Beach Bumming in Jomalig

I’ve heard about Jomalig island in Quezon from friends who’ve been there and since my friend JK was eager to check this place out, I said, why not. I’m always up for a beach destination.

We booked as joiners in one of the FB tour group pages but unfortunately, our tour operator cancelled the trip last minute (like we only got confirmation the day before). We just decided to push through and doing it DIY instead. Good thing there were a few blogs that have already written about Jomalig so we were able to get ideas.

Now how to get to Jomalig? Well first step (if you’re coming from Manila) is to catch a bus from Legarda Manila (Raymond Bus Line) going to Real/Infanta. The bus schedules are not really followed since if the bus gets full ahead of the scheduled departure, then off you go.  We chose the night trip bus so that we can arrive early at Ungos port (where the boats going to Jomalig are located). Not sure if all buses make a stop at Ungos port but the bus we rode did. Please note that on the same area, there are vans travelling to Infanta as well so you also have that option. Travel from Manila to the port is 4.5 hours.

Now here is where you need a lot of patience. We arrived at the port at 3:30 AM. First step is to get a ticket so you can get assigned a boat to ride in. Once your boat name is called, then you can purchase your ticket. For some reason, the same people that we were with in the bus got a different boat and were able to purchase tickets earlier and thus left earlier. Funny thing was, we were in line first, weird. 

Anyway, after 5 hours (yes) we were able to leave the port at 8:30AM. The boat ride takes 4 hours and best tip I can give is either you ride atop so you can lay down and sleep for the duration (only recommended during mornings) or get a monoblock chair. We sat in a wooden bench for 4 hours and it was very uncomfortable after an hour. Food is served and I really liked the menudo although the serving was just too little.

Once you arrive at the port, you’ll need to get your habal-habal to your chosen accommodation. Good thing is that the prices are already displayed depending on where you are staying. You can also already talk to your habal-habal driver for your tours. Note that my friend and I rode the same habal-habal and with our big backpacks, we were lucky we were able to fit (take note, pack light). 

We were able to reserve a room for 2 nights at Apple Beach Resort. It’s a quaint resort with nipa style huts as accommodations. We got a nipa hut which costs 1000 per night. It was a loft type and can accommodate up to 4. We have a table inside and 2 electric fans. 

Now the huts are somehow open and you can be seen from the outside. Also, there’s no lock so if you’re conscious about your valuables then I suggest you bring them with you while you are out and about.

 Food is prepared where you are staying and basically you don’t have any choice on the menu. J

After a tiring day of travel (17 hours total from the time I stepped out of the house), we decided to get a nap. The sea breeze was a nice relief to supplement the electric fans that we had.

After a quick recharge, we were ready to explore. The god thing about Apple Beach resort is its beachfront, you have an expansive beach in front of you. The water is somehow shallow that afternoon so we decided to walk along the beach. A little further and we reached other resorts in the area. The water was a little deeper and we were able to take a dip.

We came back a little early and waiting for dinner. On the menu was monggo and you have the option to “top up” so we added fried fish from the day’s catch. It was actually very filling, heaps of rice and generous serving of monngo.

Bring mosquito repellant since you won’t have kulambo however, it for some reason, there wasn’t any mosquito’s. Also, despite not having air-conditioning, the ocean breeze was enough to cool us as we sleep.

Next day I woke up early to catch a glimpse of the sunrise and it did not disappoint.

Breakfast can be served early depending on your request and we had our early since we will go around the island today.

We were picked up by our driver at 8AM. Note, my friend and I shared the same habal-habal, it was a little tight so better pack light for your tour.

First stop is what they called Golden Sands beach. There’s a small entrance fee (I think 20 pesos) to be paid. Inside you have a small store that offers refreshments and nothing else. Just find a spot to put your things and start taking pictures and swim. Beach wise, this is a nice swimming beach, gentle slope so you can get a little bit far plus gentle waves.

There are rock formations at the beach which is very popular among tourists (including us) for a photo op. 

Next we went to what they called Little Batanes or Lingayen Cove. There’s an entrance fee of 50 pesos to be paid and after that you can enjoy

Before checking out the beach, we went to the top of a hill or rock formation to give us a view from the top. You can see the two cove beach from there and ofcourse this was again another opportunity for some pictures. After, we went down for some snacks which were available from the different vendors. 

Pro tip, as mentioned, there are two beaches here, 1 is more popular since there’s a big hut, there are vendors selling snacks and basically because it’s an open area leading to the beach. While everyone is crowding themselves here, go to the other side where no one goes. I guess because to reach the beach, you have to cross some overgrown grass/vegetation but it’s manageable. Just find a spot to put your stuff and you’re a good. Luckily there was a young tree there (I think it was a Talisay) where we put our stuff and at the same time, provided some shade. 

Unlike Golden Sands, the waves here are bigger and stronger. Also, it was steep slope so after a few steps it’s already neck deep for me (I’m just 5’4”). Now couple that with waves, you’ll need to be extra careful. Other than that, it was one of the best beaches and we literally had the place to ourselves. 

After enjoying the beach for ourselves, we had to go to our next stop which was Pamana beach or what they call Little Boracay. Once you get there’ you’ll know why it’s called Little Boracay. Unlike Golden Sand and Lingayen Cove, the sand here is white and fine. Also, Pamana is also a resort so the place has accommodations available and has a more manicured area. There’s an entrance fee for day tour guests of 50 pesos and there are sari-sari stores outside if you decide to get a snack. Beach wise, Pamana is a beautiful beach, fine white sand, gentle slope, gentle waves and sand bottom makes it perfect for swimming. We pretty much stayed here the longest.

Since it was lunch time already, my friend and I decided to go back to our accommodation, have lunch there and rest. We still had 1 more place to go but this was already near where we were staying so it wasn’t a problem.

Riding the habal-habal was fun and an adventure at the same time. We are going through vast open fields, uneven road and sometimes narrow spaces with over overgrown vegetation on both sides but it was all good and part of the experience. Pro tip, wear a rash guard, a hat and probably some leggings since you’ll be passing by overgrown plants plus the fact that you won’t have any roof while you’re travelling from one place to another during a hot afternoon. Do yourself a favor, we learned this the hard way.

We were told that the sunset was beautiful at Salibungot beach but we decided to be picked up earlier (around 3 PM) so that we can still swim and enjoy the beach. When we got there, we were greeted by a beautiful beach which no one else. Why? Because it was too hot! The sun was literally on that side of the beach (because it is where it sets). 

We walked to a nearby resort located at Salibungot and got to rest an cool off at the same time. At around 5PM we already started to go back to the beach and swim. Salibungot is a long stretch of beach and was perfect for swimming. It was like Pamana only with golden sands plus a raw appeal. Out of all 4 beaches that we went to, this probably is my favorite (with Pamana a very close second). There was already a lot of people around that time unfortunately it was a cloudy evening so there was no sunset. The people didn’t mind anyway since everyone was enjoying the beach.

If ever I will go back to Jomalig (which I’m sure I will) I will do Salibungot first on the morning (to also avoid the crowd) stay here maybe until lunch time, then do Pamana for the rest of the day until late in the afternoon.

We came back at around 7PM which was just in time for dinner already. We had some squid adobo and some grilled fish from the day’s catch. There’s a videoke at the other side of Apple beach however we were already too tired from the day and we still had to wake up early the next day.

We woke up very early the next day since we were told that the boats leave as early as 5AM at the port. We woke up at 3AM and good thing manang (forgot her name) was already awake (maybe because she was expecting that people will leave early).

We got at the port at around 4AM and there was already a line. After an hour at around 5 AM we were told we were going to be at the 4^th boat already. Again just like at Ungos, you need a ton of patience here. Apparently, boat # 4 was docked too close to shore and since it was low tide, we still needed to wait for the tide to come in, bummer. To make it worse, people who came in later were able to get to boat 5 and so on and were able to leave already. At around 9AM, we finally boarded and on our way back to Ungos. 

Once at Ungos, I was surprised that there were already vans waiting going to Manila(maybe they were expecting tourists already). JK and I didn’t ride the vans, instead, we rode a tricycle to Infanta (which was around 20 minutes) and there at the terminal, we got a bus going back to Manila. Since it was day trip, the ride took longer than usual, I think around 7 hours. We arrived at Ortigas at already 9PM.

Overall, despite the very long and exhausting journey, I really liked Jomalig. It was a no frills destination, and was definitely made for beach bumming. Will I go back to Jomalig, definitely yes. 

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