Beach Love: 10 Things To Keep in Mind Before Going to Cagbalete Island

Cagbalete Island is a calm and balmy beach. It's still considered as one of the untouched white beaches near Metro Manila recommended for a quick getaway with friends - affordable resort accommodations, uncrowded, friendly locals, safe, and the beach is clearer. A tamed Boracay for me.

If you're planning to go there, try to stay at least 2 days. There's nothing much to do there, actually. But the serenity of this beach is promising. Let you mind wander, appreciate the scenery, and feel the breeze.

Make sure to do these things before heading to Cagbalete Island.

1. Bring your own tent.

It would be cheaper if you’ll bring your own. You’ll only pay for the tent space fee. Also, it’s less hassle for tent reservations.

2. Know which resort you’ll stay. There are decent resorts in the island. We were impulsive. We had reservations late, so we ended up at Villa Noe. The place is quite developed that the others. They offer recreation activities such as kayaks, snorkeling and island hopping. Plus, they offer catering too.

3. Take the groceries at Palengke sa Mauban Port. 

You are going to the beach to swim, sleep, eat, take picture, eat, and sleep. You’ll need foods for your activities. There’s a cook at the resort, just supply them the groceries you’ll need for your daily menu and give them a good tip.

4. Catch the public boat going to Cagbalete island.

It’s way way cheaper compared to a private boat ride to the island. 50 pesos vs 1,800 pesos? Arrive early and wait patiently. 

5. Imagine a public restroom with installed showers.

That’s what you’ll get. Don’t worry, the water is clean, you’ll not feel sticky after you take a shower. ( There are frogs at night. Make sure to carry a flash light)

6. Find a good spot for your tent. The weather at night is not too windy or cold. So, it’s better to place your tents near the shore. Follow where the wind is flowing. Find that spot to get a good night sleep.

7. Make sure to ziplock your tents. There’s something that might bother you in the middle of the night.. CRABLETS! I panicked when I felt something crawled at the back of my shoulders. It’s hard to find that sneaky crablet. We have to shake the whole tent, remove our stuff, just to get rid of it.

8. Be mindful of the low and high tide.

You cannot fully enjoy the beach if you don’t know the schedule of the tides. Leave the beach early before you catch the low tide. You’ll end up walking at the middle of the sea just to reach where the boat will not sink.

9. Go island hopping.

You have to see the picturesque mangroves and the super fine sandbar before noon.

10. Be open to meet new friends.

Yes we met friends. It started when we looked for two shared the boat ride for island hopping and snorkeling. Be friendly. Start taking the initiative to take a picture of them.

You're all set! Tell me about your trip, soon. :)
See more photos of our trip.

Video: Memories of Togetherness in 3 Minutes

Remembering those times,
I can’t recall a moment of regret

More than just a memory.

You came out from the clouds of my dream,
Always something more to give me

To more years and better days ahead.
Happy 3rd Mamad. :)

Music: For Clouds by Via Audio

Video Première: Pencil Me In by We Are Imaginary

Do you have songs on your playlist that give you an instant energy boost? Well, it's time to update your list 'cause this new single of We Are Imaginary is a hook!
Set your mood right with this compelling-cheesy-indie-pop track, Pencil Me In.

This intimate video was elegantly and cleverly delivered as a true form of art.

So, why are we seeing too much skin? The unboxing of We Are Imaginary starts here.

Hello, Better Days! :)

VDAY PLAYLIST: Love the Night Away

photo via meggielynne

Drive around or spend the night away with your baby, darling, sweety, loves, baebhe..whatevs! I created this playlist based on how I imagine couples driving home from a dinner date, HHWW under the street lights, cuddling while watching chick flicks, star gazing with a couple of beers, or just chilling at home after a long day of work. Valentine's day celebration doesn't have to be fancy. It's a celebration of two people enjoying their epic adventure together as lovers and best friends.

Get the rest of the playlist on Spotify.

Wilt Mary X Mary Whitney

Sorry about the hipster title. I can't think of any unique blog title for these selfies, aside from our real names. I was supposed to shoot a client that weekend, but it was cancelled for some reason I don't want to argue about. To keep the good vibes coming, my sister encouraged me to take advantage of the light set-up I did, her request was granted. 

We live in the same apartment, yet we barely see each other. She's a morning person, I'm actually a morning person,too...up until 6am. :) 

“ If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, 
then you were probably an only child.”

– Linda Sunshine 

Beach Love: Paguriran Island and Lagoon (Part 2)

Only the beach could wake me up and get up really early. I don't have the luxe of time to spend mornings often beside the beach, that's why I'm pretty determined to yolo the moment. To walk along the shoreline with your partner beside you, wait for sunrise with my camera in hand, listen to the calming beach waves, get emotionally motivated by my daily devotion, and thinking what to eat for breakfast! Indeed, a good morning.

Day 2 plan is to take a dip to a waist deep lagoon. You should be early before low tide. We got there 7am. Hello Sun!

How to get there?

From Manila: We took a bus going to Legazpi City, Bicol. We always trust Cagsawa buses when we go to Bicol to visit the kids. Get the la-Z-boy seats around 950php. Estimate travel time, count 8-10 hours of butt burning transpo with 2 stop overs.

From Legazpi: Go to bus terminal and look for van services going to Sorsogon. Fare is 90php each. Travel time, 1-2 hours no traffic. Then get off to the last stop, Sorsogon Market.

From Sorsogon: Walk around and look for Sm Hypermarket. There you'll find the jeepneys going to Sawanga. Fare is 40php each. This jeep will take you directly to Paguriran BEACH!

Before hitting the beach, you have to buy food supplies, water, snacks and even fresh veggies and meat from the market. There's no restaurants or any food establishments at at the beach, only sari-sari store. So, bring your own food.

You can request freshly cooked meals from the locals at the beach. There are polite and hospitable. Just bring your groceries and tip them well. They are good in cooking sea foods, don't let them cook adobo or any red meat meals.

Where to stay?

I only had one choice for that time. Fully booked lahat. I didn't got the air-conditioned rooms, so we settled for a nipa hut/kubo house. It has one bath, one bedroom with king size bed, living area, and our own karaoke area outside. 700php per night is not bad.

Have a safe trip! Let's discover untouched beaches around the Philippines.

See more photos of our trip

Beach Love: Paguriran Island and Lagoon (Part 1)

Ang bilis ng oras. Alam mo bakit?...  Kasi, tumatakbo. ^_^

It's a celebration of our second anniversary. Time flies so fast.
Alam mo kung bakit? haha..NO.

We always want an escape from our daily work routines. Escape to a serene and tranquil surrounding without stress where all you have to do is chill. Unwind and unwired. A place where we can call ourselves strangers. A place where you can freely do anything without anyone judging you.

Going to places we've never been gives us a thrill. To discover new things, together.

Bicol is a familiar place for my partner. That's his hometown. I decided to spend our 2nd year with 2 kids. Two years celebrated with lovely two rascals multiplied our happiness as a couple. Indeed, it was a happy happy anniversary.

We are all first-timers here. Haunting a remote kid-friendly beach requires research skills. Thanks to travel bloggers who are passionate in documenting their trips. Detailed and beneficial to their readers. Thank God. We made it to Paguriran Island!

It's a long ride going to the beach.
When you see this spot, remember that you'll still pass 8 barangays to get there. 

Entrance. The beach is peeking.

Finally, beach.

Dylan and Art redefined chill.

Water Dash.

kalyo alert. salt water heals.

The sun sets and my emotion alights.

Try not to confuse attachment and love.
Attachment is about dependency and has more to do with love of self than love of another.
Love without attachment is the purest love because it isn’t about what others can give to you because you’re empty.
It is about what you can give other because you’re already full.
-Yasmin Mogahed

Lunch Out: Señor Pollo Makati Branch

We've always wanted to eat real food for lunch and have always been craving for chicken! When we saw the newly opened Señor Pollo while we're strolling around our office neighborhood, we sat down with no hesitation. The vibrant look and sort-of-island feel of the resto pulled us in. Here's our first impression.

wall mural, two thumbs up!

liquors leaning on brick wall, rustic 

me and fudge doing "the art of waiting" pose

here's the menu. please don't pick Vier. 

then we forgot to shoot the food 'cause we were so hungry! (please make your service fast)
Anyways, we tried their buffalo wings, sweet potato mash on sides and this winner quesadillas

sa tagal ng service, Fudge got time to have yosi break

In conclusion, I thought it would be a nice place to chill-out with friends after late party gigs. The food they serve tastes good, plus the price is reasonable. 
We'll surely come back!