This
is not my first time to visit the coves of Zambales, namely Anawangin, Nagsasa
and Capones. But, this will be my first to drive my friends from Manila,
to the small coastal town of Pundakit, the jump-off to the coves.
Pre-trip
Preparations
You
can just hire a boat when you reach Baranggay Pundakit in San Antonio, but its
best that you coordinate your trip with a local contact. You will be able
to know the cost of the boat ride in advance and the weather and sea condition
in the area.
My
contact for the last 3 visits is "Kulot", 0906-9444388. Our
boat ride costs 1,800 php with an additional 400 to visit Capones making a
total of 2,200php, which we will divide into 4.
There's
no network signal at the coves, and no electricity. On some campsites, you
can rent a light bulb powered by a generator that lasts until the fuel runs
out. There's ample toilets and running water but not advisable for
drinking.
The
night before the trip, I prepared our camping essentials.
1.
Portable Stove
2.
Headlamp
3.
Flash light
4.
Tent
5.
Sleeping Mat and Pad
6.
Swim Gear
7.
Clothes for the overnight trip
8.
Towels
9.
Personal Care Kit
10.
Mess Kit
11.
Cook Set
Getting
There
On
the average, it will take 3-4 hours to reach San Antonio in Zambales. We
decided to leave at 9:30am, to avoid scorching mid noon sun on the boat ride to
the cove. We reached Balintawak tollgate around 10:15am and was at the
San Fernando exit by 11am. Before continuing forward to Bataan, we made a
lunch stop in Dolores, for the 200php lunch buffet at Partyplace. The
lunch buffet was a real value for money that already comes with a bottomless
drink.
An
hour after, we went back to JASA highway to the direction of Dinalupihan in
Bataan. I was advised that this is the more practical route than taking
SCTEX all the way to Subic. We passed by the towns of Bacolor, Guagua and
Lubao, and finally Dinalupihan where we took SCTEX to enter SBMA. This
route bypasses the zigzag route to Olongapo City and sets you on your way to
Subic Town as you exit near the Olongapo Public Cemetary. From here, it’s
another hour to San Antonio, passing the town of Subic, Castillejos, and San
Marcelino. You need to make a left turn at the San Marcelino Municipal
Hall, which is still approximately 10km away from San Antonio. San
Antonio is your last stop to buy provisions for meals. A favorite is the
green mangoes and the fresh catch of the day. I was able to borrow a
cooler from "Kulot" and ask him to include ice and a container filled
with 5 liters of purified water. Also, we rented an additional tent for
my friends. After buying meals for dinner and the next day's breakfast, we were
on our way to Pundakit following the signs from major intersections.
We
met Kulot in front of the Chapel in Pundakit where we were guided to the
parking area. It’s only a short walk to the beach, where we met out
boatmen. When all the items for the trip were boarded, we were off on a
45 minute motorized boat ride to Nagsasa Cove.
Nagsasa
Cove
After
passing Anawangin Cove, we arrived at Nagsasa around 4PM. We pitched our
tent and prepped for dinner. We took turns in exploring the beach and
swim until the sets. Bringing our own stove and cook-sets made the
preparation for dinner convenient. We cooked rice, grilled fish, peeled
mangoes and heated canned goods. We asked for a bonfire from Mang Totoy,
which they would set up and clean for you for 100php. Just as the bonfire
was starting to burn, it started drizzling and eventually poured on us.
We hurried to secure our things and the tent. Good thing, we decided to
move to a bigger cottage. The rain did not last long, and as soon as the
rain stopped, we dried the tent and rested for the evening. I enjoyed
what was left of the bonfire, which was lighted again. We have a good
sleep, maybe because of the long drive and lack of sleep the night before.
We woke up early to prepare for breakfast and continued exploring the beach. My other friends went to climb the hill beside the cove.
It didn't take long until our boatman arrived around 10 AM, the exact time we asked them to pick us up. We packed our things making sure we didn't leave anything and boarded the boat to take us to Capones.
Capones Island
Capones
is the island across Pundakit. From the shore, it looked very small, but it’s
actually long and narrow, with a lighthouse on one end. We were not able
to dock near the light house because of the strong waves and instead docked on
the other side. Unlike the coves, Capones has whiter coarse sand, and
stronger waves. There are no established camp sites and is ideal for day
tours. The sight of a group of dolphins swimming along side the boat rewarded
our trip to the island. After a few pictures, we headed straight to
Pundakit where we settled the boat fare and other miscellaneous items we
ordered from Kulot.
Anawangin
Cove
We
did not docked on Anawangin anymore. The landscape is very much similar
to Nagsasa although a bit more compressed with Pine Trees shading the beach and
mountains bordering its side.
We
left the town around 2PM taking the same route back.
Apag
Marangle
Just before taking the San Fernando via the JASA Highway, we made a stop for late lunch. My Kapampagan friends recommended this place. I remember passing by the signboard to these establishment on my previous visits to Pampanga. It’s located in the town of Bacolor before reaching the Lazatin flyover.
The place reminded me of the Palaisdaan restaurants of Quezon and Laguna. The dining areas are perched on stilts connected by bamboo walkways. Here, you can ride bamboo rafts while waiting for your food order that usually takes20-30 minutes. They even have asign that encourages advance orders if you are in a hurry. You can also fish for Tilapia or visit the Butterfly Farm and look at the Monitor Lizard near the entrance. 
The menu made to look like a bamboo leaf spread across the table was genius. I thought we can use it as place mats, but was taken as soon as we made our orders. The food items have a Kapampangan name, but descriptions are included. We ordered Muggo Soup (Mung Bean Soup wit Peeled Shrimps),Kalderetang Itik (Goose in Tomato Stew), Tilapia in Coconut Milk and the Chicken and Pork Asado. We were given boiled Kamote (Sweet Potato) and Peanuts as Appetizer.
The food was worth the wait. The serving is big enough for a family of five. This is just what we needed after the 2 hour drive from Zambales. We are definitely coming back to try the other items on their menu, that included exotic dishes.
We arrived in Manila around 5:30 PM.
Total Expense:
Gas 1,500 php
Toll Fee Balintawak 45 php
Toll Fee San Fernando 112 php
Meal at PartyPlace 800 php
Toll Fee Dinalupihan-Tipo 35 php
Toll Fee Tipo-SBMA 18 php
Meals and Provisions 900 php (actually i spent 900 more for the new portable stove)
Entrance to Nagsasa 400 php
Cottage 100 php
Bonfire 100 php
Misc. from Store 300 php
Boat 2,200 php (1,800 plus 100/head to Capones)
Ice, Cooler, Water, Tent 500 php
Overnight Parking 150 php
Toll Fee SBMA-Tipo 18 php
Toll Fee Tipo-Dinalupihan 35 php
Meal at Apag Marangle, 1,400 php
Toll Fee Bocaue 157
Total 8,770 divided by 4 pax = 2,192.50 per head
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