As a person who loves to travel, I have always been fond of beaches. For some reason, there/s something about the ocean and the islands I go to that makes me want to go back all the time. Some people might think that going to the beach or doing island hopping is kind of like a routinary thing- that the beaches are all the same, and there's nothing to do but swim and bask around the sun. In my case, I feel that every island I go to is a different and unique experience.
Speaking of going to the beach, my family and I decided to go to Batangas last week to take advantage of the long weekend. We left on a Friday morning (May 1) and headed off to Nasugbu, Batangas. Although it took us about 4 hours (due to traffic) to head over to our destination, the sceneries and landscapes along the way were worth the long wait. We arrived at our destination at 'Fortune Island Beach Resort' and honestly, it really didn't give us the wow factor of a beautiful beach. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed our overnight stay at the place, but what we didn't quite appreciate was the beach front. Aside from the sand being in brownish/grayish color, the overall place wasn't actually being taken care of by the people living there. We later discovered that the beach resort we stayed in was the only beach front that served as the port of boats going to the Fortune Island- which was the main part of our itinerary.
Heading over to Fortune Island took us about 45 minutes via boat ride, and when we got there it was definitely far different from the beach front of Nasugbu, Batangas. In this island, pristine white sand is very evident and huge cliffs defined the enormity of the island. There were indeed a lot of shells, and you can tell that it was definitely a virgin island. Furthermore, there is also a part of the island, on one of the top of the cliffs called the 'ruins' that has statues and establishment similar to that if Greece. This is probably the reason why it is called the 'Santorini of Batangas'.
The best part of my experience in the Island was trying out cliff diving for the first time in my life. At the back portion of the island, there's a path that leads to a good cliff diving site. The path going down to the site has no assistance so a person going there should be very careful. As you reach the end, you can choose to jump at 3 levels of that particular cliff- from the lowest to the highest portion of the cliff. As it was my first time, I felt very nervous but still decided to push through- after all, its not everyday you get to experience cliff diving right? I chose to jump at the mid-level and I have to say that it was truly an amazing experience.
From what I've learned from the bangkeros, the place was originally owned by a former governor of Batangas Jose Antonio Leviste. The island is mainly perfect for beach camping, as there is also no bathrooms and fresh water source available in the island. Although the facilities are entirely incomplete and you really need to bring your own necessities when going to the island, I believe that one's stay there will unquestionably be memorable and perfect in their own respective way.
In the end, I never really got to know the true reason why it is called 'Fortune Island'. But if I were to give my own reason behind it, I would say that it is because of the natural scenery and landscape of the island itself. The 'Fortune' in this island lies in the fact that, although remnants of the supposed hotel continue to be there, the island continues to be serene and at the same time open to the tourists and guests. It was definitely an unforgettable trip for my family and I. My experience in Fortune Island will always remind me of my first cliff diving experience and honestly, I will always be reminded of how the place was very serene and calm despite the historical background it held. Until now, the island continues to be beautiful in its own simple way, and this is surely a place one will go back to for the second time.