Fortune Island (Greece in the Philippines)

Every time I visit the shores of my hometown, Nasugbu, I always see this island in the distance. It's called Fortune Island. They say that this island protects the shores of Nasugbu from strong waves, others say that this is home to sharks, whales and snakes. As per my grandfathers story, this was a very beautiful resort that was mismanaged and was left to ruins. He doesn't know who owns or manages the Island today but as per our bangkero, Koreans are renting out the island and they are allowing tourists to visit the island and camp out there for a fee. We've decided to check the place out.

Fortune Island has white sand beaches and it is famous for the Greek inspired pillars located at the left side of the island on top of the mountains.

There are some activities that you can do at the island.

1. Greek Pillar Viewing - since this island is famous for its Greek inspired pillars, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to take pictures of this structure during sunset or sunrise where the view is at its finest.

Greek Pillars

2. Cliff Diving - my favorite activity. You can dive at the left side of the island close to where the Greek pillars are or you can dive at the lagoon where you'd need to climb up a rope to get back up. Unfortunately, I didn't get a try at the Lagoon because my husband was stopping me, but we still enjoyed the dive from the lower, less scary and dangerous cliff on the left side of the island.

Stairs to the Lagoon

3. Snorkeling - You need to bring your own gear to be able to snorkel but I guarantee you that it's worth the effort. 

4. Fishing - you need to bring your own equipment.

5. Visiting the Lighthouse - we didn't have enough time to visit the lighthouse, but they mentioned that you can hike there if you wanted to.

To get to Fortune Island; take a bus going to Nasugbu at Buendia (DLTBco Station), take a tricycle to Brgy. Wawa, take a boat going to Fortune Island. Make sure to stop by the office that manages Fortune island to pay their entrance fee of P300 for day tour and P400 for overnight stay. The boat costs P6000/12pax for overnight stay. 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• The island is isolated and does not have any form or kind of amenities. There is no place to sleep in and there is no source of fresh water. I suggest that you bring a lot of water for drinking and rinsing your utensils or food.
• There is a torn-down old comfort room in the island but as I've mentioned, there's no water. Expect that the comfort room is smelly and may have some unmentionable things.
• Since a lot of tourists visit the place, I suggest that you leave as early as possible for you to get a great spot. If you arrive late, you're gonna end up in an ugly location where it's too hot to stay.
• Buy everything you need before you get on the boat. There is no store in the island.
• Bring flashlights. There's no electricity in the island.

What to Bring:

• Tent / Sleeping Bag
• Set of clothes
• Portable Speakers / powerbanks
• Jacket / Blanket / Pillows
• Flashlights / Headlamps / Candles / Matches / Lighters
• Mess Kits / Utensils
• Personal Needs (Shampoo / Soap)
• Umbrella / Hat
• Sunblock
• Charcoal
• Cooking Equipment (Pots/Pans/Stove/Grill)
• Water (Lots of it)
• Ice / Cooler

Sample Itinerary (2 days / 1 night):

Day 1:

03:00 ETD (Buendia to Nasugbu)

06:00 ETA (Nasugbu; buy foods at the Market)

06:30 ETD (Nasugbu to Brgy. Wawa)

06:45 ETA (Brgy. Wawa; Change into shorts and slippers/swimming attire. Pay entrance fee)

07:00 ETD (Brgy. Wawa to Fortune Island)

08:00 ETA (Fortune Island; Set up camp; Eat packed Breakfast)

08:30 REST!!! SWIM!!! PICTURE!!!

10:30 Prepare Lunch

12:00 Lunch

12:30 REST!!! SWIM!!! PICTURE!!! CLIFF DIVE!!!

03:30 Prepare Dinner

06:00 Dinner

06:30 Socialize

10:00 Lights out

Day 2:

06:30 Wake up! Prepare Breakfast

07:00 Breakfast

07:30 Pack up

08:00 ETD (Fortune Island to Brgy Wawa)
09:00 ETA (Brgy. Wawa; Wash Up; Change clothes)

10:00 ETD (Brgy. Wawa to Nasugbu)

10:15 ETD (Nasugbu to Buendia)

01:30 ETA (Buendia) Back to reality

Estimated Cost per pax:

• P160  Bus from Buendia to Nasugbu
• P10    Tricycle from Nasugbu Town Proper to Brgy. Wawa
• P500   Boat ride from Wawa to Fortune Island
• P400   Entrance Fee to Fortune Island
• P200   Food Allowance/water/supplies
• P10     Tricycle from Brgy. Wawa to Nasugbu
• P160   Bus from Nasugbu to Buendia
• TOTAL: P1440 - P1500

You can contact Kuya Miguel (0921-9625777) for arrangements with the bangka and other information about Fortune Island

Matabungkay Beach

For as long as I could remember Matabungkay beach is the place for us to go to when we have family outings such as birthdays (we go there every year for my birthday until I was 10), wedding anniversaries, reunions and such. Since the location is not too far away from home and because we have a family friend who has a resort there, it was very convenient for us to spend our summer vacations there. I still visit Matabungkay as often as I could because the place never seem to fail to surprise me every time and because I really love how familiar the place feels to me.

There are several activities for you to try out while you're at Matabungkay beach:

1. Fish Feeding/ Snorkeling

Take a boat ride to the "fish feeding/snorkeling area" for 1800php per 12pax (inclusive of use of snorkeling gear and life vest). You will be brought to the area where you can snorkel and feed the fish. I suggest that you bring bread or biscuits that you can throw into the water and watch as the fishes gather around your boat as you swim with them.

2. Kayaking
For the cost of 300php per hour, you can rent a kayak.

3. Balsa ride
A balsa is a small raft made out of bamboo. Depending on the season and size, the prices for balsa can range from 1000php to 3000php. You can use the balsa as an alternative for a cottage since it has a small room (that could fit at least 3 people), tables and chairs and a grill. For a better experience, they can pull your balsa away from the crowd of the shallow beach and into the deep waters. They also lend you vests to make sure everyone is safe.

4. Pedal Boat
Not my favorite activity but always worth a try. For only 250php per hour, you can rent out a pedal boat and pedal until your legs hurt for a whole hour. It can seat up to 5 people (4 are pedaling) and can be maneuvered from deep to shallow waters.

5. Banana Boat

It seats 5 people and costs 1250php per 3 trips.

How to get to Matabungkay:

Take a bus going to Nasugbu, Batangas at DLTBco Station near LRT Buendia (fare is around 165php). Get off at Lian, Batangas. Walk towards the public market and get on a jeep to Matabungkay (I'm not sure how much the fare is but I believe it's about 15-20php).
You can contact Boss Mike Guerrero (0927-7480778) for possible cottages/rooms to stay at as well as balsa's for rent

Natipuan Beach

My goal for the year 2015 is to see as many places as I possibly could and as cheaply as I could. Since travelling on a budget is an adventure itself, I've decided to start as close to home as possible. Natipuan Beach is located at Barangay Natipuan, Nasugbu, Batangas. If you are looking for a quiet and tranquil vacation, this place should be on your list.

Natipuan has white sand beaches.

We found a small trail on the side of the mountain pictured above and we decided to take a bit of a hike... The view was breathtaking!

To get to Natipuan beach, take the bus to Nasugbu, Batangas at the Pasay bus station (fair is around 155php). Get off at Nasugbu and rent a boat to Natipuan from Brgy. Wawa, Nasugbu, Batangas.

For boat ride prices and reservations you can get in touch with Manong Miguel at 09219625777 for Smart or 09269470537 for Globe.

You can rent a small cottage to stay as we've done for prices ranging from 300php to 500php depending on the season and size of the cottage you want to rent out.