Going there...

1. We took the JAC Liner bus going to Lucena City from the Cubao Terminal. The fare is PHP220 and the travel time is around 3-4 hours.

2. Our group alighted at the Lucena Grand Terminal.

3. From the terminal, we rode a bus going to Unisan. Fare is PHP35 and travel time is around 1-1.5 hours.

4. We asked the driver to drop us off at Basiao in Padre Burgos since our contact, Ate Vanessa, will be waiting for us there.

5. From the drop off point in Basiao, we took a tricycle going to the boat's docking station. It is just around 5-10 minutes away and the fare is PHP10.

We met Ate Vanessa at the docking station in Basiao. She organized our trip and booked the boat for us. Since we do not want hassle on preparing our meals, she also offered to cook food for us and the boatmen will just deliver them when it's meal time.

We paid PHP20 per person for the environmental fee before leaving the port. Our group wanted to visit all the three islands being offered so we paid PHP1800 for the boat ride (the maximum capacity of the boat is 8 persons).

First Stop: Puting Buhangin Island

Puting Buhangin is the farthest island from Basiao port since it is already a part of Pagbilao, Quezon. This is my favorite of all the three islands because of its white sand and crystal-clear waters. The island shore is clean and well maintained. There are also a lot of trees that tourists can use as shade.

As for our group, we laid mats in one of the shady area and spent most of our time just sitting there, admiring the scenery and playing card games. 

The main attraction in the island is the Kwebang Lampas which is a small cave that has an opening from the beach and another opening facing the ocean. The water inside the cave is shallow and clear so you can just walk to reach the other end.

Second Stop and Overnight Stay: Dampalitan Island

We transferred to Dampalitan Island at around lunch time. Dampalitan's shore is wider than Puting Buhangin. The tall trees in the island makes it a perfect place to pitch a tent for an overnight stay. There are also cottages which you can rent if you do not have a tent.

While waiting for our lunch to be delivered, our group prepared our tents.

The setting in Dampalitan reminded me of Anawangin and Nagsasa in Zambales. It is a good thing the island is not too crowded considering that it is already summer time.

One of the best things we did in the island was to watch the sunset. It was amazing to see how the twilight arrives while the sun slowly goes down and disappear from the horizon. Sunset on the beach is one of the best gifts of nature.

The captivating sunset.

My stay on the island became extra fun because I am with crazy, crazy friends! We spent the whole night swimming, beach bumming, playing cards and drinking tequila until it was almost dawn!


Third and Last Stop: Borawan Island

Our boat fetched us early in the morning. We transferred to the last island on our itinerary which is Borawan Island. They say it is called Borawan because it has the sand comparable to that of Boracay and limestone cliffs like that of Palawan. I cannot say anything about the sand because I haven't been to Boracay but for the rock formations I can say that they are close to what I have seen on my past Palawan trips. It was just heartbreaking to see some rocks that were carved with names and dates from past visitors. I think if people would like to preserve the beauty of Borawan we should learn how to take care of its surroundings.

Aerial shot at Borawan.

Borawan is also a good place to stay for an overnight camp since it is the most developed island among the three. There are cottages that can be rented for day trips. There is a volleyball court, a small sari-sari store and a souvenir shop around the area. Plus, the comfort room is the best here among the three islands we have visited.

After lunch rest at one of the cottages in the island.

We stayed at Borawan until almost 2PM. It was a great weekend with crazy people! :)

Here is our video made by my friend, Hendrix - https://vimeo.com/91906179 :) Enjoy watching!


Expenses

Two-way Fare	530
Boat Ride	300
Food	350
Environmental Fee	20
Entrance Fee - Puting Buhangin	80
Entrance Fee - Dampalitan	80
Entrance Fee - Borawan	80
Tent Set-up (per tent)	200
TOTAL	1640

Note: Expenses are estimate for 6 persons in a group. Prepare extra money for comfort/bath room fee.

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Ate Vanessa
+639151067594

Kuya Ambet
+639287841411