Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Bantigue, Gateway to Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas

If you want to go to Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lagpas in Pagbilao Quezon, one of your options would be through a boat ride in Barangay Bantigue. It can easily be reached through public transportation.



From Manila, which is the capital of the Philippines, there are a lot of bus companies plying Lucena City. One is Jam Liner located in their Buendia-Taft Station. Fare last February 2011 is about Php210. You need to get off the bus when you reach Lucena City Grand Terminal and ride a jeep going to Pagbilao. Halfway to Pagbilao in about 30 minutes, you'd need to get off at Bagong Tulay where there's a tricycle terminal that can take you to Brgy. Bantigue. Tell the driver that you'd want to go to the coastal village and hire a boat to take you to Puting Buhangin. You shouldn't be paying more than a hundred and fifty pesos. Or you can also drop by Silangang Nayon first, a floating restaurant where you can have a sumptuous meal before heading to Puting Buhangin. You'd just need to walk back the road from Silangang Nayon and wait for a tricycle, like what we did, to take you to the boat area. We paid Php80 for the three of us from the highway to Silangang Nayon and Php10 each from Silangang Nayon to the coastal area of Barangay Bantigue.



On the way you'll pass by Pueblo Por la Playa on your left, a member exclusive resort and the barangay hall on your right. At the end of the cemented road, the tricycle will turn left into a narrow dirt road and at the end of it is the coastal area.




You'd see a wooden house owned by Mang Bin, one of the boatmen in the area, who transported us to Puting Buhangin. We were quoted Php1000 for a 30-40 minute boatride, I haggled and we paid Php800 for the three of us. It is way cheaper compared to Silangang Nayon's boat rate of Php1500.





Bantigue also has it's own charm. It is a fishing village and the water is really bountiful. Fishermen place a box shaped net trap in just waist high waters and they are able to harvest big crabs. When we arrived back from swimming in Puting Buhangin, we coincidentally saw one of the fishermen harvest and tie the crabs to sell in Dalahican. Crabs sell for only Php180 per kilo. We wanted to buy a lot to bring home with us but we have yet to go and stay in Lucban Quezon for a day so we just bought a kilo and Mang Bin's wife kindly cooked it for us. I think she just boiled the crabs in Sprite (soda), she said that way, it won't spoil right away. The crabs became a part of our dinner when we reached Lucban that night, and it tasted so fresh and sweet.





If you'd ask me, the beach area is also swimmable. Water is clear and looked clean plus the sand is also white. It's not something very powdery but it was inviting. It is a fishing village though and no accommodation is available but for a daytrip, it will surely work. :)

9 comments:

  1. hi pang.. tnx for all the info you've shared here about pagbilao, quezon. im planning to go to puting buhangin and dito ko nahanap ung info na kelangan ko especially ung direction going to brgy. bantigue.. by the way, ok ba ung boatman nio going sa puting buhangin? do u have his contact no. pra siya na lng sana kontakin ko.. tnx a lot! :)

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  2. Hi Rodneal. :) Glad to hear you found the information useful. Oo, ok si mang Bin yong boatman namin, cool sya kakwentuhan saka magaling magmaneuver ng boat lalo na nong pauwi na kami at ang taas na ng mga alon. By the time na nagpunta kami don, wala syang cellphone pero yong house nya ang una mong makikita paghinto ng trike. Pwede mo na sya hanapin don. In case my phone na sya when you get there, please update me naman with the number. Thanks and have a fun and safe trip.

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  3. ah ok.. cge hanapin ko na lng siya once i get there. it'll be my 1st time kasi na mgtravel magisa ng malayo so talagang pinaplano ko ng mabuti pra maging ok nmn :) cge update kita if ever makuha ko contact no. nia.. tnx again!

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  4. Wow! I'm also aiming to do a solo travel, think that's very exciting. Saw your blog Lean, it's nice. Take care on your trip. :)

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  5. a very helpfull blog Pang.....very simple clear instructions/directions!!!

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  6. Hello Pang, ask lang where did you stay in Pagbilao? Is it just a day trip? Do you know the cheapest place to stay yung accessible nrin for island hopping? Thanks! =)

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  7. Hi Joyce! I didn't stay in Pagbilao, we headed to Lucban Quezon after Puting Buhangin to experience Lucban's cuisine. I believe Silangang Nayon which is on your way to the jump off point of Kwebang Lagpas offers accommodation, I'm not sure about their rates though.

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  8. helo po d po pwede mg over nyt sa puting buhangin using tents?tnx

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    1. When we went there, overnight stay was not allowed. I read a blog that was just written recently though saying that they already allow overnight camping. That's something I haven't validated to the new care taker though but you may read this blog

      http://zayzaexplores.com/2012/03/17/welcoming-summer-2012-puting-buhangin-and-kwebang-lampas/

      and you can probably ask the blogger who wrote it. Thanks for visiting.

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