cagbalete island: budget and suggested itinerary


​SUMMARY OF OUR TRIP
Date: February 19-21, 2016
Number of Pax: Two (2) persons
Travel Time: 
  • Approximately 3-4 hours bus ride from Manila to Lucena Grand Central Terminal
  • Another 1 hour bus ride from Lucena Grand Central Terminal to Mauban
  • 1 hour boat ride from Mauban to Cagbalete Island
Budget: ~P3,000 per pax
Length of Stay: 3 Days, 2 Nights
Accommodation: Dona Choleng Camping Resort
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Picture
Yang-In Sand Bar

suggested itinerary:
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This visit to Cagbalete was actually a part of a 9-day trip of Quezon but this is my suggested itinerary if you are coming to/fro Manila and going thru Lucena:

Day 1: February 19
3:00 AM - ETD from Manila to Lucena Grand Central Terminal (by bus)
6:30 AM - ETA at Lucena Grand Central Terminal; breakfast at Jollibee
7:30 AM - ETD from Lucena Grand Central Terminal to Mauban (by bus)
8:30 AM - ETA in Mauban; walk to Tourism Office; pay environmental fee
9:15 AM - ETD from Mauban Port to Sabang Port (Cagbalete Island)
10:20 AM - ETA in Sabang Port; walk to resort
10:40 AM - Arrival at Dona Choleng Resort; set-up tent
11:00 AM - Preparation for lunch
12:00 NN - Lunch
1:00 PM onwards - Lounge by the beach; buy food from hawkers passing by the resort; finalize island hopping arrangements
4:00 PM - Walk along the shore and explore other resorts; swim
8:00 PM - Dinner at Dona Choleng's restaurant
9:30 PM - Lights out!

Day 2: February 20
5:00 AM - Rise and shine; watch the sunrise
7:00 AM - Breakfast; preparations for island hopping
9:00 AM - Island hopping (Yang-In Sand Bar and Fish Sanctuary)
12:00 NN - Lunch on the boat
1:30 PM - Resume island hopping (Ilog Bukana of San Jose River)
3:30 PM - Back at Dona Choleng Resort; tambay by the beach; eat whatever hawkers are selling :-)
8:00 PM - Dinner
10:00 PM - Lights out

Day 3: February 21
7:00 AM - Rise and shine; morning rituals
8:00 AM - Breakfast
9:30 AM - ETD from Dona Choleng to Sabang Port (by resort's shuttle)
9:45 AM - ETA at Sabang Port; buy tickets
10:30 AM - ETD from Sabang Port to Mauban Port
11:30 AM - ETA at Mauban Port
12:00 NN - Lunch in Mauban
1:30 PM - ETD from Mauban to Lucena Grand Central Terminal (by bus)
2:30 PM - ETA Lucena Grand Central Terminal
3:00 PM - ETD from Lucena Grand Central Terminal to Manila
​7:00 PM - ETA in Manila

breakdown of expenses
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Transportation
  • Aircon bus from Manila to Lucena Grand Central Terminal (JAC Liner Buendia): P210
  • Ordinary bus from Lucena to Mauban (NCR Lines): P54
  • Tricycle from Tourism Office to Mauban Port: P9
  • Boat from Mauban Port to Sabang Port/Cagbalete (MB Jamelle): P100
  • Shuttle from Dona Choleng to Sabang Port: P200 for 2 pax
  • Boat from Sabang Port/Cagbalete to Mauban Port (MB Jamelle): P100
  • Tricycle from Mauban Port to Bus Terminal: P9
  • Ordinary bus from Mauban to Lucena (NCR Lines): P54
  • Aircon bus from Lucena Grand Central Terminal to Manila (JAC Liner Buendia): P210
  • TOTAL: P846/pax

Food (Budget pang-matakaw)
  • Day 1 Breakfast (Jollibee): P80
  • Day 1 Lunch (squid, fish, 1 kilo rice + paluto fee): P700 for 2 pax
  • Day 1 Dinner (grilled liempo): P120
  • Coke 1.75L: P85 for 2 pax
  • Bottled Water 6L: P125 for 2 pax
  • Day 2 Breakfast (Paluto only): P50 for 2 pax
  • Day 2 Coffee: P20
  • Day 2 Lunch for Island Hopping: P1,000 for 2 pax
  • Day 2 Dinner (Paluto only + rice + refreshments): P125 for 2 pax
  • Day 3 Breakfast (hotcake, sandwich and coffee): P120
  • Day 3 Lunch (Jollibee): P99
  • TOTAL: P1,481.50/pax

Accommodation (2 nights)
  • ​Dona Choleng Tent: P1,000 for 2 pax
  • Dona Choleng Entrance Fee: P100
  • TOTAL: P600/pax

Island Hopping: P1,000 for the first 3 hours + P200 extension + P300 tip (for 2 pax)

Other Expenses
  • Cagbalete Environmental Fee: P50
  • Tip to Ate Maricho (Tour Guide): P50 for 2 pax
  • Yang-In Sandbar Fee: P50 for 2 pax

notes:

  • There will be tour guides at the port asking to accompany you to your resort. If you are not familiar with the area, better to ask help from them. They won't charge any amount but tips will be appreciated.
  • The way to the resorts can be flooded during rainy season. According to the tour guides, water can rise up to knee deep if it rains and it takes a while for the water to subside. Better bring footwear that you can submerge in muddy water.
  • If you are able to make prior arrangements, contact Dona Choleng to arrange for your pick-up from Sabang Port for convenience. The resort has a shuttle service which can pick-up and bring guests to/from the port for a fee.
  • For guests staying in other resorts without shuttle services, if you are unwilling to go to your resorts on foot, there is an option to hire small boats. Boat rental fee is around P2,000 per boat per way.
  • Local hawkers may also ask you for paluto but usually, these are not allowed by the resorts for sanitation and safety reasons. If you would like to order fresh seafood, ask your resort if they are able to prepare them for you.
  • If you would like to cook seafood on your own, Dona Choleng has a lot of outdoor grill area that can be used by guests for free. Buy seafood from the market (which is near the port) before going to the resorts. You may also buy from hawkers but usually these are more expensive.
  • Cagbalete is very child-friendly since the waters are very shallow. During low tide (which happens in the morning at the early months of the year), water is only up to waist deep at roughly 10 meters from the shore.
Picture
Transfer from M/B Jamelle to a smaller boat which will take us to the port since waters in Cagbalete are too shallow
Picture
Dona Choleng staff setting up our tent.

other useful links:

what to see in cagbalete:

other destinations in quezon province:

  • Polillo Group of Islands
  • Borawan
  • Kwebang Lampas/Puting Buhangin
  • Dampalitan Island

where to stay in cagbalete

key contacts

  • Ate Flora (Tour Guide): 0930 244 9782
  • Kuya Danny (Owner of M/B Doy-Day* island hopping boat): 0921 590 6817
*M/B Doy-Day is owned by husband-wife tandem Kuya Danny and Ate Flora Ocampo. The boat was named after their youngest son and daughter named Doy-Doy and Day-Day :-)

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