Fortune Island — Local services in Nasugbu

Want a getaway from the busy city life? Fortune Island's perfect for you. You'll have to ride a boat that will take hours to get to the island, you'll have to actually set up a camp, and you'll have to be wise. Why? Because Fortune Island isn't that convenient. You have to choose wisely what to bring, where best to set up your tent, how to keep your valuables away from the thieves, how to befriend your fellow travelers for when you lack or ran out of resources, and of course, when and how to take a dump. Fortune Island is an adventure in a nutshell.

It is best to explore with friends or family (those who can set up a tent and know how to cook), but if you ride solo, cool. They have a small store, but their stuff there are really expensive (it's hard to bring supplies- it takes time, gas, and a lot of energy).

You can do the cliche: set up a tent, swim, go to the ruins, cliff dive, go back to your tent, sleep and take off the next day- or befriend the fishermen/ferrymen, offer them some help fishing for food (if you're a swimmer), and you'll get to see the entire island (just be wary of jellyfishes when it's their season, don't swim way too far from the boat, the wind in this island is pretty unpredictable, and don't go to the caves). We did the latter, and that's pretty rare to happen. I guess, we just got lucky. Oh, and what we did is dangerous. 2 of us got blown away, and the fishermen we offered to help ended up saving our friends' lives.

Anyway, please note that there are registered mamamangkas who work with the resorts. Avoid the illegal ones, because if you don't know the way around, they'll charge you too much.

Additionally, if you haven't tried cliff diving and you don't know how to swim but you wanna try it, barrow a life jacket from the mamamangkas. Ask them politely. They also sometimes hunt for seafood to sell (super fresh squid, octopus, different kinds of fishes). You might wanna...

Fortune Island is a small island off the coast of Nasugbu Batangas and is perfect for those who love white sand beach. There are corals that are teeming with marine life and perfect for snorkeling but is NOT for the faint of heart. Here's a few reasons why:

A little out of your usual range.

Entrance fee costs 350 for daytour and 500 for overnight. Kids below 4 are free of charge. Tent corkage is 200 per day. The costly part of the trip is the boat that will carry you back and forth to the island. It usually ranges from 6000 for 13-15pax.

Amenities - or lack thereof.

The island is bare and when I say bare, i mean it. There are small patches of trees where you can pitch your tent but it can get really hot during the day that the best way to cool it down is to stay submerged in its crystal waters. Don't expect to get that glorious bath after dipping in the salty seawater for the entire day. Prepare to get sticky for the rest of your trip.

Oh, the restrooms are a-ok and gets the job done. Bring wipes! Lots of them though.

Mosquitoes and Flies.

As expected from a remote and desolate island, there is an abundance of blood-sucking mosquitoes there coupled with pesky flies. Hack is to bring incense sticks or mosquito repellent lotion.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Don't rent the cottages with blue tarps. They get notoriously hot during the day. Renting that is illogical.

The place is really good for those who seek adventure or just really wants to have a good time. A couple of beer under the starry night is a huge break from your monotonous 8-5pm routine.

• Get that instagrammable shot from the unfinished acropolis atop the mountain. • Have a go at the diving cliff at the back of the island. Beware that it is really high and not safe for the untrained. • Commune with the underwater creatures in its...

A must visit summer destination.

Fortune Island is located 1hour and 15minutes boat ride, west of Nasugbu Batangas. For backpackers, bus ride to nasugbu is near Pasay Taft MRT. For Day Tours: Plan a trip where you will arrive at nasugbu proper, early in the morning. A P10/pax tricycle ride to the shore will take 5 to 10minutes. From the nasugbu shore, take a boatride for 1hr and 15mins. The boat ride commonly costs 4500 and you will have to bring your own food. Day tours usually last up to 430pm but in some cases, the boatmen would suggest leaving early specially whem waves start white-capping, which is a sign of big waves or violent air. I suggest you tour around the island first, with your camera to capture precious memories. You can later go swimming on the crystal clear waters or try cliff diving. Best to visit during the months of March to May before the start of rainy season. 10 must brings water food camping tent (can rent) snorkeling, diving gears camera your fone (smart and globe has strong signal) and powerbank yourself and your buddies money 3k for each for a group of 6 friends (ideal) extra clothes 10 cooking things (from plates to barbecue stand)

the island has no electricity. if your cam ran out of juice, you can obly recharge when you are...