Wanderlust Wednesdays 1: Carnaza Island

A Cheap Sweet Escape

A friend and I decided to go on a semi-impromptu overnight beach trip just to “break the monotony of city life”.

• Goal: Adventure on a budget
• Target: Carnaza Island (A small island north of Cebu, Philippines)

At 3 AM on a Saturday, Daisy (my friend) and I met up at the Cebu North Bus terminal and boarded a bus to Tapilon Port in Daanbantayan. We were at Tapilon Port by a little past 7AM to find that we missed the regular ferry going there. We ended up joining forces with 3 other groups to charter a banka (small boat) to get to the island. Thankfully, the waters weren’t rough on this August morning. After 2 hours on the boat, we were finally nearing the shores of Carnaza.

The iconic woodsheds of Carnaza Eco Park

We got one woodshed for both of us. True to its name, the woodshed really is just a small shed made out of wood. Inside, they installed a raised wooden platform from one sloped side of the shed to the other. It's covered in tarpaulin and is to be your bed. If you look up towards the apex of the shed, you will find 2 built in shelves for your bags. And that's pretty much it. There is a screen door facing the beach with curtains for privacy. A similar screen+curtain combo can also be found facing the opposite side but this one is not a door.

View from the back of the woodsheds.

Some groups bought raw meat and fish from the Daanbantayan market. There is a grilling area that you can use (or you can ask the staff to do the cooking for a small fee). At the Eco Park, you can also buy grilled food and rice at very reasonable prices. We ordered barbecue and explored the property while they prepared our meal.
Behind the woodsheds, just a few meters away from the beach, is a small lake.

Also on the property is a helipad. It's on a slightly elevated area which gives you a semi-bird's eye view of the beach.

That's me on the helipad, looking like I've got serious neck pain.

View from the other side of the helipad.

After filling our bellies at the common dining hall, we decided to rest for a bit and wait for high noon to pass.
As soon as we were recharged and the sun wasn't beating down on us as hard, we explored the rest of the island. We each got a habal2x and went up and down the sloping pathways.

First Stop: Climbing a jagged rock at Liog-Liog to view the Twin Beach (a baby version of the Twin Beach in El Nido).

This climb is not for the faint of heart. Basically, you are scaling the side of a big rock (no ropes, the water lapping away a few feet below). On the up side, if you slip, it most likely won't be a fall to your death (more like just a fall to serious physical injuries).

This is where the adventure begins.

Twin beach behind me.

There is a hidden path facing the open sea that leads to a small cave and rock pool. Unfortunately, it wasn't safe for us to go there that day. The water was not cooperating and waves were crashing too violently into the rock.

Halfway down the path to the cave.

Second Stop: Exploring Skull Cave and going up to another helipad on top of a rock cliff.

The long and winding road up to the helipad.

As soon as you get to the top, you are greeted by a magnificent view of the sea. Daisy and I decided to hang out here for a bit. To catch our breath. To enjoy the view. To take some photos. To just BE.

More than 50 feet above sea level on a day that was sunny but (oddly enough) also gloomy.

We were literally the only ones there. The guide stayed down by the beach. So... Hubadera Mode on!

I went over the border and halfway down the side of the cliff just for the thrill of being nearer to the water and catching the spray each time the waves slapped the rocks.

Down by the beach is a small cave with a couple of skulls. No one is sure how they got there but that's how the place got its name. Looking at some of my photos, I realize I have my hands up a lot for no apparent reason. Don't ask why because I don't know either. Let's just say I got so excited and this was my go-to pose ATM.

Third Stop: Swimming and Hanging out by Ka Elena Beach

Our last stop was Ka Elena Beach. Our guides quickly found a spot to take a nap while we went for a dip. The water was cool and it was the perfect way to freshen up after all that walking and climbing in the afternoon sun.

We had this entire expanse of white sand beach all to ourselves.

After about 30 minutes, we decided to head back to the Eco Park and continue our swim session there.

The beautiful white sand beach fronting the woodsheds.

We ordered breakfast food for dinner and devoured everything within 15 minutes. All that walking, climbing, and swimming built up our appetites. After a long day of travel and adventure, we turned in early so we could wake up early the next day. The following morning, we got ourselves ready for our journey home. Again, we joined a few other groups and chartered a boat ride back to the Daanbantayan. Our mini vacation was coming to a close. We had had a full serving of nature's beauty and our hearts were full.

Additional notes:

• Although you might be able to find some homestays on Airbnb, Carnaza Eco Park is the only resort on the whole island.
• There are only 19 wood sheds. It would be best to book in advance. We made our reservations via SMS. (0999-860-9761 – Diana of Carnaza Eco Park)
• Ka Elena is near the barrio (where you can find food). We found a small house-turned-restaurant where you can eat or have them deliver your food to the Eco Park for a fee (P40). We ordered our dinner in the afternoon and asked them to deliver it at 7PM.
• The sheds do not have locks. We asked the staff how we were supposed to secure our belongings while we explored the island and they assured us that it was safe to just leave our things there. We took a leap of faith and did just that. (Note: None of our stuff went missing)
• For those who aren’t into “roughing it” and prefer the comforts of modern living, the Eco Park also offers "proper" rooms at P2,800/night.
• Carnaza Eco Park is powered by solar panels (as are many of the houses in the barrio). You can charge your gadgets at their dining hall. Also, each woodshed has one lightbulb that is kept lit all night. I do wish we had control over the light in our woodshed as I prefer sleeping in pitch darkness. If you're like me, you might want to bring an eye mask.

Excluding food, we spent less than P1300 (about $25) for our 2-day adventure. Breakdown of expenses:

• Bus from North Terminal to Tapilon Port – P200/person
• Boat to Carnaza – P200 per way (it's only P100 if you catch their public boat at 7AM)
• Entrance to Carnaza Eco Park – P200/person
• Woodshed – P200 per night (P100/person)
• Tour – P150/person
• Bus/Vhire to Cebu City – 180/person

That sums up our short trip to Carnaza. I hope it inspires you to take a break every once in a while even if it's just for the weekend.

"Now all I need is a refreshing mango+pineapple smoothie."