Zambales 2013: Nagsasa and Capones Island

I had to have a Beach getaway this summer. This was my mantra for the past month. Then came an invite to go to Nagsasa cove. I had hesitations at first because camping is not my thing. It was good that I joined the trip and got to see one of Zambales' famous island.

We woke up early in the morning to catch the 445am trip at Victory Liner Cubao.

Upon arrival at San Antonio we just had to cross the street to market and Tricycles were available to bring you to the port.

The boat rented had no roof so we had to travel under the scorching heat.

After a long trip all we did was relax while Mang Johnny cooked us lunch. Nagsasa cove is much better than Anawangin since the beach is just right in front of the campsite unlike Anawangin where you need to cross the lake before going to the beach. The restrooms are also much better in Nagsasa. It has a lot of cubicles and is regularly cleaned by the locals. 

 

We started early the next day to go to Capones and see the famous lighthouse. Going up the lighthouse was tiring especially that windows of the lighthouse were closed. This could cause suffocation for those who could not handle the heat. The view from the top was great. We stayed at the top of the lighthouse for a while before we decided to leave and go swimming.

We swam at the other side of Capones Island. There we had lunch, ice cream c/o a local vendor and swam before leaving for Pundaquit.

Another good thing if you get Kuya Johnny's services is you could use his house to wash-up after the trip and have Halo-halo while resting. :)

Travel Tip:

1. Bring a shawl or balabal everytime you travel. You'll never know if you would use this as a blanket when the bus is too cold or use as an umbrella if your soaked under the sun.
2. Always bring something to eat. The pantawid-gutom food never fail to serve its purpose. 
3. Drinking water in San Antonio market costs 80 for 2 gallons of water. Mang Johnny's wife offers drinking water for P50 for 5gallons.
4. Buy lots of ice before heading to the island. Mang Johnny lends coolers for the trip.
5. You could ask the boatman to cook for you for less hassle on camping trips. Just do not forget to give him a tip for this added service.
6. Rent tent from the boatman. Borrow knives and chopping boards for cooking and bring own utensils to save from your expenses.
7. Haggle if you plan to buy a hammock. The local was selling this for P250 and I purchased it at P125. 
8. You could take a hike in Nagsasa cove at P50 per head for the guide. They will guide you to the waterfalls. The hike takes an hour according to the locals.
9. It would be better to take a direct bus from San Antonio- Cubao but only a few buses that pass to the bus stop has a direct trip.

Here is our list of expenses for Nagsasa trip for 8 pax:

Day 1 Itinerary	13-Apr-13	Cost per head
4:45 AM	Departure Victory Liner Cubao	265
9:20 AM	Arrival San Antonio
9:20 AM- 09:50 AM	Market	200
9:50 AM - 10:00 AM	Tricycle to port	20
10:15 AM- 11:30 AM	Travel to Nagsasa Cove
	Boat Fee (1800 for 4 pax)	450
12 NN- 5 PM	Put-up Tent and Hammock/ Lunch/ Beach Bumming
	Nagsasa Cove Entrance	100
	Hammock	125
	Tent (300 per tent that fits 3 pax)	150
	Halo-Halo	35
	Cottage (100 per group)	12.5
	Tip to boatman	50
7:00 PM	Dinner, bonfire, drinks
	Firewood (120)	15
9:00 PM	Sleeping time
Day 2 Itinerary	14-Apr-13
7:00 AM	Wake-up call/ Breakfast/ Swim
9:00 AM	Depart for Capones Island
9:30 AM	10 min trek to the lighthouse
11:30 AM	Lunch/ Swim at Capones Island
	Ice Cream Stick	20
1:30 PM	Depart for Pundaquit
2:00 PM	Arrival at Pundaquit
2:10PM - 3:00PM	Clean-up/ Halo-halo at Kuya Jun's place
	Halo- Halo	15
3: 10PM- 3:20PM	Tricycle to bus stop	20
3:35PM- 5:05PM	Travel to Olongapo Victory Liner terminal	45
5:10PM- 5:30PM	Jollibee	70
5:55PM- 8:45PM	Victory Liner Bus to Cubao Terminal	235
	Total Cost	1827.5

Contact Information:

Kuya Johnny- 0920 222 4687