Top Model: Fortune Island

If Fortune Island is a person it will surely be a top model. Its beauty is just amazing. The place is photogenic, snap a shot a you got a spot!

Photo c/o Ryan

Just last month, I organized this simple weekend getaway with my office-mates. I got a help from my friend April who gave me the contacts (person) for this. Just a one week preparation and we're all set to our destination.

Just for background, Fortune Island is a resort island owned by Jose Antonio Leviste in Nasugbu Batangas. It was opened 1995 with facilities such as cabana, basketball court, helipad, desalinator for freshwater consumption, and a reptile zoo for snakes which is called serpentarium. An acropolis also stood on one edge of the island overlooking the sea. It was said to be mismanagement that caused the end of the resort operations in 2006 and a group of Korean businessman bought and opened the island again to the public in November 2013. 

Fortune Island has also been a modern shipwreck ground with 2 of its listed shipwrecks of passenger ferries from the Philippines. (source: Wikipedia)

Here's our schedule:

Day 1
3:00am - ETD from Manila
5:30am - ETA to Nasugbu, Batangas
6:00am - Meetup with the boatman and other preparations like buying food to cook for lunch
9:00am - ETA to Fortune Island, setup camp and cook lunch
11:00am - We had an early lunch, then we sleep.
2:00pm - Stroll, take pictures, cliff dive, swim, some does trekking to the lighthouse
5:00pm - Cook dinner
6:00pm - Dinner
7:30pm - Campfire, socials
10:00pm - Stargazing
11:00pm - Lights out

Day 2
5:30am - Breakfast
7:00am - Break camp
8:00am - snorkel
9:00am - ETD from Fortune Island
11:00am - ETA to jump off, take a shower
1:00pm - ETD from Nasugbu
2:00pm - Had our late lunch at a Bulalohan (I forgot the place, sorry)
4:00pm - ETD from the Bulalohan


We cooked Adobo a day before for our dinner. We also rented a van for the transportation.
For a total of 9 persons, we each paid a maximum of 2000 all-in. It already includes our lunch on the Bulalohan the following day. (Oha! Rapsa)

Excited. Who wouldn't be? 

A lot of guests were in the island at that time but most of them are on Day Tour.

We stayed first on the ruins of the clubhouse (I think) since it is still hot and it can provide us a bit of a shade. The boys did the cooking, and we girls did the preparation. Haha! Yes, they are more suitable for grilling the stuffed-fish.

We moved our camp by the shore before we prepare our dinner. We put up a camp fire and slept with the sand as our bed because obviously, its softer than the cement floors =)). It's also fun stargazing and counting shooting stars (Lakas maka-pelikula eh). We played cards and exchanged stories. It was a fun and relaxing stay - the one that the city can't offer.

What is even more fun is catching the sunset and the sunrise. We didn't get to see the sunset because we're preparing dinner (no we're just lazy haha!) but the sunrise is just as beautiful.

Catch that ball of fire

See more of our pictures on the slideshow below:

This slideshow design made with Smilebox

Here's an estimated costs of what you would need to put up a trip to Fortune Island. Please do the math. :P

Transportation:

• Van Rental - usual rate is 6000 OR
• Commute - bus ride to Nasugbu, Batangas. I don't know how much but lets say 450 two way per person

Food

• You can bring packed lunch/dinner OR cook - 500 would be enough to buy you a meal to cook, good for 8
• Water - it usually costs Php20.00/liter. You would need 2 liters per person for his/her personal needs. Save some for the cooking/centralized water for the group.
• Breakfast - 30/pax. Depends on what you would like to eat for breakfast
• Snacks and alcohol =)) - 300

Boat Rental

• Usual rate is Php6,000 for a group of 8

Others

• Pasalubong - 150 - buko pie is love!
• Let the group bring the cooking utensils so you don't have to buy.
• First aid, medicine

I also forgot that Tatay Dante is the boss of all boatmen and he had an assistant residing in the island - Marco. He can attend to your needs while you are in the island. :)

Hope I can come back soon. It's a perfect and quick beach camping experience from the city life. :)

To contact Mommy Sarah (wife of Tatay Dante) - she organizes the boat trips, you may call/text 0939-4895292