Palaui Escape 2014

The existence of Palaui came into view after Survivor Palaui aired internationally this year, but even then the boom of tourism in the island is contained by limiting the number of available cottages being built. Speaking to the caretaker, he said at least forty people can be accommodated at one time, but they adjust accordingly for certain occasions. 

Located on the tip of the Cagayan region, getting there will take many hours and so far the quickest would be to charter a jet that will take you at a close enough proximity to Sta. Ana port where you will take the pump boat to the island. Another option would be to take the 1-hour plane ride to Tuguegarao and ride the 3-hour shuttle to Sta. Ana. But the much cheaper and longer way would be by bus in Cubao, but that will take you at least 12hrs to Tuguegarao? 

The thing that made me love the journey were the friendliness and hospitality of the people in Cagayan that it was pretty easy to get around with their willingness to help us throughout the trip. For four days and three nights, I spent about 4-5k? Mostly because we didn't skimp our budget on food that I think we spent more on food than our accommodation. The sort-of lucky thing about our trip was that the day before it was a 37º heat, but when we got there it was cloudy with scattered rain that my sunburn is not as bad as it could have been had the rain clouds not appear. 

I love this shot of my friend Andrew, with the colors and peeping cat.

Here's a quick overview of our schedule:

Day 1:
11:15am - 12:15pm Manila to Tuguegarao Flight
1pm - 2pm Lunch and wait for the shuttle to Sta. Ana
2pm - 5pm Arrival at Sta. Ana, check-in at Jotay Resort
5pm - 8pm Buy supplies in the market and dinner at Empanada Avenue
8pm onwards Just chill around the resort because it was raining and sleeping time for the town

I recommend this place for serving good food and being cheap. 

*A good tip would be to buy your supplies at the local market because they're far cheaper than tourist trap-shops. 

*Buy canned goods, snacks, bottled water, and a very big help from the rain and slurring waves were sturdy plastic bags to store our bags in.

*At night, at least where we were staying had no street lamps and it's really scary with a pitch-black path, so take the tricycle or have a flashlight with you.

*Sta. Ana is pretty rich with Chinese and Taiwanese people coming in for game fishing and getting the renowned black sand, they have casinos and higher end hotels, but they also have cheaper hostels at around 350-500/pax a night.

Jotay's Resort's tapsilog (P90) and brewed coffee (P40) breakfast.

Nature Village, it's the only available base camp for all tourists staying in the island.

The town proper is about 15-mins away from the port, so take the tricycle-jeepney to the port. The justifiable fare is only Php15.00 per head, so tell the drivers that! They will take you to the Tourism Office where you will pay most things that needs to be paid like the pump boat service, the accommodation cost, and an environmental fee. The total was Php6,500 and we divided it by 7. Other expenses in the island will be the food for Php250/head that includes a small lobster, a meat dish, a vegetable dish, dessert, a bottle of water and unlimited rice. You may think that it's expensive for a remote island rate, but it's a good way of tasting the local cooking...plus that's also a typical meal in the metro, so at least allot one meal for this and eat canned food for the rest.

Day 2:
6:30am -7:30am Breakfast at Jotay's Resort and pack-up for Palaui
7:30am - 8:30am Buy more supplies in the market and made our way to the port under the rain.
9am - 9:20am Pump boat ride to Palaui island
9am - 10:30am Settle in and a very early lunch
11am - 2:30pm Wave-coaster ride to Anguib beach and swimming
2:30pm - 4:30pm Another wave-coaster ride to Crocodile Island at hang out there a bit

*Befriend your boatmen, they will be your service throughout the trip.

*Palaui's electricity is generated through solar panels and a generator, so it's lights off from 10pm - 6pm, while the water is also turned off at 11pm - 5am. So bring a flashlight and control your bowels around those times. At least there is plumbing, but that's only two toilets and two showers for everyone staying at the resort.

*You can have your canned goods cooked or reheated and buy 
your rice at Php20.00 that is about a 1½ cups of rice.

*There are camping tents available for use, or you can use one of the huts with a huge papag for a bed that can fit at least four people.

*The Survivor Cagayan props were left, but is not at all connected to Filipino culture which is kinda exotic even for locals.

*There are sari-sari stores available in the island where you can buy softdrinks and chicha for a cheap price because there are also a few locals living in the island.

*There are a LOT of dogs is the island!

*Tell your boatman to take you to where they sell the fish and you will be able to buy the local fishes freshly caught and have them cooked in the island.

*The waves go high up and there's a high possibility of you getting wet in the boat. There were several waves the went higher than our boat and we were jumping from one huge wave to the other. Just trust the boatmen at that point and enjoy the ride. 

*Ask the boatman where Enrile's beaches are...

Look at how strong and high the waves go!

Our first stop was Anguib beach, for Php100 entrance fee it's worth it as compared to the Php20 beach right beside it. They cleaned off the coast from seaweeds and have cottages available to rent for Php500. The water is cold and blue, but the white sand is not as fine as Boracay's yet...maybe in another hundred years, my landscape architect companion said.

*Don't stay overnight at Anguib beach, the guide said there are a lot of small ants (niknik) in the island, so it's best to avoid them.

Anguib Beach is also being called "Boracay of the North"

Crocodile Island is rich in wild oysters and sea urchins and starfishes.

The rock composition of Crocodile Island is really interesting.

Crocodile island is a name I've been hearing all over the country, this is basically what they call an island whose shape resembles that of a crocodile. I usually ask, "is it name as such because of its form or do crocodiles actually thrive there?" The answer has always been the former.

The moment you step off the boat and into the island you will immediately notice the smell of shellfish. It surprised many that when the tide came low, a bed of oysters started to appear. If you have a hammer and chisel on-hand, you can even harvest some for free. I asked the man getting some to open one for me because you can eat it raw, a fact that not many approve of. It was sweet to salty, refreshingly succulent all the way down my throat. It tasted like the sea, only more chewy. We bought from the men to have it cooked later that night only to find out how impossibly hard it was to open them using a bread knife! A half-a-bucket cost P100, but I only got to eat five before giving up.

We also got a sea urchin and opened it to eat the yellow thinggy inside. It was also really good. The best part was that I managed not to get an indigestion that night. The island is also thriving with starfishes, from the really thin ones to the blue ones, to the orange ones commonly found. 

A pastoral clearing in the heart of the island.

Day 3:
5am - 6am Force ourselves out of bed for breakfast
6am - 6:30am SPAM and Vienna Sausage breakfast
7am - 9:30am Hiked to Cape Engaño Lighthouse
9:30am - 11am Chilled around the area, including a small falls close to the coast, but not the grand kind. Kinda underwhelming actually that I didn't take a photo.
11am - 12nn Took the pump boat back to Nature Village because we were limping from the hike.
12nn - 3pm Made our way back to Sta. Ana terminal where we ate a full lunch.
3pm - 6pm Travel back to Tuguegarao City and checked in at Hotel Joselina
7pm - 8pm Ate a very full dinner at J-Ren's Panciteria
9pm - 11pm Hung out at Cutting Edge Cafe, just across the hotel
12mn Knockout 

  

You will have to climb the top of the hill to get to the lighthouse. Check the scale.

This was taken on our way down from the lighthouse. The view is breathtaking. Worth it!

*When you do decide to hike your way to the lighthouse, make sure you don't die along the way. It has been ages since I hiked up the mountain and our guide said they can do it in one hour, we did it in 2.5 hours! 

*There are alternate ways to get to the lighthouse, and you can opt to take the boat for P1800, which will take about an hour. There's also a trail for advance climbers, they say it's a shortcut, but we stared up at the mountain and knew we were not fit enough for the task.

*Take with you at least two bottles of 500ml water because the trail will drain you. But the guides also have water on their backpacks, so you can ask if you're out.

*There are wild animals along the trail, we even spotted a snake on our way back.

*Take time to breathe in the clean air and see the view, not just the trail.

*Wear sturdy sandals because you will be hiking on the coastline 30% of the time and it's irritating to get sand in your shoes. I wore shoes and got mud all over it!

*Apply sunblock because you will get sunburn!

*Get ready to hike up two small mountains, through a forest, up a hill, climb on several sets of uneven stairs, wet your feet, hold onto branches for support, walk on crushed dead corals, and feel your legs burn before reaching the lighthouse. It's one of those things that you think it's over but it's not.

J-Ren's Panciteria is pretty  known to every local and a must try for foodies. 

Day 4:
6am - 7am Chill out over a cup of 5-peso coffee to people watch
7am - 11am Went around Tuguegarao, including pasalubong-buying and the cathedral
11am - 2pm Waited at the airport for our flight back
3:30pm Touchdown, Manila 

The Tuguegarao Cathedral is currently under rennovation

*When riding the tricycle around Tuguegarao, the maximum fare is Php10.00 per head, the most is Php50.00 for occupying the whole thing at a far distance. That is what manong driver said.

*Eat pancit cabagan at J-Ren's, but the serving is good enough for four people not unless you're a local and can consume the whole plate-full.

*Hotel Joselina is a place that I would recommend for having a good, comfortable and clean place on top of being cheap.


*If you have a white complexion, be prepared for people will immediately know you're not a local. At least that's what they say based on the people we talked to.