Going to Jomalig is fairly simple. You just have to ride to Real, Quezon, drop off at Ungos port, and ask the people there where you can ride a tricycle to where the boats to Jomalig will board their passengers. What makes the trip challenging is the 5hr boat ride from Real, Quezon to Jomalig Island. But don’t fret, as long as you have your friends with you, that 5hr boat ride will pass by unnoticed. 🙂
Below is our Jomalig itinerary that we followed during our trip:
DAY 1
- 11:30 PM (April 28) – Ride a taxi from Mckinley Hill to Raymond Transport Bus Terminal in Sta.Teresita, Sampaloc, Manila.
We rode a taxi to the bus station because it was the easiest mode of transportation at that time. Just tell the taxi driver to go to “Raymond Bus Station in Legarda”. They already know where that is. This kind of transportation is ideal for those travelling in small groups, but if you prefer to travel in private, you can also opt to rent out a van instead. On our way home from Jomalig, we rented out a van that took us from Real, Quezon to Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas. It was a van that can fit up to 10 people. You can ask if they also cater to those that want to go from Metro Manila to Real, Quezon. Contact details below:
Contact: Lyra Pacheco
Contact Number: 0930-796-8665
- 12:10 AM (April 29) – Arrive at Raymond Transport Bus Terminal and buy tickets
Bus tickets are priced at P198 per person.
- 12:45 AM – Leave for Real, Quezon
- 4:51 AM – Arrive at Ungos Port in Real, Quezon
You have to make sure you tell the conductor of the bus to drop you off where people ride to Jomalig so that you do not miss your stop. Most of the time they already know where that is once you tell them where you’re going. But just in case, tell them to stop at Ungos Port.
- 4:55 AM – Ride a tricycle to the wet market
- 5:05 AM – Arrive at the vicinity of the wet market and have breakfast first
Since the wet market was still closed the time we arrived, we decided to eat breakfast first. Fortunately the restaurant in front of where we got dropped off opened. The food was good at this place we dined in. You can check their menu below:
- 6:00 AM – Begin shopping at the wet market
We planned on buying fresh food from the wet market first before going to Jomalig since we weren’t sure if there was a market in the island with all the food we had in mind. Part of our menu was adobo, salted egg, grilled pork and hotdogs, and chopseuy. We also bought some green mangoes and bananas to add to our feast. If you are going to opt this out, then you can leave for Real, Quezon a little later than we had to avoid having to wait long for the boat.
- 6:35 AM – Walk towards the port where the boats that leave to Jomalig board their passengers
The port to Jomalig is just a few minutes’ walk from the wet market. You can ask the locals where the boats are just in case you get lost.
- 6:40 AM – Board the boat to Jomalig
Because we left Manila really early, we also were able to board the boat early. We got good seats but we had to wait for 4 hours before the boat departed for Jomalig. At first we thought that the boat departs at 9AM but we were told that it would leave at 10AM instead because they had to wait for some passengers who got their reservation at the boat. To be safe, since we weren’t able to get the contact details of the boat, just arrive at the port by 8AM to avoid long periods of waiting.
- 10:30 AM – Depart to Jomalig
You will have to endure a minimum of 5-hour boat ride so be prepared for the long travel. It’s good to pack some playing cards or good music so that the travel period wouldn’t feel so long. Also, the boat crew will serve you food that is inclusive of the fee you paid for boarding. Don’t expect much from the food though. During our time, we were served with just adobong sitaw and rice. The food tastes good but if you’re someone who prefers to eat meat like me, I suggest bringing easy-to-open canned goods or viands in tetra packs to go with your food. Also, bring your own bottled water as that is not inclusive of what you paid for.
- 3:15 PM – Arrive at Jomalig
The boat from Real brought us to the main town of Jomalig. From there, we road another smaller boat to reach the shore. We then walked towards the center of the town where we paid for the P170 environmental fee of the island (as requested by DENR). Upon payment, you can proceed to Tejada’s place.
Tejada’s place is still in a much further place from the town center. If you won’t bring so much stuff, you can rent a motorcycle to reach there. But if you were like us who had so much market goods to carry along with our clothes, then you will have to go back to the small boat and ride that to Tejada’s Place.
- 4:45 PM – Reach Tejada’s Place
Tejada’s place offers two kinds of accommodation, from what I noticed. The first kind is just a simple hut with no rooms, no dining area, and no private comfort rooms. You have to use the shared comfort room outside the hut and the shared dining area as well. You do get access to the common kitchen and all the tools and ingredients inside of it though. But overall, what you rent is really just a place to stay the night in. The second kind is what we availed. We rented out this large cabin with 3 rooms, 1 private comfort room, 1 dining area, and 1 common kitchen (this is the kitchen that is shared with those who rented the hut). Beds and cushions are set up for you to sleep in, plus we even got to use the karaoke machine for free. Tools and some ingredients for cooking can also be used in the common kitchen area so you wouldn’t have to bring your own pots and pans. Since the cabin is a much better option that the small hut, a lot more people opt to rent it so you will have to reserve it before going to Jomalig. Contact details are posted below:
Contact: Rudy Tejada
Contact Number: 0939-902-7532
What we liked about Tejada’s Place is that it is surrounded by Agoho trees. Before you even reach the cabin from the shore, you will have to pass through an expanse of these trees and because of that, it is a bit cool in the area. You can also use these area of trees to set-up your hammock or your tent for star-gazing at night. It really gives out that romantic, one-with-nature vibe. A little word of caution though. Since it really feels like you are immersed in nature, you have to prepare for a lot of bugs and insects in the night. I can’t assure that some insect spray and insect repellant will be enough but it sure will be helpful. Also, electricity is only from 5pm until 1am the next day. So you have to be quick with charging your gadgets when the night comes. The water supply is also unreliable sometimes so you will have to get water from the deep well. Other than that, the place and our experience was amazing.
- 4:45 PM to 5:30 PM – Pay your dues, unpack, and settle in
- 5:30 PM to 6::00 PM – Play and swim by the beach
The beach was amazing. The sand was golden brown and the water was crystal clear. It was a bit grassy on the side of Tejada’s Place though but other than that it was great. One of the things I also liked with our side of the beach is that it is the side where the sun goes down so you get to witness the sunset in all its majestic glory.
- 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM – Cook dinner and eat, all the while taking turns at the karaoke machine
- 9:00 PM onwards – Have socials under the starry sky surrounded by the Agoho trees before going to bed
Some of my friends opted to sleep outside the cabin, under the Agoho trees. They said it was cooler there than inside the cabin (because there was only one set of electric fan available). They just brought out the mattresses available and slept there under the open sky.
DAY 2
- 5:30 AM – Wake up and prepare for Island Hopping
We were told that island hopping starts at 6:30AM so that we could see the sand bar at Kanaway Beach. Better to leave Tejada’s Place early if you want to catch the low tide.
You wouldn’t have that many options to go to for island hopping. Based on our experience, it was only the Kanaway Beach that you’ll get to “hop” to. You can opt to go snorkeling though in what they call the “fish sanctuary” but we didn’t try that. Also, the fisherman who drove our boat told us that you can reach the Calaguas Island from Kanaway beach in just 4 hours, for only P4,000! If you are that ambitious, you can try it out! 🙂
- 5:30 AM to 6:30 AM – Have breakfast and coffee
- 7:00 AM – Depart for Kanaway Beach
- 8:00 AM – Arrive at Kanaway Beach
Kanaway Beach boasts of its sand bar and rock formations. If it gets too late though, you might miss the sand bar (like we did). It is recommended to leave for Kanaway beach at 6:00 AM to 6:30 AM so that the tides wouldn’t have risen so much. The rock formations are still a sight to see though. Perfect for all your blogger photos. 😉
- 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM – Play, swim, and have pictorials by the beach
Since there was an engaged couple with us, we decided to shoot some prenuptial pictures of them with the rock formations as their background.
- 10:00 AM – Depart for Sitio Lawis
- 10:45 AM – Arrive at Sitio Lawis
If I remember correctly, Sitio Lawis is where the “I <3 Jomalig” sign is at. Perfect for your souvenir shots!
- 10:45 AM to 11:00 AM – Set-up picnic area for lunch
- 11:00 AM to 12:00 NN – Lunch and Siesta time
There is also an expanse of Agoho trees in Sitio Lawis, much like in Tejada’s Place. It was a perfect place to set up for a picnic. We also got some local kids to buy soda for us since there is also a nearby sari-sari store in the area.
- 12:00 NN to 2:00 PM – Pictorial
- 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Swim
The beach at Sitio Lawis has the best beach to swim in, in my opinion. Better to stay longer here if you really want to make the most of the swimming experience: water’s clearer than the beach in front of Tejada’s Place, less seagrass and seaweeds present, finer sand, and deeper waters.
- 4:10 PM – Return to Tejada’s Place
DAY 3
Our third day was spent mostly on travelling home. Expect heavy traffic if you are going back to Manila on a Sunday since a lot of other tourists are on their way home to the city as well.
- 6:00 AM – Wake up and prepare for leaving
- 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM – Have breakfast
- 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM – Final preparations and packing up for leaving the island
- 8:00 AM – Ride motorcycle to port
Our port back to Real, Quezon was situated in Sitio Lawis, near the “I <3 Jomalig” sign. It is near sari-sari stores and other places that tourists can rent. It was here where we met Ate Lea, the sister of Lyra Pacheco who also rents out huts and vans to tourists. You can contact her using the following contact information:
Contact: Lyra Pacheco
Contact Number: 0930-796-8665
- 8:20 AM – Arrive at port
- 8:20 AM to 10:00 AM – Wait for boat
- 10:00 AM – Board boat
- 10:20 AM – Depart from Jomalig
- 4:00 PM – Arrive at Real, Quezon port
- 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM – Snacks
We went back to that place where we had our breakfast on our first day to eat snacks. Around the area are also small stalls where you can buy street food like squid/fish balls, kikiam, and barbecue.
- 4:30 PM – Depart for Manila
On our trip home, we rented out the van offered to us by Ms. Lyra Pacheco. Fortunately, even though we only informed them that day, the van was available and very accommodating to us. We paid P2,500 for the rent.
- 9:00 PM – Arrive in Ortigas
SEE: Key points of our Jomalig trip
