Kanlaob River

Kanlaob River

Magalawa Island

Magalawa Island is located in Palauig, Zambales. Magalawa is a perfect location to just lounge around and commune with nature.

Magalawa is an island barangay in the municipality of Palauig, Province of Zambales, Philippines. The island covers an area of 56 hectares. Surrounding the island is the vast China Sea and in the north is the San Salvador Island of Masinloc and in the east is Sitio Luan, Lipay. Magalawa island is known for its beautiful beaches. 

Magalawa Island is Palauig's uncommercialized island. However, locals are no longer surprised when we inquired about transport going to it. Magalawa has cream-white sands with a dust of leaves here and there and its waters is ideal for swimming. If you get lucky you can see a school of fish and lots of red, blue, green and pink star fishes. The island is about 15 to 30 minutes away from Masinloc Municipality by local motorized boat. It has no facilities, hence, it is advisable to bring packed meals and bottles of water for day swimmers and lots of provisions for over night swimmers. So far, the island is open to the public at no cover charge. Not far from Magalawa, about 15 minute boat ride, is the island of San Salvador, which is more popular. This island is bigger and inhabited. Known to locals as Pulo, it boasts of a marine life sanctuary.

How to get to Magalawa Island thru Barangay Pangolingan, Palauig, Zambales. From Manila, take a Sta Cruz, Zambales bound bus by Victory Liner. Drop off point is Pangolingan, Palauig cor Radio Veritas Road. Take a tricycle going to Oslet Armada Fishdealer Compound in Brgy Luan. Tricycle fare is P25 per head. From Oslet Armada Fishdealer Compound, take a mini boat going to Magalawa Island. Boat fare is P50 per head. Parking Fee/Charges is P100 per vehicle. Then a boat ride will take  10 minutes.

How to get to Magalawa Island via Masinloc Fish Port. From Manila, take a Sta Cruz, Zambales bound bus by Victory Liner. Drop off point is Masinloc Public Market. Masinloc Fish Port is at the back of the Public Market. Take a boat going to Magalawa Island. Boat ride rates is P100 per head or negotiate with local boaters. Boat ride travel time will take 40 minutes.

Calaguas Island

The Calaguas Islands off the Pacific coast of Camarines Norte boasts of powdery white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters comparable to the best beaches in the world, unexplored and unspoiled.

Here, the idea of long weekend beach getaway is purely to commune with nature. Long days are spent lounging in the beach, reading under the shade of coconut trees dotting the shoreline, enjoying the breezy afternoon and listening to the ripples kissing the shores while waiting for the sunset. There's nothing in between, just you and nature in Calaguas Island.

Bohol Bee Farm

Bohol Bee Farm Resort and Restaurant gives you the best stay with their nice resort view of the beach, cozy resto and pool, livelihood farm activities such as organic plants tour, bee farm tour, weaving tour and the Buzz Ice Cream parlor with the known malunggay and spicy ginger ice cream flavor.

Camiguin Underwater Cemetery

Camiguin Underwater Cemetery

Camiguin is a small island province of the Philippines off the northern coast of Mindanao. It belongs to the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Mambajao and it is the second-smallest province both in population and land area. Only Batanes is smaller. The island of Camiguin is in the Bohol Sea about ten kilometers north of Misamis Oriental.

Direction to Balite Falls

Direction to Balite Falls

Another beautiful scenery in Cavite is the Balite Falls The falls is located in Barangay Halang which is roughly 3 km north of Amadeo. If you are travelling using private vehicle, you can take the South Luzon Tollway and exit at Exit 33 or Carmona and head southwest towards Carmona. Near Carmona, take the Carmona Bypass road so you do not have to go through Carmona town proper. This road actually leads all the way to Trece Martires and crosses Aguinaldo Highway, the more popular road to Tagaytay City coming from Zapote. About 7.7 km on this road from the Exit 33, there will be a junction to Silang. Take this road and head for Silang. At Silang, and at every major junction in Silang, you may need to ask directions from locals which way to Barrio Luksuhin. Follow the major streets of Silang with a southwest general direction until you hit the wide nicely paved roads of Aguinaldo Highway. 

The road to Barrio Luksuhin actually starts from a crossing point along Aguinaldo Highway on the section that now bypasses Silang. Follow this road to Luksuhin, through Luksuhin, Calubcob, Lit-lit and up to the crossing in Banay-Banay. At Banay-Banay, turn right northwestward while carefully taking note of your odometer reading at the intersection. When you are in Banay-Banay intersection, go 1.3 km northwestward then you will see a small dirt road on the left. Turn left on this dirt road and follow this road for about 1 km to the end. 

On both sides of this dirt road would be coffee farm or plantation. The end of the road will be a sudden descent to a clearing which serves as the parking lot for visitors to the falls. The Balite Falls would just be a few meters south of the clearing behind the trees.

Matukad Island in CamSur

Matukad Island is found in Caramoan Peninsula, Camarines Sur has a short stretch of fine white sand beach.

Photo by Tony Hidalgo