The Dingalan Redemption - Day 2: Matawe Beach

In the morning of our second day at Dingalan, we were still a little lazy to go to our next destination.  After having breakfast, we were still savoring the slow paced life of being in the province.  Anyway, our morning wasn’t totally useless because we were preparing to go to Matawe Beach.  We cooked rice and some other food we would bring there and bought supplies from the community sari sari stores.

Morning at this quiet little mountain village

Having breakfast and still a little sleepy

Curious looking fruit in the yard (nipplefruit)

We left the house a little past 10AM and headed first to Dingalan public market to buy seafood.  From Tanawan, the way to Poblacion (the town proper of Dingalan) was mostly downhill along a curvy, fairly wide concrete road.  This was adorned by the gorgeous view of the mountain ranges.  The public market was lined with a number of stalls selling fish and other seafood freshly caught by the townsfolk from the ocean.  At Poblacion is also where you can find the port of Dingalan where you can get to a passenger boat or hire a private boat to take you to other places of interest like the Lamao Caves.  Our agenda, however, was to get to the tidelands of Matawe.

Fish galore at Dingalan Public Market!

Hard to decide what to buy...

After buying our grub for the day, off we went further South of the municipality.  We passed by several resorts at the town proper but we ventured where the road "ended".  The concrete road was replaced by a dirt road that ran along the side of the mountain range.  We were extra cautious because on most parts of the rough road, while one side of the road was the mountain, the other side were cliffs onto the ocean.  There were also several blind curves and a number of trucks plying the route.

And then the road ended...

Uh oh... please bear with us, the road is too narrow

The narrow dirt road to Matawe (that's actually a cliff on our left side)...

We reached Matawe beach a few minutes before noon.  We were just in time to grill our food and have lunch.  Matawe beach isn't the stereotypical white sand beach you would find in Google (search for the word "beach" and you'll know what I mean).  The sand was grayish to black but it was fine and didn't cling to the skin that much.  The beach was also clean and had a wide sandy shore.  There were a few cottages and some makeshift structures (where you would rinse and change clothes) that were probably just set up by the locals themselves.  There was a pristine and unique charm to it that would draw people to a relaxed state.  

Aahhh... but it's all worth it!

Love our cozy 5-star accommodation for the day!

Time to cook some grub!

Chow time! (just applied sunblock on the kids and was too lazy to wash hands ergo the gloved hands haha!)

Having lunch at the beach like this is priceless

Just enjoying the ambiance after a hearty meal

And these are for later (local liquor from Gabaldon & of course our favorite)!

Come on! Let's go!

Though it was the peak season, the beach wasn't crowded.  The people there were mostly locals and possibly their relatives who came over to visit.  This was probably because of the rough road that one needed to navigate in order to reach the place.  It also seemed that there was no regular public transport to get there, maybe only a scheduled jeepney or bus that one had to catch in order to get to and from the village, a typical setup in remote provinces of the Philippines.  It could also be because the Poblacion was already riddled with private resorts and that this beach further South was still very little known at that time. 

This is life...

Most people are at the tidelands where the waters are shallow and less rough

Another shot of the tidelands

The other part of the beach where the waters are deeper and waves are a higher

Quaint and picturesque beach it is

The sand is fine with grayish brown hue

Then smooth pebbles appear as you get closer to the tidelands

Matawe beach was seemingly run only by the local community at that time.  There were no resort facilities and no formal "payment system".  You would only have to pay a small fee for the cottage (Php 100 during our visit) directly to whoever was in charge at the time.  You would also pay a small amount (Php 5 that time) to use the makeshift toilets and change rooms.  

We had two choices at Matawe beach.  If we wanted to brave the high waves and the deep waters, we could just go straight to the sea right in front of our cottage.  On the other hand, if we wanted a more kid friendly area, we could just walk a few steps toward the tideland where the waters were calmer and shallow.  And because we had kids with us, most of our time was spent on the tidelands.  The tidelands had a mix of smooth to rough rocks and pebbles.  It was also teeming with life.  There were a few spots where the water was deep but most were shallow waters.  Most of the visitors, of course, were also enjoying the shallow and calmer waters of the tideland.   We also tried the deeper and rougher waters in front of our cottage, but without the kids though.

Swim time!

Sorry, kids love splashing the water!

With the friendly local kids (water stuck onto the lens surface)

The waters at the tidelands are a home to small fish & other sea creatures

Pink urchin hiding under a crevice

Better to wear aqua shoes while exploring the tidelands

A little rest... for the men

Playing with the locals

Time to go deeper

This isn't so bad

And then the big waves started to come in!

It was already late in the afternoon when we started packing up.  We had to get back to Tanawan before it got dark because it would be dangerous to drive through that narrow rough road in the dark.  Since the beach had no facilities, taking a shower to clean up meant filling up a basin manually with a hand pump and using an improvised dipper (from empty plastic containers).  Not an issue for us though and we felt lucky that the kids got to experience the simplicity of rural life that we used to enjoy when we ourselves were kids.  At this age of gadgets and technology, getting city kids to experience these things is rare.

Mother & daughter

Father & son

As simple yet charming as it can get...

Those basic structures under the coconut trees are where we changed clothes

And this is how we cleaned ourselves up!

Coconut trees everywhere!

The cottages

Time to leave...

Back at the house, we started packing a few stuff because we planned to travel back to Manila early the next day to catch Manny Pacquiao's fight live on TV.  Unfortunately, the morning came and everyone was still too lazy to go home.  I guess savoring the few hours we had left in this tranquil spot on this side of the world was worth more than watching our boxing hero's match.  Eventually we traveled back to Manila a little past noon.

The first time one gets a glimpse of Matawe Beach, quite possibly it won't strike interest right away because it doesn't fit what popular culture has established as a description of a beach.  But one will then realize gradually that the beach's nakedness and simplicity are its assets.  It is one of the few beaches that has its own unique appeal.  It is remote, bare, underdeveloped and rugged.  And because of these traits, it was simply beautiful.  And we are hoping that it would stay that way.

Just recently, the municipality of Dingalan had been getting the attention of travelers especially the adventure seekers.  Although not as popular as its neighbor, the municipality has a quiet allure that is suitable for families looking to get away from the busy city life and simply enjoy the simplistic lifestyle of the province. But not all of Dingalan is the quiet, peaceful rural community we picture.  There are other attractions as well that may interest the adventurous and the thrill seekers.

Tips:

Travel means: 
Private Vehicle: Travel only at day time because the narrow, rough road can be dangerous at night.  The beach is accessible even by sedans despite the rough road.

Public Transport: We are not sure if there are commuter jeepneys or buses going to and from the beach but the best bet would be to hire a tricycle at Poblacion then ask the driver to come back for you later in the afternoon.

Kidsentials and advise for autism families:

• Though the tideland area of the beach is shallow, it is still recommended to bring floaters and lifevests for the kids because there are portions that are too deep for them.

• The only noise that is prominent here is the one coming from the waves so there is little chance for sensory overload in children with autism.  The view from the cottage is also relaxing.

• There aren't any lifeguards at the beach so make sure somebody from your group can swim.  Take note that the there are parts of the sea that are rough.

• First aid kit (this is of course an essential in any adventure) with some insect repelent. 

Other general tips:

• The locals living in the vicinity are quite friendly, just be friendly to them as well and don't abuse the beach.  Respect the people there and the place.  When we were there, the children there were also willing to run some errands for us for a small fee.

• Remember that there are no premium facilities there, just crude structures.  So if you're not used to this kind of set up, it would be best to go instead to the other private resorts around Poblacion. 

• Although not a necessity, it is a good idea to wear water shoes because some rocks at the tideland have sharp edges and there are also sea urchins hiding in the crevices.

• There seems to be no nearby store at Matawe Beach so bring everything you'll need - food, water, drinks, ice, grill, coal, etc.

• Clean up before you go and bring your trash with you (or throw them in the proper bins if available).  Even if you paid a small fee, it is still a good practice to give respect to the surroundings and the people living there.  "Take nothing but memories/photos, leave nothing but footprints".