The Island Explorer

There are some places in the Philippines that I consider special. It's rare to find these places, especially in a country where culture doesn't seem to be preserved as much as it deserves. But somewhere in the coastal town of historical Bagac in Bataan, just less than 3 hours away from Manila, a resort is trying to change the way we look at our heritage. This is what makes Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar special.

The last time I was in Corregidor was way back in the early 1990s. I was entering high school then, and we took some of our relatives from the US for a day tour. I could barely remember what transpired that day. Ever since, I've been curious about what Corregidor holds, especially after 20 years.

When we arrived in Coral View in Morong, we didn't plan to go somewhere else. But I saw boats on the shore, and asked the resort staff if they can be rented and where they could take us. They pointed the edge of Poblacion Beach, where another beach can be seen. I didn't hesitate then to take the boats, which cost us P100 per person. We were off to a new discovery. Well, the unknown beach looked great from afar, but as we approached it, we realized it was rocky, although had white sand. The surrounding rocks were also interesting, and it formed a sort of lagoon nearby. When we docked on the shores, I noticed a trail going somewhere inside. We bravely took it, and realized it was a short path to another beach. And lo and behold, we saw something unexpected, the Bataan Nuclear Powerplant. I was surprised that it was just there. I didn't know it was nearby, so it was definitely a treat. I didn't take my camera, since I thought the path was just going to take us somewhere i...

Last year, my company had its Christmas Party in Morong, Bataan, an adjacent town to Subic. Going there meant passing through Subic, towards the Safari and Ocean Adventure to the Morong Gate. From there, several beach resorts line the coast of Morong. We did an impulsive ocular one afternoon, and decided to go with Coral View Resort, which is around 30 minutes from central Subic. I've already talked about Subic Sweetwater and its gorgeous sunset in a previous entry. Coral View Resort is further away, in the town of Poblacion, which is after Anvaya Cove. Poblacion Beach is a long 2-kilometer stretch of light gray sand, and is also known for the Pawikan Conservation Center. Coral View Resort is like one in a score of resorts along that beach. We chose Coral View for its charm and intimacy. The one beside it, White Sands, was huge, and we just didn't feel at home there. Coral View was smaller, but still big for a resort. They have different types of accommodations, from the standa...

Whenever there's the chance, I go out of town for the weekend. So it's imperative that I get information on the nearest beach getaways from Manila. The list is long, from Nasubgu, Lian, Calatagan, San Juan all in Batangas, to the beaches of Subic and Bataan. Though not as great as the beaches further away from Manila, some places just give me the right dose of sun and sand for a relaxing weekend. This time, I head out to Morong in Bataan, just outside of the SBMA (Subic). With only less than 3 hours of total travel time, Morong beckons on the call of the explorer. I asked for a place from my friend, and so, we made it through the SBMA, and outside the Morong Gate on the road to Ocean Adventure. The resort was Subic Sweetwater, that was actually more of a beach house than a resort. When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the beach was huge, and long and wide, unlike the beaches in SBMA (All Hands, Dungaree and Camayan). I was expecting a scenery similar to the beaches of SBM...