The Amazing Potipot Island Adventure

by Kti Alibanban

Did you seriously think my story about our Zambales trip was just about our adventure trying to figure out how to get there? No, definitely not. Like I said, that was just a prequel to this article.

So this is the real thing, an article about the things that you can do in Zambales all in one day. This article is a practical guide for people who decided to go to a far-flung area for the weekend and can't seem to figure out how to squeeze in every activity given the limited time. I know from experience that travel time eats up quite a large fraction of your schedule. So in total, you only have one whole day of going about your itineraries. If you think that's too short of a vacation, after reading this article, think again.

Saturday - One Long Day

06:00AM-08:00AM - Wake up sleepy heads!

 

Yup, although we agreed on waking up at six in the morning so we can go to one of the best beaches in the Philippines - Potipot Island, that didn't materialize. Some of us woke up really early just because they are innately early birds. But most of us woke up at 7:30-8:00 AM, hoping to get as much rest as we can from the exhausting trip last night and recharging so we can make the most out of the one day that we have.

Of course before leaving the beach house, we generously applied sunscreen lotion in our body and put on our swim suits.

08:00AM-08:30AM - Spam and Continental Breakfast

We had the most important meal of the day at the resort's restaurant. They're offering a wide-array of food to choose from. We had meals like Tapsilog (combination of fried rice, fried egg and marinated pork strips), Spamsilog (combination of fried rice, fried egg and Spam), continental breakfast meal (toast, fried eggs and coffee), and mushroom soup for our Vegan colleague.

08:30AM-08:40AM - Boat Ride to Potipot Island

 

Potipot Island is very near Uacon. You can already see the small island from our beach resort. It will only take minutes to get to the beautiful island. The boat ride only costs 400 pesos good for 6-8 people. In Potipot, the island caretakers charge 100 pesos for a day's stay and 300 if you wish to settle in overnight. There weren't any hotels in the island, only small huts and cottages, and yes, tents. I noticed that the only water source there is a small deep-well.

08:40AM-11:45AM - The very reason we came to Zambales -Experience Potipot

About the island… Well, it's not like the beaches in Palawan or Boracay but it sure does have its unique and mystical beauty to it. Potipot is a small island resting in its mother's arms -the South China Sea. From afar and in photos, Potipot appears to have white sand, but closer, it's actually light brown. The clear water's inviting enough to really make you dip even if the sun's scorching hot. Potipot is also a haven for people who's hobby is having their photos taken. With its pristine water, gorgeous shoreline and slightly forested surrounding, each picture you take will surely have the perfect backdrop.

There are no modern water activities/sports (banana boat ride, jetski, helmet diving etc.) that you can try out in Potipot. All that's there is to enjoy the most basic activities like swimming, sunbathing, sand castle building, snorkeling (using your own goggles), camping, and of course, picture-taking!

While some people were busy preparing lunch and others were drinking with their family and friends, our group was indulged in taking our very own, perfect jump shot. It wasn't easy, I'm telling you.

After about 30 minutes of taking pleasure in swimming (and underwater shots and energy-draining jump shots), we decided to call our Manong Bankero (boatman) to take us back to Isla Vista. Anyway, it's lunch time, we're dehydrated, and tired of swimming, posing and jumping. By the way, just a tip, don't forget to bring food and water to Potipot, there are no stores or restaurants there.

11:45AM-12:00PM - Back to Base

 

You guessed it right, boat ride.

12:00PM-01:00PM - Lunch in Isla Vista

 

For lunch, we mostly ordered for the restaurant's grilled specialties. You can choose from chicken, pork, and seafood like squid. To make the whole gastronomic experience complete, we had refreshing fruit shakes. Ripe mango shake in Isla Vista Beach Resort is love! It's the perfect drink for hydrating and invigorating.

01:00PM-02:00PM - Shower time

 

Okay, I can't elaborate further on this part. But while waiting for your turn in the shower, you can talk to your office mates, eat chips, and watch a local noontime variety show. Oh, and welcome Batch 2 of your office mates who came fresh from Manila. You'll find out that it only took them five hours to get to Candelaria, Zambales!

02:00PM-05:30PM - Sleepy heads part 2

 

I am not proud of this part. Who takes a nap in the afternoon in the middle of a short weekend getaway? But you also have to give it to us. Whole day's work the day before, long hours on the road, lack of sleep and jump shots? Come on.

05:30PM-07:00PM - Good morning in the afternoon

 

The best word is RECHARGED. Nothing beats a power nap! When we woke up, it felt like we can travel back to Manila and go right back to Zambales and get on a boat to Potipot and be photographed in the air via jump shots all over again! No, I was just kidding. We sang couple of songs in the Karaoke Hut instead.

The afternoons in the beach are my favorite part of all. I go crazy over breathtaking sunsets. And it's the best time to bathe in the sea just because you won't have to suffer from sun burn.

The sun preparing to rest in the arms of the sea is one of the most sought-after photography subject. It could also be the perfect time to walk along the shore and bump into an old friend and meet new ones.

07:00PM-08:30PM - Best Fried Chicken in the world

Aside from Spam, one of the specialties in the resort is fried chicken. What makes their fried chicken the best? Nothing, it's the same chicken deep-fried in lots of oil, only, it'll take more than an hour before it could be served at your table, just like what happened to one of our office mate who ordered for it. We didn't want a negative memory of this whole day so we just let it pass. After dinner, some of us went to my favorite part of the resort -the Bar! We talked and cheered over some drinks before proceeding to our own drinking session in our beach house.

09:00PM - I didn't notice what time it ended. -Team Building, Eversun style!

 

A time of fun-filled activities, so fun you'll wish you were there.

After a very long day and a memorable team building session, it was time for us to set and rest in arms of our beds.

Tomorrow's another day of more Potipot Island, swimming, sunbathing, picture-taking, Spam, Grilled Pork, and oh no, not fried chicken. And a long travel back to Manila.

In this write-up, you were able to see that enjoyment shouldn't be sacrificed just because of time-constraint. There are many activities that you can do in a day just don't let yourself be limited by time. Although preparing your itineraries ahead is a sound plan, it's more exciting to just get to the place and find out what the place has to offer and enjoy it. Sometimes, the simplest ways to have fun turns out to be the ones that are more memorable just because they are real and genuine.

-------------------------------- Kti loves the beach so much that she really takes time to travel and explore as many of them as she can in this lifetime. She hopes that one day, she'll have her own house by the beach.