Greenvalley Island in Cavinti, Laguna

Most of us will reach that point in our lives when we’d prefer having a relaxing vacation rather than backpacking from one province to another. I was looking for quiet getaways when I found Greenvalley Island — a private island in Cavinti, Laguna.

To be honest, I originally wanted to book Sundang Island. However, it’s always fully booked and it’s almost impossible to secure a slot in the same month. Greenvalley Island has more open dates and not to mention cheaper, so this is the one I booked. We had a good weekend here so all’s good.

Our visit to Greenvalley Island

I went here for a weekend with Hali and a few friends.

We left Manila on Saturday morning and arrived in the afternoon in Cavinti. Cavinti is on the right side of Laguna. Compared to other municipalities there it feels more rural — with casual neighborhoods and routes passing by farms, forests, and mountains.

We arrived at the port in Lumot Lake. Ate Amy, one of the caretakers in Greenvalley Island, met us there and led us to a small boat that took us to our island accommodation. There were several patches of lands protruding in the water. We passed one with a lone carabao grazing in the grass. We asked Ate Amy how the carabao got there and she said the carabao swam. This was a revelation to us because we didn’t know carabaos can swim. (Indeed, we’d later see two or three other carabaos swimming in the lake, their huge bodies disappearing completely in the water.)

Greenvalley Island is an elongated island with a cottage for guests. There is also a floating cottage where you can eat or hang out. The caretakers keep animals there too, including dogs, chickens, and a horse.

Greenvalley Island is described as “serene” in its online listing and I couldn’t agree more. During our stay, the quiet was deafening, except for the muffled sound of videoke from a neighboring island. Combined with the cool wind and cloudy weather, we were almost lulled to nap.

We stayed to chat in the floating cottage and then later swam in the lake. I always go to beaches, but swimming in a lake was new to me.

There isn’t any moss in Lumot Lake, but as its name suggests it has a deep-green color. While we were swimming, I tried to open my eyes underwater and couldn’t see anything apart from my hands and the bottomless green.

The water in Lumot Lake is mostly calm. But as per house rules, we needed to wear life vests when swimming. In the morning, the current is stronger and it’s possible to be swept away.

Afterwards, we took a walk around the island and the surrounding ones. It’s interesting to me that the soil here is reddish, like red clay in fact. As we went back to the lake, the soil turns to mud and soft clumps clung to feet. Underwater, it felt smooth and silty.

We brought over ready meals and had these for dinner. Afterwards, we went to the bonfire area where a stack of wood was waiting. I brought a small pack of baby potatoes, butter and salt, along with cans of lukewarm beer especially for this occasion.

The baby potatoes cooked in the bonfire was a mild success. I wrapped them in foil and threw them in the brightly burning fire. The batch was burnt. We carefully placed the second batch directly in still-hot embers, which was betters. Some of the potatoes were still burnt, but we easily peeled off the torched skin and ended up snacking on some delicious carbs.

Some of us occupied the double-decker in the cottage, and the rest stayed in tents — as Hali and I did. There were thick insulation mats so it was somewhat comfortable. It rained heavily during our sleep, which brought fresh and cool air.

Overall, I think it’s a pretty good weekend rest.

Practical Info: Greenvalley Island

Greenvalley Island is a private island in Lumot Lake in Cavinti. Laguna. You can rent it for an exclusive stay. It’s ideal for those who are looking for a short break from the city. It’s family-friendly as well.

Laguna which you can rent for exclusive stay. It’s ideal for short family or friends outings and even team building. It also caters to people who want a little break from the city stress.

How to get here

Here’s how to commute to Greenvalley Island:

• Ride a bus in Buendia or Alabang bound for Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
• Get off at Pagsawitan and ride a jeep or tricycle to the local market.
• Ride a jeep bound for Lumot and ask the driver to drop you off at Gloria Hall. The island’s caretaker will usually meet you there.

We paid P350 each for round-trip commute fare. Travel time is about 4-5 hours.

Things you need to know

• You can rent the island for an exclusive stay. Otherwise, the owners or other visitors may stay in the island with you.
• Guests are required to bring their own food, though the caretakers can do the cooking for a fee. Dinnerware and utensils are available in the island.

Book your stay here

Update 2022: The Airbnb link for this listing is no longer working.

Has this post about Greenvalley Island in Cavinti, Laguna, been helpful to you? If you have comments or questions, let us know in the comment section below!

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