THE PULSE OF CAMBAYA
Experience a Different Philippines
We try to make your experience as Cambaya as authentic and natural as possible at all times. Our resort is a living and working part of the community we serve, whilst you stay with us, you will get to meet the amazing people who make up our local community, from our wonderful team, to local fisherman, farmers and tradesmen who arrive at Cambaya to conduct business with our team, haggling over the price of vegetables or fish, or just simply dropping by to say 'hello'.Some of the experiences we offer are paid and some are part of the overall experience of staying at Cambaya. Where we charge for an experience, all of the fees go to the experience provider, not to us.
We have thought long and hard about the experiences we offer our guests, and we hope that the selection below appeals to you. We have also tried to keep as many of the local authentic experiences free of charge (or we ask that you make a contribution to your host).If there is anything that you have read about or would like to experience that is not in this list please let us know ahead of time and we will do our best to make it happen for you.To reserve an experience, please click below.
OUR COMPLIMENTARY EXPERIENCES
Schedule of Included Experiences
Part of the joy of staying in Cambaya is that we strive to provide a many experiences as possible that are free of charge.Each free experience is dependent on demand and is scheduled on the following days and more detail on each of them is below.Please let one of our friendly team know if you would like to enjoy one or more of these experiences when you check in.
| Experience | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddle Boarding in the Bay | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hillside Trek and Viewpoint | Yes | - | - | - | Yes | - | - |
| Coconut Workshop | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cooking Over Wood | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fireside Barbecue | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rain Bath (Seasonal Dependent) | - | - | - | - | - | - | Yes |
| Kite Flying | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Morning Yoga | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Island Cinema | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Star Mapping | - | - | - | Yes | - | - | - |
| Evening by the Fire Pit | Yes | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Beach Clearing | Yes | - | Yes | - | Yes | - | Yes |
| Introduction to Off-Grid Living | - | - | - | Yes | - | - | - |
| School Visit (During Term Time) | - | Yes | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cambaya Ocean Habitats | - | - | - | - | - | - | Yes |
Paddle Boarding the Bay
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| Take a board out at sunrise when the water lies still and the mangroves hold their breath. You’ll trace the edge of the reef, glide past fishing boats, and feel your balance find its rhythm. There’s no competition, no goal — just the quiet work of movement and water meeting. For those who prefer, a guide will accompany silently, keeping a watchful distance. Available every day | 1 hour |
Hillside Trek & Viewpoint
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| A quiet walk through forest and wild coconut groves. The air cools as you climb, birds move between trees, and the sound of the sea fades. At the ridge, the island opens before you, horizon, reef, and the full sweep of sky. Water and silence are provided. Available on Monday and Friday | 3 hours |
Coconut Workshop
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| Spend an hour with our local team learning the uses of the island’s tree of life. You’ll open a coconut, drink from it, cook with it, and see how each part, leaf, husk, shell, water, serves a purpose. No classroom, no recipe. Just living knowledge shared from hand to hand. Available every day | 1 hour |
Cooking Over Wood
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| Our open-air kitchen sits beneath palms, built of stone and smoke. Together with our cook, you’ll prepare what the island provides that day, maybe fish from the reef, vegetables from the garden, coconut for rice. No blenders, no timers, no recipes. Just patience, heat, and time shared. Available every day | 2 hours |
Fireside Barbecue
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| As the sun lowers, we light the coals. Fish, meat, and vegetables cook slowly over flame while the tide moves in and out. Guests gather around the table, conversation, laughter, the smell of wood smoke. The night stretches naturally; there’s no set finish. Available on Tuesday evenings | 4 hours |
Rain Bath
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| When the first warm rain arrives, we don’t run for cover. We hand you a towel and let you step into it. The forest exhales, the sand cools, and every sense sharpens. It’s not a planned experience, it’s one to surrender to when the weather decides. Seasonal availability | 1 hour |
Kite Flying
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| We make the kites by hand — bamboo, paper, string. In the afternoon wind, the sky becomes a canvas of motion. No competition, no instruction. Just freedom and laughter in open air. Available every day | 1 hour |
Morning Yoga
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| A slow, mindful session at sunrise, held on the beach. The focus is breath and balance, not performance. You hear the tide, not a playlist. Available every day | 1 hour |
Star Mapping
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| After dinner, the lights go out. Our guide traces constellations once used by island navigators. You’ll learn how they read the sky, stars as compass, stories as direction. The experience ends quietly, eyes still lifted upward. Available on Sundays | 1 hour |
Evening by the Firepit
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| When the day ends, gather by the fire. Some nights are filled with talk, others with silence. Subject to Availability. Available on Thursday evenings | 4 hours |
Beach Cleaning
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| Join our team of friendly volunteers as we walk along the beautiful Cambaya Bay collecting plastic waste for recycling. Available on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday | 1 hour |
Introduction to Off-Grid Living
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| During this one hour presentation one of our team will tell the story of Cambaya Beach Resort's journey from a piece of untouched land, to the creation of resort that is in harmony with nature. We share stories and anecdotes of our journey of sustainability. You will learn about our solar system, our water supply, drainage and construction methods and how we live in harmony with what the land provides. Available on Thursday | 1 hour |
School Visit
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| Join one of our team as we visit a local school to see how we are supporting eduction initiatives in Cambaya and the surrounding communities. Meet the future eco-warriors, share ideas and be inspired. Available on Tuesday subject to availability | 4 hours |
Cambaya Ocean Habitats
| Description | Duration |
|---|---|
| During this one hour presentation, we will share information on the work we are doing to protect the ocean habitats around Cambaya. Available on Sunday | 1 hour |
Schedule of Paid Experiences
Reef Snorkeling with Aqua-Jets
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Move with the sea, not against it. Using silent electric aqua-jets, you glide effortlessly above coral gardens alive with colour and light. Parrot fish graze, rays ripple across the sand, and the reef hums below you. There are no crowds, no shouting guides, only the sound of your own breath and the soft current guiding you forward. A guide accompanies quietly, ensuring safety and space, nothing more. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 50 |
Freediving
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Freediving at Cambaya is an act of stillness, not sport. You’ll learn to control breath, equalise pressure, and descend into the calm beneath the surface. Each dive is about presence — one breath, one motion, one return. Our guide teaches patience, awareness, and respect for depth. Down there, the world narrows to sound and heartbeat. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 50 |
Scuba Diving
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Busuanga’s reefs and wrecks hold quiet history. Certified instructors will take you below, where coral-covered ships rest from the war and life has returned in full colour. Every movement is deliberate. Every detail, equipment, safety, communication, handled with calm precision. Dives are unhurried, small in number, and guided by the principle that the ocean deserves our respect, not our conquest. Available every day (subject to availability | Various | Call for prices |
Sunset Sail
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| As evening settles, we hoist the small Hobie sail and let the wind do the work. The sea softens, the light turns to gold, and the island drifts by at the pace of the tide. You might speak, or not. Most guests don’t. The silence of open water needs no conversation. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 50 |
Low Tide Harvest
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| When the sea pulls away, it leaves its gifts. Join our team at dawn or dusk to gather what the tide reveals urchins, clams, crabs, and seaweed. You’ll learn to read the reef: what to take, what to leave, and how to do it with care. The catch becomes lunch, cooked over coals, eaten by hand. Simple, earned, complete. Available every day | 90 min | $ 30 |
Spearfishing at Dawn
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Before sunrise, the fishermen head out, quiet, barefoot, focused. You’ll learn their way: how to move through water, hold your breath, aim with precision, and show respect for what feeds you. This isn’t sport or spectacle. It’s craft and humility. The meal that follows tastes better because it’s yours. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 50 |
Mangrove Drift
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| A small wooden boat takes you deep into the mangrove channels. Once inside, the engine cuts and the world falls quiet. You drift through roots that rise like sculpture, birds crossing between light and shadow. The guide speaks softly, only to point out what belongs to this place, egrets, mudfish, mangrove flowers. You emerge changed, not entertained. Available every day | 3 hours | $ 50 |
Secluded Swim
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Beyond the main beach lies a small cove known only to the staff. Reached by trail or short boat ride, it’s a place without footprints or sound. We’ll bring towels and fruit water, then leave you alone. The sea is yours, the moment entirely private. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 20 |
Island Circle
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| A full day by sea, circling nearby islands, reefs, wrecks, beaches, each with a character of its own. We pack only what’s needed: shade, fresh water, lunch cooked onshore. The route changes with wind and tide; the goal is quiet discovery. It’s not a tour. It’s a day lived by instinct and light. Available every day | 6 hours | $ 100 |
Craft and Community
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Start the morning by the shore with our boatbuilders. craftsmen shaping wooden hulls by hand, their rhythm steady and exact. Then travel inland to Bambuhay, home to the Calamianes Tagbanua artisans who work with bamboo and rattan. You’ll see how they weave and carve using only local tools and patience. Lunch follows in a small local restaurant of grilled fish, rice, and easy conversation. A simple day of skill, craft, and the people who keep both alive. Available every day | 4 hours | $ 90 |
Tide Pool Observation
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| At low tide, tiny worlds appear — starfish, crabs, coral polyps, shrimp flickering in shallow light. A guide will walk you to the reef edge and show you how to see what most people miss. This is nature at its smallest scale, demanding stillness to be understood. Available every day | 90 min | $ 20 |
Calauit Reserve Excursion
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Across the island lies a wildlife reserve where giraffes, zebras, and Calamian deer wander freely among palms. We leave early to avoid the heat, cross quiet roads, and stop for lunch at a freshwater pond. On the return, we visit a small weaving centre, baskets made the same way for decades. Available Monday to Saturday | 4 hours | $ 60 |
Whole Hog Spit Roast
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| A day-long preparation for those who appreciate patience. The fire burns steady, the air rich with wood and salt. The result: tender, smoky, simple. It’s a communal meal, best shared among friends. Served with local sides, fresh fruit, and good humour. Available on Saturday evenings. | 4 hours | $ 150 |
Sunset Dinner
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| A single table for two, a curated menu and a beautiful romantic view of the Cambaya Sunset. Set at the far end of the beach or hillside depending on the wind. No decoration, no background music, just the sound of the fire and the sea in conversation. Excludes alcoholic beverages. Available every day | 4 hours | $ 75 |
Wellness Package
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| A 30 minute yoga session on our white sandy beach followed by a relaxing traditional Filipino Hilot massage. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 60 |
Local Rum & Story Hour
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| An evening by the fire pit with island rum, roasted cashews, and stories told by our team. Available on Wednesdays | 4 hours | $20 |
Massage in the Open Air
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Massage here is not theatre. It’s quiet, precise care delivered with focus and respect. Done under palms or in your cabana with natural air and light, it’s an hour of release without intrusion. Available every day | 1 hour | $ 50 |
Morning Line
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Join fishermen as they set the morning line. Watch the rhythm — baiting hooks, reading water, pulling in catch. It’s slow, measured work that reveals why patience is the island’s greatest strength. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 75 |
Shell Workshop
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Walk the beach at dawn collecting what the sea leaves behind. You’ll learn which shells can be kept, which must be returned, and how locals turn them into tools or small jewellery. A reminder that beauty, here, comes from continuity, not design. Available every day | 3 hours | $ 10 |
Night Walk
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| After dark, take a quiet guided walk through the forest path and along the shoreline. See fireflies in the trees, crabs crossing the sand, constellations mirrored in tide pools. The island at night is alive. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 20 |
Island Cinema
| Description | Duration | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| A screen hung between palms, the surf as background sound. We show films that mean something, quiet, honest stories that hold attention without shouting. Guests sit on cushions, barefoot, drink in hand. The night feels whole. Available every day | 2 hours | $ 10 |
THE CAMBAYA MEMBERS CIRCLE
Club 887
A private members’ circle connecting guests, hosts, and collaborators.Access is by invitation. Its purpose: to maintain the culture of Cambaya beyond the stay.
© Cambaya Holdings 2025