NAGSASA COVE 2009
Budget: Php 1500 x 9 pax = 13500
Duration: 3 days, 2 nights (September 18 to 20 2009)
Destinations: Nagsasa Cove and Pundaquit Falls
Inclusive:
5000 – Little Villa Resort Accommodation (apartment type with bathroom, aircon, fridge, and five mattresses)
2500 – Boat Ride (Pundaquit to Nagsasa, vice versa)
4608 – Bus Fare (Victory Liner Terminal to San Antonio, vice versa)
540 – Tricycle Fare (San Antonio to Pundaquit, vice versa)
852 – Miscellaneous (food, ice, alcoholic beverages)
June was Puerto Princesa. September is Nagsasa Cove. Team Jibb (down to nine pax) can’t get enough of the aquatic getaways.
Day 1
Due to discrepancies in work schedules, we had to take the 11:30AM Victory Liner trip at Grand Central Terminal so we could be in one bus all together. To sum it up, we arrived at Little Villa Resort in Pundaquit just in time for the sunset. We called the day off after a sumptuous dinner as everyone was tired from last day’s shift.
Day 2
After breakfast, we had our boat ride from the shores of Pundaquit and hit Nagsasa Cove at around 9AM. Since we were told that mobile phones aren’t usable in the area, we opted not to bring ours including money. To our surprise, Nagsasa Cove’s caretaker approached us and asked for a Php 100/pax registration fee. We were penniless and can’t do anything. We cannot waste another hour just to go back to Pundaquit and get some bread. Luckily, one of the group’s members has a residence in San Antonio and it also happened that her step dad is an acquaintance of the caretaker. We just promised him that we will let the step dad handover our supposedly payment. When the commotion was over, one by one, the group plunged into the warm and luminous sea water.
It was 12:30 noon when we had our lunch. We spent our siesta douching into the crystal clear river of Nagsasa. The group headed back to Pundaquit, braving the strong winds and waves plus drizzling weather, and made it to the shores at 5PM. Dinner followed.
Day 3
Again, breakfast started our day. The group hiked a 5-minute trail up to Pundaquit’s “unfrequented” falls. We spent our last hours there enjoying the chilly water streaming down from the mountain. We wrapped it up at 10:30AM and prepped up for our return back to Manila. Had our Tinolang Manok and Adobo at San Antonio, the residence I was referring to earlier. We said, “Hello Manila” at 7:30PM and parted ways after that.
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About The Author
Hello! Good afternoon!
I would just like to ask if its better to go there on a planned tour because my friend had already inquired for a planned tour. Here are the details of the tour.
Details:
- overnight tent accommodation (3 pax sharing)
- 3 meals (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
- guide, overnight camping and entrance fees
- boat
- Manila-Zambales-Manila van transfer (including driver, gas, toll, parking)
Not included:
- breakfast on the first day
- lunch on the last day
Travel sked:
May 20: ETD Manila: 0200; ETA Pundaquit: 0600
May 21: ETD Nagsasa: 0900; ETA Manila: 1400
Rates:
Nagsasa Cove: P1800/head (group of 10)
Terms of Payment:
50% down payment (1 week before date of tour)
Balance in Zambales
Itinerary:
Day 1:
0200 – Assembly
0230 – ETD Manila
0530 – ETA Zambales; breakfast
0600 – ETD Pundaquit, San Antonio
0700 – ETA Capones
1000 – ETD Capones
1030 – ETA Nagsasa; pitch camp
1230 – Lunch
1330 – Free time; beach bum; explore Nagsasa
1800 – Dinner
Day 2:
0530 – Wake up call
0700 – Breakfast
0800 – Free time
0930 – ETD Nagsasa
1030 – ETA Pundaquit
1100 – ETD Pundaquit
1500 – ETA Manila
However, the php1800 rate is for 2 days and 1 night only, much more expensive than the php1500 you spent for 3 days and 2 nights there. But I also take into consideration that you made the trip last year, so prices could have gone up now.
And if its not much of a burden to you, could we ask some tips and advices when going there? Thank you very much.
Hi Jamie!
If you were to ask me, P1800 is way expensive for a 2-day trip to Nagsasa considering the number of your group. That’s a whopping 18,000 in total. Here are the reasons why:
overnight tent accommodation (3 pax sharing)
- Why rent tent when you can just borrow it from your friends? You’d never know who else have used those tents. And remember, you will be using tents not air-conditioned house with bathroom.
3 meals (lunch, dinner, breakfast)
- It is always better to cook your foods than have someone else do it for you. You won’t know what ingredients will be used or how they will cook it. You can buy seafoods there for very low prices (eg. squid is 150 or less per kilo).
guide, overnight camping and entrance fees
- You won’t need a guide in getting to Nagsasa via boat. Overnight fee is 100/pax.
boat
- we were able to rent a boat to Nagsasa (two-way) and haggle for 2500.
Manila-Zambales-Manila van transfer (including driver, gas, toll, parking)
- This is only thing that makes the 1800-worth trip comfortable.
To sum it up, you can have a planned trip without spending that much. Here are my suggestions:
- try borrowing tents from your friends
- rent a van (if it will bring more comfort to your friends)
- contact a boatman in San Antonio that can fetch you in Pundaquit and drop you off in Capones and Nagsasa ( I know one if you need one)
- if you’re renting a van, you can drop off the market of San Antonio before finally heading to Pundaquit. Goods can be cheaper there. You can also find fishermen by the shore who sell newly-caught seafoods.
But still, everything’s up to you and your friends. Those were just my two cents.