To get to Nagsasa Cove, we took a Victory Liner bus (P275) from Cubao. Our bus departed at 11:30pm, and we arrived after four (4) hours. The bus dropped us off at 7-eleven in San Antonio.
We already had contacted a boatman, Mang Johnny, before going to Nagsasa, so things were easier for us. He waited for us at 7-eleven, and brought us first to his home because it was too early to sail. He was very kind to accommodate us in his guest room to rest. We sailed off at around 6:30AM in the morning. Travel time to Nagsasa Cove was 45 minutes.
Getting back to Manila, Mang Johnny dropped us at the same 7-eleven. We just waited by the road for a bus going to Manila.
The port had no tourism center, so if you are going to DIY, better contact someone beforehand. I highly recommend Mang Johnny as your boatman because he was very easy to deal with. He personally picked up and dropped us off at the bus stop. He also manages a group of boatmen, so if he is not available, he would just recommend one of his.
Boatman: Mang Johnny
Contact Number: 0920 222 4687
There are a lot of campsites in the area, we just followed Mang Johnny who brought us to the “The Beach Place.” We came in first so we got a good spot. The place eventually got packed at the end of the day.
Since we had our own tent, we only paid for the pitching fee, which was Php 100 per person. The fee already came with a kubo (open hut), BBQ grill, source of fresh water for cleaning up, free use of pots, pans, kitchen utensils, and free use of their clean toilet and bathroom.
I did not mind the crowd in the campsite it at first because everyone was minding their own business. But at the end of the night, there were a group of people who pulled an all-nighter. They were laughing, singing and joking around the entire night. There were a lot of people shh-ing them off from different directions, but they just did not care. I wished that we had chose a campsite with fewer people.
One thing I realized in this trip was that in a camping, one spends a big amount of time preparing food or cleaning it up. But it was fine because we had no other itinerary on the first day aside from swimming and exploring the beach.
Swim at the Beach. The weather was perfect when we went there. It was cloudy, and rained a bit. The water was warm, and we had a pleasant walk at the beach shore. The water was very clean, and Mang Johnny even caught a fish there.
Climb to the Mountaintop. At the end of Nagsasa’s Beach Shore, we found Kamp Bira Bira. We wanted to reach the mountaintop to get a good view of the entire cove. However, we could not find the trail. Sad.
Trek to the Waterfalls. On our second day, we decided trek to the waterfalls. I read it online that it was just 20 minutes away from the campsite. Being the cheapskates, we tried to do it by ourselves, but we realized that there was no clear path to the waterfall. And so, we turned back and asked help from The Beach Place for a guide.
At first, The Beach Place was a bit hesitant to give us a guide because they said that the recommended time in going to the waterfall is around 6:00AM, and it was already finished. But after a while, they were able to find a guide who was willing to take us for Php 100 per person.
Make sure to check your photo first after asking someone to take it. We laughed so hard after seeing our photo below that was taken by our tour guide.
The boat cost us Php 1,500 for two people. Mang Johnny gave us a discount since we were only two. We also brought our own tent, and so we only paid for the pitching fee for Php 100 per person. The wet market was still closed when we arrived in San Antonio, so we just bought charcoal and water at The Beach Place. Mang Johnny also sold us a big fish he caught, which we eventually had for lunch. Then the waterfalls tour guide fee was Php 100 per person. That was basically it. Oh yeah, and we bought a Sparkle drink from the sari-sari store after the trek to the waterfalls.
Be prepared and bring food to the island because there will be no carinderia to offer you food for your hungry tummies. Cooking in Nagsasa Cove was a fun experience, especially that the resort provided us our own grill
There were also a sari-sari store in the area that sold basic necessities. We bought the water and uling (charcoal) from them. Oh, and Mang Johnny caught and gave us a fresh fish.
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