I wanted to go to Palaui with Malaya IOG, but since the trip falls on my working days (kahit holiday), I had to cross it off of my list. Good thing a friend of mine, invited me to his Fortune Island event weeks before. He planned of doing the trip on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as well but after a few "pagmamakaawa" (begging), I managed to convince him to do it over the weekend. Lakas ko no? Hehehe.
The trip going to Fortune Island is quite pricey so I would recommend going there in large groups. Boats can be rented at around Php4000-5000 per 10pax (but you can always haggle). Entrance fee to the island ranges from Php300/person for a daytour and Php400-450/person for an overnight stay. I heard it could go up to Php500 so you will really need to practice your haggling skills.
In our case, we paid a Php400/head entrance fee in Fortune Island Resort's office in Wawa, Nasugbu. You may contact Kuya Dante at 0939-4895292. He can bring you to the resort and arrange a boat for you. Kuya Dante used to be the manager of Fortune Island when it was still operating as a luxury resort. Make sure to ask for a receipt after paying for your entrance fee as the island caretaker and its now Korean owner will look for it.
We bought necessary things for our overnight stay in Nasugbu market then headed to the port where our pre-arranged boats were waiting. Bring enough water as there is no potable water source in the island.
It was already late in the afternoon so we were lucky to witness the sun setting on our way to the island. The boat ride took a little over an hour. We arrived in the island around 6:30 in the evening. We pitched our tents, had our late dinner, slept under the stars and woke up early in the morning to watch the sunrise.
A few more groups of people arrived in the island the next day. One group was going to do a prenup photo shoot and the other just went for a day tour.
I was able to have a little chit-chat with its Korean owner, Steve, who arrived later that day. I learned that Steve is actually a diving instructor who fell in love with the place. He said Fortune Island has the most beautiful diving spot he has ever seen, I think it was the reason he decided to take over the place. He even showed me his underwater shots on his camera phone and I can say that it is beautiful and amazing underwater.Steve offers $100 diving packages for licensed divers which includes a room accommodation in Fortune Island Resort in Wawa, boat transfers and entrance fee to the island. And a Php3000 package for beginners, minimum of 4 pax, which I think includes the same package and Steve will be the diving instructor. For more info, you may contact Steve at 0915-8819756.
Fortune Island is such a beautiful place with a lot of activities to offer. I could imagine how beautiful and grand it is when it was still a luxury resort but its enchanting beauty lives on.
When I posted my photos on Facebook, some of my friends asked me to bring them to Fortune Island and I think I will consider going back there.
The event was one of the initiatives of the Malaysia Kitchen Programme organised by MATRADE to promote Malaysian cuisine and food products such as paste and sauces to institutional buyers, importers and distributors in Victoria. http://www.car-asia.com
ReplyDeletegorgeous shots you got there.. =)
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