Althea's Adventures

Two years ago I’ve been invited by the owner, Jajha Piamonte, of MAP Travel and Tours to join their Fortune Island tour. And now, they are offering the Laki Beach and Five Fingers tour in Bataan, I got so excited because it’s my first beach trip this summer! 🙂

Five Fingers

Why is it called Five Fingers? The five coves appeared to look like five fingers when viewed in the air. I researched and found this image in Google. Look at the lower left part, it really looked like five fingers

Here are the Five Coves:

Talain Cove – Swimming and 20 feet cliff jump (photo from Google)

Apatot Cove – You may swim, trek. A little bit of Batanes feel on top (Photo from MAP Facebook page)

Pulong Kawayan Cave – A touch of Coron, Palawan with its rock formation (Photo from MAP Facebook page)

Tinalakan Cliff Diving – 40 feet cliff jump (Photo from MAP Facebook page)

Nagbintana Arc – We spent most of our time here. The rock formation is amazing!

Here’s my friend, Jason. The struggle was real trekking up because of the edgy solid rocks.

 

But once you’re on top, it’s all worth it!The view was breathtaking!We went a few steps down on the other side.

Laki Beach

Our main destination, Laki Beach! I’ve learned that they have around 500 guests on weekends. There’s only 5 cottage for people to eat, so you really have to be early or go on weekdays.Cream colored sand. The joiners said the sand is almost the same as CalaguasI love the camping vibe! Once in a while, it’s nice to go camping. Just tents, palm trees and bonfire with your friendsWe were all tired and hungry because we’ve been traveling since 1:00 AM, so we had lunch when we arrived. This group is full of energy, not a dull moment with them!Special mention to my new friend, Jhigo! He’s so witty!☺️ After lunch, my girls helped me set up our tent

 

Tadaaa! Here’s my room for the night And then, we went swimming and beach bumming. I love that the shore is far from the tents. You can really enjoy the view, play volleyball or just chill.

Blue skies and turquoise water, what more can you ask for?My beach essentials are always with me! Sunnies by Sunnies Studios, flip flops by Havaianas and my personalized tote by The Lakwatserang Negra. Ooops! I forgot to bring sunblock 😂 I was having so much fun! How I’ve missed the beach!  After swimming, we took a quick bath. Considering the number of guests especially on weekends, the comfort rooms are something that the management should work on. I think I only saw 3 or 4 comfort rooms and it’s not so tidy.

At dinner, I strolled around the area. Some of them set up a bonfire. I saw family, friends, office mates playing games and having so much fun. There was even a proposal, I was not able to capture the moment but here’s where it took place The next day, I woke up early to catch the sunrise We walked to the shore and saw this baby! I’m in love! He’s a Siberian Husky named Denden.Jason and I went trekking (again) on the right side of the beach, and we saw another rock formation Should I jump? 50 from the ground with rocks – uhmm, NO Thanks! Haha! Here’s the view from where I was standing Went back to our cottage to fix our things and just enjoyed this beauty while waiting for our boat I don’t want to go home yet but I miss my boys and I have work haha! Thank you MAP Travel and Tours for making this trip possible! :)Travel Tips:

• There’s no signal at Laki Beach for any network. So just enjoy the view and relax. You can post your photos when you’re on the way home
• Bring power bank and flashlight
• Wear aqua shoes or rubber sandals, slippers are not advisable especially when trekking in the rock formation
• You can’t buy cooked food at Laki Beach, might as well bring food like Adobo or canned goods
• Chips, noodles, coffee, water, soft drinks and everything else are pricey, so make sure to buy before going there
• Bring your own tabo or dipper or something that you can use to get water when taking a bath
• You can rent a tent for Php 300 or bring your own
• To sleep comfortably in the tent, bring pillows and blanket. It can also be cold at night, so bring jackets if you want

DIY on how to get there:

• From Cubao, take the Genesis or Bataan Transit bus going to Mariveles. Fare is about Php 280
• Drop off point at Mariveles bus terminal
• Then, ride a tricycle going to Barangay Balon or Porto. There’s the jump off point of the cove to cove hopping. Tricycle fare is Php 75 for 4 persons
• Boat rental costs around Php 2,500 for day tour and Php 3,500 for overnight good for 5-10 persons
• Entrance fee to Laki Beach is Php 350 per person

For hassle free way to go there like I did, I highly recommend MAP Travel and Tours! For just Php 2,099, you will experience a touch of Boracay, Palawan, Anawangin Cove, Animasola Rock Formation, Calaguas in one tour! And it’s just 4 hours away from Manila.  How cool is that?

Here are the Inclusions of the Laki Beach + Five Fingers tour:

• Round trip Van transfers (12 pax only)
• Toll Fees, Fuel, Driver’s Fee
• Tour coordinator
• Two meals (Dinner / Breakfast)
• Tent
• Entrance Fee at Laki Beach
• Round trip Boat transfers
• Island Hopping cove to cove
• Travel Insurance

You may contact them through their Facebook page or the following numbers:

• Globe – 09174264502
• Sun – 09238829185
• Smart – 09391872869

Thank you for taking the time to read the blog! For more of my adventures and beach trips, you may follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Happy travels! 🙂