2019 Budget Travel Guide to Jomalig

Island in Quezon Province

Table of Contents
 2019 Budget Travel Guide to Jomalig Island in Quezon Province
o Google Map of Jomalig
o How to get to Jomalig Island
 By Air:
 Land and Sea:
 Via Real, Quezon
 Via Atimonan
 Via Panganiban, Camarines Sur
o Getting Around Jomalig Island
o Places to Visit in Jomalig Island
 Salibungot Beach
 Manlanat Islet
 Kanaway Island
 Visit the Mangrove Area
 Bigwangan River
o Other Things to do and See in Jomalig Island
o Hotels and Resorts in Jomalig
o Communications
o Who to Contact
o Jomalig Island Travel Tips
o Like this:
o Comments

If there’s one place that I could recommend to the Survivor Series Reality TV
Show team, it would be Jomalig Island in the province of Quezon, Phillipines.
 Map of Quezon Province with Jomalig Island
highlighted by Mike Gonzales via Wikipedia CC
Located in the eastern part of the Polilio Island Group and boasting a population
of ~7000, Jomalig Island is a must for everyone’s bucket list. The island is a
former barrio of Pollilo, Quezon and its name came from the word “Humalik,”
meaning kisses, and later became Jomalig. Being a freelancer and free from an
8 hour of routine tasks, I’m blessed with so much time to explore and
rediscover some of the country’s road less traveled destinations.
 Looking for a Place to Stay? Visit Agoda for a wide range of
accommodation options with great hotel deals and best price
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Being a freelancer and free from an 8 hour of routine tasks, I’m blessed with so
much time to explore and rediscover some of the country’s road less traveled
destinations.

Jomalig Island Hidden Beaches

 Summer Vacation
in Jomalig Quezon
Together with fellow travel bloggers, a TV Crew, and staff from the Quezon
Provincial Tourism Office, we visited one of the smallest towns in Quezon:
Jomalig. Coincidentally, the town was holding a festival during our visit, and our
entire stay was fully hosted by the Honorable Rodelo Torres Tena—the town
Mayor of the Island Municipality.
 Jomalig Island in
Quezon Province
In this Jomalig Travel Guide Blog, we’ll give you a list of important tips on how
to get there including DIY budget travel tips to this Paradise Island. We also
included a list of things to do and see, travel itinerary, budget breakdown,
where to eat, money saving tips, best hotels to stay, and more.

Google Map of Jomalig

How to get to Jomalig Island

By Air:

Jomalig has an airstrip, so if you have the resources, you can get a chartered
plane or a helicopter and reach the island in less than 40 minutes from Manila.
Land and Sea:

There are three options to get there by boat. You can take a passenger boat
from Real, Atimonan or rent a boat in Panganiban in Camarines Norte. If you
are coming from Manila, the nearest port of entry will be in Real Quezon.

Wacky Sunset
Cruise

Via Real, Quezon

To reach Real Quezon, you can take an Infanta bound bus in Legarda Manila or
look for a Van that follows the same route. An Aircon Bus fare is at around P220
and takes four to five hours to reach Real Quezon.
Raymond Transport
Telephone: (02) 733 9380
Address: 246 Legarda Street, Sampaloc, Manila

Once in Real, Quezon, hire a rickshaw (tricycle-taxi) and tell the driver to bring
you to Ungos Port (not Puerto Real).

A boat ride costs P400 per person one way and the fare includes a simple meal
freshly cooked by the boat crew. If you are lucky, you can catch the Sea
Ambulance—the town’s official boat which only charges P250 per way, but with
no meal included.

Daily Boat trip Schedule to Jomalig from Real Ungos Port (Vice Versa)

 Boat leaves Ungos Port at 7am daily

 Rates: P400
 Travel time is approximately 3 – 4 hours
 Rate includes a simple meal
 Contact Ms. Irene 09092906320
Jomalig Passenger Boat Contact Numbers:

 Iris Joy (80 capacity) 0950-2515690

 Jovelle2 (50 capacity) 0998-4289244
 LJ Kate (80 Capacity) 0919-6520168
 Jade (80 Capacity) 0910-6646308
 Rabijaja (50 Capacity) 0939-9034275
 Nicole and Mark (80 Capacity) 0907-7529268
 Maribeth c/o Kuya Jojo (40 Capacity) 0939-9034275
 Chow (80 Capacity) 0929-2580824
 Yana (25 Capacity) 0918-3694430
 Kuya Chito (small boat captain) – 0918-6099822
 Kuya Joel (big boat captain) – 0947-4250594
Once you reach Jomalig, you need to register at the port and pay P170 (approx
$3.20).
Beach in Jomalig – Budget Travel Guide photo by Dave Chua

Travel Guide to Jomalig photo by Dave Chua

Low Tide in Jomalig by Dave Chua

Via Atimonan

 Take a public bus transport from Manila to Atimonan Quezon. You can
go to bus terminals in Cubao, Pasay and Buendia. Travel time is about
4 hours.
 Once you reach Atimonan, take a tricycle to the old Atimonan Port.
 There’s no fixed schedule for this route. Just ask the locals at the port
about the boat schedule. The boat trip takes about 6-7 hours.

Via Panganiban, Camarines Sur

 Take a public bus transport from Manila to Daet, Camsur then get off
at Talobatib Junction in Labo. Travel Time is about 6-7 hours.
 From the Junction, take another bus ride to Panganiban. Travel Time is
about One hour and a half.
 Once in Panganiban, Ask the locals about the boat schedule to Jomalig.
*I don’t really recommend this route since the boat trip schedule is quite
irregular.

Getting Around Jomalig Island

Transportation on the island is only by a tricycle or habal-habal. If you want to
explore different islands in Jomalig, some local fishermen’s boats are available
for rent.

The small boats are normally rented for only P2,000, while the medium-sized
boats are usually rented for P4,000 for a whole day of island hopping.

Melo Villareal in
Manlanat Island
Places to Visit in Jomalig Island

Salibungot Beach

Located in Sitio Burungawan, Salibungot Beach is probably one of the most

beautiful beachfront areas in the island. The area has a wide shoreline and is
surrounded by Agoho Pine Trees, much like what we see in Anawangin Cove.

Beaches in
Jomalig Island

Manlanat Islet

After our short stop at Salibungot Beach, we visited Manlanat Islet, a rocky
island perfect for hiking, rock climbing, and bird watching. The island was
absolutely picturesque; in fact, most of us paused to take photos on different
parts of the island, snapping pictures of bird nests and resting snakes. After our
challenging hike on Manlanat Island, it was finally time for our beach escape.

Jomalig Island Travel Itinerary

Kanaway Island

We visited Kanaway Island, which is quite near Manlanat. The island has a
narrow shoreline, but if you explore the other side of the beach, a beautiful
calm beach covered with rock formations and natural Bonsai trees awaits you.
 The Secret Beach
in Kanaway Island
Kanaway Island also has two caves to explore; but be very, very careful, as
these caves are guarded by friendly but dangerous snakes. Unfortunately, we
could not stay on the island for long since it was already late in the afternoon.
We dropped by Sitio Apad to buy fresh lobster and a local fish called surahan for
our breakfast the next day.

When we got there, we were swarmed by kids like there was no tomorrow; I
didn’t expect there to be so many in the tiny Barangay. We enjoyed watching
them flipping, diving and doing their water stunts until we left the area.
 Island Life in
Jomalig
It was getting dark when we left Sitio Apad. We felt like we were on a luxurious
sunset cruise as we headed back to the town center. It was already dark when
we arrived at the mayor’s house. There we shared stories as if we hadn’t been
together during the entire trip—that’s how exhilarating the adventure was.
Beautiful Beach in Quezon Province

Visit the Mangrove Area

Our third day on the island was free and easy. It was Jomalig Island’s town
fiesta, and while everyone was busy, we decided to walk around the nearby
mangroves and beach area for yet another adventure. It took us more or less
20 minutes to reach the mangrove area from the town center. Unfortunately, it
was low tide when we arrived and boating near the mangroves was not
possible.
 Mangrove Area
and Bigwangan Beach

Bigwangan River

We crossed two small, muddy rivers and challenging trails, and headed to
Bigwangan River, a 30-minute walk from the mangrove area. We felt like our
beach escapade was not yet complete, so we searched for a perfect beachfront
nearby. We were so happy to stumble upon Bigwangan Beach, which is located
just a few minutes from the mouth of the river. We left the beach with so much
fulfillment and headed back to the town center to prepare for yet another
adventure – Disco Night at the Town Plaza.
 Adventure in
Manlanat Island
Sometimes I have second thoughts about if I should really blog about places I
visit, especially ones like Jomalig. This may seem selfish, but I want the island
to be just as lovely as it is now, undisturbed, as simple as it can be. I don’t
want the island to become the next Boracay — an overdeveloped island we used
to call a paradise (the resorts still do). But I understand that people need
change and the island needs sustainable development. There’s only one thing
that can help them achieve it: tourism.
 Swimming is More
Fun in Jomalig
Mayor Tena seemed to know the key ingredients to put Jomalig Island on the
tourism map, but he admitted that due to a lack of investors and funding, the
beautiful island municipality is not yet ready for a huge tourist influx. But his
motto—Kayang-Kaya basta’t Sama-sama—makes everyone hopeful that the
island will soon become progressive with everyone’s help.

The white sandy beaches are endless on the island. Although some beaches are
covered by black polished rocks, the majority of the shores are perfect for all
beach activities: swimming, camping or even beach volleyball.
 Town Fiesta in
Jomalig
Reaching this island is not that easy for some, but for island explorers like us,
it’s just a short and relaxing journey. Being on the island and experiencing its
wonders is more than just a discovery; it’s an unforgettable reward.

Other Things to do and See in Jomalig Island

 Beach Camping and Picnic
 Visit Sitio Burungawan
 Visit Kanawai Twin Island
 Watch the sunset at the beach
 Sunrise Watching at 6AM
 Snorkeling and Fishing
 Visit the Mangroves at Sitio Landing
Hotels and Resorts in Jomalig
Here are the list of hotels and resorts in Jomalig Island:

 Tejada’s Resort: Aida Tejada (owner) 0907-5375234

 Huts for Rent at Sitio Salibungot: Contact Lyra Pacheco – 0930-
7968665
 South Pacific Island Resort – Contact Thelma 0907-8285161
 Jojomalig Beach Resort – Contact 09399034275
 Bananas Beach Resort – Contact 0909 986 7482
 Apples Beach Resort – Contact: 09106597361 SMART and
09157992954 GLOBE

Travel Guide to Jomalig Island photo via Jomalig Quezon FB

Communications
Globe Telecom and Smart both have mobile phone signals, but Smart has better
coverage.

The Survivors in Jomalig Island (From the top left : Melo, Kelly, Matty,
Galwin, Mayor Tena and Joanna)

Who to Contact
For Travel Deals and updates about Jomalig Island, you may contact Kelly
Bautista of Quezon Province Tourism Office at 0922 949 1145 or Ms. Malou, the
– Tourism Information Officer of the town of Jomalig 0929 957 3655.
But there is much more to a short vacation in Jomalig Islandthan pristine white
sand beaches; there’s an endless adventure waiting for you to discover. For a
magical getaway, Jomalig Quezon is the perfect destination.

Sitio Pitisan Beach photo courtesy of Jomalig Quezon FB Page

With its unspoiled beaches, creamy golden yellow colored sand, tropical setting,
and wonderful people, the Island has all it takes to become one of the country’s
best tourist destinations. The island is just waiting for a huge break and
responsible investors that can make Jomalig the next destination on everyone’s
“bucket list”.

Jomalig Island Travel Tips

 Electricity on the island is diesel powered and is available only from 6
PM to 2 AM.
  Always bring a first aid kit and make sure to bring your prescription
medication (if any). There is no drug store in the island that sells
prescription medication.
 Visit the island with a larger group so you can divide the cost of boat
rentals and other expenses, like accommodation and inland
transportation.
 Jomaligins (term for the locals of Jomalig) are very hospitable. Most of
them are from Bicol, and some are descendants of the original Perez,
Quezon settlers, whose own forefathers came all the way from
Mauban, Quezon (a town on the mainland of Luzon).
*We will update this Jomalig Island Travel Guide once we get new info about
boat rentals, accommodation, travel packages etc.