Last April 17, me and Jeremy went to Nagsasa Cove Zambales for some much needed R&R. After booking a banca and a tent for the trip to the island, we set out on the road to Zambales at 3:30 AM from Victory Liner Caloocan. For those commuting to Zambales, ride the Iba Sta Cruz Zambales bus and not the Olongapo Zambales bus. Tickets cost Php260 per person. Just let the conductor know that you will need to get off at San Antonio. We arrived at San Antonio Zambales a few minutes before 8AM. From there we took a trike to Pundaquit which is another 30 mins. Upon arriving at Pundaquit, we waited for the banca that we booked and it was another hour before we reached the cove.
Note: There's a 7-11 store in San Antonio Zambales just a few steps from the bus stop so instead of buying liters of water from Manila and bringing them all the way to Zambales, you can just buy them there. By 9am, there's also a roasted chicken and liempo store thats open.
 |
| Leaving Pundaquit on a boat bound for Nagsasa Cove |
So we got on the boat and made our 1-hour boat-ride to Nagsasa Cove.
 |
| that's my man enjoying the sun and the boat ride |
Now here are some of the sights we saw while we were on our way to Nagsasa Cove. Photos are from yours truly, taken using my Nikon D40.
 |
| took a photo of this lone island because it reminded me of Calypso's island from The Odyssey |
 |
| spotted another boat |
 |
| hidden paradise |
 |
| solid rock |
When we finally got to Nagsasa Cove, I was in awe of how clear the water is. We set up the tent and asked the boatman the things that we needed to know about the island. Turned out, there is a mini store where you can buy basic necessities but do not expect ice from the store because they only turn on their generator at night and it would only last until 12 mn. But be comforted that they sell coffee, C2 green tea, softdrinks, and some snacks. You can also buy from them rice which costs Php50 a kilo, and if you will have them cook it, it will cost you around Php150. There's a common restroom/bathroom and there are drums wherein you will get your water for bathing or washing. Here are the photos of Nagsasa Cove that I took:
 |
| shot at around 9:30 in the morning |
 |
| it's really not a vast open space anymore because there are huts like this already due to the court ruling that bestowed the land to the Aetas living there but you can still camp. The good thing about this huts is that you can eat in peace, in the comfort of a table. You won't have to worry about ants entering your tent. To campers, please do not eat inside your tents if you don't want ants to invade. |
|
 |
| you won't see coconut trees on the cove. it's thickly populated by pine trees. |
 |
| who says we need to travel to America to see a Marlboro Country? we have one in the Philippines like it just here in Nagsasa Cove. |
 |
| there's a vast expanse of sand on one side of the island |
 |
| this is part of an inner lake that springs of from an estuary. this lake leads to the waterfalls but we decided not to go to the waterfalls anymore because the Aetas said it's dry now and it's not much of a waterfalls in the summer. |
 |
| shoreline |
 |
| where the sea, the lake and the sun meets. estuary. |
 |
| hiding |
 |
| pink sky |
On one side of the island is a vast expanse of sand with a lake. On the other end, there are huge rocks. The good thing about swimming at Nagsasa Cove is that the sea bottom does not have spots that go deep all of a sudden unlike Anawangin. The water is so clear you will see fishes play at your feet. Also, we didn't see sea urchins anywhere on the sea floor. I finally learned how to swim and float because the water is not too deep and calm. For the first time in my life, I've enjoyed the beach by swimming in the sea and not just basking in the sand and sun, or playing with the water.
But if there is one thing I did not like about the island is the fact that I spent a number of minutes cleaning up the sea bed and the water of some trash floating or already embedded on the floor. I saw a couple of plastic bags, a couple of tetra packs and plastic cups. In all of Nagsasa Cove's beauty, people still got to bring their disgusting self on the island and left their trash. Seriously people, bring your own black plastic bag for trash! Don't just litter them anywhere or throw them at the sea. Want a proof? Here's one of the cups I saw.
Now, here are some personal photos of us enjoying Nagsasa Cove. You won't believe how fun it is there if you don't see photos right? :D
 |
| our campsite |
 |
| landed too soon! |
 |
| cheerleader pose! :D |
 |
| my Step Up pose :D |
 |
| making the bonfire |
 |
| bonfire near our camp. bonfire costs Php150 |
 |
| the rocky part of the island |
 |
| the rocks is a good photo shoot place |
 |
| sporting an Angelfish by Barbizon swimsuit. i love the back design of it! |
 |
| building "sandcastles in the sand" (refer to How I Met Your Mother) |
 |
| finally learned how to float in water so here I was, couldn't get enough of floating :D |
Will we go back? Definitely! So to everyone who's heading out for some sun, sea and sand, please don't forget some sunblock! The climate is already insane.
Yani <3
