Lunch and a Walk in the Beach of Malapascua Island

Upon arriving in Kalanggaman Island, we saw several boats docked near the coast and according to some of the care takers, they were divers coming from Malapascua Island.  So out of curiosity we asked them how far is the island from where we are. Surprisingly, we were told that it will only take an additional 2 hours to get to the premiere diving site.

The supposedly Leyte Trip came with a sidetrip to an Island that is part of Cebu. Malapascua is located in North Cebu and has attracted foreign tourist especially divers because of its rich marine sanctuary. It is best known for Monad Shoal where thresher sharks can be seen regularly. However, diving is not the only activity you can do in this island, it is also ideal for a laid-back holiday by the sea.

Malapascua is located in the center of the Coral Triangle, makes each dive a pure delight filled with new discoveries! Sharks and mantas, wrecks and reefs, wall dives, caves, muck dives and spectacular night dives.The town’s name is derived from two Spanish words “mal” and “pascua” translated in English as “bad” and “Easter” of Bad Christmas. According to locals, Spaniards named the island that way when they arrived there on a story Christmas.

We didn’t came here to dive although the island itself is a promising spot for one.  We dropped by Malapascua to have a sumptuous lunch and hoping for a great beach experience. It is worth the quite strenuous trip.

We left the Kalanggaman Island past 9 in the morning and we arrived in Malapascua just in time for lunch. From afar, I can see coconut trees teaming the island and some cottages. Contrary to Kalanggaman Island, this is quite developed and commercialized.

As suggested, we headed to Mabuhay Restaurant to have lunch. Food in the island is not a problem. There are lots of restaurants you can choose from offering various specialties- American, Italian, Filipino, etc.  Since this is a beach trip, I opted to grab seafoods.

 

Accommodation in the island isn’t a problem too. You can find an ordinary room for as low as Php 500.00/night and as your preference increases, the price goes up too.  As I walked along the beach, I passed by some of the beachfront resorts. There were a lot of foreign tourists who were having their daily rituals. Foreigners outnumbered local tourists significantly, reason why the prices here were too high.  This is Boracay and Puerto Galera minus the crowd.

 

I had a great noontime walk exploring the beach of Malapascua. I grab my camera after having lunch and walk towards the other end of the shore.  The mildly blowing wind produced a soothing music of waves. It was indeed a great day

Our short trip to Malapascua Island was almost finish, I wanted to stay longer to the explore the island more, but we had to leave. The trip made me appreciate the inland beauty of the island more, and for this, I can’t wait to be back.

Technorati Tags: Malapascua Island

CAS-thing in White Beach Puerto Galera

When it comes to budget friendly paired with an active night life at the beach, Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro should be your choice. Aside from being pocket friendly, it’s also very accessible and well developed. Some people dubbed it as a Poor Man’s Boracay, oh well, that’s for me to find out.

Heard great and not so great stories about Puerto Galera years back and now I got the chance to see and experience what it has to offer. Packed with an overnight gear and curiosity, it’s time to  explore ‘One of the most beautiful bays in the world’ PUERTO GALERA.

Puerto Galera is the northwesternmost municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It is located at the southwestern end of the Isla Verde Passage, about 130 kilometers (81 mi) south of Manila. From Manila, it takes a two-hour bus ride to Batangas Pier, and then about an hour's boat ride to Puerto Galera itself. Accommodations on White Beach are relatively cheap including restaurants that serves filling eats at fair prices.

It’s my first time to be in Batangas Pier and it looks pretty decent. Ships can even take you as far as Cagayan De Oro. Great information to know, just in case I wanted a different travel style then I may take this route instead. Upon reaching  the Port, we were accommodated flawlessly as stated in the package we took from the resort.

 

 

 

Walked few meters and off we go to the ferry boat that will take us to Puerto Galera. The sea is calm at first but after 30 minutes of cruising, water started to splash and the boatman have to cover the windows, so we ended having a sweaty, uncomfortable ride. Nonetheless, we docked safely.

 

Welcoming us upon arrival was a stretch of semi white fine sand and clear water. More than that, I also saw some beach activities on going: Jetski ride, Banana Boat Ride, Parasailing, Kite Surfing to name a few.  Now I know why it has been hailed as a poor man’s Boracay.  Puerto Galera is also known for its prime dive spots, so the money you save by getting cheap rooms and cheap food could be spent on exploring the underwater wonders of the island.

Our accommodation is few meters walk from the beach. We settled our stuff and had late lunch (we got breakfast meals though). After which we started exploring the beach while looking for another place to satisfy our gastro needs.

Few meters from our place, we found FoodTrip sa Galera. It’s a 24/7 eatery that serves unlimited garlic rice so you can really make the most of your money. We got the volcano pancake and some rice meals. Satisfaction guaranteed!

 

 

 

After having a great lunch, it’s time for beach bumming and  bonding session by the beach and a great splash in the water. Of course we tried the island’s signature Mindoro Sling - a cocktail mix of various kinds of alcohol.

 

 

And the most awaited part is here, though I am not fond of beach parties, I am just excited to witness the fire dancers doing their thing.  In addition to the breath taking fire dancers, each restaurants have their own shows to keep the customer entertained.

 

 

  First day ended with grateful smiles for all the things I witnessed in the Island. It’s time to get those muscles rested for next day’s adventure.

Woke up around 5 in the morning and started preparing for our island hopping and snorkeling activities. Our all time favorite restaurant ‘Foodtrip’ served our breakfast, and as usual we had another round of volcano pancake. I got myself an extra meal, i felt i needed to eat more in preparation for the entire day. It was a peaceful Sunday Morning in Puerto Galera

 

Exactly 7 in the morning when we took a tricycle to the jump off point (Minolo Pier) for the island hopping.  We got the Island Hopping and Snorkeling package at Php 200.00/person maximum of three hours.

 

 

We were taken to the Snorkeling Site but unfortunately we were not able to enjoy it as there will be extra charge to get near the sanctuary. A small motorized boat will take you there to enjoy the underwater world. Maybe next time when we have enough time. We content ourselves just swimming in the deep blue waters in the island.

 

A little satisfied stretching those arms and legs and swimming just around the boat, we were taken to the nearest beach to have some snacks and another round of photo session. I love the serenity and the natural scene in this part. At a distance you can see coconut trees dotting the coast. I just didn’t feel like swimming here though because of the sea urchins scattered all over. We just grab halo halo and some group shots, jump shots and all shots we can think of.

 

 

 

  It was a short but sweet memory of Puerto Galera. It felt good that it somehow exceeded my expectation. It is a tropical paradise that is both rustic and thriving. By day it echoes with the soft breeze and the pounding waves. At night, it comes to life with heady laughter and the clink of wine and glasses and pure entertainment.  There are a lot of places I need to explore in Puerto Galera but nevertheless I can still say that it is a friendly place for nature enthusiasts.  White sand beaches and luscious mountains, great views above ground and underwater, there are just so many of them that you’ll find yourself not wanting to leave after your time off is up, like what happened to me!

 

 

Items	Rates
OMG 2D/1N Promo at Sea Jewel	Php  1,305.00
(Acc/Breakfast/RT Boat Fare/Terminal Fee - Batangas)
Environmental and Exit Fee (Puerto Galera)	Php     60.00
Island Hopping/Snorkeling	Php   200.00
Tric Fee  Php 50.00 (4 pax) x 2	Php    25.00
Food	Php  500.00
Bus Fare Php 167.00 x 2	Php  334.00

Total Expenses                                                                        Php 2,424.00

 

Technorati Tags: Sea Jewel Beach Resort,White Beach Puerto Galera

Summer Ender | B.O.D Series (Bais Edition)

Simple but fun. It is with these words that people often describe their dream destination. They look for qualities in destinations suggested by friends or other sources but often ended not finding them. We’re often unaware that it is what you take with you to a place, and not what you find at your destination that makes travel appealing. Yes, we all know about these spots, but this vacation became memorable because of the people I went along with.

Summer is finally commencing, and before we bid goodbye to the summer sun, we head to the southern part of Negros Oriental to see dolphins and whales playing in an open sea: Bais City.  A third class city in the province of Negros Oriental  and located 45 kilometers from the provincial Capital, Dumaguete.

This getaway has been planned a month ahead to have ample time of preparation. Originally set to go out with highschool friends, but I ended up inviting external friends to materialize the trip.

On a Friday morning of May 30th, I took the earliest flight bound for Bacolod and will head south. It was a beautiful Friday morning up in the air.

  

Spent the night in Binalbagan with friends before heading to my first destination the day after.  It has been more than 24 hours that I am wide awake but this vacation keeps me alert and most of all excited.

We left Binalbagan past 4 in the morning and reached Bais City around 7. The trip could have been faster if we didn't have to make endless stop over.

DOLPHIN WATCHING

Our guide met us at the City proper and take us to Capiñahan port for our Bay Cruise. After everything has been set up, off we go to start our tour.The tour group will have an onboard dolphin spotter. Everyone involved in tours, from the boatman to the spotter, has undergone training and activities and follow strict rules.

 

Whales and dolphins usually feed during early hours of the morning, so it is ideal to start cruising as early as 7 in the morning. Out of 23 species of marine mammals documented to have been sighted in Philippine waters, 9 have been sighted in Bais Bay-Tañon Strait area, acknowledged to have one of the biggest concentrations of cetaceans in the world. The flat calm water of the strait makes it a suitable breeding and feeding ground for whales and dolphins. We were cruising the waters for more than 2 hours before we got a glimpse of the dolphins from afar.

Every time our boat come across other fisherman, our guide would ask, where the dolphin is swimming and we head to that direction. The first group that we found were afraid of the boats so we continued our search for the other types of dolphins that swim near the boat and actually following it. Yes, we finally found them. Were like kids jumping in happiness when we finally saw them. All hard work paid off, patience indeed was a virtue we developed. You can really appreciate the natural playful behavior of the dolphins

 

This wasn't the first time I saw dolphins, but it felt different this time. Seeing them playing in an open water and not in a pool makes it more appealing. Watching them freely playing, so graceful  and lovely, it was heavenly.  I should say, the feeling is awesome. Boats are also not allowed to speed up, rather they keep a steady slow pace. to avoid injuring the dolphins swimming beside and under it. Also, we are not allowed to feed them.  As much as I wanted to jump and swim with them to tick one item in my bucket list but the guide said we can’t. They will be fined.  I just settled sitting at the edge of the boat and take as many memories of the dolphins as I can.

MANJUYOD SANDBAR

After the dolphin watching, we went to Manjuyod Sandbar to enjoy the clear water. The sandbar is a 7-kilometer stretch of whitesand perfect for Swimming, Sunbathing and Snorkeling to top some of the water activities you can do.  Since the water started to rise, we were not able to see the sandbar, floating wooden cottages welcomed us. The cottages can be rented for Php 3,5000 – Php 4,000 a night. Nevertheless,  the crystal clear water completed the experience.

 

Tired and exhausted from the half day water activities, we were served with sumptuous seafood lunch while cruising. Mouth watering Crabs, shrimp, grilled fish and fruits replenished us. For me, nothing beats eating seafood while cruising :)

 

 

Tour is not yet over, after having lunch we were taken to the snorkeling site to see and enjoy underwater creatures. Yes, we found a blue starfish. (Happy Me!)

 

 

We enjoyed the tour  and food provided by  Mam Jen and her father Mr Jesus Pancho(Boatman/Tourguide)

Contact Persons: Jesus Pancho Jr. 0920-253-8099 (Mam Jen might answer your inquiry)

Tour Package: Boat for 8-10 persons capacity Php 3,500.00 (whole day activity)

Lunch Buffet: Seafood / Pork&Meat Menu at Php 250.00/pax (menu might change in the future depending on the guests’ preference)

Seafood Menu: Steamed Crabs, Buttered Shrimp, Grilled Fish, Fruits, Soda and Unlimited Rice

Pork/Meat Menu: Grilled Pork, Adobo, BBQ, Fruits, Soda and Unlimited Rice

Technorati Tags: Bais Whale and Dolphin Watching,Manjuyod Sandbar