CAGBALETE Camping Experience

Last night Michael and I watched The Space Between Us, it's a romantic science fiction film about a teenage boy named Gardner, he was born and raised on Mars and travels back to Earth. It's a good movie. It made me appreciate earth and all the little things and it kinda inspired me to start blogging again. Yeah, I know it's been a while since the last time I've posted something here and I am not gonna make any excuses, I'll just make it up to you guys instead. Going back, what I love most about the movie is how Gardner asked everyone this question: 'What's your favorite thing about earth?' and if he'll ask me, I'll tell him it's summer, my favorite season (though I always complain of being a 'pandesal in a pugon' and my migraine usually kicks up because of the scorching heat) as ironic as it sounds Summer really is my favorite thing about earth, or I could say one of my favorites. Summer has it's magic.Who wouldn't love summer? The travelling, the blazing sun, the tropical warm days, the wild breeze, the splash, the sea world, the much deserve vacation, the beach, the sand castles, the smell of the ocean air, the whooshing waves, the wind in my face, the sun-kissed hair, the colorful bikinis, tan lines and the carefree days. I just love everything about it. And finally, it's that time of the year again.Time for long vacations and time off from the daily grind. It's time to search for a perfect beach spot away from the hustle and bustle of the metro. Speaking of which, do let me share you guys about my recent trip to the BEACH. I'll be sharing some info and expenses~ mainly based on my personal experience. 

Day 1

Last holy week, the boyfriend and I went on a double date trip with our friends Rommel and Julien. It was actually a triple date trip we have been planning for quite some time now but our other friend Elmer left for Taiwan just before the holiday~so it ended up just the four of us. And our destination, the island of Cagbalete. Cagbalete Island sits off the coast of Mauban, a municipality in the province of Quezon (my hometown), on the eastern Pacific side of the Philippines.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Public Transport
From Metro Manila direct to Mauban 

JAC Liner has two trips daily from its Quezon City terminal (Kamias Road cor EDSA) direct to Mauban town. The bus departs at 5:00 AM and 1:00 PM. There are no reservations, therefore seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s best to arrive at the terminal by 4:00 AM or earlier to stake out your seats. Once the bus is full it may leave earlier than 5:00 AM. Travel time varies between 4-5 hours and the fare is around Php 280.00. Our bus left Manila at 4:33 AM and arrived in Mauban at 9:38 AM. The bus offloads passengers at the outskirts of the town, so after you get off, take a 10-minute tricycle ride to the port or “pantalan” at Barangay Daungan for Php 50.00.

From Metro Manila to Lucena City to Mauban 

JAC Liner, JAM Liner and Lucena Lines have hourly trips to Lucena City from their terminals in Quezon City (Kamias Road corner EDSA) and in Pasay City (Buendia Avenue corner Taft Avenue).  Travel time varies between 3-4 hours. All buses will unload Lucena-bound passengers at the Lucena City Grand Terminal. From here, there are non-airconditioned mini-buses run by NCR Bus Lines that leaves for Mauban on an hourly interval, with the first trip at 5:00 AM and the last trip at 6:00 PM. Travel time is roughly 1.5 hours and the fare is Php 60.00.

If you would like to take the Lucena-Mauban leg of the trip in cooler comfort, then you may take a 15-seater air-conditioned van. From the Grand Terminal, take a jeepney to the SM Lucena Mall or Pacific Mall. There you’ll find the GT Express vans bound for Mauban. Fare is Php 70.00. Since the van has a smaller capacity, there are fewer stops, therefore you can cut travel time by about 30 minutes.

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Private Transport
If  you are bringing your own vehicle (which what we did) then Waze and Google maps are your best friends. We left Manila half past three. Had quick stop over for breakfast. Arrived Mauban Port almost 8am. There are parking areas nearby the port where you can leave your car. Parking fee: 150/day.

From Mauban to Cagbalete Island

At the port, proceed to the Tourism Information and Ticketing Booth. Pay the Php 100.00 ferry fee and the Php 50.00 environmental fee. There are two scheduled public commuter ferry trips from Mauban port to Cagbalete Sabang port daily, one at 10:00am and another at 4:00pm but since it's a holiday ferries and boats were allowed to sail in varying times. There are also private ferries and boats you can charter (price varries) that can directly bring you to your chosen resort.

We left Mauban port at around 8am and reached Sabang port at around 9am. Travel time is 45 minutes to 1 hour. From Sabang fort we had a little trekking to get to Villa Noe Beach where we decided to camp for our 3 day-2 night trip. The original plan was to stay at Nilandingan but unfortunately it was already fully booked by time we've arrived. It was ok cause Villa Noe didn't disappoint. It's a great resort and a little close to the port, maybe 10 minutes away if you walk fast haha! There are people there too who can help you get to the resort and will also help you bring your stuff and set up your tent. Entrance fee is only Php 100. You can check room and cottages rates on their website but if you're looking for a little adventure you can bring or rent a tent (Php 400 good for 2-3 person per night) and camp. If you have your own tent then you only have to pay Php 300 per night  for camping fee.

photo from Villa Noe Website

After setting up our tent we did rest for an hour then went for a swim and cooked lunch. We brought everything we need (I meant Julien and Rommel haha). They're really prepared and they've got everything covered. They're already hard core campers and Michael and I are just a novice. LOLS. The whole camping experience was just a first for us and that's what made this trip extra special and fun. Thanks to them, we've learnt a lot from this trip. And we'll surely know better next time.

In the afternoon while it's low tide and while Julien and Rommel were resting, Michael and I had a our me time, and me time means~ Michael doing his job as my personal photograper haha! The weather was fine and it wasn't really that hot, perfect time for photo shoot and another thing during low tide, the water recedes 800meters (up to 1km in some areas) from the shore, drying up a 3.6km stretch of white sand beach. It's so beautiful and serene.

We spent the rest of the day swimming, I meant learning how to swim haha! Julien and Rommel were generous enough to even teach us swim. We've really got ourselves new  best travel buddies in them. Then come dinner time, helped Julien cooked (you can buy food in the island like veggies, fish and other seafood but they can be really pricey so if you want to save up and on a tight budget you can bring canned goods)  while the boys were swimming, cleaned up and rest. The next day will be jam packed so we need lots of energy.

Day 2

The next day was spent exploring the island and doing some activities like island hopping, snorkeling, swimming and lots of swimming. Our little island guide JP offered us an island hopping package for only Php 1600 and that includes~snorkeling, the sand bar and a side trip to Bonsai island. We woke up 6am and while waiting for JP and the boat we had a quick swim, prepared breakfast, ate, changed into our swimming clothes and voila we're good to go!

First stop: Snorkeling

Second Stop:  Yang in Sand Bar Island

Last Stop: Bonsai Island

We had so much fun exploring Cagbalete and we're so amazed with its beauty. With its long stretch of fine white sand, amazing blue skies, pristine water and its serenity, wow just wow! How I wish I could stay there forever. But time passed really fast and little did we know the tour was over. We headed back to our resort and since it's already lunch time, we were already starving. We decided to just eat at Villa Noe, not a good idea though. First, they only offer Silog meals and second, argh very pricey. Went back to our camp after eating, cleaned up, rest and had some me time again! you know, ME TIME, haha!

We went back to the port in the afternoon to buy some fish for dinner. Cooked dinner. Watched fire dance and called it a day. Woke up in the middle of the night because it was so windy, was told there was a low pressure. Michael went out to secure our tent so it won't fly away. Was a little scared but they said it was just normal in the island. Sorry guys, first time. Haha. Went back to sleep and woke up 5am the next day.

Day 3

On our last day in the island we woke up really early so we could still enjoy the sea before we leave. We've waited for the locals who sell pandesal and pansit habhab for breakfast. Went for a quick dip. Cleaned up. Took down the tent and left the island at around 8am. We wanted to leave early so we can avoid traffic and be back home at noon so we can still rest after a long drive, for the next day we'll be back in the salt mine. Arggh!

The worst part of the vacation is ending the vacation. I hate that part. I didn't want to leave the island and end my vacation just yet. If only I could just stay there forever. But yeah, it's time to go home and on the lighter note, I had a great time and I was able to recharge and repent even just for a few days. Not bad at all. So yeah, this is good bye for now. So long, BEACH! Till we meet again!

P.S.

I can't upload the video here so just click this link if you want to see the video. Enjoy watching! 


P.P.S

Breakdown of expenses  (food, gas and toll fees excluded)

Parking fee for two days: Php 300 (divided by 4) Php 75 x 2 = Php 150
Environmental fee: Php 50 x 2 =Php 100
Ferry ride back and fort: Php 200 x 2= Php 400
Resort Entrane Fee: Php 100 x 2= Php 200
Camping Fee:  Php 300/night x 2 (nights) = Php 600
Island hopping package: Php 1600 (divided by 4) Php 400 x 2 = Php 800

Total: 2,250 php 

I hope you guys like the post and you find it helpful just in case you're considering Cagbalete for your next Summer adventure. Happy Summer! See yah! 

CTTO: Most photos aside from my ME Time photos were taken by Julien and Rommel.

9 Reasons Alone Time Is Good For Your Soul

I consider myself a very moody person, getting really irritable and sad for almost no reason. More often than not I just want to be alone and I don't want to talk anyone. But lately this moodiness takes too much toll on me. I really don't know if it's just birthday blues, depression, personality disorder? (wut) or what but this is becoming really crazy. I don't even know how to deal with it and can't even express my feelings and I don't even know what is it that I want. I just really think alone time will do help me find my way back. I very much need my alone time. I need it to reboot my brain, give it a chance to rest and replenish. Connect with my own inner wisdom and be able to find a way out of this misery.

So here's more reason to give yourself  your much deserve ME time!
9 Reasons Alone Time Is Good For Your Soul

1. Being alone gives you time to think.

Life can be crazy sometimes — crazy good, crazy bad, or just crazy busy — and it's easy to get caught up in your hectic week or month and forget to allow yourself time to process things. Being alone gives us the time we all need to reflect on important events and to organize our feelings about the things that have happened. Without this, we can get overwhelmed with all we are trying to juggle mentally, and this can cause extra anxiety and stress.

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2. You can get creative.

There's nothing like putting on headphones, listening to your favorite songs, and getting down to work. It doesn't matter if you're a writer, an artist, a musician, or a software engineer; we all have creative outlets and we all need to nurture them as much as we can. Being by yourself gives you the motivation and the opportunity to open your mind and explore new ideas, then put those ideas to good use.

3. You can recharge.

Being around people is both exhilarating and exhausting. It means having to constantly be alert and aware of what's going on around you and in conversations that require your full attention. Socializing at work and with friends is definitely a positive thing, but it can also be draining. When you're alone, you can use that quiet time to recharge and regroup. It's essential to do this so that when you're around people again, you feel refreshed, more energetic, and ready to interact.

4. You get to know yourself better.

Spending time alone means taking your thoughts and feelings into account above anyone else's, and when you do this, you get to explore your personality in depth. The more time you get to know yourself, the more you'll find out just how awesome you are.

5. You become more independent.

When you're alone, you don't have the option of depending on other people for their opinions, advice, or help. You call all the shots, and even though that can be scary sometimes, it also means you become more reliant on yourself — and this is a great thing. Being independent means being self-assured, so that you can bring that confidence to the table when you're with people, too.

6. You see and hear things you wouldn't otherwise.

We often make idle conversation with people just to fill the silence, but when we're quiet, we can hear and see things we don't notice otherwise. We are able to appreciate the small things in life because we don't miss them when they happen, and being alone can help you pay more attention to those important moments.

7. You get to do whatever you want to do.

You don't have to make compromises with anyone on where to eat, what movie to watch, or what sights to see on a trip. You can spend all the time you'd like to doing exactly what you want to do, and while having company is sometimes welcome, going on your own private adventures can be just as exciting and fulfilling.

8. You're more productive.

It's easier to get more things accomplished when you're free from distractions — including people — and taking some time to yourself to put all your efforts into getting things checked off your to-do list can be extremely rewarding.

9. You appreciate the people in your life.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Taking some time away from the people in your life can help you realize how important and valuable they are to you. This break can renew your excitement for spending time with the people who you care about the most, and you will return from spending time alone happier and more enthusiastic about seeing them.

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Birthday Blues

I know I have been neglecting this blog for months now and here I am~back, with my rants and frustrations. What an odd way to start writing again huh!? I know. It's just that my mood swings are out of this world the last few weeks and I don't even know how to deal with it so I just feel the need to write about it. I don't know if it's birthday blues or what--or maybe it is. You know it's my birthday month and that only means that I'll be turning 30 this month and it makes me feel a little depressed. It reminds me of all the things I haven't accomplished and all the things I am lacking. I had always thought that when I turned 30, I would be married with kids, living in my own home or I would be  abroad~ studied fashion design and starting up a fashion career. Instead, a decade after~I am still at the same place as I was ten years ago. I have been working my ass off, been busy building others dream while mine have had to take a back seat. It's been ten years, what happened to that vision board? I feel the loss of all that time. Where did a decade go?

DISCOVERING DAVAO-Day 5: The Samal Island Adventure, Hagimit Falls

Day 5 (March 19,2016)
Samal Island isn't only filled with jaw dropping and breathtaking beaches but also with looming waterfalls that will surely leave you awestruck. Just like the last but not the least stop on our last day in Davao-The Hagimit Falls, located at Barangay Cawag, 2 kilometers away from Penaplata proper. To get there you need to hire a habal-habal and hike more or less 10 minutes. Upon entering you have to pay 5php environmental fee. Entrance is 40php for adult and 20php for kids. Cottages cost 300php-1000php. We didn't rent since we just stayed there for an hour, Kuya Igo's friends just voluntered to look after our stuff, aren't they really nice? Don't worry guys, it's ok, we're not in Manila-we're in Davao.

Hagimit Falls is a cascade of small waterfalls that stream into a natural catch basin of cool waters. It is quite small and the falls aren't that high but all falls naturally. It was surrounded by Hagimit trees, where they got the falls name. The place is not yet fully developed and the forest was unspoiled, which I think is a good thing.

We visited the place after lunch so it was a bit crowded but that didn't stop us, we just put down our stuff  and voila-we threw ourselves under the waterfalls and the rest was playtime for the kiddos, haha! The water was very cold that we started shuddering but we were enjoying the waterfall massage and the soft sound as it drizzle onto the rocks. We (with a local guide of course) even tried passing under the rock entry way into the cave, how cool was that? One brave girl here! And the boyfriend even tried jumping into the falls like a pro, haha! Like what I've told you, it wasn't that high-don't freak out. Lols!

Too bad we didn't have enough time so we couldn't stay long, we only had an hour but it was all fun. We enjoyed the fresh ice cold breeze water, tropical rainforest feel and the cool refreshing feel of the cascading waters. A perfect place for those who love nature and lazy break. Another must visit when in Davao.

And here's the most challenging part for me, going back to the entrance, you have to go up the stairs. Oh yes, you have to--there's no other way but up, haha!

Million thanks to our very nice and reliable tour guide/photographer, Kuya Igo. He speaks pure tagalog because he's from Manila. I promised him that I will recomend him to you guys, so if you will visit Davao and Samal Island--here's his contact #09489276108--you'll like him for sure!

We looked so tired and quite sad here because it was our last day and we didn't want to leave Davao just yet--we still want to stay a little longer. Five days seemed too short to visit all the wonders it offers. Our Davao trip was the best trip we've been to so far, it's just so beautiful, we just didn't want it to end. But just like any other vacation it has to come to an end. Sigh! Just by writing this blog made me miss Davao, please take me back! I would love to come back soon, especially now that the great Mayor is now our President--going back to Davao will be very special. Oh well, that's all for our Davao trip guys. I hope you enjoy all my posts and you find them helpful. Till the next trip folks!

PS

Breakdow of expenses (Hagimit Falls)

Environmental Fee: 5php x 2=10php

Entrance Fee: 40php x 2= 80php

Total: 90php

PPS

Day5 Breakdown of expenses

Cab Fare (two way): 130php x 2=260php

RORO (two way): 10php x 2=20php x 2=40php

Habalhabal Whole Day Tour: 700php

Monfort Bat Sanctuary:  210php

Villa Amparo Beach Resort: 200php

Hagimit Falls: 90php

Total: 1500php