Mt. Gulugod Baboy; Mabini, Batangas

Mt. Gulugod Baboy; Mabini, Batangas : An undeniably eye candy. (with sample itinerary)

It was November of 2013 when our group decided to experience the beauty of Mt. Gulugod Baboy. We've read a lot of good reviews about the mountain so we strong-willed to push through. Mt. Gulugod Baboy is perfect for beginners and for those who wants to escape the so-called Manila atmosphere.

From Buendia we had to travel 2 ½ hours to Batangas Terminal. Since we are a big group, we decided to hire a Jeep going to Philpan Dive Resort.

When we reached the jump-off we had to pay twice for an entrance fee (pretty weird). It took us 1 ½ hour of nonstop walking, a little stretch of assault and crawling (joke). The trek was a bit draining because of the scourging heat but the good thing about this mountain is there are few stop over that sells carbonated drinks.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Well, when we reached the summit I just fell in love instantly with the view. From the summit you’ll get a glimpse of Sombrero Island and the second summit. I consider our group to be cam whores and us never fail to put up a small photo shoot.  

You will definitely enjoy waking up in the morning as I personally did. I enjoyed seeing nothing lol, because we were covered by a sea of clouds. But wait til the clouds disappear because the real surprise is just hiding. The lovely sunrise will surely captivate you.

Itinerary:

DAY 1

8:00     Assembly at Buendia Bus terminal
9:00     Departure to Batangas
12:00   Arrival at Batangas Terminal
13:00   Arrival at Philpan Dive Resort in Mabini Batangas
14:00   Registration and Lunch
17:00  Start trek to summit
19:00  Arrival at the camp site
21:00  Dinner
22:00 Socials
23:00 Lights out

DAY 2

5:00    Wake up call
6:00    Breakfast
8:00    Break camp
9:00    Trek to the Jump-off point
11:00  Manila Bound

  

Nagsasa Cove: Magical at night! (With sample Itinerary)

Zambales has a lot to offer in terms of long stretch of beaches. It is a perfect getaway for anyone who wants to escape the stressful life in Manila. In just 2-3 hours of travel, you’ll get the relaxing life you’ve been wanting. I’ve been to Anawingin before and I must say it’s beautiful, but Nasasa Cove’s far more exceptional.

 

The boat ride from Pundaquit to Nagsasa was a treat. You’ll enjoy taking pictures of spectacular rock formations. When we arrived there, we had to pay for the entrance fee and we’re all set. We pitched our tents and cooked our food. After eating we played “category” and got drunk. 

Unlike Anawangin, you’ll see less flags, and less people in Nagsasa Cove. It will offer you a more relaxed vibe and breathtaking views. The white sand and the crystal clear water makes you want to just stay there forever(kung wala lang sanang work). Stargazing in the island was just amazing. It’s the first time I’ve seen stars that plenty in my entire life.  I was already contented with what it showed me, but there was a bonus.  The shore line at night will surprise you with its luminosity. Glowing phytoplankton are scattered all over the shore making it look like you’re in Maldives.  It’s as if stars went down and played on Nagsasa’s shore line. I never expected that our visit here will be this magical. 

Comes morning, we visited Anawangin and Capones to see the lighthouse. We ended our trip with big smiles on our faces. 

Transportation:

We took a bus from Victory Liner going to Iba Zambales. From Iba take a bus going to Sta. Cruz and tell the drive to drop you off to the town’s public market. Look for a tricycle going to Mt. Pundaquit. You’ll need to rent a boat that will take you to Nagasa Cove.

Places to Visit:

-       Nagsasa Cove

-       Nagsasa Waterfalls

-       Side trip to Anawangin

-       Capones Island

-       Capones Lighthouse

ITINERARY: (Overnight)

Day 1

8:30 AM   Assembly at Victory Liner (Cubao)

9:00 AM   Departure from Manila to Iba Zambales

12:00 PM ETA to Sta. Cruz proceed to Brgy. Pundaquit

12:30 PM ETA to Brgy. Pundaquit; Rent a boat to Nagasasa

1:30 PM   Nagsasa Cove, Lunch, setup camop, relax, swim, photoshoot, visit Nagsasa waterfalls,social, etc.

10:00 PM Lights out

Day 2

6:00 AM Wakeup call, Breakfast, Break camp

8:00 AM Boat to Anawangin, spend 1 – 2 hours of fun, relax, photoshoot

10:00 PM  Boat to Capones

1:30 PM Boat to Pundaquit

2:30 PM Leave Zambales

6:00 PM ETA to Manila 

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Photo Credits to Marvin Cabutaje

Palaui Island: Rainy in December (with sample Itinerary and estimated budget)

It was November last year when we planned this trip. At first I wasn’t really excited about it til I read good reviews of the place. I got really ecstatic about the idea of being able to visit Cape Engaño Lighthouse. When we got to the Island..damn.. Palaui Island is far more than what was written about it. The trek itself gave me an unforgettable adventure. The Island is so picturesque it almost feels like I’m looking at a painting.

Although it was raining when we visited this very famous island, we still manage to enjoy its beauty. It was a post birthday celebration of a friend. Palaui Island has a wide variety of activities to offer. There’s island hopping, trek to Cape Engaño Lighthouse, swimming and snorkeling in Anguib beach and many more. And how can I forget, Survivor was also filmed here.

Transportation:

 The best way to get to Palaui is by taking a bus going to Sta. Ana. We took a bus from Victory Liner going to Tuguegarao. Be wary of the bus departure schedule because sometimes they are strict. We were 5 mins late and the bus conductor didn’t allow us to board in. They had to give the seats to chance passengers.

You can also go by plane.

From Sta. Ana you can take a tricycle going to Sta. Vicente Port, I’m not sure how much would it cost (We used the van owned by a friend). Before going to the Island you have to sign in a log book  at punta verde also located at Sta. Vicente Port. You would need to rent a boat to Palaui Island and hire a guide. The boat can go directly to Cape Engaño or you have an option to trek.

Food Trip:

We were very fortunate to have a friend living in Lasam. Food was not a problem, it was literally over flowing. (thanks to the Cabutajes)

There are also lots of local eateries around that serve really good foods. You can never go wrong their famous Pancit Batil Patong.

Places to Visit:

-       When you’re in Tuguegarao you can go on a side trip to Calloa Cave. It’s where one of the scenes in the movie The Mistress was shot.

-       Cape Engaño Lighthouse

-       Anguib Beach

-       Crocodile Island

ITINERARY:

PALAUI TRIP (December 26-29)

December 26 (Day 0)

12:00 Assembly Victory Liner Kamuning

13:00 ETD Manila-Tuguegarao

December 27 (Day 1)

04:00 ETA Tuguegarao
05:00 Bound to Sta. Ana
09:00 ETA in Sta. Ana
Register at the visitors' office
Arrange a boat for island hopping the following day
10:00 Check-in at the Lodge
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Rest, Explore San Vicente
20:00 Dinner
23:00 Sleep

December 28 (Day 2)

05:00 Wake-up
06:00 Breakfast
07:00 Go to San Vicente Port
Depart for Palaui Island
Trek to Cape Engaño Lighthouse
Explore, picture taking
Depart for Anguib Beach
Beach bumming, swimming, explore
Lunch at the beach
Depart for Punta Verde
Swim or explore the place, meet the locals
Depart for Crocodile Island
Swim, explore, climb the rock formation
Depart for San Vicente Port
Check-out Lodge

Visit Lasam, Cagayan.

December 29 (Day 3)

14:00 ETD Lasam-Manila

December 30

05:00 ETA Manila

ESTIMATED EXPENSES:

Bus - P750 (Manila-Tuguegarao)
Tricycle to San Vicente Port - 15.00 / person
Registration / Day pass at the visitor's center - 50.00 / person
Accommodation @ Costales Lodge - 600.00 / night
Food (2 days) - 500.00 / person
Boat Rental (Special Trip) - P438 /person @ 3,500.00 (8 passengers maximum)
Entrance fee in Anguib Beach - 100.00 / head
Tricycle to Town center - 15.00 / person
Bus (Lasam-Manila) - P850

ESTIMATED TOTAL: P3,318

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Photo credits to Marvin Cabutaje

Calaguas Island: Our buwis-buhay journey to paradise. (with sample Itinerary and estimated budget)

Typhoon Caloy has just entered the country. Though there was no signal warning on Camarines Norte, 20 meters of waves (not sure if they were just exaggerating) were reported by the Philippines coast guards surfacing. We were constantly calling our contacts to make sure our trip will push through. Our contact Kuya Boy warned us to postpone our trip because the coast guards are not letting any boat or fishing vessel to sail til further notice. Pero matigas ang ulo namin and we still decided to go despite of the warnings.

Comes the day of our trip, the coast guard would not let us sail. We asked the boat man if the boat can go, and they were firm that their boat is strong enough. So we did not let the coast guard gets in our way.  We had an agreement that he’s never gonna be liable if anything happens to our group. Yeah! We just gave our contact numbers in case something bad happens and off we sail. Little did we know that we are about to face the rant of the angry sea.

 

Big monstrous waves greeted us as we sail and in less than 10 minutes, some of us wanted to go back. Everyone was scared, I was scared but I acted as if I was having fun (but my hands were strongly tied up to my friends arm). I was thinking that the boat might break into half every time a wave hits it. There was even an instance where rain poured. The boat was big enough but it felt wobbly. Some started to throw up (not me). Mind you it was supposedly a 2 hour boat ride but because of the big waves it took us almost 3 hours to set foot on the island.

At last the longest 3 hours of my life has ended. The powdery white sand welcomed us and the pristine water washed all the fears we had during the boat ride. It felt like the island was set exclusive for our group. There was no one else but the locals. We maximized our stay, pitched our tents, ate foods prepared by the locals, got drunk,  took great pictures, played Frisbee and Volleyball, and  even shot a music video.

Calaguas Island was worth all the danger. We were victorious; the storm did not put up a good fight. However we also learned that safety should always come first.

Boat rental: Kuya boy +639085460683

Estimated total budget P3,000

BREAKDOWN:

Van-Rent (good for 10-12 pax) : P8,000 (for 2 days)

Gas and Toll (estimate): P5,000 Boat (good for 7-10 pax) P5,000 (good for 7-15 pax) 6,000
11:00pm ETD from Net Cube to Daet (Pwede naman na umalis kung set na lahat)
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am ETD Daet Market to Paracale (Bili sa market na mga possible na lulutuin
9:30am ETA in Paracale
10:00am ETD Paracale to Calaguas Island (1.5-2 hours boat ride)
12:00am ETA Mahabang Buhangin, Calaguas Island (Rest/Photoshoot/Swimming)
1:00pm Lunch (Pwede magpaluto)
2:00pm Lots of chill time (Pakasawa sa pictures/photoshoot/paitiman/swimming/games etc./island hopping?)
07:00pm Dinner
08:00pm Socials (Inom/Night Swimming/Chill)
11:00pm Lights Out
6:00am Climb the Tinago Hills (Sunrise watching)
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Chill ulet (swim/Pictures)
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Chill time (Ligo ulet/Picture/Prepare)
4:00pm ETD Calaguas to Paracale
10:00pm ETD Daet to Manila

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Total Expense (pamasahe) / 10 (Confirmed peeps) = P1,800 each

Total budget for food (estimated); P500 each

Budget for the Whole Trip:

For 10 (confirmed peeps) P1,800 + P500 = P2,300 each against 3K budget (may sukli ka pa!)

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FINAL ITINERARY:

March 22 (Saturday)

10:00pm Assembly Time (Dinner/Buy Stuff etc.)

March 23 (Sunday)

7:00am ETA in Daet

March 24 (Monday)

5:00am Wakeup call 

March 25 (Tuesday)

7:00am ETA Manila

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Photo and video credits to Marvin Cabutaje and Jaypee David

#pinoykaladkarins | Who we are?

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