The Island Explorer

We went back to Bolinao and passed our resort, went further South to reach Cape Bolinao, where the famous lighthouse is erected. We wanted to catch the sunset, so I sped up a bit. But the roads were unpaved, so we had to slow down. It took another 20 minutes from the resort, which made me a bit tired from driving already. All the places were far away from each other! We were also disappointed with the lighthouse, since it wasn't as grand as we thought it would be. It was solar powered, and you could see the charging stations beside the viewing dock. I loved the quarters beside it though. It had that 50s appeal. he view of Bolinao as well wasn't that spectacular. I went down from the viewing dock hoping to see better. I saw the winding coastline, but that was it. We went down to Treasures of Bolinao, a supposedly upscale resort, which we turned down after seeing the prices. We planned to go to Patar Beach from there and have dinner afterwards. The sun was beginning to set, so we

I read about Tondol Beach in Anda from Ivan . Since we're searching for the best beach in Pangasinan, we had to pass by here, seeing Ivan's great pictures. Who would not gravitate towards this beach? Anda is on the way to Bolinao, you just have to take a right turn from the main road to Bolinao, just watch out for the signs. From that turn, Brgy. Tondol is about 25 minutes away. Well, we were still sleepless, and upon arrival in Tondol, we were greeted by this sight. An entire community had their family day of sorts at that time. The lady in the gate told us to move to the other side of the beach, nearer the island that was fronting Tondol Beach. It was high tide, so we didn't see the spectacle that Ivan witnessed. It was already 9AM, and we were told that the low tide will come late in the afternoon. Too bad. It was Beach no.1 in our search, and we were disappointed. Tondol Beach was a bit dirty. Trash was visible at the shoreline and at the back areas. There were fishing

We began our search for the best beach in Pangasinan at 2:30AM, without any sleep. Our office was still working at that time, so after work, we decided to skip the rest and head straight to Pangasinan. We were used to this anyway, and it was better for me to drive at night. We were supposed to leave at 4AM, but two hours didn't matter. To reach Bolinao the fastest, one must take the NLEX and SCTEX and exit at Luisita in Tarlac. Once you arrive in Tarlac City, follow the signs leading to Hundred Islands. Do not head straight to Dagupan. Take the road to Pangasinan via Camiling. That saves you 2 hours. This route however requires following the signs, and involves some one-way roads. Punta Riviera Resort has a good map on their website . The sun was peeking already at 5:00AM when we arrived in Pangasinan. That was 2.5 hours of travel so far. Not bad, though I was driving at an average speed of 100 kph. We finally reached Alaminos, home base for the Hundred Islands. Bolinao was suppose

3 days in Pangasinan led me to exploring 4 beach destinations in the huge province four hours away from Manila. Patar. Tondol. Osmena. The island of Colibra. Believe me, this is one adventure you wouldn't want to miss!

Probably one of the best beach destinations in the country, Isla Reta is a modest beach resort facing Kaputian Beach in Samal. It is actually located beside the pier where the ferries from Davao dock, but a wall divides it and transforms it to a beach paradise. When we first went to Isla Reta two years ago, we were overjoyed with the talisay trees that line the powder white sand beach. Yes, that's powder, meaning, similar to Boracay. It was unfortunate that we couldn't stay overnight there, since their accommodations were very spartan and we weren't prepared to rough it out. No restaurants, no bed sheets, no towels, shared baths. So we had to move on to find another resort. Since then, we yearned to come back to Isla Reta for a day trip. The last time I was there was last December. I found myself back again at the end of April. Isla Reta is privately owned, and in the two years, nothing has changed. The beach was clean, and the back area was landscaped with green flat gras

I've realized that I still haven't posted some destinations in this blog. One is Boracay. I was surprised I haven't written about Boracay! Well, I hope I can visit one of my favorite islands soon. But for now, let me take you to another favorite of mine: the island of Talicud beside Samal. Talicud Island is near the Southern tip of Samal, hence the name, Talicud. The island can be reached via ferries that dock at Sta. Ana pier in Davao City. The ride takes an hour, and the boat leaves every hour and a half. Make sure you check the schedules though. The first time we went to Talicud, we took the 12:30PM ferry. So I have been to Talicud Island three times now, and one of its famous destinations is Babusanta Beach, which you can see int he pictures below. Babusanta Beach is usually a stopover for lunch for tour groups, especially divers. The white sand coral beach has crystal clear waters, especially at high noon. I call this beach one of the most photogenic beaches, since it

From Mati, we went back to Davao City, straight to the jetty at the Waterfront Insular Hotel to board our boat to Chema's by the Sea, my favorite resort in the country. I admire the resort's design and peaceful setting. Only 10 minutes away by boat from Davao City, this wonderfully designed resort blends well with nature. It's luxurious as well, and in all the times that I have been there, never has it been full (and I've been here 5 times already in just two years). That's because the Kincho, the owner and also the designer of the resort, made sure to keep up to its image of an upscale resort. There are only less than 8 rooms, totaling to about 25 people in capacity for the entire resort. There is an infinity saltwater pool that looks over to the sea. The beachfront may be small in comparison to nearby Paradise Island Resort, but is sufficient enough for beach bumming and swimming. There's no house reef though, but fishes can still be seen from their waters. I

Waniban Island is located in Pujada Bay. It is a small island nearby Cinco Masau in the western coastline of Mati. From Cinco Masau, it was a 25 minute boat ride that cost us opnly P800 roundtrip. The boat was a tourist boat, so, it had comfortable seats, unlike fishing boats that are commonly used by tourists like me in provinces. We docked by the shores of Waniban and was happy to see that we were the only remaining guests. The rest went back on our boat when we arrived. Thus, we had the whole island to ourselves and the caretakers. Cottages can be rented, there are around 5. So, I am assuming it's a great stopover for an island BBQ lunch. The island has fine white sand, not powdery though, but more coral like Palawan's. The sun shone after a while, and we just laid under a tree by the beach. It was paradise indeed. Imagine having a view of of the wavy and mystical mountains Davao Oriental against clear blue waters. I explored the island on foot, which only took 15 minutes. T

Cinco Massau has a great story to tell. Years ago, the owner of the resort risked his money and land to put up cottages by the sea. Perseverance and dedication eventually led into the expansion of Cinco Massau, now one of the most popular resorts in Mati. Cinco Massau is located on the western coastline of Mati. From Dahican Beach, it's a rough 15 minute drive to Massau Beach, where the resort is located. The resort is popular among the masses, and is unique because the cottages are located on stilts that extend almost 300 meters to the sea. We saw the place packed with locals as it was a Sunday. You can rent cottages for P300 for a day, or P800 for a night. The cottages are so basic though, without anything else but a sole double bed and a dining area outside. There are 5 concrete aircons rooms in the mainland though for P1,500 each. We had our lunch there, which was also basic. They really don't serve food, since most of the guests arrive with prepared food. You can also gril