2007 April 28 to 29 Putipot, Zambales

Just came back from a spur of the moment, sort of, trip to Putipot, a small scenic island off Zambales. Bing and I had been planning a trip to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte but that plan was shelved when we couldn’t achieve critical mass.

The alternate plan was to go to Putipot but at the critical last few days, interest kind of waned. So instead I set a dinner with friend and Crissy whose birthday I forgot. Coincidentally, Erwin had a planned trip to Putipot on the same weekend but he canceled to join the dinner.

Come friday, the dinner had to be canceled due to various reasons (read: I don’t wanna dwell into it). Left with nothing to do, I called Bing and Erwin and asked them if they still wanted to go.They did. So at 4AM we were on the way to Putipot.

Putipot is a good 6 hours drive from Manila. But it was pretty straightforward and the roads were good. After a stopover at Pampanga for breakfast, a short traffic stop at Subic due to confusion about traffic signs, and a stop for dinner ingredients at San Antonio, we were at the Isla Vista Resort.

Isla Vista is our chosen jump-off point because it’s the resort closest to Putipot. But there are other resorts like Dawal that line the highway. You can stay at these resorts then go on day trips to Putipot or you can park your vehicle with them and spend the night at Putipot. If you decide to do the latter, you will need to be prepared as there are no facilities on the island. There is a caretaker, a vendor or two, a handpump for water, a changing stall and that’s it. So we came prepared for a camp out: tents, sleeping bags, cooksets, water, etc.

We had to wait for the boat before heading to the island. We bummed around the resort lounge enduring the ear-wrenching wails coming from a videoke machine. I couldn’t bear it so I went with Bing to buy ice. It took longer to find ice than expected and when we did, we overshot the resort on the way back. By the time we got back, the boat was ready.

When we reached the island, I was a bit disappointed. It was crowded! However, most of the crowd eventually left after the sun set. And then it became much better.

The island itself is nice. It’s pretty small and you can walk around the island in less than half an hour. The interior is covered with vegetation: grass, shrubs, and trees. The beach has whitish sand and the water was relatively clear, calm and feels just right. Whether by accident or design, the island does not look obviously cleaned and maintained giving it a raw and untouched appeal.

After sunset, we cooked and dined on grilled tuna and pork. We also had a drink or two. We were all tired and it didn’t look like it would rain so we just laid down a tent flysheet and slept on it. The night was cloudless and the stars were awesome. Watching them while lying there on the sand, listening to the waves lapping on the shore was heavenly.

We got up early in the morning and took swims until we grew tired and the sun became too strong. Just as well since the crowd was also growing as boat after boat dislodged passengers. We informed the boat to pick us up via SMS, packed up, waited for the boat, went back to the resort, loaded up our stuff and then headed back home.

A great weekend getaway.