The last time Kim and I traveled together alone was in 2013 when we decided on a whim to go to Puerto Galera. We have talked about doing it again but was pushing it off until who knows when. But one Saturday, Kim texted me at 5 AM in the morning so we could leave by 6 AM. Hahaha!

And leave we did. We didn’t even eat anything and I haphazardly packed some clothes in my bag and off we go. We rode a bus going to Lian, Batangas and rode a jeepney to Matabungkay.

Once we got there, we found this Korean carinderia which is a bit quirky, eating Korean food inside a nipa hut. Afterward, while we’re feeling full, we walked on the beach to look for an accommodation. We scored this room for Php 2000 at Le Nid Douillet de Matabungkay.

And then Kim and I spent the rest of the afternoon (until about 3 PM) napping.. yeah, gone are the days where we spend the entire afternoon scaling rocks and half walk-half swim to reach the other end of the beach.

We looked for somewhere to eat since we missed lunch (Korean food is just brekky, okay) and there are no restaurants in the area. So if you’re planning to have a comfortable stay in Matabungkay Beach, I suggest staying in one of the resorts with restaurants. Looking for food is a feat in itself.

We walked around the beach for sunset.

And walked around again in search of food. Hahahaha! We found some barbecue being sold along the street and bought a lot.

And some midnight snacks from the grocery (with a super snotty cashier). Yes, our tummies are bottomless pits. The next day was no different. Breakfast is another round of scavenger hunt.

You can rent this huge rafts for about Php 1500/day. We just took a photo, though. Haha!

We rented one of those paddle boats for Php 300 so we can go snorkeling. I have heard stories about the strong undercurrent in this particular waters, hence, I decided not to jump off without a life vest. But the water was so clear and nice, and the coral reef was well worth getting my legs bruised. The water was clear enough to still see the bottom even if it was pretty deep already and it was the first time I wished I can go down to the bottom to explore some more (I fear the depth of the sea, which is not that obvious considering my posts, but I dislike not seeing the bottom of the ocean).

The two guys who maneuvered the boat let Kim and I sat at the back, with our legs in the water while they paddled back to the shore.

We then spent the rest of the morning swimming in the pool before we left to go back home. Oh, and I’m wearing Kim’s dress while she wore mine. One size fits all. 😀

I’m really sorry to those who chanced upon this post before I had the chance to edit it. As per usual, I went and uploaded photos to a queued post and totally forgot its’ existence until last night when notifications alerted me. I honestly do not have a myriad of things to say about this trip, because it was simply a relaxing vacation. A short and sweet escape from reality before we had to go back to our boring jobs (although Kim’s is a lot more interesting since she’s a public school teacher) and routinary days.