sarap ng bread nila promise 😋) All V-hires bound north drop by this bakery. Make sure to try their breads and rosquillos 🙂
1pm-ETA New Maya Port
1:20-ETD New Maya Port
2:05-ETA Malapascua Island
I stayed at Avila’s Resort for 2 nights. It is located on the other side of the island. It is the only resort located there and has a very peaceful vibe. I stayed in an attic fan room that costs 1000 per night (for 2 pax) It has a small window with a beach view. You can reach them for reservation through this number: 09992232418
You can also search for cheaper accommodations in agoda.com. There are backpacker’s rate for as low as 350 pesos per night.
Expenses Day 1:
40- Bus to SM Cebu
220- Van to Maya Port
100- Boat to Malapascua
40- Habal habal fare to Avila’s Resort
1000- Attic fan room at Avila’s
Day 2
9am-ETD Malapascua Island
The sea was very calm on the way to Kalanggaman Island. Some of the boat passengers even saw a whale. I am using globe and there is even LTE after 1hr of departure from Malapascua then turned to 3G when we were near the Kalanggaman.
10:50am-ETA Kalanggaman Island
3pm-ETD Kalanggaman
5pm- ETA Malapascua
CONTACT for Kalanggaman tour:
Eleazar-09777075802
Expenses Day 2:
40- Habal habal from Avila’s resort (opposite side of the island from the docking port)
150- Entrance fee to Kalanggaman Island
800- Package tour to Kalanggaman inclusive of roundtrip boat ride and lunch buffet
1000- Attic Fan Room in Avila’s Resort
Day 3:
7:30am- ETD Malapascua
Hindi ako sinundo nung habal habal driver ng 6am 😱. Nakalimutan nya ko 😭 Buti yung boat ng resort pupunta sa Maya port. Contact Kuya Eleazar to have someone fetch you from your resort just to be sure.
8:30-ETA Maya Port
Inabot ng 1hr kasi nasiraan kami sa gitna ng dagat 😱. I immediately ride a habal habal bound to Tapilon port
8:40-ETA Tapilon port
9:50- ETD tapilon (Naghintay pa na mapuno 😱)
11am-ETD Carnaza Island
3:30pm- Start of habal habal tour (Twin Beach, Pantao Beach, Skull Cove)
Twin Beach
Pantao Beach
Skull Cove
5:30pm-sunset, end of tour
Contacts:
Kuya James(Boatman)-09120712832
Carnaza Eco Park (for woodshed reservation)- 09998609761
Expenses Day 3
100- Boat to Maya port
10- Mini boat (low tide kaya di makalapit yung big boat)
30- Habal habal to Carnaza island
200-Boat to Carnaza
200- Entrance fee to Eco Park
Day 4:
9am-ETD Carnaza
11am-ETA Tapilon port, lunch
11:30-ETD Tapilon (ride a bus bound to North Bus Terminal
4:30pm-ETA Mandaue City
7pm- ETD Mactan airport
8pm-ETA NAIA
Expenses Day 4:
30-habal habal to twin beach (naiwan kami ng boat na pumunta sa Eco Park kaya pumunta pa sa ibang port)
200-boat to Tapilon port
160-Bus to North Bus Terminal
40- MyBus to airport
Total expenses: 4470
This is going to be much cheaper if you have someone with you since you can split the accommodation or even if you are solo, just check-in in a cheaper accommodation 😉 I hope this will help your upcoming trip!! Stay safe and enjoy ☺️
Things to know:
In Malapascua:
24hrs electricity
Weak signal in Avila’s Resort but they have wifi so all is well
Strong signal in docking port (opposite side to Avila’s, LTE is available
Food in Avila’s Resort ranges from 200-250 per meal so if you’re on budget, buy your food on the way to the resort
Fan room in Avila’s Resort is on the 3rd floor. There is no elevator and the shared bathroom is on the 1st floor. No hot water in the shower was available.
Try booking at booking.com. I was able to search an aircon room at D’ Avila’s Resort for only 800. And you don’t need a credit card or pay right away.
You can also book or check Coco Beach Resort in front of the docking area. I heard from the tour guide that their fan room is only 500. I’m not sure if it is a shared room.
You can hire a private boat from Malapascua to Bantayan Island (around 2hrs boat ride) for 1500. You can also do that if you want to go directly to Carnaza island. I don’t know how much. Just ask a couple of boatmen and compare the prices they will give 😉
In Kalanggaman Island
There is no electricity
There is no fresh water
There is comfort room
There are stores in the island
Weak signal for globe and 3G is available but I wasn’t able to upload while I was there.
I was able to stay on this island overnight 2 years ago and I think it is better to stay for day tour only due to lack of electricity and fresh water.
The entrance fee for Filipinos and foreigners are different. For us, it is 150 and for them, it is 500.
I thought they were trying to protect the island by limiting the number of guests that’s why it was noted that people need to inform the tourism ahead of time before coming to the island. A local boatman in Malapascua clarified that they were only limiting the number of passengers for each boat (35) to avoid overloading but it doesn’t matter how many boats will arrive in the island 😦
In Carnaza Island:
The passenger boats from Tapilon only depart from 9am to 12noon. It only departs when there are atleast 20 passengers. If you wish to hire a private boat, you’ll need to pay 4000 for one way trip.
There is a boat that will fetch the passengers from Eco Park to Tapilon port. It will depart at 7:30am. If you miss that, you can also ride another boat at Twin Beach but you’ll need to ride a habal habal to get there. Boats from there usually depart at 8am but they usually wait for more passengers so they go set out at around 9am.
24 hours of electricity is available in Carnaza Eco Park.
There is a charging port in the dining area
You can bring your own tent and pay 50 for pitching fee
You’ll need to pay 100 if you will rent a tent from them (for 2-3pax)
There are woodsheds available (mukang bahay ng manok 🤣) for 200 but there is no foam on the bed. You’ll need to pay for another 100 to rent the foam.
There are available meal in the Eco Park but it is quite expensive (300 per meal)
You can also bring your own food. There is a cooking area near the shore.
The nearest airport to Jose Panganiban is at Naga. You can check the flight schedules at cebupacificair.com or philippineairlines.com. From Naga, ride a van bound to Daet. At Daet, ride another van or local bus to Jose Panganiban. Ride a tricycle to Larap port. From there, you can rent a boat that can send you to nearest islands such as Parola, Calalanay and Isla Aqua ni Cion.
Option 2
By land:
I saw a Philtranco terminal near Larap port so they offer a direct trip to Jose Panganiban. Check their terminals in cubao or pasay. I also read that Superlines and Daet Express offers trip to Panganiban. But if you weren’t able to arrive on their rare trips, you can ride a bus bound to Daet via DLTB, Daet Express and Superlines then follow the succeeding steps in option 1.
Option 3
Follow what I did and contact sir Joel Yanto Grefiel (09987733213) for a hassle-free trip. Just pack your bags, bring your pocket money and enjoy the ride 🙂 He even has contacts to a secret island that people won’t be able to visit normally.
Sample Itinerary:
Day 0
11pm-ETD Alabang
Day 1
6am-ETA Paracale (breakfast)
7am-ETD Paracale
7:35- ETA Larap Port in Jose Panganiban
9am-ETD Larap Port (We waited for some of our food for lunch and for our boat to be prepared)
9:10-ETA Isla Aqua ni Cion (get meal)
9:15-ETD Cion
9:35-ETA secret island (wow hinatid yung driver ng van at asawa nya. medyo special. haha)
10-ETD secret island
10:35-ETA Parola Island
3pm-ETD Parola island
3:35-ETA secret island, swim, wash up, rest, socials
Day 2
8:25-ETD Secret island
I was trying not to waste my spare battery! haha
We were not allowed to take pictures inside the rest house or anywhere near it but they allowed us to take aerial shots! yey! 😌
8:40-ETA Calalanay island
10am-ETD Calalanay
10:35- ETA Isla Aqua ni Cion (Sandbar)
11:10- ETD Cion
11:30- ETA Larap port, wash up
1pm-ETD Jose Panganiban
9pm-ETA Alabang
NOTES
Parola Island is also located in Camarines Norte like the well known Calaguas. The latter has better beach but the former is less crowded which is really good for relaxation.
I’m using Globe and it has strong signal. It even has LTE and 3G in some islands.
There is a comfort room in Parola island but there is no fresh water.
Formerly, it is not allowed to stay overnight in Parola but the caretakers noted that they now allow people as long as they bring their own tents.
We paid 50 pesos each for environmental fee in Parola Island
We stayed in a secret island which is really cool since we were the only people there. My only concern is the house. It was a bit old and looks really scary! hahaha. I was so scared to even take one picture. We were able to use fresh water but it is limited since the caretakers just stack them when it was raining.
There is no electricity in secret island so don’t forget to bring your powerbanks
You will need to use a private car and waze if you are not familiar with the area in order to get here. This is one of those places where you cannot diy by commuting since there is no public transportation bound here. Also in order to get inside, you must be a lot or home owner or know someone who is. You can rent a private house ranging from 20k-65k per night.
You can also join a travel tour hosted by Dgtravelandtours like what I did. The owner of the said travel agency is also a lot owner in Tali beach that’s why we were able to get inside. You can reach him through this number: Allan Manuel- 09228398127 or contact him through Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dgtravelandtours
Four of the other guests cancelled the night before so there were only six of us left. Much to my surprise, the tour was still pushed through. Most travel agencies cancel the trip if there are only 6 guests.
Itinerary:
5am- ETD MOA
7am- ETA Kabiang Tunnel (photo ops)
7:30am- ETA Mountain View lot, change clothes
8am- ETA Palm Beach, play card games, swim, photo ops
10am- ETA Marina Beach, beach bumming, swim
12nn- Lunch
1pm- ETA Secret Beach
1:30pm- ETA cliff diving area in Sunset Beach
3pm- Long Beach
3:45pm- Main Beach
4:30pm-clean up
5:30pm- wait for sunset
6pm- ETD Tali Beach
9pm- ETA MOA
Budget:
1199- Package tour inclusive of van transfer MOA-Tali beach-MOA, entrance fees, Tali beach tour, drinking water and ice tea, life vest, goggles 🙂
You can pack your own lunch but if you do not have time, they offer 2pcs chicken with unli rice for 150. You will pay 220 if you want an additional fish with that. The tour guides will provide the utensils 🙂
Activities:
⁃ swimming
⁃ photo ops
⁃ beach bumming
⁃ fish feeding
⁃ cliff diving
⁃ sunset watching
⁃ beach volleyball
⁃ frisbee
⁃ kayaking (200/hr)
What to expect?
⁃ There is strong signal and 3G data for Globe subscribers.
⁃ Our tour guides are very accommodating. There are only 6 of us but there are 2 guides who accompanied us and are always around just in case we needed something. They even offered things like goggles, frisbee and volleyball.
⁃ Kuya Jose, one of the tour guides can answer any of your questions regarding the place. Even topics about nearby islands. He is very well informed and tried his best to make our stay enjoyable.
⁃ Flying of drone in most places is prohibited since the houses near the beaches are private properties. They allowed us at the Marina Beach but flying of drone should not be high enough and avoiding the houses was necessary.
⁃ There are three levels in cliff jumping area. Level 1~ 6ft, Level 2~ 10ft, Level 3~ 30ft. Tips: After positioning yourself at the jump off point, do not look down again. Look at the horizon and maintain eye level. Count 1..2.. then jump during 3. It is better to be the one who jump first or second instead of last. Being the last one up there is scarier and adds more pressure in your part because others jumped already.
– This is the perfect place for you if you do not like crowd but still want to travel while spending less. We went here last Sunday but most of the beaches we visited has little to no crowd.
Option 1: 🚎From Cubao, ride a Genesis or Joy bus bound to Baler. You can walk or ride a tricycle to Baler Central Terminal where you can ride on a bus or van bound to Casiguran. Just ask to be dropped off at Sand and Stars.
2️⃣ Option 2: 🚍From Cubao, find a bus bound to Cabanatuan. Ask to be dropped off at Cabanatuan Central Terminal where you will ride a bus bound to Casiguran.
The bus bound to Casiguran leaves at 6:30am while the van leaves whenever it becomes full. The next local bus trip is 4pm but there are buses from Cabanatuan bound to Casiguran that will pass by the central terminal in case you miss the 6:30am trip.
🗓Itinerary:
Day1 🚌12:30am- ETD Cubao
5am- ETA Baler 🏄🏼6:30-ETD Baler 🏖8am-ETA Dinadiawan, check-in at Asinan Beach Resort, set-up tent
🍱9am- Breakfast at Sand and Stars Resort
🍖🍟10am- buy food from market 🍔1pm-Lunch 🏖2pm- chill at Sand and Stars Resort, photo ops, card games
They let you barrow games such as Disturb Friends, Jengga, Scrabble and many more as long as you have an ID.
🍱7pm-dinner 🎤8pm- videoke 💡9pm- lights out
Day 2
6am- Sunrise watching, chill 🍱7am- breakfast ☕️8am- return to Sand and Stars to drink coffee and chill 🚘11am-ETD Dinadiawan 🏄🏻♀️🍔12:30pm- ETA Baler, lunch 🏄🏼1pm- ETD Baler
7pm- ETA QC
You can ask the staff from Sand and Stars to contact the van driver from Casiguran so they can fetch you from the resort. Most of the vans passing Dinadiawan beach bound to Baler are already full. The bus passes by 7am and 4pm.
💰💸Budget:
730-Delux bus to Baler
12-tricycle to Baler Central Terminal
85-Bus to Casiguran
50-Entrance fee to Asinan Beach Resort
167- Tent pitching fee (500/3)
200- Van to Baler
730-Bus to Cubao 💰💸💵Total: 1974
📅🗓Bus schedule as of January 2018: 🚌Regular Bus: Genesis
Cubao to Baler
– 12:30, 1am, 1:30am, 5am
Baler to Cubao
– 4am, 6am, 8am, 12noon
💰Fares:
Genesis (Regular bus) -450
Joy bus: deluxe-730, semi-deluxe-650
Tricycle to Baler Central Terminal-12
Bus bound to Casiguran-85
Van bound to Casiguran-200
We wanted to try the delux bus during the start of the trip. Upon returning home, we missed the regular one so we didn’t have a choice but ride in the delux bus again 😱
⛺️They do not allow pitching of tents in Sand and Stars Resort anymore. You need to reserve online in order for them to accommodate you in their cabins and glamping tents. They now demand reservation fee that’s why most guests don’t cancel anymore. They weren’t able to accommodate us in so we decided to pitch our tent in Asinan Beach Resort located next door. But we spent most of our free time in Sand and Stars. We bought snacks from them and used their facilities The staffs are so kind, they allowed it. Or maybe they thought we were their guests 🤔😳
💰💸Rates in Sand and Stars:
1600- Glamping tent good for 2-4pax. Inclusive of breakfast
2800- Glamping tent good for 8 pax. Inclusive of breakfast
2500- Cabins good for 4-6 pax. Inclusive of breakfast
Rates in Asinan Beach Resort (I really hope they change their name):
500-tent pitching
1000- Tent rental good for 3-4
📞☎️They also have cabins but I wasn’t able to ask how much. For
more info, contact 0942-490-5117 or 0910-339-0378
The caretaker was nice. He let us barrow cooking materials
Travelling isn’t always pretty or wonderful. There will be times when it will scare you to death. When you will need to sleep, take a bath, change clothes in places you thought you never could. When you will feel like your body is going to give up on you because of the long drive just to see someplace you were dying to reach.
There will be times when you’ll get hungry, thirsty and tired of walking. Your muscles will scream for you to stop while your mind is assuring you that you’re almost there. But by the end of the day, you’ll know that you’ll do them all over again because the positive experience that comes with them are worth all the trouble.
Travelling will teach you so much. It will teach you to let go. To take everything as a lesson and stop thinking of “what ifs”. It will teach you to live in the present and stop regretting of what already happened.
It will teach you that not all bridges are meant to be kept. Sometimes it is necessary to burn them especially if they don’t make you grow anymore or if they cause you unnecessary pain. It will teach you that what only ended are the chapters of some people in your life but your adventure will still continue.
Travelling will slowly teach you to accept things. That it is okay to get sad, that it is a part of the process. It will teach you not to dwell on the pain for too long. Life is so wonderful to be lived in loneliness.
Travelling will teach you to be humble. It will make you feel that you’re only getting started every time you discover places and experience cultures from different locations.
You will not think that you are better than anybody by the time you’ve visited a lot of places. You’ll slowly understand that all of us are in different stages in our lives. Some are just starting to discover what they want. Some already knew and pursuing them. Some are trying hard to get by. And it’s okay. In the end, it will all be okay.
You’ll learn how to stop comparing what you have from others. You will learn to only compare what you have now to what you have yesterday, a week before, a month before or a year before. You’ll learn how that becomes one of the keys to happiness.
Travelling will make you a better person. It will increase your frustration tolerance. After all, not everything will go according to plan. But the thing is, humans are programmed to adapt. You will learn how to bend and adjust to the given situations because you will refuse to break.
Travelling will make you so wealthy with experience. You’ll learn that money is a necessity but it’s not the most important thing. You’ll understand that having enough, is more than enough. Having freedom to explore is what you are really looking for.
Travelling will help you to know more about yourself. You will learn how far you can go, how much you can do and how strong you can be while travelling with other people and especially while you’re on your own.
You will also be able to love yourself more and learn how worthy you are as a person. It will teach you to never settle for anything less than what you deserve.
Travelling will slowly teach you that there are so many perspectives in life, both literally and figuratively. It will make you more patient. You will slowly stop using the word “weird”. You’ll stop judging others because you’ll understand that some things are just different and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Travelling will teach you to break the norm. It will teach you from experience that majority is not always right. That it’s okay to be different. That it’s okay to follow the path most people don’t use.
You’ll slowly understand that the first step is always scary but what really scare you is the unknown, the unfamiliarity and in order to surpass that, you have to get out of your comfort zone. The time will come when you’ll look back and wonder why you’re even scared to take that step in the first place.
Women, you will learn so much. Just take that step. Don’t be sacred. Don’t think that you don’t have a choice because you do. We all do. I hope you will take everything as a lesson and blessing; and never forget to thank God for everything.
Five Fingers and Laki Beach are located in Mariveles, Bataan. There are two options to go there:
Option 1:
From Pasay, Cubao or Avenida bus terminals, look for Bataan Transit or Genesis bus bound to Mariveles (280-290). You can ask the driver to drop you off at the bus terminal or at Jollibee. From Jollibee, you can ride a jeepney bound to Balon (8 pesos) or a tricycle that will cost you 75 which is good for 4 persons. Ask the driver to drop you off at the basketball court. The port is walking distance from there. Just ask around for the boat that will send you to Five Fingers and Laki Beach. There are lots of them there. Some offers 3000 for day tour and 3500 for overnight. You can haggle and get the boat for 2500 for overnight and 2000 for day tour.
There are no entrance fees for any cove in Five Fingers but you need to pay 200 for day tour in Laki Beach and 250 for overnight. Bring your own hammock or tent in Laki beach since they don’t have rentals yet and good news, they don’t have pitching fee. There is a small store in the island but the products are limited and pricey so bring your own food.
*Note: I was told that Laki Beach is only open from Friday to Sunday. So if you want to stay overnight during Sunday, you will need to go home the next day.
Also, there is no signal in the island for Globe subscribers. They have a spring so you’ll have unlimited fresh water. You can take a bath after swimming from the beach but their shower area does not have doors! Lol. Ask a friend to guard outside while taking a bath or sing so people will not accidentally walk in while you’re inside.
*Note: I am a big fan of DIY but I love travelling while spending less more so I chose option 2.
Option 2:
I searched for a travel agency that offers a group tour to Bataan. There are lots of them but VamosLamyerda has the cheapest and best deal from the others. You can contact VamosLamyerda or Miss Lovely Fu in Facebook. You can also reach them with this number, 09959734162.
My friend and I joined their day tour last Sunday and it was hassle free. The tour guide was so accommodating. You only need to catch her attention once and she will immediately assist you. I computed and we saved more than 500 each.
VamosLamyerda’s Five Fingers day tour (999) is inclusive of:
Van transfer Cubao-Mariveles-Cubao
Boat transfer from port to all coves of Five Fingers
Side Trips
Going to Laki Beach is optional but since we wanted to go there, we paid an additional 250 for boat transfer, entrance fee and cottage fee. Our tour guide bought our food (we paid for it) and she provided plates and utensils.
*Note: VamosLamyerda travel agency does not require downpayment
Itinerary:
2:30am- ETD Cubao
5:30am- ETA Brgy. Sisiman for sidetrip
*Note: Don’t forget to bring water during your trek to the Grotto. Also, wear leggings or anything that will cover your legs. The plants that made contact to our skins while trekking are itchy.
7:00am- Breakfast at Pupung
8:30am- Arrived at port
9am- ETD port
9:20am- ETA 20ft cliff diving spot
10:30am- ETA Apatot Cove
*Note: We went to Bat Cave for swimming and photo ops outside. We did not go inside anymore. The entrance is small for the size of our boat.
11:15am- ETA Tinanlakan Cliff Diving Spot (40ft)
12noon- ETA Nagbintana Arc
Note: We passed by Camaya Coast while on the way to Laki Beach
There are daily flights going to Cebu. Upon reaching the airport, I can hire a taxi that will go directly to North Bus Terminal. That will cost me around 200-300 since Mactan Airport is a little bit far from Mandaue. But since I am traveling alone, I opted to ride the shuttle bus from the airport going to SM Cebu.
The ride only costs me 25 pesos and the bus leaves every 30 minutes. From SM, there are buses that will pass by North Bus Terminal. Just tell the driver that you came from the airport so you will not need to pay anymore. (How great is that?! There are still free things in this world. Go Cebu!) There are also jeepneys that will pass by the terminal from Sm Cebu but why would you want to pay when you can go there for free?
From North Bus Terminal, you can ride a Ceres bus that costs 200php as of June 2017. That’s 3-4hrs ride. It will go directly to Bantayan Island via ship.
*NOTE: upon reaching Hagnaya port, you will need to get off the bus to pay for the roro fare (170) and terminal fee (10). Once the roro reached Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, you can ride the bus again going to town.
That’s what people normally do but do this instead: ride a van from North bus terminal going to Hagnaya port. That’s only 2.5hrs ride and it will cost you 170. Then get on the roro until you reach Bantayan Island. Contact the resort where you booked ahead of time so they can fetch you from the port. Kota Beach Resort has a shuttle that will fetch and send you to the port for free.
Itinerary:
Day 1:
10am: Arrived at Mactan Cebu airport
12:30: Departed from north bus terminal
4:00pm: Arrived at Hagnaya port
6:00pm: Arrived at Bantayan island
7:00pm onwards- chill lang sa beach
Day 2
7:00am- Breakfast
*Meals at the resort are pricey. Around 130-300
8:am-3pm- I just sat down under the shade while listening to music.
3pm- I rode a bike and almost had an accident so I hired a pedicab instead. The driver toured me around the town and to other beach resorts. I found Kota beach the best of them all.
5pm onwards- chill lang ulit Day 3:
7:00am- breakfast
8:00am- start of island hopping
9:30am- arrived at Virgin Island.
Activities:
Beach bumming (Sarap! I just bummed there for 6 hours I think)
Cliff diving (15 feet)
Swimming
Kayaking (I don’t know how much but I saw people doing that)
*I went to 2 islands but there is nothing special about the second one aside from having the beach to myself
5:00pm- Returned to resort
6:00pm- Foodtrip
*They have this kind of like a food park called MJ Square near Kota beach. That’s 10mins walk. I also tried Coucou Bar’s special Halo Halo. It was good 🙂
Day 4
*I was supposed to go to Malapascua but since I’m already planning to return here with my friends, we’ll just go there next time. I want to stay in Bantayan for as long as I can.
9:30am- Departed from Bantayan Island
11:00am- Arrived at Hagnaya port
*I hopped in a van instead of bus when I returned to Mandaue City
2:30pm- arrived at SM Cebu
3:00pm- My friend picked me up. Thank you so much Valeiry!! Start of foodtrip.
*We ate at Zubuchon and Abaca.
5:30pm- we arrived at 10000 Roses Cafe in Cordova
*It is near Lantaw Floating Restaurant. Behind 10000 Roses Cafe, there are seats where you can watch sunset. It’s actually one of the best sunsets I have ever seen. The reflection of sky and light in the water looks surreal.
9pm-ETD Cebu
Breakdown of Expenses:
2000- Roundtrip airfare
2620- Fan room accommodation for 3 nights in Kota Beach Resort
25- Bus from airport to SM and North Bus Terminal
200- Bus to port
170- Ship to Bantayan Island
10- Terminal fee
100-Bike rental for 24hrs
*Someone offered it for 150-200, I haggled but since I almost had an accident riding a bike, I just hired a pedicab driver to tour me for the same price.
700= Island hopping
500 – Entrance to Virgin Island
*500 is for the first 2 and additional 100 for each guest. So if you are a group of 5, you’ll pay 800. They do not give discount for solo travelers so I still paid 500. I could have asked some other guests if I can join them for island hopping to lessen my expenses. That’s what I usually do during my solo trips but there are times when I just want to relax without thinking of anything else and talking to anybody. I decide when to leave so it’s all good
170- Ship to Hagnaya Port10- Terminal Fee
170- Van to SM
*You don’t have to pay for terminal fee in Cebu airport. It’s already included in your airfare
Total: 6575
Other activities in the island:
Swim in Ogtong Cave in Santa Fe beach Club (That’s where I first experienced swimming inside the cave. So cold!)
Nature Park (Andito ata yung mangroves. Basta alam ko nagshooting din ng scene si Sam Milby at Arci Munoz dun)
Bike around town (Lakas makaKoreanovela. Buti di pa ko kinakain ng sistema. Hahaha.)