How I spent Php1,000.00 in Cagbalete Island:

Cagbalete Island

I'm a little hesitant to blog about this island because this is one of my secret spot. You know we all have that one place where it always leaves a special mark in our heart & I guess this one is for me. Maybe because for the first time I finally tried the solo backpacking thing. Yup no one knows about this not even my Mom who constantly checks on my whereabouts. It's a good thing she's not reading this lol. Personally, I don't like travelling solo because (1) I don't have somebody to take my pictures (ang vain lang ng reason ko haha) & (2) it is more costly than when in groups. There are not many places where you can travel solo on a budget but for this trip I think I did well & forced myself not to go overboard & surprisingly enjoyed my solo trip. Anyway, I'm sharing this trip because I don't think I have a lot of readers & even if I have, I doubt that they will read this word by word lol. Seriously, I have many realizations during this trip. That it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, that it was both liberating & exhilarating, & that I finally understood the hype about solo travelling. I might just do it again next time haha

How to go to Cagbalete:
There is only one bus who goes directly to Mauban, Quezon and that is Jac Liner Bus. They only have 2 bus schedules though, 4AM & 11AM. The fare is about Php 270.00 & estimated travel time is aound 4 to 5 hours. In  case you missed the first trip (which happened to me), you can take the bus going to Lucena & get off  in Lucena Bus Terminal (Php 210.00). From there, you can take another bus going to Mauban (Php 50.00) & drop off in Mauban Public Market. You can opt to ride a tricycle from Mauban Market to the port (Php 10.00) or you can walk if you're not in a hurry.

Mauban Port

You should be in the Mauban Port on or before 10:00AM to catch the first trip going to Sabang Port (Cagbalete Island). Boat fare is Php 50.00 & travel time is around 45 minutes to 1 hour. In case you missed this, the next scheduled boat trip is already at 3:00PM but there are also private boat who offers to get you to the island for a higher price. Fare depends on the number of passengers. Small boat for 4 people is about Php 2,000 while the bigger boats cost Php 4,000 but I think you can still haggle though.

I arrived on the island around 1:00 in the afternoon & was surprised that the island surrounding the resort was in low-tide. I mean I was so used to the idea that when somebody says it's low tide, the water is at least still visible in the naked eye but the case here is different. The water was totally wiped out or pushed back from the island for about 1 to 2 kilometers. I was so amazed that I asked the boatman if this is always the case here, he just casually confirmed "Opo ma'am, ganito po talga dito araw-araw" (Yes ma'am, this happen everyday)

This is how it looks during low tide. I have to walk for 10 to 15 minutes to reach the resort.

That little house is the Villa Cleofas Resort

The water will go back to normal at around 4:00PM (high tide) up to early morning then it will start to recedes at around 11:00AM. You can see it right before your very eyes the transformation of the sea levels. At one point I feel like I'm Moses actually especially when I walked towards the sandbar (the main haighlight of the whole trip) when it was just starting to appear. Lakas maka-mahika ang ganap dun haha I think that was also the start of my obsession to sandbars lol

Ahhhhhh sandbar!!!

Tip: Electricity in the island is on rotational basis. It is available from 6:00PM to 10:00PM & will be back on 6:00AM to 10:00AM the next day. I'm not sure if this is also the case to other resort so make sure to bring your power banks.

Where to stay in Cagbalete:
There are various resorts to choose from in Cagbalete Island which I listed below. As for me I choose to stay in Villa Cleofas because they allow their guest to pitch their own tent for a minimal fee & also because of their own sandbar which makes it even more better.

This is the first time that I've seen a sunrise by the beach. Puro sunset lang kc naabutan ko haha

Yun lang against the light lol

Other Resort in the Island:

• Dona Choleng Resort
• Pansacala Beach Resort
• Villa Noe Beach Resort
• MVT Sto. Nino Resort

Tip: Be mindful of the boat schedules that will depart from the island because the last trip is around 1:00PM or so depending on the number of passengers so make sure to catch the last trip or else you will be stuck in the island.

Note: The reason why I was so confident to wear bikini because there are only a few people in the resort aside from the staff. I think most of the guest are still sleeping or already went home so it almost looked like my private resort lol

Breakdown of Expenses:
Bus to Lucena Bus Terminal: Php 210.00
Lucena Bus Terminal to Mauban Public Market: Php 50.00
Tricycle from Mauban Market to Port: Php 10.00
Environmental Fee: Php 50.00
Boat Fare from Mauban Port to Cagbalete: Php 50.00
Entrance Fee in Villa Cleofas: Php 50.00
Tent Fee (Overnight): Php 250.00
Boat from Cagbalete to Mauban Port: Php 50.00
Tricycle going to Jac Liner Terminal: Php 10.00
Bus from Mauban to Buendia (Manila): Php 270.00
Total: Php 1,000.00

Tip: You can bring you own food in the island because once you got there, almost everything are twice the price. Well since I was travelling alone, I just brought basic food (bread, snacks & never ever forget water). I was telling myself that I'm on a diet anyway so I don’t have to eat much lol. But I got hungry that night & ended up ordering one cup of rice & century tuna canned goods which already cost me Php 100.00. So much for dieting haha