One Fine Day Spent at Burot Beach, Calatagan, Batangas

Exploring a virgin beach...

Date: Sept. 12, 2015

Burot Beach, Calatagan Batangas

Out of the blue, I invited my friends to go for an out of town trip just for a day. And they said yes!

One fine Saturday, at 6 in the morning, I was already in EDSA Taft to meet my girlfriends. 

From EDSA Taft, at the side of Kabayan Hotel, we rode a van going to Calatagan, Batangas. Fare as of this writing is 190 pesos (one way). 

It was a three hour drive and we  even had a stop over at Tagaytay for gas refilling.

From Calatagan Terminal, there's a pile of tricycle that would take us to any nearby resort or beach that we want. Our destination for that day was Burot Beach. It cost us 50 pesos per head for the fare.

Before riding the tricycle that we had talk to, we went to the nearby market first to buy foods. We bought bananas, water, bread spreads and junk foods.

At past 10 in the morning, we were already at Burot Beach.

It was less than 30 minutes tricycle drive from the terminal. Anyway, we were three girls on this trip and we brought a tent that would serve as our cottage and room for the day.
Upon reaching the main gate going to Burot beach, the guard there asked for  a 20 pesos fee.

Then at the second and final gate, another guard asked for a fee. 65 pesos per head is the entrance fee for day tour and 130 pesos for an overnight trip. Plus another 35 pesos per tent pitching.

I heard that before there has no or the entrance fee was lesser. But since Burot beach was already brought by SM (Yes, by Henry Sy. Because according to what we heard, he will going to develop the beach into a private resort), the fee got increased.

Well at least now we still had the chance to visit this place before we can't afford it anymore.

Upon paying, we then looked for a place where we can  pitch our tent. We chose the spot under the two trees. 

There was also a table made of marble.

White and fine sand welcomed us. Thank you for the very nice weather even though the month was September and it's still a rainy season in the country. The sun didn't fail us this day. 

The whole beach was still untouched and it looks like a secluded area. Much more like a private resort minus the grandious cottages and other facilities.
It is still a virgin island indeed! The water is also clear.

There were few people who were also there and just like us, they were also having a good time with their friends and loved ones.
But then it was far from being too crowded.
Maybe because Burot beach is not that much well known and besides, it doesn't offer any hotel rooms. This  is a camp site actually. :)

There's also a retail store so you can still survive the place. We bought some foods, drinks and even ice cubes there and the price were reasonable though.

Just by looking at the whole place, you will already feel relaxed and calm and you will realize that you are too much away from the stress that you left in Manila.

After some photo op, we took the chance to enjoy the vitamin sea!
We swim until 12 noon then we had our lunch on the table.

After eating, we took a walk on the other sides of the resort. On the far right side where we put our tent,after some rocky spots,  we found there the place where the sand was purer and whiter!

It was already meters away from the "campers".

We also took the chance to swim there.

Oh how time flies so fast when you were enjoying the moment. 

We need to pack up at 3 p.m. because we will still be doing a side trip to Cape Santiago Light house.
There's also a free public toilet where we can take a bath and when we say public don't expect too much that it would be so clean. Haha. It was just enough to campers and girl scouts like us.

The tricycle driver that we contracted were already backed there when we finished freshening up and folding our tent.

Light house is 9 kilometers away from Burot Beach. We paid 200 pesos for that side trip then 150 pesos again going to the terminal/ all divided into three. 

Lucky us, the light house' gate was locked and we weren't able to enter it. But it was fine for it was the journey that matters. We still did some photo op there. Nobody can stop us! Haha. 

At past 4 p.m., we were backed in the terminal.

By past 7 p.m., we reached Manila again.

Over all, it was a wonderful, fine day with my most favorite girls. Thanks girls for being with me that day and I do hope that you also enjoyed the trip as much as I did.
'Til our next gala! 

Summary of our Iti and expenses:

6 am - Meet up at Jollibee Edsa Taft, breakfast
7 am - Van going to Calatagan (190pesos)
10 am - Tricycle going to Burot Beach (50 pesos)
3 pm - Tricycle going to lighthouse (200 pesos/3)
4 pm - Lighthouse to terminal (150pesos/3)
7 pm - Van going back to Manila (190 pesos)

Entrance fee - 65 pesos for day tour
130 pesos for overnight

Tent pitching- 35 pesos

Food budget - approx. 100 pesos/ head

I will definitely be back in this paradise.

And  if you will also visit the place, please practice the LNT rule.
As in "Leave No Trace".

Just like us, as we left Burot beach, we left nothing but footprints. We took  nothing but just pictures and memories.
:)

LAin

Mount Maculot, Conquered! :)

Sept. 5-6, 2015

Cuenca, Batangas

A co-volunteer and a friend of mine invited me on their trip to Mount Maculot and I gladly joined them. Hey, it's me Lain who so much loves adventure!

Sept. 5, 2015 Saturday.
DAY 1

Our meeting place was at Crossing Pavillion at nine a.m.
My friend together with her workmates are working on a  BPO company so I have to wait for their out.
At past nine, at EDSA we rode a bus going to Lipa City, Batangas. One of Fen's workmates is living there.
Bus fare going to Lipa is 107 pesos. 

After an hour we were already in Lipa. 

We then rode a jeep going to Palengke and from there we rode again another jeep going to Sherwin's house. 
I thought we were going to hike that day but it turned out that Sunday or the following day would be that day for the climb. Sherwin's house is big and I may say grandeur. 

They have a very wide living, entertainment and  dining room. Even their kitchen is big. They also have a dirty kitchen at the back. They have many rooms on the second floor. Fen and I shared the first room near the grand staircase. According to Sherwin, their house was just newly renovated. It was financed by him and by his another sibling. He has a very nice and hospitable family. We were very well taken care of! And the food, it was just so awesome and non-stop. My glutton side has been revealed. Sorry and thank you so much, Sherwin! 

Our lunch was freshly picked on their greeny backyard. Vegetables were so delicious! 

Our whole Saturday just became a grand vacation. Sleeping and eating were the most of our activities.

The sunset can be seen on their front balcony on the second floor beside our room and I may say that it was just so breathtaking. Deep inside my mind, I can say that I can live like this forever. Haha.

We slept early because we will leave at 6 in the morning the following day. Sadly, I cannot sleep early so I watched a film first. "Attact on Titans!"

Sept. 6, 2015 - Sunday
DAY 2

We woke up at 4:30 a.m. and prepared for the hike.
Thanks God that it was a nice day and would fit for our climb. 

With just a light packed bag, we left the house at 6 a.m. and hitched at Sherwin's family's owned jeep. Another spoiling. Wiw! Thanks again!
We then rode a jeep going to Cuenca, Batangas.
Then rode a tricycle going to the jump-off. But before that, we dropped by first at the barangay to register and hire a guide.

At 8 a.m., we were all ready for the climb. Mount Maculot it 900+ MASL. 

It took us more than two hours to reached the camp site. We had many stopovers to rest because the peak going to the camp site is just so high.

On the camp site, there's the famous "711". It is a small store and almost everything you need to survive was there like foods and drinks. They are even selling MTO(made to order) foods like pancit canton and cup noodles.

We also met Tiger. The guard and guide dog of Mount Maculot.

After reaching the camp site, we turned left heading to the  "Rockies".
It is another peak and by the name itself, it was really rocky.

The view on the top was really amazing! Taal volcano and taal lake are can be seen. Photo op activity was then followed. Thanks to our guide that also became our photographer.

We headed back to the camp site and had our lunch. 

After an hour, our next destination was the Mount Maculot's highest peak. It took us more than an hour to reach that. Wiw!
Unfortunately as we reached the highest peak, we were above the clouds and we could see nothing aside from a thick fog. 

Lucky us. Haha! After half an hour of staying there we then decided to go down via traverse.

We passed through an area that has a crowd of wild monkeys. They're so cute while playing and swinging on the branches of the trees. They were making noise upon noticing us.
We didn't had the chance to took photos of them because according to Sherwin, those monkeys were snatching gadgets. Haha. We don't know if it's true.

We had a hard time going down. Some of the trails were a bit rocky and we even did some rappelling.

By the way, Tiger has been with us during our whole trip of going down.

Our next destination was the "Grotto". I was able to climb it first. Yey! There's no one yet when I reached it. I was able to say a prayer and then shouted at the top of my lungs. Hehe.

I don't have any hugots. I did it just for echo testing. Haha.

Photo op again was then followed. 

After half an hour, we went down to the final descend. We then rode a tricycle going back to Barangay Outpost and it was already past 5 in the afternoon.

Since I brought clothes, I was able to took a bath at the back of the outpost. There's a fee of 20 pesos.

Our guide fee was 800 pesos (for the Rockies-Summit-Grotto day hike tour).

We went back to Lipa and ate on a famous lomihan. It was my first time to eat Chicken Chami. This cost us 80 pesos per serving that can also be shared for two person.

At 7 in the evening, we were back to Sherwin's house. After freshening up and packing our things, we're ready to go home. Courtesy again of Sherwin's family's vehicle, they drove us up to SM Lipa for the bus terminal.

And it was a home sweet home.

Thank you once again to Sherwin's family for accomodating us!
I will definitely miss the very yummy feeding program. :)
Sa uulitin! Hehe.