A Series of Fortunate Events in Fortune Island

Meditative jump shot between battered columns in Fortune Island.
Photo credits to Cze Montefalcon.

I learned about this interesting island from my brother, and what caught my attention was its Grecian structures. When I was still in high school, Greek mythology was my life and anime was my love, so the first thing that came to mind was a Greek Gods Cosplay. What furthered my desire to visit the place was the fact that it has an amazing beach.

Overall, this island sounded promising, so my expectations were high. When we arrived there, however, and began exploring, Fortune Island kicked my expectations hard in the ass. 


The BAOGs wanted to make this trip really memorable, so we agreed to bring costumes and cosplay as villains. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but a series of even cooler events unfolded.

Fortunate Event # 1: The Group

Group shot near the cliff diving area.
Photo credits to Cze Montefalcon.

As always, everything started with just the five of us -- the core group. As we make plans for the beach getaway, however, we discovered that the boat ride to Fortune Island would cost us a fortune! One that can carry up to fifteen people costs a staggering 6,000php. To save up on the ferry, we decided to drag some of our friends along; and it was the greatest decision we've made. 

Our group ballooned to 19 people, and I only know eight of them. Before seeing these strangers, I was worried my introvertism might take-over, and that I might find a couple of distasteful characters, but I didn't. Unlike other adventures where friends of friend part as mere acquaintances, all of us parted as friends. 

One of the most difficult things to find in this big, big world are people who share the same interests, and those who can understand what you're going through, but I am fortunate to have found and met these people, and it all happened in this grand beach getaway.

Fortunate Event # 2: Boat Ride

On our way to Fortune Island.
Photo credits to Mimi Raneses.

Nope, we didn't get a discount, if that's what you were thinking. We simply got to the island alive and in one piece.

Before going, my brother warned me of large swells near the island. He further told me these have sank large vessels before. To top it all off, he added that swells get worse by November -- the month we've scheduled our trip. Of course, this got me worried. I even asked the BAOGs to reschedule the getaway to a different month. All of them had faith that nothing will happen, however, so I rested mine on theirs. 

When we got to the place and saw the boat, my faith got rambled. It was incredibly small, and nine of us will squeeze in on it. I was used to the reliable ones in Puerto Gallera and Boracay,  so, to me, it looked incredibly unsafe. Thankfully, it wasn't. 

My brother was right, though. Large swells played with our boat, and the whole experience felt like EK's Space Shuttle ride -- without seat belts. What made everything even more heart raising was when the kid (the one in the photo) pointed at the water and calmly said, "Pating." Yes! It was comforting to know that should the boat sink, friendly sharks were waiting to rescue us. 

Seeing flying fish jumping off the surface served as a great distraction, however. It was my first time to see a few in action, and it was interesting to know that they don't just jump -- they really do fly. 

Fortunate Event # 3: The Island

Fortune Island.
Photo credits to Mimi Raneses.

Immediately after setting-up our tents (there are no hotels or cottages for rent in the island) and eating our lunch (we asked the resort we were in contact with to cook food for us), the entire group donned their costumes on and began the pictorials. The "Villains" thing didn't push through, but we still made an effort to bring any kind of "unique" clothing to take advantage of the picturesque structures and views. 

A powerful portrait of... uh... a lady dressed up as Hitler dressed up as Zeus.
Photo credits to Mimi Raneses.

Short to say, the entire afternoon was wasted on photo shoots. With the sun shining bright, and the wind blowing nimbly, our portraits turned out legend... wait for it... dary! The most popular structure is the pillars, but other ruins scattered around the island. I'm pretty sure they weren't meant to look dilapidated, but they are now. Nevertheless, these make great props for a dramatic scene -- like, perhaps, a wedding engagement.

Between the statues of a lion and what once was a woman.
Photo credits to Mimi Raneses.

A goddess between the pillars (Lol! Kapal! XD).
Photo credits to Cze Montefalcon.

Many wondrous sights and scenes filled the island, and all were either equal or superior to the beauty of the above man-made edifices. After all, when it comes to beauty, nothing compares to nature. There were slopes of green shrubs with yellow flowers, and let's not forget the beach. The water looked like a giant gem stone with its beautiful crystal-like blue. 

Our group split up, and my subgroup got so enticed by everything that we almost ran out of sunlight to take a dip in the sea. The sand was white and inviting, but the waves were hard and its bottom was rocky. To me, it was a precarious swim, because if I didn't pay much attention, the waves could have swept me off my feet, then knocked my head on the rocks. It's nothing dangerous, though, just as long you stay alarmed. 

The beach of Fortune Island.
Photo credits to Cze Montefalcon.

A wider view of the sea above a cliff.
Photo credits to Natalie de Guzman.

There were other sights in the island we weren't able to visit, like the lighthouse. Plus, we didn't get to walk from one end of the beach to the other. It was a shame to have not been able to maximize our visit, but then again, thinking about it, an overnight stay in Fortune Island does not seem enough. I suppose this gives us a reason to go back, then!

Fortunate Event # 4: Shooting Stars and Underwater Stars

A star studded evening in Fortune Island.
Photo credits to Natalie de Guzman.

For the first time in forever, I saw a real shooting star! What amazes me more was that it didn't only happen once. 

The first one was seen by my best friend. We were inside the tent, talking and drinking, and she was staring up at the sky when it passed by. Sadly, I didn't get to see it. 

It seemed, however, that the heavens felt my disappointment, because later when we were seated around the bonfire, another one appeared, and I was the first one to see it. I called everyone's attention immediately, and they all witnessed this amazing and rare natural event. It's awesomeness didn't stop there, however. Before disappearing somewhere in the horizon, it split in to two, and all of us chorused a surprised gasp. (If that happened to be an alien warship in disguise, we're dead.) But even if there were no shooting stars, the mere presence of a million sturdier ones was enough to make the whole trip worth it. 

As for the underwater stars, let me just be clear that I'm not talking about Patrick the starfish from Spongebob. Five of our companions, at first, seemed unfortunate to have not been able to come with us earlier that day to Fortune Island. They had to schedule a boat ride around early night time because they were coming from school (ehem... med students). So, what made this situation fortunate? Not only were they travelling under the light of a million stars, the sea filled with a million bio-luminescent critters. The water literally glowed in the dark, and it's not something anyone can witness anytime. I sincerely wished I was there with them on that boat to witness the phenomenon with my own eyes. 

Fortunate Event # 5: Cliff Diving

This is probably the coolest thing in the island. 

Somewhere behind the pillars, after descending on a rocky stair, a more exquisite view unfolded before our eyes. The sea was much deeper and more treacherous, but it was also more beguiling. It was a clear blue, with the light of sunrise dancing over the surface. The stairs continued on to the bottom, and that's where the jumping platform sat. 

From my estimate, it's a humble 15-feet drop. It's not that high, but it still took some courage for me to leap from the edge and plunge to the open sea. Short to say, our second day's entire morning was wasted on cliff diving. I only jumped once because it was tiring to repeatedly climb up the rope. My friends, however, did two or three jumps just to savor the feeling of a short free fall. 

A brave first-time jump.
Photo credits to Natalie de Guzman.

The swim after the dive.
Photo credits to Cze Montefalcon.

Cliff diving spots as beautiful as this is difficult to come by, that's why we're fortunate enough to have this experience in Fortune Island.

Additional Info:

As for the budget, the damage was 2,000php per person -- all in. This covers the round-trip boat transfers, the resort's fee, bus fare from Manila to Nasugbu town proper and back, tricycle fare to and from Fortune Island Resort, and food for day 1's lunch and dinner. I cannot remember the detailed breakdown of each expense, but on top of the said budget, make sure to bring an extra 500php or 700php for miscellaneous expenses. 

Reminders:

1. You need to bring your own drinking water to the island because there's no source of fresh water there or convenience stores. If you feel uncomfortable without showering after a dip in the sea, then bring your own supply of water, too.  
2. Bring your own tent.
3. Bring your own garbage bag for proper disposal of waste. Fortune Island is already littered with enough trash. In fact, we encourage you to pick up as much as you can, collect them in your bag, bring them back to the resort, and throw them properly.
4. Bring your own food.
5. There are no comfort rooms either, so be prepared to dig. :)