Lubang Island

Lubang Island is known for being the hiding place of Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese World War II straggler who made the island his home and battleground long after the war was over. Other than that, very little is known about the island and it remains well outside the radar of tourists. Lubang Island has long sandy beaches, lush rainforests and picturesque coastlines of rock cliffs. It has great opportunities for hiking, snorkeling and beach hopping. Lack of marketing and tourism infrastructure, however, has kept this rugged gem unknown and this makes the island the perfect place for a hideaway.

The Lubang Island hideaway is at a large cove with a long beach of white sand. At both ends of the cove are headlands with rocky cliffs that drop dramatically into the sea. Behind the cove are forested mountains. The top of the southern headland is a meadow and two guest cottages are perched at opposite cliffs with one cottage at the east and the other at the west. These cottages have spectacular views of the sea and are the best places to be at sunrise and sunset. Short footpaths connect these cottages to the beach. At the foot of the west cliff are the main cottage where the owners live, their garden of fruit trees and vegetables and their small farm of free range chickens and ducks.

The guest cottages are built in traditional Filipino style with floors of bamboo slats, walls of sawali (woven bamboo mats) and roofs of nipa palm leaves. The bigger Sunset Cottage has a small indoor living area and a large outdoor deck that faces out into the cove. The Sunrise Cottage at the opposite end of the meadow is more secluded and is smaller. The bed is beside a large window that faces the sea and overlooks a small patio. Both cottages have small kitchens, modern bathrooms and electricity.

The Lubang Island hideaway has many fascinating places to explore. Intertidal zones teem with life and temporarily trap small fish. One can walk along the coastline to the mouth of a stream and follow it through a rainforest to a small waterfall. The reef at the mouth of the cove has many channels that make for interesting snorkeling. Sea turtles nest on some beaches and one can visit the many different beaches of Lubang Island by kayak or boat. For the adventurous, the rocky sea cliffs are a fun playground for rock scrambling and cliff diving. Many people, however, spend the majority of their stay simply kicking back in a chair with a drink in hand and soaking in the grandeur of creation. Lubang Island is a ruggedly beautiful place and this laid back hideaway lets you enjoy nature at your own pace.

Highlights and activities

• Stay at a charming Filipino style Nipa cottage with stunning sea views.
• Enjoy a large cove with clear water, a long sandy beach and no tourists.
• Explore rainforest trails, rugged coastlines, coral reefs and rocky seaside cliffs.

• hiking / trekking
• kayaking / rafting
• snorkeling

We'll have a private vehicle pick you up in Manila and drive you two and a half hours to a port where you board a two hour ferry to Lubang Island. From the Lubang pier you then drive 30 minutes on a dirt road and take a 10 minute boat ride (if the water is too rough to use the boat you will need to hike 30 minutes up and down the north headland to get to the cove). On your last day everything will be done in reverse.

This hideaway is open to guests all year round. Please contact us to schedule your visit.

Includes

• 2 weeks (13 nights) accommodations. Please contact us if you want to stay longer.
• Land and water transfer from Manila to the hideaway and back.
• Grocery service 2 times per week.
• Cottage cleaning service 2 times per week.

Excludes

• Use of large motorized boat to visit different beaches and islands
• Airfare
• Travel insurance
• Snorkeling gear

• You need to cook your own food. The cottages have kitchens with refrigerators.
• The cottages are very open and are designed to give you great views and immerse you in nature. Expect to see moths, ants, geckos and other creatures. Please treat them with respect – you are guests in their habitat.
• Bad weather can make the ferry ride rough. Trip cancellations can happen during the typhoon months of June to October. You need to be flexible with your schedule if you visit during those months.
• Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry to the Philippines if you are coming from a yellow-fever infected country; if you are not, this vaccination is unnecessary. The following vaccinations are recommended:
  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Typhoid
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • Measles, mumps and rubella