Getting to Shield Island - unlike most areas in the Philippines where you have no choice but to travel by plane before taking any kind of transportation to the islands, going to Daet gives one the option to either fly by commercial plane to Legaspi (55 minutes, P3,000 more or less), chartered plane to Daet (1 hour and 20 minutes, around USD 1,200 back and forth, maximum of 8 passengers), hire a private helicopter straight to the island or ride a bus.

For the adventurer and the practical traveller, the best way to go to Daet is to take a comfortable 29 seat deluxe bus from Manila which costs about P200 more than regular air-con buses. Philtranco bus company has two daily air-con buses (around P520) per day deluxe and nightly deluxe bus (around P685). From Manila to Daet proper, it's approximately a 6-7 hour trip. The best way to go to Daet is in the evening (9:00) and arrives in Vinzons (main town), Daet around 3:00-4:00 am. For travellers who wants to go by plane, has to land in Legaspi city and from there it is approximately 3-4 hours land travel by van to Vinzon, Daet.

Unlike any popular destinations in the Philippines like Boracay and Palawan, Daet gives new meaning to what you should experience in the tropical country of the Philippines. Although the place is seldom mentioned as an area for investment and often neglected as an area where tourists should consider visiting, Daet has a great potential for becoming a major tourist destination in the near future for the keen visionary. The main town, Vinzons, gives a welcoming aura of peacefulness once you step out from the bus, the same incomparable satisfaction you’ll get from fiery food cooked in coconut milk which the people in Daet love. The surfer’s hang-out, “Bagasbas Beach”, offers an accessible area to experience the maddening waves of Daet. Compared with Siargao, Bagasbas Beach offers a more accessible area.

There only few viable places to stay in Daet and mostly in Daet proper. Hotels like Canimog, Dolor, Mines and Wiltan offers reasonable and affordable accommodation.

Shield Island

Going to Shield Island is definitely by boat or if you have a choice, a helicopter is best. Most of the boats available in Bagasbas Daet are small sized motor boats used often by fishermen. Although there has never been a record of accidents on the ocean using small motorboats to reach the islands or fishing in the middle of the ocean during the heaviest rains (July-November), the best way to travel during these times is with one major boat backed up by two other smaller boats – this is often done by island owners when visiting their islands.

Another alternative route is to reach the island from the town of Paracale, Daet - an hour bus ride from Vinzons, Daet. Travel time is faster riding a motorcycle. Paracale town is known for the gold mining industry. Here, you’ll hear stories of people becoming richer and others becoming poorer. Nevertheless, you will be fascinated by people sifting gold from the waters of Paracale port, using nets with very small holes tucked in four-sided wood. Big fisherman’s boats in this town can surpass any strong waves of the Pacific Ocean. Travel time from Paracale to Shied Island is approximately an hour and 30 minutes. Good weather from late January to late July allows you to reach the island in just about an hour. Even during wet months (late August-January) boatmen can choose to go to the island from Vinzons or Bagasbas, Daet and dock in the port of Paracale during these months to escape the strong waves.

Shield island is part of Calaguas Islands, a group of islands off the pacific coast of Camarines Norte. White sand beaches and fringing corals will welcome any visitors coming to see the beauty of this island. Anyone dreaming of living on this island will find life here a breeze.

There is a small town, (Barangay Banocboc) just around 15-20 minutes by boat from Shield Island. Fishermen delivering seafood to Paracale and Daet come from this town. Any island dweller will experience here the “food of the gods”, from fresh shrimp, fish, squid measuring about 5 inches in length, crab and lobster; you can just ask any fisherman to drop by the island and deliver any food you want, guaranteed 70% off the market. People here are also ultra-hospitable. Although the town is impoverished, you won’t find it in the eyes of the people, the most obvious are faces of joy. The town lacks health and medical facilities and most of the children are under nourished. There is a foundation that helps the housing of the people and there are schools (elementary and high school) still, not enough to cater for the growing population in the area.

Satellite cable channel provided by Dream Cable Channel is available in the area which can also be put up on Shield Island. There is also a fresh water source (shallow well) on the island which can be processed and purified into drinking water. Two strong mobile groups in the Philippines (SMART and GLOBE telecommunication services) are also accessible, so all the conveniences desired by the modern island dweller are possible on the island.

Getting construction materials are also available in the area. It is best to put up a residential house or a resort using a combination of concrete and light materials (bamboo, coco lumber, etc…). For concrete building, you will only have to buy cement in Daet as well as other light materials, because gravel and sand are already available for a very affordable amount in the town of Banocboc. Labourers can also be hired from the nearby town and they charge more or less a minimum of P200.00 per day.

The island has a wide buildable area and an elevated portion that can protect the structures from heavy rains during the monsoon season (which is about 3 months in a year, September- December). Along the islands shoreline, are fantastic views of other islands and clear blue waters you can’t help but dive into. It has the finest white sand beach almost a kilometre in length. You’ll easily find yourself falling in love with this island. It truly defines what island living should be like; tranquility and pure island life satisfaction.

Even without having your own boat, going back to the maintown of Paracale or Vinzons, one can get a ride on the big boats of fishermen delivering fresh sea foods to Daet. You can ask for the schedule of boats either going to Paracale or Vinzons, Daet and have an arrangement with the local fishermen. They will only charge a minimal amount. The trip going back to the maintown Paracale is about an hour and 30 minutes but usually during calm seas, its just less than an hour boat trip same if choosing to go back to Vinzons, Daet.

The incomparable island experience offered by Shield Island will find you looking forward to going back again and totally embracing the perfect island life most people just dream about: the sun, the beach and the ocean. Never mind not finding the gold, just find the island itself, you’ll realize that you’ve found your ‘pot of gold” in the Philippines.