Monreal, a town in the scenic Ticao Island in Bicol’s Masbate province, is an ideal getaway for anybody looking for an unforgettable island hopping experience in untouched treasures, with its stunning scenery and immaculate beaches.
Today, we’re jumping headfirst into the awesome adventure of island hopping. Let me tell you how you can turn that plan into reality, take a peek at the financial side so you know what to expect, and of course, we’ll shine a spotlight on some seriously stunning islands just waiting for you to explore.
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Table of Contents
How to Get There
When it comes to getting there, you’ve got tons of cool options at your fingertips. Let’s break them down, step by step.
If you’re traveling via a private vehicle, just head straight to Bulan Port in Sorsogon.
From the Bicol International Airport to Pilar Port
If you’re traveling from the airport, you can hire a Grab taxi from the Bicol International Airport to the van terminal in Daraga town in Albay. This is if you’re bringing a lot of stuff with you. The Grab rate will vary by time, of course, so I cannot tell you how much this’ll cost you, but my estimate is that it would be around P200 to P250. Personally, what I would do to save even just a little bit of moolah is I would walk from the airport all the way to the gate. Outside, there are tricycle drivers that you can hire for P50 up to this 7 Eleven. Outside this convenience store, there will be buses or jeepneys that will head to either Daraga or Legazpi City. Hop on any of those jeeps or buses because they will pass by the van terminal.
Option 1: Grab to van terminal (P250)
Option 2: Trike to 7 Eleven (P50), jeep to Daraga terminal (P15)
From the terminal in Daraga, there are available vans that will head to Pilar. Prepare around P100 for the van. The travel time to get to Pilar will be around one and a half hours.
There will also be jeeps available near the van terminal, but this will usually take two hours of travel. It’s cheaper, though. The cost is only P70.
Whichever you ride, make sure that you reach Pilar before 11 a.m. because that’s the time the “lantsa” (a motorized boat) leaves. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait for another day for the next lantsa. If 11 a.m. is too late for you, you probably have to pass by Bulan Port instead.
Option 1: Van to Pilar (P100) – but make sure it leaves before 9:30 a.m.
Option 2: Jeep to Pilar (70) – but make sure it leaves before 9 a.m.
Getting to Monreal via Bulan Port – San Jacinto Port
If you think your van or jeep from Daraga will miss the 11 a.m. lantsa, your second option will be to head to Bulan Port from Daraga instead. The ride goin to Bulan is going to be a loooong ride, but the last time I checked, they have more trips heading to Ticao Island where you will reach San Jacinto town, and then find your way to Monreal town.
Bulan also has earlier trips to Ticao Island. When we made our way to Ticao Island, we left Bulan Port at 7:30 a.m. and reached San Jacinto at 9:30 a.m. The catch is that I don’t know how much it will cost you to travel from Legazpi or Daraga to Bulan Port because we hired a driver to get there; and I can’t tell you how much the fare and the port of entrance fee is. The last time I checked is that port of entrance fees cost around P20, while fast craft fares range from P130 to P150. In case there was a fare increase, just prepare P250 per head. It’s always nice to over-estimate the cost.
From San Jacinto Port, you will have to find your way to Monreal on your own. Again, this was something we did not get to experience as commuters, so my sincerest apologies for that. I will ask my friends and then update this blog once I have an answer.
From Pilar Port
From Pilar Port, the lantsa ride will cost you P220. Again, there will only be one trip per day, so if you miss this, you will have to stay in Pilar for another day. This is the fastest way to get to Monreal. Once you reach the port, ask the locals to point you to where the tourism office is.
Tour Sites
The tour sites for the island hopping in Monreal will include the following:
Monreal Nature Park
This by the way, was one of the views on our way to Halea Nature Park:
Parola Beach
This is a nice relaxation are where you can have lunch. From this beach, there’s a view of Albay’s Mount Mayon.
We also trekked all the way to the old lighthouse. From above the lighthouse, there’s this view:
Lapus-lapus Green Lagoon
Burubangkaso Islet and Rock Formation
Catandayagan Falls
Did you know that Monreal town in Masbate has a tidefall, a rare fall that empties directly to the ocean? The Catandayagan Falls is about 30 meters high and is accessible via a tour boat from Monreal Port. I was informed that in the summer, farmers living in the village above this waterfall divert the water to their farms, which can occasionally lead to limited water flow here, but I’m not complaining. It’s their land and it’s their water.
Costs
The boat rates and tour packages for the island hopping in Monreal are as follows:
| Tour Package | Boat Size | Pax | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Package 1 | Small | Two | P3,000 |
| Tour Package 2 | Medium | Four | P4,000 |
| Tour Package 3 | Semi-Large | Six | P5,000 |
| Tour Package 4 | Large | Eight to Ten | P8,000 |
| Tour Package 5 | XL | Eleven to Fifteen | P10,000 |
| Tour Package 6 | “El Salvador” | Sixteen to Eighteen | P12,000 |
| Tour Package 7 | “Arthur 3” | Twenty to Twenty-Five | P16,000 |
Included in these tours are Department of Tourism-trained and -accredited guides, life vests, and gears for snorkelling.
Note that there is an additional registration fee of P50 for Filipinos and P100 for foreigners. You will also need to pay a fee for the tour guides of P1,000 per package.
Who To Contact
If you’re ready to book a tour package, you may contact Ana Carolina DM. Sampaga, the Monreal town’s tourism officer. She can be contacted through this email (delmundoac@gmail.com) and this phone number (0910-995-0239).
Enjoy your stay and let me know how it goes!
Use any of the contact forms in this blogsite or email me at ra@ravstheworld.com if you have questions!
