Appreciating Another World Class Wonders in Apo Reef

The Apo Reef Natural Park lies approximately 33 kilometers off the coast of Sablayan in the province of Occidental Mindoro. The coral reefs cover a total of 34 sq kilometers, making it the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world, next to Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

Also considered as the second largest atoll-like reef in the country, Apo Reef consists of two separate coral reefs that are separated by a 30-meter deep channel with a fine white sand both numerous mounds and patches of branching corals under the deep blue water.
The Apo Reef was proclaimed as a protected area under the category of Natural Park. DENR's Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) submitted the reef for consideration as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. (DENR)

One has to endure 6-7 hours bus ride or an hour plane ride and 3 hours boat ride (one way) to get to this paradise, nevertheless, experiencing amazing and world class wonders will always be priceless

 

 

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Lunch and a Walk in the Beach of Malapascua Island

Upon arriving in Kalanggaman Island, we saw several boats docked near the coast and according to some of the care takers, they were divers coming from Malapascua Island.  So out of curiosity we asked them how far is the island from where we are. Surprisingly, we were told that it will only take an additional 2 hours to get to the premiere diving site.

The supposedly Leyte Trip came with a sidetrip to an Island that is part of Cebu. Malapascua is located in North Cebu and has attracted foreign tourist especially divers because of its rich marine sanctuary. It is best known for Monad Shoal where thresher sharks can be seen regularly. However, diving is not the only activity you can do in this island, it is also ideal for a laid-back holiday by the sea.

Malapascua is located in the center of the Coral Triangle, makes each dive a pure delight filled with new discoveries! Sharks and mantas, wrecks and reefs, wall dives, caves, muck dives and spectacular night dives.The town’s name is derived from two Spanish words “mal” and “pascua” translated in English as “bad” and “Easter” of Bad Christmas. According to locals, Spaniards named the island that way when they arrived there on a story Christmas.

We didn’t came here to dive although the island itself is a promising spot for one.  We dropped by Malapascua to have a sumptuous lunch and hoping for a great beach experience. It is worth the quite strenuous trip.

We left the Kalanggaman Island past 9 in the morning and we arrived in Malapascua just in time for lunch. From afar, I can see coconut trees teaming the island and some cottages. Contrary to Kalanggaman Island, this is quite developed and commercialized.

As suggested, we headed to Mabuhay Restaurant to have lunch. Food in the island is not a problem. There are lots of restaurants you can choose from offering various specialties- American, Italian, Filipino, etc.  Since this is a beach trip, I opted to grab seafoods.

 

Accommodation in the island isn’t a problem too. You can find an ordinary room for as low as Php 500.00/night and as your preference increases, the price goes up too.  As I walked along the beach, I passed by some of the beachfront resorts. There were a lot of foreign tourists who were having their daily rituals. Foreigners outnumbered local tourists significantly, reason why the prices here were too high.  This is Boracay and Puerto Galera minus the crowd.

 

I had a great noontime walk exploring the beach of Malapascua. I grab my camera after having lunch and walk towards the other end of the shore.  The mildly blowing wind produced a soothing music of waves. It was indeed a great day

Our short trip to Malapascua Island was almost finish, I wanted to stay longer to the explore the island more, but we had to leave. The trip made me appreciate the inland beauty of the island more, and for this, I can’t wait to be back.

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Whale Shark Crazy Swimming Experience in Oslob

The world has been a crazy playground and remained to be a very mysterious place. More things left unknown, species and places yet to be discovered, and some that has been discovered still remains a puzzle. I guess that’s what makes this life truly interesting and worth living, it is full of adventures and uncertainties. 

To be able to experience the wonders of the world is truly a gift, and I will be forever grateful to that. Taking that leap of faith to make the first step requires a lot of commitment that you will never give up.  This traveling and exploring things I believe is not just about going to places and escaping a stressful life, but also a self discovery and feeding one’s soul with pretty good stuff.

I know most of us wanted to see this gentle giants up close, and as a water person, I am not an exception.  This side trip in Oslob Cebu was never part of our original plan. We intended to just have Bais and Dumaguete back to back tours for 2 days but since we found out that it’s very convenient to go there via Dumaguete, we grab that opportunity.  Talk about spontaneity and flexibility!

GETTING TO OSLOB FROM DUMAGUETE

We woke up past 5 in the morning as we will begin our Oslob Adventure early. A town where sightings of whale sharks (aka butanding) were made in the past couple of years. To get there, we needed to ride a ferry from Sibulan port to Brgy. Liloan in Cebu, then ride a tricycle from Brgy. Liloan to Oslob proper.  The ride was smooth and fast and after 30 minutes we found ourselves in Liloan Port. I can’t help but notice the clear water despite that this area has been used 24/7 by large vessels carrying passengers from anywhere. Fare is just Php 45.00

 

  

We hired a tricycle to take us to the whale watching site. As we moved towards the area, my heart is filled with excitement, finally, I am ticking one item in my bucket list. The drivers took us to a private resort with Php 100.00/head entrance. What???? We tried to haggle and finally settled at Php 50.00. The good thing about beingi in a private resort is you will be prioritized. There’s one area that doesn’t have any entrance fee but you will be placed in the waiting list on your whale shark encounter.  After we settled our dues, we left our things inside the locker provided by the resort, yes, we put sunblocks to find out that it needs to be removed. (big sigh) The boatman guided us to the orientation area for the basic guidelines. The whalesharks have been Oslob’s main attraction that paved way for tourism to boost in this side of town.

 

30-MINUTES WHALE SHARK ENCOUNTER

After few minutes of waiting, we’re now ready to rock the boat to the whale shark sanctuary. Wohoo! A bit fearful since they are huge and any wrong move I will make might place myself in danger but I am very much excited to see these creatures up close.  The boat man started to paddle and the 30-minutes encounter started. I told my friends, we were only given very limited time so this should not be wasted. Alas! All of us started to take the splash as these gentle creatures swimming everywhere.  I have to be honest, I take all the courage I have before jumping in especially when I saw the whale sharks approaching.  When I finally plunge in the water, it felt like I am in a humongous aquarium. The water was crystal clear, the visibility wickedly great. And right in front, below, to the right and left, and finally, behind, are the world’s biggest fish. Four, five, six—it was useless to even count. And they didn’t look like they were going anywhere else.The area for whale shark watching was no more than 20 meters from the shore, a swimmable distance.Though whale sharks have a gentle nature, we still felt a rush of panic when one of them comes up from behind and swims to our direction.

 

It’s tiring to swim, so I keep on clinging to the side of the boat.  The fishermen continue feeding them  and their mouth look like vacuum cleaners just taking all that was feed to them.  They passed by our boat and we started screaming. During the orientation, they said we’re supposed to maintain 4 meters distance from the whale shark. However, they are really close and I even touch one of them with my foot. Slimy and hard, ewww… I couldn’t believe it.  It was crazy and thrilling and I was surprise to see myself laughing like a lunatic.  We were surrounded by whalesharks . I can’t keep the huge smile from my face especially when I tried to see the whale shark underwater again and again.  They were breathtakingly gigantic, it’s my first time to see such enormous marine life.

 

 

For those who are planning to go on whale watching in Oslob please make sure to come here early. Whale Watching is from 7AM – 1230NN only and preferably weekdays, it’s less crowded.

Items	Rate/Pax unless stated
Ferry Boat to Liloan	Php   45.00
Tricycle Fare to Oslob (RT)	Php 200.00 (4 pax)
Swimming with the Whale Shark	Php 500.00
Resort Entrance	Php  50.00
Camera Rental	Php 500.00 (entire group use – 8 pax)
Ferry Boat to Dumaguete	Php  37.00
Total Expense/Person	Php 757.00 /person

Short but one of the most thrilling underwater experience I’ve ever had.  Swimming with the whale shark was an experience of a life time; it’s a must try!

 

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A Taste of Athens in Fortune Island

Nestled 14-15 kms off  the coast of Nasugbu mainland was once a luxurious resort, Fortune Island; an extremely stunning island with pristine white sand and an acropolis with Grecian pillars and statues on the edge of the island overlooking the blue sea.

The island is long-owned by Jose Antonio Leviste, a former governor of the Province of Batangas who build a resort in 1995 that was shut down in 2006.  Fortune island has also been the site of modern day shipwrecks. Unfortunately, according to  Kuya Dan Dan,  it’s already sold to a Korean businessman.

Since I vowed to myself that I will experience summer to its fullest, I grab my backpack and camping paraphernalia and head for an overnight trip to this gorgeous Island. Thanks to Mam Ron again for letting me join their cool group and recorded  another amazing beach experience.

It was past 7 AM when we started traversing the south Luzon road all the way to Nasugbu Batangas and safely arrived after roughly 4 hours.  It should be way faster it just so happen that there were a lot of road commotions going on last Saturday.

Finally, welcome to Fortune Island Resort. The name above made sense when we arrive in the Island and found the chance to do chit chatting with Kuya Dan Dan while waiting for our boat back to the mainland.

We waited for the boat that will take us to the island. This will take another 45 mins to an hour depending on sea conditions. Glad that it was calm when we started cruising. All in all, it was a safe voyage. We safely docked on the seashore despite the strong current of the water. The Grecian Pillars on the top of the hill and the pebbles and white sand stretches along the island greeted us.

 

The island has long been abandoned and seeing how the structures has been wrecked is a testament. This made everything look so sad and forlorn but did not diminish the natural beauty of it.  The resort is still attractive despite of the abandonment.  The bungalows were half destroyed, cottages remain deserted, windows shattered, drained swimming pool as its center piece, some part which has been reclaimed by nature.  Arriving a bit exhausted due to the scorching heat plus  growling tummy, we settled our stuff and started preparing lunch. It was past 2 in the afternoon when we reloaded ourselves.

    

Lunch satisfaction at its fullest and after which we started doing our thing. Some went all the way up to the pillars, others started swimming, and I started taking my well deserved rest before exploring the place.

It was past 4 in the afternoon when I grabbed my Camera and started exploring.  . Facing the sea, I started at the left side. Few meters from our surviving ‘cottage’ was a wrecked ship. This is just a replica of a ship that was found near the island (approximately 900 meters / 2,953 ft. northwest of the island) that the galleon San Diego was sunk on December 14, 1600 by the Dutch warship Mauritius under the command of Admiral Oliver Van Noort. The shipwreck was discovered in 1992 by French underwater archeologist Franck Goddio.) and was  once a restaurant. The ship that sunk but never sunk (from Tinker Bell :)  Guests can take pictures and climb on top with caution.

This monument with human bones inside is said to be found when the island is still under construction. Belonging to a woman and rumored that her ghost roam around the island at night (creepy! isn’t it?) Ironic though coz I pitched my tent right next to this structure which I wouldn’t do have I known it earlier. Just goes to show, it’s better if you knew nothing at all. The marble plaque was  dedication to Former President Fidel Ramos and  First Lady Amelita Ramos who were guests of honor  on the island.

If you wanted serenity and total relaxation, this is a great spot. Sit underneath the tree, listen to the crashing waves and feel the ocean breeze. Close your eyes and be carried away to paradise

Walking to the other side of the beach, I passed by some rocks and pebbles and from afar I can see the Pillars with guests taking photos. Can’t wait to climb up there and see how majestic the sunset would be and overseeing the island.

 

The Grecian Pillars which looks like Parthenon from afar appears to be dreamy.

 

Just when I am about to climb all the way up to the pillars, I felt a little dizzy,maybe because it was so hot, so I settled just taking pictures near the rocks first and rested a bit.

  

Yes! Finally, after several hours of waiting, I was able to climb the topmost part and waited for the sunset.  Aside from the photographic opportunities offered by  Acropolis, the sunset is also best viewed and photographed from this location.  There you can see group of photographers doing there thing. The place is really a perfect setting for Photo Ops themed after the Gods and Goddesses of Greece. 

On top,  right next to the acropolis were structures of Sphinx and Athena. At the back part were steep rocks and they’re perfect spots for cliff jumping. I climbed on the edge and it was windy up there. The Greek like columns looks fantastic regardless of the wrecked fraction. The statues along with the columns overlooking the sea were spectacularly a breathtaking view. I can tell the busted pillars and statues were victims of the forces of nature. It looks as if Zeus strikes its wrath through lightning bolt on each of the pillars nevertheless the ruins remains to be my favorite part of the Island.

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Just when I thought life can be tough at times, just looking at this breath taking views made me realize that there’s more to smile about it. And as the yellow blots of paint were slowly fading away and sky got darker as it stretched from one end to the other.  That very elegant sight revealed a smile from me in an instant. A new day was dawning. Just like all the challenges I am facing, I know tomorrow will always create a rainbow. That very reason is enough for me to keep on moving.

 

We met some new friends while taking some pictures.

 

It was getting dark when we went back to our spot, had dinner and socials after. It’s time to get acquainted with the new folks and learn little things about them. Yes, we had a great moonlight setting near the beach.

 

If you are planning to stay overnight on the island, your only option is to bring tents and to set up camp for you and your company. There are still a few standing structures however, most are boarded up while others can be used as "camp central" for cooking and evening socials. Also no bathing facilities or toilet so it’s really one hell of an adventure. We brought water for cleaning our stuff (eating/cooking utensils) but not for bathing.

Waking up with this view of sunrise is just amazing. I never thought that this place can offer stunning images of both sunrise and sunsets. Had some hot drink to warm and perk me up and for the second time I climb up to the acropolis to see how it looks like during sunrise and expecting less crowd.

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This beach get away will  not be complete without experiencing the water. Yes, I am happy that its clear and the seabed is clean as well aside from slippery rocks which is tolerable. Sands were fine too but not as powdery as what I expected it to be. Overall, great waters for swimming.

   

Fortune Island did not just offer something breath taking for me see, experience and to take away as I go back to the hustle and bustle of the metro but restored the faith I lost in myself.  The fascinating view I saw reminded me that even if a thing is abandoned and totally wrecked, there is still goodness and beauty in it. You just have to continue believing and take that leap of faith and everything will fall into place. Just learn how to appreciate it.

I just cant imagine how beautiful this island 10 years back.

Items	Rates
Van Rental	Php  6,400.00
Entrance Fee	Php  6,400.00
Boat Rental	Php  9,000.00
Food and Drinks	Php  4,773.00
Total Expenses	Php 26,573.00 / 16 persons
Expense per Pax	Php  1,661.00

You can also go to the island for a day tour and that would cost Php 350.00/person for the entrance fee and the boat is negotiable depending on the number of persons you have in a group.

Contact Person: Kuya Dante (0939.489.5292) and his son Kuya Dan Dan were very accommodating

Don’t forget to bring your costumes for best Photo Op ala Adonis and Athena and try cliff jumping (I have to try this in my future travels!)

Some things to keep in mind when you plan to go to the island:

- There is no electricity or functional faucets in the island
- There is no restaurant in the island. You have to bring your own food.
- There is dressing room. Abandoned but can be utilize (for your photo ops)
- There is smart and globe signal. (yahoo!upload pictures right away)
- They don’t provide tents, you have to bring your own.
- I don’t recommend visiting the place during rainy season. Waves can be dangerous.
- Expect some rubbish on the shoreline.
- The coastline isn’t pure sandy; there are tons of pebbles and stones. Make sure to wear your slippers most of the time.

Happy Travels to all! :)

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