The Crystal Clear Water of Capones Island

Another center for a nearby holiday escapade is Capones Island. The trip takes about 4 hours from Manila passing through the city of Olongapo heading further north to San Antonio then following the directions to Barangay Pundaquit. The village’s beautiful beach is exceptionally located behind a mountain and facing the horizon of the setting sun. In front of it is Capones Island, which is accessible for overnight camping, day picnic and swimming. Bancas are present along the beach of Pundaquit, and available for rent anytime. Overnight stay is allowed but with prearranged pick up with a boatman. You may enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water along the beach, snorkel, explore the surroundings by kayak or simply walk around and discover the natural beauty of the island. Request your boatman to drop you closer to a tall cliff for a better shade. Be sure to bring all necessary gears and lots of liquids as the sun can be strong during hot summer season.

A few rustic resorts are available in Pundaquit if planning to stay for few days. There is a tiny restaurant serving good food in the area but we can’t assure their availability at this time.

Capones Island is famous for its average yet manageable surfs. On the right season, the island’s reefs offer well formed breaks for advance surfers. Pundaquit however has waves perfect for beginners ranging from 3-9 ft during season. This period commonly runs between July and December but the best timing to enjoy such adventure is within few days after a storm.

How to go there

From Manila, take the North Expressway and exit at San Fernando. From San Fernando, head southwestward all the way toward Olongapo City. Right before the city boundary of Olongapo, there is a bypass way via the Subic Base Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) which you may want to take to avoid passing through the city. Take this bypass road through SBMA then head northwestward to Subic town, Castillejos, then San Marcelino then westward to San Antonio. At San Antonio, you will head southwestward to Pundaquit. At this point you may want to ask directions from the folks at San Antonio, on where to pass to reach the road that leads to Pundaquit as this road is behind rather circuitous village roads.

The road to Pundaquit is a narrow but amazingly well constructed concrete road. At Pundaquit proper, you will have several beach resorts to choose from. At these resorts, you can directly hire a fishing boat to take you to Capones Island.

Tips

The waters surrounding Capones Island in particular is known to be generally rough. It is relatively calm only on early morning up to near noon time. It is advised that you take a boat ride on the early morning and head back noon time at the latest. If you fear the rough open seas, you may want to just go to the Camera islands instead of venturing on further to Capones. The waters to Camera islands will be a bit less rough. The fishing boats that you could hire are small and the boatmen tend to allow their boats to go dangerously near full load which makes the boats dangerous on rough seas. Do bring your own life jackets! Most boatmen in this village do not provide life jackets.

The white beaches move around throughout the year. Half of the year they are on one particular side of the island then on the other half, they move to another side! So do not be surprised if the beaches on the pictures above are no longer there when you go to Capones. Go to Capones during rainy season (June to Sept) and you will see the white beaches on the North side. Otherwise, you will find the beaches on the south side. Here's a nice tip: Go to the Camera islands near the end of the rainy season and you will get to enjoy a wonderful sandbar linking the two Camera islands! The sandbar's sand literally moves away (as in, not sink, but literally crawls away, pushed by changing currents) during the other months of the year.

You can also check out the waterfalls at Pundaquit when you were there. Other pictures of Capones Island are shown below.

Honda Bay – The Perfect Place for Snorkel Diving

Palawan Philippine has excellent outdoor activities. Water sports, spelunking and cycling are also very popular. Wherever you go in Palawan, you will experience exciting adventure sports in a variety of settings. Tourist and visitors can also go island-hopping to visit unexplored and unexploited islands. If you want a one-of-a-kind experience, you can go canoeing on an underground river at St Paul River flows through underground caverns. You can also peer into Palawan’s ancient history. You can plan a fishing trip or you can swim in starfish waters in Honda Bay.

Honda Bay is one of the Philippine's premiere tourist destinations in Palawan, also known as the "The Last Frontier". Honda Bay has its blue cool waters scattered in islands that guarantee one of a pure-pleasure experience. From snorkeling in its clear waters to the more adventurous island hopping within its districts to simply having a picnic in the fine sand of its beach areas, Honda Bay is sure to leave a lasting impression on the visitor.

It is host to several of the most exclusive resorts in the country. With its white sand beaches, magnificent landscape, fishing villages and rainforests, it is a favorable destination of adventurers and nature lovers.

Regardless of its dazzling natural beauty, Palawan's 1,770 islands has been one of the least developed holiday destinations in Southeast Asia aside from the well-known El Nido Beach Resorts. So far the lack of commercialism has made Palawan very special, but it is becoming more popular mostly for international divers, as well as adventurers.

The perfect place for sun questers and loves snorkel diving is Honda Bay. Honda Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines and the best place around. It has been known to be the best dive spots in the Philippines.

Going to Honda Bay Island

The bay is situated in Sta. Lourdes Tagbanua, Puerto Princesa City. About 12 kilometers east of Puerto Princesa City is Sta. Lourdes wharf where pump boats could be hired to take tourists to the island of their choice. Some islands require an entrance fee; others are privately owned, thus, authorization from the owners is required. Sta. Lourdes wharf is 25 minutes away by hired tricycle or jeepney. A pump boat ride from the wharf to the different islands is from 15 to 50 minutes.


The fastest way to reach Honda Bay is via Barrio Tagburos is a mercury slag heap; one should not eat fish there. A dozen small islets with wonderful beaches and good sites for diving lie along the bay. Boats to the islands can be rented in Tagburos.


Other picture of Honda Bay Island.

Camotes Island – The Famous Unspoiled Natural Beauty

Experience an island of white sand beaches, limestone rock formations, caves, waterfalls and a river that empties into the 700-hectare Lake Danao. Get a thrill with undiscovered treasures of Tulang Islet's underwater marine life. Take a boat ride from Danao City and discover Camotes - a mix of adventure, history, old houses, charming coastal villages, and a vibrant economy fueled by an industrious people.


The Camotes Islands are a group of four islands that form part of the province of Cebu, in the Philippines. The island group is located east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island, and north of Bohol Island.


The Camotes is composed of the following five islands and municipalities:

* Poro: the municipalities of Poro
* Tudela.
* Pacijan: the sole municipality of San Francisco.
* Ponson: the sole municipality of Pilar.
* Tulang: part of the barangay of Esperanza, which is part of San Francisco.


The islands of Pacijan and Poro are connected by a paved road. Ponson is separated by the Camotes sea, lying about four kilometers northeast of Poro. Tulang is located off the northern tip of Pacijan.


The Camotes are low-lying islands. There is only one hill on Pacijan and another hill on Poro. These hills are used by a telecommunications company for relay stations. Pacijan has a fresh-water lake around two kilometers in length. Palm trees are the dominant plant on the islands. There are also numerous native varieties of fruit trees and other plants.


A number of tourist resorts have been established, catering to both domestic and international visitors. These include Santiago Bay Garden & Resort, Mangodlong Rock Resort and Greenlake Park.


Camotes is famous for its unspoiled natural beauty, rich culture and heritage, hospitality, and smiling faces, Camotes is regarded by many as the island of enchantment. Camotes island is a two hour boat ride from Cebu City. After arriving at the port of Poro in the island, you can hire motorcycles (called habal-habal) and multi-cabs or you can request the resort van to pick you up. Defined by its spectacular white sand beaches, Camotes island is spiced with the beauty of nature. You can sink your toes into the soft warm sand, lie back and relax under the blue skies and start to savour the special way of life that only Camotes island has to offer you. There are a number of resorts in camotes that gives excellent accomodation at a reasonable price. You can enjoy, chill and relax in their uncrowded resorts. The beauty and tranquility of Camotes island will surely guarantee a great weekend.


Aside from lounging on the natural sands for warm sunshine, or unwind beneath an umbrella as cool breeze caress you, you can also explore the caves of Camotes island which were used as shelters from the Japanese during WWII. It is also rumored that until today, people are still searching for hidden treasures in these caves which were kept during WWII.


If you're looking for more adventure, you can also visit Camotes' Mangodlong rock resort and experience a breathtaking cliff diving session with your friends. With jumps varying between 30 and 50 feet and numerous shadows lurking beneath the water’s surface, Mangodlong's cliffs are both treacherous and ironically very beautiful.


Lake Danao is also another spot that you can visit. This guitar-shape lake, is known to be the largest in Visayas and Mindanao.The total size of the lake is 680 hectares. They have developed a lake park where you can go on picnic, fishing and boating. A paddle boat is available for you to go around the lake. You can also use the boat in going across a small island at the center of the lake.via


Other pictures of Camotes Island.