Dona Choleng Camping Resort — Hotel in Cagbalete Island

PORT AREA There are two scheduled public boats to take you to the island. Please refer to other reviews for the time schedules and rates. We went there via a private one for 2,500 pesos. It's a small boat though. We were just comprised of 6 people and we were jam-packed already.

PORTERS Please be advised that there are people who'll be more than willing to assist you and carry your bags without them telling you that the service wasn't free. So for us with many bags, 50 pesos each porter is quite a steal. But if you can carry your own bags, do so.

HABAL-HABAL We were supposed to ride Doña Choleng's Shuttle Van but was broken. So we were asked to ride the Habal-habal instead. It was a 70.00 pesos per person on a 50-100m ride (Just rough estimation). But we haggled through the staff, because it wasn't our fault in the first place.

STAFFS Staffs were great, they're welcoming and all smiling. It's a homey place.

HOTEL The hotel we stayed in was called Doña Choleng's, the area was quiet and calm during weekdays (Friday) but busy and hectic by weekends (Saturday). You might find Doña Choleng's a bit eerie due to the few lights (Since the electricity only runs in a schedule) they have. Plus few staffs on a night shift. The hotel room itself is just right with its price. Not fancy, not tacky. Just the right hotel to accommodate you. They also offer tent pitching. No signal reception, only on the beach front.

BATHROOM The bathroom is okay. I just find the holes in it (Holes like when you put an airconditioning system on your home) a bit creepy at night. Well the ventilation is okay, but I don't think the enormity of the holes are necessary. So just a heads up.

RESTAURANT The foods they serve are mostly Filipino and the prices are not for people on a tight budget. As for the taste, it was superb. The seasoning was on point. It's the best. Except for their halo-halo and Saba con Hielo.

BEACH The beach front is clean and well maintained, the sand was pure, the shore were kept clean by Doña Choleng's staffs. You'll occasionally find a floating piece of plastic but I don't think it was their fault. If you can, please pick up trash you might find on the beach.

UNDERWATER As freediver myself, I would say that the area are mostly sand, which makes the Cagbalete Island known for (The sand bar). You won't find any good diving spots unless you're very far from shore. The swells are larger on the Doña Choleng's side due to it facing the Pacific Ocean, but the water depth are children friendly. You might be walking on a 10-minute stretch of the beach and still get a knee-deep water (This is low tide times), but it can be waist-deep on a high tide.

SEA CONDITIONS We went there on Habagat season, swells are big, boats are small, it's a scary ride (Not like Batanes boat rides though) but still scary.

OVERALL I'll be giving the entire stay with Doña Choleng, 3 out of 5 star. The area is homey and serene, I honestly find it very relaxing. But compared to other hotels I've been at, considering the value for money, shuttle services, electricity and all. 3 stars...

The place is actually nice. It's not crowded. Room: We booked Casa Mikhail with 2 queen sized bed and a private comfort room which is not well maintained. Their public cr is much better. Shower: Like I said, its not well maintained so we used their provided pail and dipper. By the way, their water 💦 has a foul smell so if you clean your teeth use your drinking water like I did. Electricity: I actually regret choosing an aircon room, you can only use the aircon around 6pm to 7am, thats what they said but it only worked on our first day the next day nothing. Their electricity is unstable. The electricity in Jomalig Island (try to visit it if you're up to 5-6hrs boat ride, its worth it though) is much better. Food: I like their food, we tried a variety of it (Grilled squid, liempo, sizzling chicken, Tinolang Manok) but I recommend to bring your own cause sometimes they ran out of ingredients. Bring your own drinking water, its a bit expensive there. Ready your 5php for a small cup of hot water. Desserts: I don't like their halo halo but I ♥ their Mango shake, they have Mango graham shake by the way. Beachfront: It's superb! Transportation: They pick us up at Sabang Port thru their shuttle which I thought is free (15php/head) going back to Sabang Port we asked if we can ride the shuttle since its going back to Port without passengers but they said its a special trip (com'on! Its better to have passengers than nothing!) Anyways, we rode a motorcycle (habal-habal is what they called it) for 50php which I think is better than their safari ride shuttle. They like to give a high priced options. Research is the key! Massage: I really really love their 💆 massage, my companion said its a traditional hilot, its a must try after a tiring island hopping. It's on call so better...

Prior to my vacation I have read a blog that not to expect a high-end resort in the island, So, will rate this resort according to our experience.|- Staff are friendly and helpful. They will actually willing to help and attend to your needs. |-The resort has a small store where you can buy meals and snacks, though it’s quite expensive.|-The resort is pet friendly, which I love the most. (Mauban Tourism Office required pet’s owner to bring and present dog vaccination record.|-There’s a fire dance at night but only if there’s a lot of guests in the resort. |Look for Arnel if you chose to stay at Dona Choleng. He will help and assist you and he is a very trustworthy man. ||Cons|- We stayed 3 days and 2 nights, Saturday is a busy say for the resort for having plenty of guests but when Monday morning came which a lot of guests has checked-out the resort didn’t switch on the generator for the other guests. What’s more disappointing, when a group of people came who actually knows the resort’s owner, they contacted the big boss and generator has been switched on for them, so that they can use the AC right away.|- There was water interruptions in the morning for 2 consecutive days.|- No other activity aside from Island hopping. No banana boat, no flying fish, no kayak and no ATV which they posted in...