Cagbalete Island Hopping Sept 2018

Located off Mauban, Quezon is Cagbalete Island. It is an island known for it  white sand beach and   sandbar.

This island is about 4-5 hours by public ride from Buendia Bus Terminal.  The 1,640-hectare property is rich in biodiversity which makes it a must-see paradise.


One of the highly recommended things to do while in Cagbalete is going island hopping. Boat rental is around Php1,500 for 3 destinations - snorkeling, Yang-in Sandbar and Bonsai Island.

Snorkeling - you get to see lots of fishes. Bring biscuit or bread and you will attract colorful fishes.

Next, head onto Yang-In sandbar. The white sand bar is awesome. The shallow waters are clear and there are mangroves as well.

Please be mindful of the spikes as they will grow into fine mangrove.


Proceed to  Bonsai Island which is about 30 minutes from Yang-in sandbar. So named because of two very old bakawan trees that are only about 2 feet high. They appear during low tide when the water level gets really low and also you get to walk on the rockbed. Your boat may be anchored far away because of low tide around 10:00am. With waters just below your knees, you have to walk towards the rockbed , check on the trees and see petrified corals.
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So amazing that the trees are submerged during high tide and yet live.

You can see the beach from the rockbed which is about 600 meters.

After the island hopping in the morning, you can go back to your accommodation and wait for the tide to rise again at around 4pm where you can enjoy swimming.

How to get to Cagbalete Island
From Buendia - JAC Liner 4am bus goes directly to Mauban Quezon Fare Php269
From terminal, hail a tricycle going to the Registration Area  Fare Php10; just tell the driver you're going to the registration area
Pay the environmental fee Php50; Get an accommodation, representatives of resorts are in the area and it is mandatory to have a reservation before you can buy a ticket. Public boat fare is Php100 one way. Register and show your reservation.
Walk to the docking area and wait for your boat. If you're in a group, you can get a private boat at Php1500 one way
Boat ride is around 45 minutes ; If you take the public boat you will alight at the Port and can take habal habal to your destination Php100

Registration Area/ Tourist Port

Resort Representative

boardwalk

Cagbalete port

Cagbalete port

Travel Tips:

1. Bring lots of water  with you. Bottled water is expensive on the island
2. Electricity on the entire island is only available from 6am to 6pm. For some resorts they use generators to extend the electricity until 12 midnight.
3. Wifi is intermittent; you have to ask the resort where the best spot to catch a signal
4. Swimming time is best enjoyed early in the morning while it’s high tide (or late in the afternoon)
5. There’s no loud party or sound system during the night on the entire island.
6. You have the option to bring your own food and cook there; Dona Choleng resort has menu and you can order
7. Haggle for boat rental fee
8. Be mindful of the boat schedule in Cagbalete last trip is 1pm and also the bus schedules of Jac Liner (4am and 2pm) in Mauban.

Cagbalete Island Sept 2018

Located off the coast of the town of Mauban, Quezon Province,  Cagbalete Island is another island paradise in the province surrounded with cream sand and crystal clear water.

The island can be reached via boat from Mauban port. The boat ride is about 40-50 minutes. You need to register at the tourist port and pay Php50 environmental fee. The public boat ride is Php100 per head as of this writing.Also, you need to have a room reservation before they allow you to take the boat. If you did not make an online booking, several representatives of resorts in the island are in the tourist port area and you can choose a resort.

The boat I was in left at 1030am and reached the island at around 1120am. A representative from Dona Choleng fetched me and we rode a motorbike to the resort.

The resort was nice, clean and the room I got came in with a toilet. Other rooms do not have a toilet inside but rather outside which was walking distance.

There is a small restaurant where you can order food in case you did not bring. Prices are reasonable at Php150 for grilled liempo with rice and Php187 for grilled squid with rice.

Heading to the beach, pine trees abound and sea grass littered the shore. But it's ok. Sand is cream white and the waters are clear.

The best thing about off season is you get to have the beach all to yourself. There are no noisy bars here and you can really relax and enjoy the beach.

Tips

• Electricity on the island and resort is from 6PM to 6AM.
• Boat ride from Mauban to Cagbalete Island can be rough at times and generally rough during the ‘ber’ months up to February; waterproof your belongings especially your gadgets
• Mobile signal is available in the island especially on the beach front but wifi is weak
• Estimated overnight room accommodation in Cagbalete P1,500 – P2,000

How to get to Cagbalete Island

Jac Liner is the only bus line that offers daily direct trips bound for Mauban.
Bus fare from Buendia terminal is PHP 269 as of Sept 2018
Travel time: Approx. 5 hours
Or you take Lucena bound bus, alight at SM Lucena, ride the van/shuttle to Mauban.

Upon arrival at Mauban terminal, flag a tricycle to take you to Cagbalete Island Tourist Port.
Tricycle fare: PHP 10/ pax
Upon registration, pay for the environmental fee Php50
If you did not make online reservation for your accommodation, you need to get one from the representatives of the resorts before they allow you to  take the boat.

There are 2 ways to reach Cagbalete Island, either you charter a private boat or ride a passenger boat.  Public boat transfers from Mauban Port to Cagbalete Port and vice versa at P100 one way
Check out their website to for the daily trip schedules.
Travel time: Approx. 45 minutes

Private boat at Php1500 one way will take you directly to the resort.
Note that during low tide, the private boat will dock 600meters away from the shore and you have to walk and carry your stuff all the way to the beach. Water is shallow though.

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Island Hopping in Cagbalete