Travelling with Lily

Car Camping at Mt. Balagbag v2023

2023-06-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

We used to travel A LOT, mostly within the Philippines. I am into beaches while my hubby would go for hiking. We have so many destinations in our list that we are eyeing to visit and we have tentative schedules for each. AND THEN, WE RECEIVED THE BIGGEST BLESSING OF OUR LIVES! :) We got pregnant.

Every place that we have planned to visit, we have to reconsider since we have a toddler. We do not want to totally remove traveling from our plate, it is something that we really enjoy doing together - but now we have to ensure that the destination/s would be kid-friendly.

Previously, we had a day-tour at the summit of Mt. Balagbag with Lily (she was a year old). We brought the car to the summit and stayed for about an hour or two. We decided that maybe it's time for our little one to experience overnight camping.

We arrived around 4PM at the summit, my hubby started setting up the awning, tent, chairs and tables while I took care of Lily. We had to stay inside the vehicle because it was really cold and windy, something that we didn't really consider because it is almost summer season. Good thing that I was able to bring sweatshirts, tights, and jogging pants for Lily.

After dinner, we had to stay inside the tent because the wind became stronger and it was colder than when we arrived. We tried watching downloaded movies but the weather just made us so sleepy. 😁

It was a perfect morning when we woke up. Hubby cooked egg and sausage, we had breakfast with an awesome view of the Metro. I would say that Lily enjoyed the trip as well.

Things hubby brought to make our stay comfortable:
1. Coleman tent (of course :)) - 3-4 pax capacity
2. Inflatable mattress (single and double)
3. Coleman portable chairs
4. Foldable table
5. Cooler
6. Rechargable fans
7. Cookset and camping stove

Expenses starting from the jump-off point:
1. P90.00 - environmental fee for 2 pax upon registration at the barangay; free for little one
2. P450.00 - entrance fee
3. P100.00 - overnight stay fee

Tips:
1. Road from barangay hall to the summit is quite rough (at one point there are big rocks that one must pass through) so I would say bringing sedan is not advisable
2. Best to visit from January to May (if you are to bring vehicle to the summit BUT if your vehicle is 4x4, you can go there anytime)
3. Make sure to register at the barangay for security purposes (I read a lot of reviews previously that it is not safe to visit the summit)

In conclusion, I would definitely go back here with family and friends! 👌👌👌

Amazing Mt. Maculot 20150829

2015-08-30T05:41:00.003-07:00

After three times of postponing our climb due to bad weather, FINALLY!

I do not know what to expect from this climb, all I care about is that we have a fine weather during our stay up in the summit.

We ancipated already that since it's a long weekend, more group would be coming. Hence, we left Manila by 3am with our own vehicle, had an hour breakfast at SLEX and finally arrived at Mountaineer's Stopover & Store - our jump off point - 6:30a30m. Before reaching the said store, there's a makeshift "kubo" with table outside where you will have to register your group, pay the registration and secure guide. Registration is 20/head and you will have to leave one ID per group. Overnight rate for guide is 800/group for 1-5 person - additional 100/person in excess of that. There are 7 persons in our group, hence, we had to pay 1000php. You don't have to pay the guide fee right away, payment should be made after the climb and shall be given directly to your guide.

Our guide, Anthony (part-time college student), brought us to Mountaineer's Stopover & Store where we parked our vehicle. Since we already bought everything we need from previous night, we just had a 30-minute rest and proceeded to start the trek.

The first few minutes were spent walking on a paved road - gradual assault - quite easy. However, as we progressed the trail becomes harder as it is really steep and rocky. I was told, beforehand, that there are several makeshift stores which serves as pitstop but I never expected them to be that many. Though, I appreciated their presence, because you will really need to rest.

By 9:15am, we were already there at the campsite and was able to find a good spot to pitch our tent. By 10am, other groups started to arrive but most of them were day hikers. We figured, by 12nn, as also advised by our guide that it would be a waste of time to do the rockies in the afternoon as we will have to wait for our turn to get a good shot of the rockies. We decided to do it in the morning.

There's a store at the campsite and as expected its quite expensive. Cooked pancit chilimansi is being sold at 45php, mountain dew is at 40php, etc.

By 7am the following morning, after having our coffee and biscuits, we continued our trek to the rockies. It was ALL WORTH IT!

Overnight IT Actual (with own vehicle):
DAY 1
3:00AM - Assembly at Pureza, Sta. Mesa
4:00AM - Breakfast at Shell SLEX
6:30AM - Arrival at Jump off point; registration
*30-minute rest, parking of the vehicle
7:00AM - Start of trek
9:15AM - Arrival at the campsite
*rest, pitch tent
11:00AM - Lunch (packed food)
*rest of the afternoon/evening = socials

DAY 2
6:00AM - Breakfast
7:00AM - Start of trek to Rockies
7:45 - Arrival at Rockies
*30-minute pictorial (there are 2 group ahead of us so we did not have to wait that long for our turn)
8:15AM - Start trek back to campsite
9:00AM - Break camp
9:45AM - Start descent
11:50 - Arrival at Jump off

Sagada Getaway 2014 (Sumaging Cave, Lake Danum, Kiltepan Peak & Bomod-ok Falls)

2014-02-19T00:04:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to go to Kota Kinabalu, bought the tickets from Airasia 6 months ahead, even had a pencil booking for the K2 climb! Unfortunately, most of us stumbled some challenges to push through with the trip.

I had my 2-days leave filed already and I wouldn't want to back out of going out of town BUT I knew for a fact that it would be costly for us (me and my husband) to push the Malaysia trip! Hence, a back-up plan was made.

It took us a week to persuade my sister and his husband to tag along on our SAGADA trip. We estimated an 11-hour drive going there, based on our Sportivo's performance for the past 4 months, which already include the pit-stops.

Our initial plan was to leave Manila by 10PM (Wednesday - February 12) BUT ended up leaving by 1:30AM the following day.

At around 1:50AM, we were already at Balintawak entering NLEX. By 2:50AM, we're at SCTEX Toll and had a short stop (15 minutes) to use their portalet. At around 8:15AM, we had to gas up at Shell Lamut, Ifugao, not because we're out of it, we're just not sure if there's a decent gas station from there to our destination!

On our way, we stopped by Cafe Ad Banaue, a small cafe overlooking rice terraces. We had coffee and tea! Cozy place! We met Mang Jun (nephew of the owner) and he has a lot of stories on Ifugao cultures and traits. He even recommended places to stay!

Taken at the ViewPoint

From there, it took us 3-hour drive to Sagada, our destination. We went to Sagada Homestay (inn), unfortunately, they were fully booked! Adjacent to the place is St. Joseph's Resthouse, but we found the rental rather expensive - PHP2,500 for the 5 of us. We decided to look for another one. A few steps away from the Tourist Center, we found Alapos Kitchenette and Inn. We got a unit with two rooms for PHP1,600 per night (no breakfast). At exactly 1:30PM, we were already settled in our unit. A 12-hr drive (with 4 pit stops including one in McDonalds San Jose, Nueva Ecija - 30 minutes / per stop on the average)

We spent our first day, SLEEPING! We tried Salt & Pepper for lunch. Price ranges from PHP150 - PHP200.

We had our first dinner at Alapos. Their meals range from PHP100 - PHP200. I love their crab and corn soup which, would you believe costs PHP80?! And its enough for 4 persons!

On our second day, breakfast was also at Alapos! Try their Bacon meal (american breakfast - PHP120) - highly recommended. They're very generous on bacons! It comes with egg and 3 slices of bread including butter and jam.

We headed straight to Tourism Center, all tourists are required to register (PHP35/person). Make sure that you keep it as everytime you go on tour, you need to present it (my first mistake was losing it!). We decided to take the much adventurous package - the Cave Connection (Southern Sagada). Guide fee is PHP400/person. You'll start at Lumiang / Burial Cave - a 30-minute walk from the Tourism Center - and will end up at Sumaging Big Cave. You'll spent 3-4 hours on this tour. Make sure you're wearing a comfortable footwear and pants (tights or jogging pants would be good). We were forewarned that the water inside the cave would be thigh-high, BUT during this time, it was not. Along the way, at the start of descent, there are several narrow passages that you will go through. You have to climb up and down, and at one point you will need to do rappelling. It may sound so hard, BUT it is one adventure that you wouldn't one to miss!

From the exit at Sumaging Cave, it will take you about an hour walk to Tourist Center, but we were too tired already, prompting us to rent a van at PHP250 to take us back to the center. We shared it with our new found friends, Harold and Margaret, whom we met there.

As if we're not yet tired, we headed straight to the famous Lake Danum (15-30 minutes drive from the center) to watch the sunset.

We had dinner at the "famous" Yoghurt House. Price ranges from PHP200 - PHP300. They have pasta, subs, sandwiches and rice meals. Servings can accommodate two persons, by the way.

It was a mistake to do the Cave Connection on your first day! It was too tiring! Naturally, on our third day, most of us, couldn't even get up. BUT we had to, as we made arrangements with Harold and Margaret that we will be with them on going to Kiltepan Peak to watch the sunrise. We rented a van at PHP55/pax. It was too foggy and cloudy that we weren't actually see the sun rise. BUT we enjoyed the home-brewed coffee sold there at PHP25.

Though we were too tired, we decided to avail the Northern Sagada Bomod-ok / Big Waterfalls trip. It was way cheaper than our first trip. Guide fee is PHP500 for 10 pax. The van was rented at PHP650. It tooks us 1 hour & 16 minutes going down, and 1 hour & 25 minutes going back. I would say that this was more easier trek compared to the cave connection.

Here's the actual expenses (excluding food) that we had for this trip for 4 days - 3 nights:

Gas (Diesel) - 4,362.86

Toll (including TPLex) - 752.00

Accommodation

1,600.00/night - 4,800.00

Cave Connection

400.00/person (Guide) - 2,000.00

Van - 250.00

Bomod-ok Falls

Guide (group) - 500.00

Van - 650.00

13,314.86 (5 pax) = 2,662.97/pax

**Alapos Kitchenette and Inn : +63999-5144688

Its Our 4th @ Tropicana Castle Resort

2012-07-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

Its our 4th wedding anniversary, and unlike last year where we went far across the metro (Coron, Palawan) to celebrate it, we settled at Tropicana Castle Resort in Sabang, Puerto Galera. We were given a 50% discount on their honeymoon suite or more commonly know as the "DOME". Spent 2 days and 3 nights at this amazing room or rather suite. The dome has its:

own bathroom with bath tub in the balcony extension

own billiard table at the center of the suite with adjacent bar

two balconies on each side which is ideal for social gathering

with a great view of Sabang Port and its surroundings

a swimming pool

The only problem that we had was we didn't want to go out of the room and explore the island. We spent most of our time playing pool while watching cable channel and drinking beer. Now, that's ROMANTIC!

There's a wide variety of food establishments to choose from, mostly Italian, though. Also, should you wish to have a relaxing dinner, you may opt to have it in Capt'n Gregg's, situated few feet away from the shoreline. They offer steaks and humongous BURGERS at a very reasonably price.

Time to plan our next year's anniversary!!!

For more info on the hotel rates, you may contact them through their email address: paultropicana@yahoo.com

Hello Bacolod - Part 3: Carbin Reef

2012-07-04T23:59:00.003-07:00

One of the most amazing island I have been too, next to Magalawa Island is Carbin Reef. Its a white sand islet - 150 meters long and 30 meters wide to be exact. It is part of Sagay Marine Reserve - 30 minutes boat ride from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. And since it is strictly protected, tourist must secure permit first. I suggest that days prior to arrival, permit should be properly secured through coordination with City Tourism Office of Sagay or you may contact Mario/Ramil (our boatmen) at +639216955665 and +639216374341.

In the island, you will find 3-4 shaded picnic huts which can be rented for 200php (which you can still haggle) and an old watchtower. No trees or grass. Its very peaceful.

You may opt to bring your own tent, however, no one is allowed to stay overnight.

Hello Bacolod - Part 2: Mambukal Resort

2012-03-06T00:01:00.003-08:00

On our 2nd day, we went straight to Mambukal Resort which is located in Murcia, Bacolod City. From Circle Inn, we rode a jeep (php8.00 each) going to Libertad Terminal and took a mini-bus (php30.00 each) going to the town of Murcia. Good thing one of us speaks Ilongo, he was able to convince the driver to drop us off straight to the gate of Mambukal, otherwise it will take us another 15-20 minutes of walking. Also, he was able to request for the driver to save us seats on our way back to the city.

There are several activities you can enjoy inside Mambukal Resort. One, which we did, is to take a trek on the 7 cascading falls. You can take a dip on the first and last level of the falls. It will take you about 15-20 minutes trekking to visit the 7 falls. On your way back to the entrance of the resort, you can may opt to ride the habal-habal which will cost 50.00php each or trek back.

If you have a whole day dedicated for the resort, you can enjoy their swimming pool at a very minimal fee. You can also try boating on their man-made lagoon. Food is everywhere, there are several restaurants who offers wide array of choices.

Hello Bacolod - Part I: The Ruins

2012-03-05T23:18:00.000-08:00

Another seat sale we found and BOOM, we found ourselves booked for Bacolod. It took us sometime to create our IT since most of the tourist spots' locations are far from one another. Being a beach bum, I personally prefer sandbars, island hopping, discovering sea creatures, etc. but I was told of the famous Mambukal Resort where one could visit their 7 cascading falls. I wouldn't miss the chance of seeing it.

As soon as we arrived, we went straight to "The Ruins" located in the borders of Talisay and Bacolod City. It is best describe as "It shows the remains of the mansion during World War II wherein the family intentionally burned the house so that the Japanese people won’t use it as their headquarters". We were supposed to arrive in Bacolod around 5:00 in the afternoon but, as expected, there was a delay. We were not able to catch sunset in "The Ruins" where you can really appreciate the beauty of the mansion (remains) as most of the locals says. There's a restaurant inside where you can have a romantic evening with your love ones. I'm just not sure of the price though. If you're travelling with a group best way to go there is to hire a van, just like we did, from the airport. We paid 2000php for bringing us to the spot and then to our hotel which is located downtown of Bacolod. So we spent 200php each. Not bad since it saved us from the hassle of transferring from one vehicle to another.

Aye!!! Its my Hubby's Birthday @ Boracay!!!

2011-11-15T00:49:00.000-08:00

Boracay was never included in my bucket list, simply because its getting crowded every single day! Should I had the resources 10 years ago, I would have definitely visited the place. While we (couple of friends) were secretly planning the trip, we came across with another Zest airfare promo and everyone (yes, including me!) agreed to visit Boracay!

There are so MANY water activities you can do while in Boracay and one that I enjoyed the most is HELMET DIVING. For someone who cannot swim, this activity made me see what I have been missing on our previous trips where everyone were enjoying their snorkels and underwater photo shoots. Plus, its surprisingly cheaper than we thought (@300php). Next visit to Boracay, we will definitely try ZORB, Glass Bottom, and wind surfing!!!

For three nights, we strolled down from station 1 to station 3, checking out on every single cafes/bars/restaurants. Of course, seafood was the main attraction for us and as usual, we tried shrimps, lobsters and crabs. We also went to this bar where they showcase "fire dancers".

I also had fun buying native accessories at the shops located between station 1 and 2. So many things to buy, so little money to spend!!!

What do I love most on this trip is that I spent it with my ex-boyfriend-now-husband John! With our "anaks":D

Survival Mode @ Balete Island, Pagbilao, Quezon

2011-09-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Initial destination was Malaguinoan Island in Polillo, then became Laiya in Batangas. Resorts were too expensive (as per Gem) and we already set our mind that we will be spending our long weekend in an island with tent accommodation, so we headed to the southern part of Quezon. While we were having our breakfast, we continued searching for a nearby island thru our mobile internet. There we found Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Bukas.After getting the necessary directions, we headed to the "port" and ask around. Unfortunately, waves were too big on the way to Puting Buhangin. Hence, our bangkero recommended Balete Island.

No electricity, no nearby residents (small community is on the other side of the island), no deep well, no nothing.. AND WE SURVIVED for 3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS!!!

Visiting Bagamanoc, Virac (05202011)

2011-05-23T00:12:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Iris' birthday, we were invited to visit her relatives in Bagamanoc, Virac. Plane tickets were bought as early as February to ensure that everyone would have the same schedule and would still be cheaper. Unlike with the previous celebrations held outside of the metro, we had more attendees (total of 13 to be exact) and this, so far, is the farthest.

I heard of Virac before, but I am not too familiar of what it has to offer. All I know is that it is still part of Bicol, and Bicolanos are known for their platable-spicy delicacies (I should know my mom was born and raised in Camarines Sur).

On our first 2 days, we stayed at Loran Beach Resort located in an island 25-minutes away from Bagamanoc. A virgin island, no electricity, no unwanted garbages, just us and the caretaker.

Our contribution for food was 1500/head. for 7 sumptuous meals which includes lobster, crabs, lobsters, crabs, lobsters and crabs hahaha... Almost all our meals consists of these two.Who's complaining anyway?!

We drank, we swam, we had photo sessions...

Met new friends, found new places, learned few things about Bagamanoc, ate foods which can't be found in metro and was taught on how to CHA CHA!!!

Next stop, CEBU =)

Conquering Pagudpud (05142011)

2011-05-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

Pagudpud has been classified as one of the top tourist attraction up north. Numerous blogs favoring Pagudpud over Boracay have been circulating over the net. Thus, we decided to travel 573 kilometers away from Manila to check the beauty underneath the name. Of course, it will not be complete without visiting the famous "Vigan".

First, I would like to thank my brother-in'law's friend, Waki, who financed this trip. What did I say? Best things in life are free!!!

We're supposed to leave Manila at 10pm Friday and as always my sister came 2 1/2 hours late. Our initial computation was we would be travelling 9 hours at 70kph BUT later we realized that we didn't include the time spent for pit stops. To cut the story short, instead of 9 hours, we traveled 14 hours including 4 pit stops and quick tour in Vigan which gave us a glimpse of the Spanish era.

Good thing we're already booked at Villa del Mar Ivory Beach (Pagudpud) so when we arrived by 3pm, we just paid our dues and started pitching our tents. Our total bill for the entire stay (2D1N) was 1050php. Entrance for 5 adults is 500php at 100 each and 50php for kids below 10 years of age, plus 500php for the open cottage. We brought our own cooking set, utensils and raw foods which costs us around 1300php including mineral water and 2 GSM Blue.

It was already past 5pm when we finished setting-up but it didn't stop us from wading around. After an hour or so, we headed back to our mini-"campsite" for dinner and socials. By 12am, everyone was already snoring... errr... sleeping. :))

The following day, we spent 3 hours swimming before heading back to Manila. On our way, we visited Cape Bojeador Lighthouse also known as Burgos Lighthouse which considered to be one of the oldest cultural structure heritage structure in Ilocos Norte.

Our last stop was in Vigan (again), we visited Bangui Windmill, Bantay Bell Tower, Our Lady of Charity and St. Augustine Church. I can't find words to describe these structures! Its simply mind-blowing!

It was definitely a fun-filled weekend!! NEXT STOP, VIRAC!!!

Family Getaway @ Cote d' Azur, Infanta, Quezon (05012011)

2011-05-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Initial plan was to celebrate my Uncle's birthday @ a private resort either in Laguna or in Cavite. We spent 2 months of planning it but in the end, the supposed outing was cancelled. Instead, we were invited to join the celebration at his home. The fact is, all the kids in my family were very excited to the extent that their parent bought "things" for the trip already. Plus, we don't have anymore available schedule for the remaining days of the summer season and it has been our commitment to spend at least a quarterly getaway with our parents and the rest of the family.

Since my cousin called it off a day before the scheduled trip, I had a limited time to find a resort. I found one, Bosay Resort, in Antipolo and I was asked to deposit the down payment in their bank account. For some reason, I was hesitant to do the task and decided to just show up as early as 6am. I asked my siblings to be ready by 5am and will just meet at my brother's house. BTW, Bosay Resort (http://www.bosayresort.com/) is a mountain resort which offers variety of pools. All in all, they have 8 pools including one olympic and therapeutic pools. Unfortunately, I woke up an hour late with 11 missed calls and 20 sms from the family. My husband and I arrived 7am at the meeting place. After an hour, we arrived at the resort and vehicles were already lined up 2 blocks away from the resort. We thought they're there for another resort, but we're wrong. Its a Sunday and almost 4 weeks away before the summer ends, what were we thinking!!! Its a JAMPACKED place and its not worth the wait.

So after 15-mins of discussion and weighing our options, we decided to try Infanta, Quezon. We got lost, we missed our turns and we were very hungry when we finally found the perfect place by 12:30pm.

150+ kilometers away from Manila, nestles a nice, uncrowded, clean resort. It has 2 kiddie pool, 1 huge adult pool, numerous cottages fronting the beach & the pools, villas, billiard hall, playground and almost 20 comfort/shower rooms.

Entrance fee for adult is PHP250, while for kids its PHP125. Open cottages are being rented for PHP600 which can accommodate up to 12 persons. We chose the cottage fronting the pool but by 3pm, we transferred to the one near the beach (yes, clients are allowed to move from one cottage to another whenever and wherever!)

Another adventurous trip for us!!!

Our holy week in Mariveles, Bataan (2011)

2011-04-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a tradition of my sister and I to walk from our home (Caloocan) to Lourdes Grotto during Holy Wednesday and attend the mass. We normally spend 6 hours to get there by foot. For some reason, we stopped after I got married. For the last 3 years, during this season, my husband and I would just stay home, watch movies, and rest.

This year, we were invited to spend the entire holy week in Mariveles, Bataan by our good friend, Iris with Ace, Katz and Kay. There's no definite itinerary, we'll just hang-out, check how the residents will be celebrating this holy season, and check-out places from there. We were billeted in a 2-bedroom townhouse, just in-front of the church, courtesy of Iris' relatives. We were given a HUGE discount, we just paid PHP2500 for our entire stay (3D2N). Our meals were ALL for free. :D I know, best things in life are free and "DISCOUNTED". :))

Initially, we planned to visit Dunsulan Falls on our way to Mariveles and have our lunch there but it didn't push through as we left Manila 4 hours late:D But it's a good thing, though, as we were able to finish BLIND SIDE.

We arrived at our host's (Delos Reyes) house in Mariveles around 4-5PM (fine! I forgot!) Spent the rest of the day (or night?) eating, drinking booze and meeting new acquaintances, including Benedict (Iris' uncle BUT much younger and our host for the entire stay).

The following day (Black Saturday), we went to Lusong Cove, a 15- min boat ride from the port. Stayed there from 9AM to 3:30PM. We only swam for about 30 minutes and decided to just stay by the shore and drink SML. The sight of the beautiful blue ocean and white capped waves together with the trash left behind were disappointing. By 3:30PM, when we were about to board the boat, we noticed that the sea was very calm and water itself was already free of trash. Something to do with the tides hahaha...

We went straight to Delos Reyes' farm. Found a small river and stayed there for 2 hours, pretending that its too deep when in fact its just a knee-high :))

On our last day, we spent the entire day at the CAMAYA COAST. We were hesitant, at first, on listening to the Camaya's agent with regards to the lots and condos available in the resort. In the end, we were very eager to ask questions as it turned out to be an interesting and inexpensive investment. Spent 3 hours listening and visiting the available lots/condos/model houses. Magnificent view from the top! Around 3PM, we were able to enjoy the BEACH. Its like a HUGE swimming pool!!!

It's our last day, and believe or not, we wanted to stay for another day!!! Another great experience, looking forward for more!!!

Magalawa Island 041611 (Summer Getaway 2011)

2011-04-18T01:24:00.000-07:00

Of all the islands we have been to, this sure tops the list of most recommended.

We left MLA by 5AM, stopped at Shell NLEX for breakfast and left around 5:30AM. By 7:30AM, we're already in Subic. We failed to turn left at "Ulo ni Apo" shrine, no signs at all %^$#. We ended up going back to Subic and retraces our way. Arrived at Iba, Zambales around 8:30am. Stayed there for about an hour or so to buy food supplies. By 9:30am, we found the Radyo Veritas rough road. Literally, ROUGH!!! we decided to take the trike and left John and JM in the car as we are not sure how far we are from the port and how rough it will be along the way. FINALLY, by 11AM we're already in MALAGAWA island. LO and BEHOLD! It's really breathtaking.

There are about 80+ tourists but it still can accommodate more. Its too big (comparing to Potipot):D Set meals are being sold for 200/meal/pax (complete meal) BUT earlier on we already decided to cook for ourselves. It was a learning experience. I was too drunk to remember what else happened after our dinner :)) Thanks to GSM Blue!! Or to 2kls. of ripe mangoes we earlier bought from the market.

Our IT was to leave the island at 11am pero when we woke up and saw that everyone were already packing, the thought that we would be "ALONE" made us decide to stay a bit longer :))

On our way back, the group felt the need to eat a decent meal so we stopped by at Palmera Beach Resort and had a sumptuous late lunch (5pm).. Ratings: nothing special LOLS.

By 10:30pm, nasa Araneta Center na. We had our dinner at North Park Araneta branch. Ratings: "NOTHING SPECIAL" again LOLS Mann hann is still the best for chinese cuisine. While having our dinner, we calculated the cost per person to check whether it can be considered inexpensive getaway (with own transpo and 5adults):
Gas/Tollgate: 500/head
Food/Supplies: 300/head
2D/1N entrance and Boat ride to and from: 400/head
Misc (food on stopovers): 300/head (optional)
***we brought our own tent

For a group of 5 adults, 1500-1700php is safe enough. If you don't want the hassle of bringing tent, they have Cabanas which can accommodate 5 pax (comfortably) to 7 pax) with fan and lights at 500php/day. They also have tents for rent at 200/day. BIG CAMPING TENTS na COLEMAN hahaha :))

They sell sodas, beers, GSM and "The Bar", junk foods and basic toiletries. No cooked food unless you availed their packages. Did I mentioned that you have to pay for the picnic table at 100/group? :D