Where Is Jomalig Island?
Jomalig is a fifth-class island municipality in the eastern part of the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 7,417 persons, making it the least populated municipality in the province. Most of the inhabitants of this island depend on coconut products, rice, fish, and other root crops. Considered as one of the smallest and farthest island municipalities of Quezon Province, its land area is 5,665 hectares (14,000 acres). Some of its lands have been alienated and are dedicated mostly to coconut land which is at 3,104.0 hectares with 2,605 hectares which comprise forests, swamps, and grassland.
Planning:
It pays to do a lot of research on every travel you plan to take. That's the best thing you can use to jump into your final decision of making your travel plans come true. There are things you need to consider especially if you are a working individual. Make sure you have enough time off of your work or you will end up losing it? It's true. One or two nights might not be enough for this whole Island Tour. Based on experience it took us almost 5 hours travel only by Boat going to Jomalig Island plus the 3-4 hour Bus or Van ride from Manila to Ungos Port in Real Quezon.
Make sure you prepared your budget at least 2,500-3000 Pesos in our case that's for 3 nights 4 days stay, all in. I'll try to break down the expenses as we move along. There's no ATM in Real Quezon so make sure that you have plenty of cash already with you before starting the day of your travel.
Traveling To The Island:
You can either ride the Raymond Bus or Van. The earliest the better since the boat going to Jomalig is very limited depending on how frequent travelers come. Usually, only trips between 6am and 10am but sometimes they make a third trip. If you are unable to catch the boat trip going to Jomalig you can try the cutting trip going to Patnanungan Island and catch another 30-minute boat ride going to Jomalig Island.
From Legarda ride a Van for 220 pesos. It usually has one stop in Mabitac Quezon. Van takes the Antinpolo- Tanay Route which is usually a 3-4 hour ride.
From Ungos Port ride a boat to Jomalig Island for 400 pesos or 300 pesos if you are cutting the trip to Patnanungan then another 100 pesos boat ride going to Jomalig Island. Better to ask your contact at your chosen resort if you take the Patnanungan trip because sometimes they are the ones who will arrange the boat ride for you going to their resort from Patnanungan. The fare includes one meal since it is a 4-5 hour boat ride. No worries, the boat is large enough to carry more than 120 passengers. It is totally safe and with comfort rooms both for males and females and a smoking area.
Things To Consider:
It is always advisable to secure your bags waterproof when traveling by sea. You can use large zip locks for your backpacks or you can purchase one online for those waterproof bags. This will ensure your gadgets are safe and dry. Pack light as well remember!
Never forget your sunblock and shades. Face mask or sleeves as it is extremely sunny if you plan to go Island Hopping of Habal-Habal.
The power supply starts at 5pm until midnight but at Banana's Resort, they usually off the power supply when everybody is already sleeping. So make sure you charge your Power banks enough for the next day.
Make sure you have plenty of back-ups if you want to maximize your capture of the views from the Island. Your action cam, extra batteries, Power Banks, Memory card, and even your hard drive.
Accommodation:
You can choose plenty of resorts during your stay in Jomalig Island. We stayed at Banana's resort since it's the one closes to the sand bar. You can rent a room for 500 pesos per day/person or you can pitch your own tent for 600 for two tents for three nights. You will spend less if you have your own tent.
Bring your food and water supplies too. Or you may ask them to cook the food for you but that's another 100 pesos off your pockets. They will let you use plates and utensils for free. Even an icebox and other kitchen tools are available. The Cottage rental is for 500 pesos good for 4 days and 150 pesos for your entrance fee and 170 pesos for your environmental fee.
There are 4 common bathrooms and during the time of our stay, they are building another one. You have to fetch water from a water pump good enough for taking bath and washing dishes. So it's best to go here during the early days of summer to avoid the crowd and long lines.
Habal-Habal:
It is the service of transporting people from one place to another. Service of 600 pesos per person for a whole day tour to the Island. Make sure you have your pack lunch ready. Here are some of the places you will visit:
Salibungot Beach: Here lies the famous stand " I Love Jomalig" before but they removed it since replacement and improvement are in progress.
Lingayen Beach: Here lies the ruins of Fish Pond and you may witness the brackish water part of the Island.
Little Boracay: It feels really like the famous Boracay because of its fine white sand.
Just The Tip:
There is a network signal for both Smart and Globe even Sun cellular however the basic phones usually have the better reception. Now we tried this hack and it's proven to work. If you have mobile broadband you can clip it or tie it on any stick long enough so you can hook it to somewhere higher like a tree. In our case, we used the selfie stick, and voila! You can go Live Now!!! The strongest connection works like the regular connection in Manila during nighttime until midnight.
One of the best adventures! Great beaches, amazing view of nature, nice people, less crowded and works with your budget! Jomalig Island from Quezon Province Philippines should be on your bucket list.
Tags:
Travel and Photography