Villa Pilarosa, Cagbalete Island

A week before holyweek, My friends and I have planned to go to the pristine island of Cagbalete, that we can't wait to see the place because of its captivating photos we saw on their page. So off we went to Mauban, took the passenger boat at the port and arrived at the resort past noon. The tide was high then but the ankle deep water on the concrete pathway didn't stop us from going.The island is called Cagbalete Island (cug-buh-leh-teh), located in Mauban, a municipality of Quezon Province. The travel time in getting to Mauban from Manila is 5-6 hours.  And Cagbalete Island is a 45-60 minute boat ride from the port of Mauban, Quezon.  

As soon as we arrived on the cottage, we ate first, rest for a while and adventure had just begun! We started roaming around to get familiar with the place.

 Old and sturdy mangroves are mostly found along the coast, and a sanctuary to a variety of bird species. We explored the beach area which was then still submerged with sea water, the mangroves are all over the coasts, big and small. This area is the beach on the left side of the resort but it is not a swimming area but you can walk along the mangroves. It is a suitable place for taking photos. You can find interesting subjects along the coasts. The sun was about to set and we can't miss it for we have been waiting for this moment and each of us had set our positions onto where we could get the best angle. But the sun was covered with clouds, because of that I wasn’t able to take a photo of it. Villa Pilarosa is a haven for nature lovers and photographers, there are so many photo opportunities along the beach area and inland as well. The texture of the waves of sands are just perfect accessory to the the big and twisted stems and roots of old mangroves. And it was such a nice feeling to commune with them even if it the sun was hiding, it still projected the subject you want to show. There are may areas where you can swim, you can choose for your own, just avoid the baby mangroves, it can hurt your feet also. But this one is perfect for swimming.

The seeming lack of fancy facilities is more than made up for by the resort's overflowing hospitality. It is homey and it felt like your own private resort. The resort's unofficial policy is to leave the fun to you and they take care of the rest. You can have all the fun under the sun and come back to a lovely meal cooked per your instructions. (You can use the resort's utensils and they don't charge you anything for cooking or washing the dishes. Though they don't ask for it, tipping is highly recommended)You'll have to bring your food for cooking though and the resort does not have short orders. The staff will happily buy the supplies for you at Mauban market - that's one less thing to worry about.

The Villa Pilarosa adventure is another experience that I will truly cherish. Aside from the company of friends who made this trip exciting, I also want to thank Ma'am Cynthia the resort owner and her staffs for their cordial accommodation. Sometimes you meet kind people in places least you expect it and we were in the right place

Convinced on spending a summer weekend here? Here are a few tips 

From Manila by bus: If you leave Manila by 4-5 am, you will arrive to Mauban by bus  at 11-12pm.  There are regular trips from JAC lines in both their Kamuning and Buendia stations. Fare is 244 pesos

Environmental fee and boat rates: You'll have to register and pay the environmental fee (50.00 pesos) at Mauban's new tourism office. It used to be by the entrance to the port but now its located near Gat Uban's statue along Mauban's "baywalk".

Public ferryboat fare is 50 pesos. but if you want to rent your own boat, the fare is depend on how many persons are going to ride. 

Essentials in Villa Pilarosa: Their electricity is only between 6PM to 6AM, They have potable water,The signal of  GLOBE is very spotty or almost non existent, SMART: slow but usable data signal

Contact Info for Villa Pilarosa: Villa Pilarosa FB page