If you are tired of going to Mindoro and Batangas, and Boracay and Palawan are just too pricey and far for you, you may want to consider Cagbalete Island. The island is not as famous as the aforementioned beaches but Cagbalete has its quaint country feel to it. The place is not yet commercialized and, if you visit during lean season, you can enjoy the very laid-back atmosphere. You can just lie on a hammock and enjoy the sea breeze. Getting to the place may be too tiring for some but I think it is worth it. Most importantly, the trip is cheap, and it can even be cheaper if you are creative. Members of the Biyaherong Kulang sa Boojei visited the island during the lean season (last October 3 and 4, 2015) and at some point, we had the resort and beach all to ourselves. Paradise indeed.
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- P350 – Accommodation (P3,500 for a medium cottage overnight / 10 people)= P350
- P360 – Food (let’s suppose you will spend 60 pesos per meal; that will be 6 meals – Saturday breakfast, Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, Sunday lunch, Sunday dinner)
- P440 – Bus from Kamias to Lucena (P220) / Lucena to Kamias (P220)
- P108 – Mini-bus from Lucena to Mauban (P54) / Mauban to Lucena (P54). Aircon mini-van is P60
- P100 – Public boat from Mauban to Sabang port in Cagbalete (P50 one-way x 2)
Panoramic shot of the aquamarine water. Click image to enlarge |
Panoramic shot of Bonsai Island during low tide. Click image to enlarge |
Panoramic shot of the beach at Villa Cleofas. Click image to enlarge |
THINGS TO DO
- Swimming
- Just enjoy the beach and relax
- Bonfire at the beach at night (if your resorts allows)
- Island hopping
- Walk to Bonsai Island, which is submerged during high tide but you can reach on foot during low tide
- Enjoy the many sandbars of the island
- Kayaking,
- Snorkeling,
- Horse riding (if available in your chosen resort)
- Fishing tour,
- Beach volleyball
- Total travel time is around 6 hours
- Take either Jac Liner or JAM Liner (along EDSA near Kamias) or at Buendia/Taft (LRT)
- Option 1: From Kamias bus station to Lucena = the bus leaves every hour, the first trip is 1 or 2 AM (Travel time: 3 hours)
- Option 2: From Kamias directly to Mauban = 4:00 or 4:30 AM. (Travel time: 4 hours) But the departure time is not reliable so if you want to reach Mauban before the first boat trip to Cagbalete at 10AM, I suggest taking the bus bound for Lucena at 2:30 AM instead.
- From Lucena, take an ordinary mini-bus to Mauban. The fare is 54 pesos. (Travel time: 1.5 hours)
- From Mauban, you may take the public boat. The fare is 50 pesos and the first trip is 10 AM. You may also hire a private boat that some resorts offer to their visitors. Villa Cleofas offers private boats and the boat rental depends on the number of passengers. For 15 to 20 people, the rent is usually 5,000 pesos (two-way). We rented a private boat good for 10 people and we paid 3,000 (two-way). (Travel time: 40 minutes to 1 hour)
- The best time to leave is around 1 P.M. The public boat in Sabang port also leaves at 1 P.M. but it is advisable to leave before 4 P.M.
- At Mauban, you can take the ordinary mini-bus back to Lucena Grand Station or an air-conditioned UV Express van (60 pesos). Both the bus and the van are located near 7-11.
- From Lucena Grand Station, there are many buses bound for Cubao or Taft.
- Take the 2:30 AM bus from Kamias (Jac Liner or JAM Liner) to Lucena Grand Station
- You will reach Lucena Grand Station around 5:30 AM
- You can have breakfast there. The station is filled with cheap turo-turo restaurants. The price of a regular meal is around P50.
- The ordinary mini-bus to Mauban leaves around 6:10 AM. Just look for the Mauban sign or ask around.
- You will reach Mauban around 7:30 AM
- If you are planning to cook your own meal and your resort allows it without any corkage, then I suggest buying stuff at Mauban public market. Mineral water, soda and the like are cheaper in Mauban than in most resorts. If you want seafood, our local guide said that it is cheaper to buy at Sabang port in Cagbalete. If you are taking the public boat, your boat will dock at Sabang.
- The system in Mauban is organized. By the time we got off the bus, a tourism official wearing green shirt asked us if we were headed for Cagbalete and he informed us to register and pay the environmental fee (P50) at the Tourism Office. You can take the tricycle to the Tourism Office or just walk. It is only 10 minutes away. Just keep looking for people in green shirt with IDs, they will be your guide.
- You may also buy beer at Mauban port. We bought one case of beer and the owner of the store just charge a deposit for each bottle, and we were able to get back our deposit once we returned the empty beer bottles.
- At the Tourism Office, you need to register and pay. You will be given a ticket that you will present to the boat checker at the port. The staff members are quite friendly. You can also use the toilet in the Tourism office.
- It is quite a long walk from the Tourism Office to the port, especially if you are carrying heavy bags. I suggest taking a tricycle. The fare is P10 per person but other tricycle drivers may say “bahala na po kayo.”
- At the port, look for the public boat to Cagbalete. The first trip is at 10 AM. If you booked a private boat from your resort, most likely, you will also meet your contact person at the port.
- In case, you choose Villa Cleofas and you arrive during low tide, be ready to walk to the beach (the water is just knee deep). Wear shorts. Low tide is usually past 12 PM.
- If you get off at Sabang port, there are many sari-sari stores so you can have lunch and buy some food items. From Sabang port, you will take a 15-minute walk to your resort.
- Depending on your resort, a number of activities are available but these activities may be additional cost. Common activities are island hopping, kayaking, snorkeling, horse riding, fishing tour, beach volleyball and so on.
CONTACT DETAILS
VILLA CLEOFAS
Thank you for this very informative post! It's also good to note that JAC Liner now offers direct Mauban bus trips to/from their terminals in Kamias and Buendia :) It is even available for online reservations. Just go to their Facebook page (facebook.com/jaclinerinc) or at www.biyaheroes.com :)
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