Coco Loco Island Resort, Roxas, Palawan

In palawan most of the places i visited, this resort was the best, dos palmas might have the modern amenities but in terms of the beauty, simplicity and real nature? its the coco loco island resort..

The resort was not well known in manila, it was only offered to us by our tour guide in puerto princesa, he gave us the brochure, with its cheap accommodation, we immediately made reservation on the city and it was radio-ed to the resort..











Instead of hiring a van (pajero actualy) which we did when we went to sabang-underground river, we chose to take a public transportation an ordinary bus to save money, it took us 4 hours from puerto princesa city to roxas, palawan. rough road and foggy!-just kidding it was all dust, it was like having a baby powder all over our body when we arrived in roxas, palawan.


at the beach we wait for the boat of the resort, it was a big boat (they call it dekwatro-in my hometown navotas) and we're only four-deluxe service hehe.. it took us 1 hour until we reach the island, coming from afar as we reach the island, it was magnificent (we just finished island hop at honda bay a day before) and this island is far more beautiful than any of those islands in Honda bay..

We had a welcome drink, a fresh coconut juice and a free dinner-smorgasbord.
it was my first time to do the kayak.. i thought it was easy, it was soo.. exhausting..


if i describe the cottage we rent it was like, you  go up to three step stairs, there's a small pool for your foot to wash from sand at the bottom, then a balcony where on the left side was a hammock, 



upon opening the door a queen size bed will come to view on your left and cabinet and tables and chairs on your right. a ceiling fan and mosquito net were available. at the far end there's a door with a curtain-your comfort room/shower room.


we tour around the island, since it can be walk around  in just 30 mins. we encounter crocodile shark on a shallow water mating, males are competing to a lone female.




as we came back to the resort proper, they have an in-house reef where guests were encourage to feed the fish and being a hobbyist ( i have a salt water tank at home) i am familiar with the fishes i saw under.. but not those rays.. who swam away when saw me coming near them.


they say it is best to snorkel late afternoon, this is the time where the predator fish came to hunt, i saw those Lion fish floating on the water not moving and grouper whose like sitting atop the corals waiting for fish to swallow.  a school of reef fish (Sweet lips) below..slowly scanning the corals for the small fishes to grab..



while enjoying the view, suddenly i noticed something is with me, i was shocked! i don't know what to do.. as i look at my right and left side, rear and below, i was surrounded by hundred of Jackfish. OMG! am i doomed??



a foreigner guy who is snorkeling too was so amazed by how those jackfish surrounds me and glide with me, they are an inch away from me, but when you start to touch them they will move away and return back later.. it felt like i was so blessed swimming with them; my friends are already taking a rest.. it was a unbelievable moment..


at night, after eating our complimentary dinner-squid, fish, crab and chicken. we play billards and dart,  we end up the night by talking sensible matters-role of the church and it's stand on contraceptive to ever growing population explosion. LOL

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Pundaquit Beach & Capones Island ~ 1997

I've been there several times, seen changes, development, growth & progress of the town.. good for the people who live there, but not for the environment..

..way back then, i heard of this place from my mom's best friend, they live in
San antonio, Zambales. they actually visited the place sometime on 1995 after the Pinatubo eruption on 1991 they want to see the extent of damages on their hometown, then they went to pundaquit beach afterwards..



summer of 1997, a friend organized an out of town trip to his client, to be held at Subic Zambales, i thought since we are already at zambales, might as well check the place my mom told me. and so we went there, no idea where it is, asking people for directions..



going to Pundaquit beach proper is not comfortable then, road are bumpy and dusty-some are from the ashes of Pinatubo. dense foliage and vegetation, wooden bridge to cross the river~fresh and cool air with a smell of cut grass, very provincial.


halfway of the drive, passing the heavy foliage, a delightful view will welcome you.. mountain on your left, several nipa houses, lots of fruit bearing trees, crops on the side street, farm animals are everywhere and further ahead.. a beautiful beach, overlooking three islands. gray sand and with several low land pine trees planted at the backyard of some residential houses.. there were few resorts then.


after fixing our things inside our rented room, i asked a boatman to deliver us on the island, we want to eat our lunch there, and he suggest to take the biggest of the three named Capones, and we agreed on time and price (Php50.00/head) back and forth.


going out on shore, i took a picture of the beach, it still mesmerize me.. i can live there forever..
it's less than an hour trip. the waves are big at some part of the water, but considerably safe in general. we were wearing life vest just in case.


the island was amazing.. it has huge white sand beach and clear blue water, i brought my goggles then and saw lots of marine life down there, it was also a favorite spot of some foreigners who do scuba diving on the island. we spent 3 hours swimming and snorkeling, until the boatman came back to fetch us back, the waves will be bigger later in the afternoon and it will be more risky.



as i compare the place now.. it is disappointing, resorts sprung everywhere, heavily populated and human structures are taking off the beauty of nature..



i am lucky that i have seen the place, when it was simple and beautiful. my only regret is, i should have seen Anawangin that time-it might be then a real paradise!

Tingloy beach adventure..

… Continued.

paksiw na tamban

After eating our lunch, vinegrated sardines.. We all rest and relax in the warm wind of a lazy afternoon. After a while, a friend ushered us to stand up and do something, we don’t go that far to sleep? – He took out a brandy, a coke and a game card! Time to play pusoy dos! 

playing pusoy dos

The game goes like, whoever loose on each round would take an extra shot aside from the on-going round shots..  A friend thought we conspire so she get an extra shot-she command, “no more chaser for the looser!” and she was still the looser! Hahaha.. We stopped when we feel we had enough of alcohol in our heads.. And we took a dip from cool blue water.. What a good way to freshen up!

While some took a swim, some are cooking our dinner. Enjoying the beach all by ourselves until dusk. A “looser” friend was so intoxicated, that she cannot get up to take a bath on a nearby well. We have to walk her through to get there..

After our dinner, we only have a born fire to light our place; lying on the blanket we talk anything and everything about life and love. What else!

Second day.

Nothing could give you a good morning than waking up on such beautiful place. Cool fresh air, bright sky, sound of waves and a glare of blue water on the horizon.

After eating breakfast, we went to the town to buy something for our lunch, there’s not much fresh food to buy that day.. We end up buying canned goods and veggies.

A friend told us he will go out fishing, he asked a local boy to accompany him with their small banca, and they sail out hoping we could have a good dinner. But after almost 3 hours waiting under the sun, without anything to cover them, they decided to ashore, and oh my god, our friend was all toasted black! Hahaha and he was proud to show us their catch, 1 small fish, but at least! Hahahah

Then, several kids approach us, they offer fresh coconut and talangka (river crab) the crab was all fresh and alive, only 50 pesos for more than a kilo. I immediately bought it and ask a friend to cook.. It’s rare nowadays to find it on the city..  Fresh food always tastes good even with the simplest cooking.

local kids and abandoned resort

We spend the day exploring the area, looking for sea shells, watching birds (kingfisher/egret/magpies) scanning the shallow water for inhabitants (crustaceans, small fishes, and starfish) .. 

Our day end without any thing to do but talk, what else? Life and love.

The next day, early morning of 6am, the boat man approached us, the boat will leave @ 8am, so we got to get ourselves busy and pack all our things.. We don’t have to go back to the wharf, the boat was right there at our beach. They go there for us. Since the beach is too shallow for the big boat to dock, they have this small banca that will carry us to go there.

We reached the town of BAUAN by lunch time, head towards the bus terminal and  we ate on a nearby carenderia, it will be a long travel back again home, not because of the traffic and the distance, but because the fun ends right there.  

Tingloy, Maricaban Island, Batangas

Blog originally created on Feb. 10, '07 10:08 AM
 

Heard of the island several times from friends who've been there, the white sand, the simple town, gathered friends who are available to accompany me on the island/my simple birthday celebration..

we are 5.. a new friend that i met on the mountain (aries), 2 old friends from hometown (ver and madeth) and 1 lost soul who surfaced out from slumber (gerard) .. i don't need headcount, i just need the true ones..

We met at 7-11 buendia/Lrt, where the bus terminal is.. we rode on JAM Bus with a signage of Bauan, we told the conductor to alight us at the junction going to Mabini Batangas, after more than 2 hours we arrived at the junction, then we transfer to a jeepney that goes to mabini proper.. it took us 30-45 mins. to reach the port/market of the town.

~ the place, the road is very different now.. my first time i went there was 1995, few houses on the street, rough road and dusty.. trees and crops are everywhere..

At the port where the public market is, we bought several items, like food, water, beverages, etc. we plan our meal.. paksiw na tamban (vinegrated sardines) for lunch and sinigang na baboy (pork in mandarin soup) for dinner..

all set and bought all what we need, we rode on a boat that travels from the port of mabini to the island of Maricaban, a 45mins more or less ride, that leaves the port exactly @10am everyday.

at the port of maricaban, there were several motorcycles that is waiting for the passengers, we asked them to deliver us to masasa beach in tingloy.. it's a long travel, not as we expected.. narrow road, up and down hill, until we reach the tingloy town.. we are situated from up hill..

where you can see down on the horizon, a rice fields that leads to a white sand beach, surrounded by hills with several coconut trees! it's like time traveling to an old philippines..


Excited and all.. we start to walk on the rice fields and head towards the beach.. not that fantastic like that on boracay or palawan, but good enough for a nearby province.. no establishments, no resorts, stores.. just plain, isolated, undeveloped white sand beach-which we prefer..


we look for a comfortable spot, shaded and with privacy.. and start to set up our equipments, tents, ground sheets, etc. while some are busy pitching tents and cleaning the area, some do the cooking, we are all hungry.. it's already lunch time..


~ Funny stories on the next blog (to be continued) ..