The old lighthouse on Baliscar IslandWe embarked on a trip to faraway Cagbalete Island, Quezon for my very first island overnight trip.

Day 1. We assembled at the JAC Liner bus terminal in Kamias, Quezon City. The Lucena-bound vehicle departed at 12:30 a.m. for the Lucena Grand Terminal.

We arrived at the Lucena Grand Terminal at 3:45 a.m. Various eateries were already open to cater to hungry travelers who would want a super early breakfast.

We left the terminal on a Mauban-bound NCR Lines non-aircon bus by 4:30 a.m.

Around 6:30 a.m., we were already in Mauban. We then proceeded to Daungan Port, where the boats to Cagbalete Island were docked.

At the Brgy. Daungan multipurpose hall, we paid the terminal and environmental fees at the tourism information and ticketing booth.

Passenger boats depart at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., which is why you should arrive early to secure tickets ahead of the influx of travelers.

Our boat arrived at Sabang Port on Cagbalete Island around 10:30 a.m. Rather than walk to our accommodations, we decided to rent a private boat.

At Villa Cleofas, we went straight to the restaurant and ordered just rice and soft drinks for lunch. On Cagbalete Island, you should inform your accommodation contact in advance if you want to eat there and what type of food you want, which would be bought near Daungan Port. Unfortunately, we did not order in advance—that was why we bought food items at a local grocery store when we arrived in Mauban.

Our cottage was a “fan room” type with a private toilet and bathroom at the back.

Electricity is available on Cagbalete Island from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. only since they use a generator. Also, make sure to bring mosquito repellent.

At 2 p.m., we sped off via our rented boat towards Baliscar Island to view an old lighthouse.

Traveling back to Cagbalete Island, the boat dropped anchor at a certain spot and my companions went snorkeling around the area.

Day 2. After eating breakfast, we went back to our cottage to check out and proceeded to our next tourist spot via private boat.

Our boatman took us to the western side of the island called “Cagbalete Dos.” The place where majority of the tourists stay is “Cagbalete Uno.”

As we entered Cagbalete Dos, a boat owned by the barangay collected a fee from our boatman. According to him, all boats coming from Cagbalete Uno paid a fee in order to enter Cagbalete Dos.

On Cagbalete Dos, you could easily get off the boat at low tide and enjoy the clear waters at less than five feet deep. There are few visitors in this area since the only way you could reach it was to rent a boat. Mangroves can also be seen here.

After enjoying this wonderful hidden place, we had lunch at our boatman’s residence near Sabang Port.

We departed from Cagbalete at 2:30 p.m. still via private boat and left Mauban town proper at 4:30 p.m. on a Lucena-bound NCR Lines non-air-con bus. (Excerpted from http://larga-bista.blogspot.com).(Story/Photos by: Gerbs de Castro)

Photo op with the mangroves