With the unbearable heat the metro has been experiencing lately, don’t you wish you were lounging on the beach with a cold drink instead?
If you answered yes, then let me introduce to you this little pristine island in Palauig, Zambales called Magalawa Island.
Photo taken by Gino Mempin
If you’ve been to Anawangin, Capones or Nagsasa and loved your experience, then you’ll definitely enjoy Magalawa Island. Magalawa might be small but it offers a peaceful retreat and one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Don’t fret as a trip to Magalawa is budget-friendly and will give you several options to choose from to minimize your spend yet maximize your experience.
Getting to Magalawa Island
The trip to Pangolinan, Palauig, Zambales takes around 5-6 hours by bus and 4-5 hours by car. When you get to Brgy. Pangolinan, your drop-off point will be somewhere along Veritas Road. After that, prepare for a bumpy 30-minute ride to get to Port Luan. This is where your boatman will pick you up to take you on a 10-minute boat ride to the welcoming island of Magalawa.
You will reach the shores of Ruiz Resort where if you were lucky like we were, the owners will welcome you warmly. I did say that you have options to spend less right? That’s what we did. We opted to go camping.
You can bring your own tent or rent from the resort. If you’re not the camping type, there’s nothing to worry about as they have very basic cottages available as well.
After settling down, you’ll need to recharge, a.k.a eat! I highly suggest that you bring your own “baon” as Magalawa only has a basic sari-sari store. You can also drop by a wet market before heading to the island and ask the resort to have your meals cooked for you for a minimal fee. A little note though, Magalawa only has electricity in the evening so better charge up. Or better yet, leave the electronics at home and use the weekend to go on a technology detox.
Exploring Magalawa
Magalawa Island is pretty small so you can go around it all in about an hour and just spend the rest of the day beach bumming. Just bask in the sun and be taken in by the nature that surrounds you.
There are also other activities you can do such as snorkeling, rafting and also starfish hunting which are very abundant in Magalawa. You can then end the day with watching the sun set – a marvel to behold. And not to mention romantic!
The sunrise the following morning was also a treat so you might not want to miss that one as well!
So what are you waiting for? Put Magalawa Island on your travel list this summer! Not only will you get to bum around the beach (on a bum’s budget!) but you’ll also be able to immerse yourself in the nature and serenity that Magalawa brings.
No comments:
Post a Comment