My Most Precious Moment in Bohol: Half-day of Dolphin Watching, Balicasag Snorkeling and Virgin Island Swimming

When I made the itinerary for Bohol vacation, I had the island hopping set in our second day in Panglao Island. That would guarantee us a whole day of experiencing the sun, the water and the sand. So on our second day, we all woke up very early, knowing that we have to leave for the sea at 5:30 AM to make sure of dolphin sightings. We were already having breakfast and everyone was so excited. Then at exactly 5:30, Kuya Tatsky Cubero, who I've contacted for both island and country tour in Bohol sent me a text message asking if I'm already awake and informing me that the boatman he contacted to take us island hopping cancelled. The reason given to me is that the sea is turbulent and the boatman doesn't want to risk our safety. I suddenly lost every energy I had in my body specially when I asked the people from Whites and Greens about the condition of the sea that morning and they all told me everything seems normal. Even the fisherman in the shore I asked told me the same thing. I felt irritated especially when I saw at least seven boats with tourists sailed that morning to go island hopping. Up until now, I don't know what's the real score. I just remember we were texting the night before and he was asking me if it's ok if two other tourists would join us in the boat. I did say no politely since my family seemed not to be comfortable with the idea. I didn't know what truly transpired. I just know, we won't be able to push through with the original plans that day. We just went on country tour instead, with Kuya Bogart, Kuya Tatsky's comrade, which turned out pretty fine.

So on our third day, and having exactly just a half day to spend in the islands, we sent to the sea early. I cancelled the boat service from Kuya Tatsky and negotiated with another boatman with a spotter instead. It was a long boat ride, exceeded the one hour I've expected. Finally after 20 minutes more, we arrived at the waters near Balicasag Island. There were already several tourist boats in the area. We joined them. The spotters have a very sharp eye, they would see right away where the dolphins are coming from. They would then start the motor boats headed to the direction of the dolphins, signaling others to follow. It was fun! It was like a race with the dolphins.

Our spotter  has very keen sight with these friendly creatures and most often than not, the dolphins would pass nearest our boat. They come in group, swim fast then jump above the water for a brief moment. I was first trying to capture their photos but   found their movements elusive to get a perfect shot. I'm only using a point and shoot camera after all. So after trying to click my camera a few times, I decided to set aside capturing photos and just witness the dolphin show on their natural habitat. For a moment I forgot about my blog and tried to be a normal traveler and just enjoy every minute of it without feeling the need to document. There were lots of dolphins that day which our boatman said doesn't always happen. It was so exciting and everytime they appear, I can't control myself from shrieking. Irritating I know, I just can't stop. lol! After 30 minutes of chasing with the dolphins, we decided to head to Balicasag Island. We knew we have limited time to spend.

Just a few minutes, we docked the shores of Balicasag Island. Balicasag is one of the 73 smaller islands surrounding the main island of Bohol. It is a barangay gifted with so much beauty. Several pandan trees grow near the shore. The sand is white and is obviously crushed corals. The sea water is so clear. The barangay has the territory of the 400 meter diving Marine Sanctuary that boasts of diversity when it comes to marine species. Since I'm not ready to dive yet, we did snorkeling.

The snorkeling area is near the shore, yet we needed to ride a small boat that would take us in the waters. The locals don't encourage tourists to walk from the shore to this area since accidental stepping on the corals may destroy it. We paid Php100 each for the small paddle boat ride.

Upon reaching the area, we started exploring what's under the sea. Sadly, on the shallow area, I noticed the corals looked bleached. On the deeper part though, life underwater is blooming. There are a lot of healthy looking corals. Fish are abundant too specially when you try to feed them bread, fish would be swarming you in no time. You wouldn't even know in what direction they came from. It was my first time seeing a lot of fish like this and it's euphoric. TI also saw several blue starfish on the sea bed. This island just made me more in love with the world under water. Hope to do diving next time.

After an hour of snorkeling, we wanted to have lunch in the island. Locals sell fresh sea food and can cook this for tourists for a minimal fee. We didn't have a chance though since we're running out of time. We then proceed to Virgin Island.

Virgin Island is a tiny island with a crescent shaped sandbar surrounded by crystal clear waters. During low tide, one can walk up to the end of the sandbar. When we arrived, it was high tide that the sand bar was already submerged under water. We tried walking and the water  is up my knees, on other areas it goes as high as my legs. On the sides are deeper water that can probably submerge me instantly. The island is a paradise. The water is sparkling. The white sand is fine. It was very inviting that we had a hard time leaving when the time turned eleven. There were lots of foreign tourists that time (I even overheard a lady who was about to leave telling herself she doesn't want to go home, hehe.. ) yet it didn't change a thing about the island. For some reasons, it still glowed in beuaty to me, it was indeed a majestic island. After quickly frolicking in the waters, few photo shots and swimming in the shallow areas, we sadly bade goodbye to this part of Bohol.

Bohol is truly blessed with beauty. Their waters is one that they can truly be proud of. I'll surely never forget Bohol. It is just mesmerizing.

The Uncrowded Beach of Aninuan in Puerto Galera

Manila, where I currently reside is approximately just about three hours away from Puerto Galera, a place in Oriental Mindoro that is home to several "white sand" beaches and shimmering blue waters. It was my first time to go here. Hearing Puerto Galera is a party beach, I was turned off right away and didn't bother to join friends whenever I was invited to go with them. I always prefer the beach to be quiet and peaceful just like my personality :)

My tenth year anniversary with Nikko is nearing and having had budget and time constraints as well as for safety reasons, we both agreed not to push through with Calaguas Island trip as originally planned. I then researched for an alternate place where we can spend the weekend together. That's when I reconsidered Puerto Galera specially when I read Claire's blog about Talipanan Beach, also in Puerto Galera. I then realized, it might be worthwhile trying it out, specially it was said that the place is equal in beauty with White Beach (where most tourists stay) less the crowd.

So I initially planned that we stay in Talipanan only to realize, it might be too far and inconvenient since I also included Tamaraw Falls and Tukuran Hidden Paradise in our itinerary, other attractions in Oriental Mindoro which are just few towns away from Puerto Galeara and which we reached by just commuting. That's when I stumbled upon Tamaraw Beach Resort which is located in Aninuan Beach.

Aninuan Beach is the next beach from White Beach when riding the ferry from Batangas Pier and is before Talipanan. These beaches are separated by a big and rocky boulder but is possible to cross during low tide.

We reached Aninuan on a Saturday and several guests were already in the area. It's comforting to see though that the beach didn't look crowded, maybe because  the beach front has a wide expanse of shores. There are also just two resorts operating in that part of Puerto Galera, one is Sunset in Aninuan, an upscale hotel resort where most foreign tourists stay and the less pricey Tamaraw Beach Resort, which served as our home for two nights.

Right after a 3PM lunch on our first day, Nikko and I explored the whole stretch of the beach as we walk towards Luca's Italian Restaurant at the far end of Talipanan Beach. Tamaraw is the first resort coming from White Beach, next is Sunset in Aninuan Resort. Right after that is a surprise. :) There's a beautiful scenery of a stream where the sea water flows into it meeting with the fresh water. Looking into that side, it also has the panoramic backdrop of the lush mountains and greens surrounding the stream. It instantly refreshed me from feeling sleepy and tired.

The sand in Aninuan is off white, yet it glistens like snow when sunlight is at brightest. There are also several stones scattered in the shore but walking barefooted didn't cause me any discomfort. Stones are mostly smooth, round and flat, the kind that's perfect to throw in the sea to see how many times it will bounce from the water.

Just a few more steps and I saw the widest expanse of the shore in that side of the beach, with few scattered native houses and a main house at the center shaded with lush coconut trees towering around it. It instantly put me into a playful mood and I wanted to roll in the sand right away (lol) but I didn't especially when I saw 2 old folks sitting on a folding chair placed few meters from us and were watching the sea. There are two gentlemen standing on the side of the old folks, one is holding an umbrella. Then it dawned on me, that maybe is the part of the Zobel de Ayala's property in Aninuan. I then saw a yacht and I dreamed of using it to tour the whole archiepelago. :D

We continued walking and admiring how wide and clean the shore is. Then we reached the boulder separating Aninuan from Talipanan. I didn't want to cross the water and get wet since we'll have dinner in Luca's and I'm greatful that a local teenager pointed us to an upward pathway where she said we could take to avoid the water. We passed by some houses owned by the locals and by the time we walked down slope, I knew that we're already in Talipanan Beach.

The waters in Aninuan is generally calm with bigger waves  in late afternoons. I found it too salty compared to other beaches I've been. Water accidentally entered my nose many times while swimming and I don't understand why. The water temparature is soothing since it wasn't too cold or warm but it's the wind that's  frigid despite the sun shining really bright. About 25-30 meters away from the shore, Nikko and I did snorkel. Don't expect to see much. I didn't see any colorful corals except for something that looked like a brain and has a green tint. There's also a part of the deep sea that became shallow because of a big mass of rock where corals are starting to grow. Blue and black fishes play in that part of the sea and I tried capturing a video with my camera.

Overall, I loved  Aninuan Beach. The water is great for swimming, the nights are perfect for intimate moments, the ambiance is relaxing and I loved walking on the it's expanse of  broad shore.

Bantigue, Gateway to Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas

If you want to go to Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lagpas in Pagbilao Quezon, one of your options would be through a boat ride in Barangay Bantigue. It can easily be reached through public transportation.

From Manila, which is the capital of the Philippines, there are a lot of bus companies plying Lucena City. One is Jam Liner located in their Buendia-Taft Station. Fare last February 2011 is about Php210. You need to get off the bus when you reach Lucena City Grand Terminal and ride a jeep going to Pagbilao. Halfway to Pagbilao in about 30 minutes, you'd need to get off at Bagong Tulay where there's a tricycle terminal that can take you to Brgy. Bantigue. Tell the driver that you'd want to go to the coastal village and hire a boat to take you to Puting Buhangin. You shouldn't be paying more than a hundred and fifty pesos. Or you can also drop by Silangang Nayon first, a floating restaurant where you can have a sumptuous meal before heading to Puting Buhangin. You'd just need to walk back the road from Silangang Nayon and wait for a tricycle, like what we did, to take you to the boat area. We paid Php80 for the three of us from the highway to Silangang Nayon and Php10 each from Silangang Nayon to the coastal area of Barangay Bantigue.

On the way you'll pass by Pueblo Por la Playa on your left, a member exclusive resort and the barangay hall on your right. At the end of the cemented road, the tricycle will turn left into a narrow dirt road and at the end of it is the coastal area.

You'd see a wooden house owned by Mang Bin, one of the boatmen in the area, who transported us to Puting Buhangin. We were quoted Php1000 for a 30-40 minute boatride, I haggled and we paid Php800 for the three of us. It is way cheaper compared to Silangang Nayon's boat rate of Php1500.

Bantigue also has it's own charm. It is a fishing village and the water is really bountiful. Fishermen place a box shaped net trap in just waist high waters and they are able to harvest big crabs. When we arrived back from swimming in Puting Buhangin, we coincidentally saw one of the fishermen harvest and tie the crabs to sell in Dalahican. Crabs sell for only Php180 per kilo. We wanted to buy a lot to bring home with us but we have yet to go and stay in Lucban Quezon for a day so we just bought a kilo and Mang Bin's wife kindly cooked it for us. I think she just boiled the crabs in Sprite (soda), she said that way, it won't spoil right away. The crabs became a part of our dinner when we reached Lucban that night, and it tasted so fresh and sweet.

If you'd ask me, the beach area is also swimmable. Water is clear and looked clean plus the sand is also white. It's not something very powdery but it was inviting. It is a fishing village though and no accommodation is available but for a daytrip, it will surely work. :)

The Hundred Island Experience

As a grade schooler, I used to see a black and white picture of Hundred Islands in my textbook. This is one of the famous attractions listed in my book along with Rice Terraces, Chocolate Hills and several more. Back then, I just envisioned it as I see it in my book, plain and dull. It never really occurred to me that it will be an exact opposite, for Hundred Islands is one of the most vibrant places I've been.

I was in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, my hometown. It was one of the occasions that I'm really waiting for, to be with my whole family. It's a rare occasion since I'm staying in Manila and my sister is working overseas. Everybody seemed excited and at 5 AM, we're all ready to leave for Hundred Islands.

The Alaminos bound buses (where Hundred Islands is located) from Manila have a different route, it would turn left once it arrives Tarlac City, passing through the town of Camiling so there's no chance that it would pass by the highway near us. What we did is ride a Dagupan bound bus for 2 hours then transferred to another bus going to Alaminos and arrived in about an hour.

Upon stepping down from the bus, tricycles started swarming us, offering to take us to Hundred Islands. We didn't even tell them yet where we were going so I'm a bit surprised. Before accepting the offer, I asked how much the fare is. Prior to this trip, I've contacted Alaminos City's Tourism office asking for different information including tricycle rates. I was quoted Php20 per person, 3 people in each tricycle, by the driver making it cheaper compared to the PHP80 that I was told. The tricycles dropped us to the Tourism Office located in Bryg. Lucap. I learned that we need to register first. From there, everything was so organized. Basically, we just paid for the boat rate and entrance, they are the one who provided us a boat. There's a standard rate for boats making it just fair to everyone. Before starting the tour though, we asked to be dropped to Island Tropic Hotel first, just in front of Lucap Wharf to leave our things. The trike drivers were really kind, even driving us to a grocery store where we bought mineral water. So when they left, we gave them Php100 each.

After checking in, our boat was already waiting for us right in front of the hotel. We started the 30 minute boat ride. Everybody was excited. Minutes later, we saw the vague islands from afar become more visible and become color green. It’s amazing that the islands are made mostly of rocks but trees are growing in it. One of our boatmen also served as our guide, giving us interesting information as we pass by an island. In a few minutes, we're very near Governor's Island which is one of the main Islands. By main, that would mean there are facilities, water and electricity (for a limited time). The view of Big Brother's house welcomed us then our boat docked.

It was beautiful. The water is blue green, the place is uncrowded and the sand is white. It was just exactly how I envision a perfect island. I already wanted to jump in the waters but I know there's more to explore.

We started climbing the nearby stairs that I guessed would take us to the viewdeck. My folks chose to stay near the shore not wanting to climb. Sign of aging I'd say. :P My sister, cousin, Nikko and I reached the view deck, which is said to be the highest point in all the islands. We we're rewarded by a panoramic view of the sea and the scattered islands/islets. We could have lingered a bit longer if it wasn't that hot.

Going down, we chose a different set of stairs that took us to the other side of the Island. There's almost nobody there, something that might be an opposite during summer.

After exploring Governor's Island, our boat started to thread towards Children's Island. It does have the same charm with the former island. Trees abound making the place very cool and airy despite the sun shining really bright. It's getting late and we decided to have lunch here with our boatmen. We rented a table under the shade of trees and needed to pay Php200, kind of expensive if you would ask me. After lunch, I really can't help but be hypnotized by the glistening calm waters. I walked down the stairs into the sand area, walked further to the deeper waters then started to enjoy it. There's no wave at all, very ideal for floating and backstroke. This side of Children's Island is very shady too. You can go up to waist deep waters and be protected by the trees from the scorching heat of the sun.

I swam to my heart’s content before we headed to Marcos Island. This is the only reason we opted for the service boat paying Php800 more compared to the day tour boat. Service boats can take you in all the islands that you want and time is unlimited. I was really excited going to this island for it features Imelda Cave. We trekked for about 15 minutes before reaching the entrance to the cave. It isn't ideal for spelunking since it isn't long but it is famous for the pool inside it where one can jump from the edge of a rock formation. I on the other hand chose to take the slippery wooden ladder then a rope ladder down to the pool. The rope ladder won't stop swaying and I had several scratches having bumped into the sharp rocks. It was worth it though. Water is so clear and cold! We met a French fellow who had so much fun swimming in the pool. There's a small hole at the roof allowing sunlight to brighten the pool. If you swim further, there's an opening at the other end of the cave that would take you directly into the seas. You can swim in that direction and ask the boat to fetch you. It's safer than climbing up the ladder again.

After the cave experience, our boat maneuvered in the direction of Quezon Island. We passed by the Cathedral Island, named after the cathedral shaped opening at the rock formation. It doesn't have a shore though.

Nearing Quezon Island, I noticed right away that a lot of boats are docked. When I stepped into the shore, I then realized that the previous islands are almost deserted because everybody chose to stay in this island. I can't blame them. I think that Quezon Island has the best swimming area. The water is clear and there's an area where you can do fish feeding, accessible only few meters from the sandbar. The water turns from blue to green. It has a wide cream sand bar that glistens and turns white in sunlight. A lot of Korean tourists were playing beach volleyball.

We didn't swim right away to escape the scorching heat of the sun. We stayed in the man-made cave where there are stone benches overlooking the sea. There are a lot of trees and the wind is cold in that part of the island. Speak of picturesque. After snacks, we hit the waters. I had so much fun with the gentle waves. When I got tired, I climbed up the stairs going to a bench area overlooking the beach. It is a very beautiful sight.

Since it was getting late, we decided to leave Quezon Island. I thought that concludes our wearisome but otherwise very enjoyable day when our boatmen passed and docked into another island where they said we can check out. It has a cave where you can walk and reach the end in just several steps. It doesn't have any stalagmites or stalactites but it still was fun walking into what seemed like a tunnel. The sand is really fine and soft in that part of the island. It felt like the sand in Boracay, only it is cream in color. The sand is so fine that it floats in the water. When we swam for the last time and tried capturing underwater photos, it turned out very vague because of the sand particles.

I don't want to stop swimming but the wind got even more colder so we decided it's time to go. On the boat back, the waves turned rough compared to the stillness we experienced the morning we arrived. Despite this, it was a fun ride as our boat was swaying in rhythm. Another boat passed by near us carrying foreign tourists. I waved at them, Maybe just a result of my playfulness, that day I felt like a kid again. What felt even better is they waved back. :) Few minutes later, our boat docked in front of our hotel. We gave a tip to both our boatmen and we bade goodbye.

How to Commute to Hundred Islands from Manila

Ride a Victory Liner Bus going to Alaminos, Pangasinan. Travel time would take about 3-4 hours. Upon reaching the terminal, ride a tricycle going to Brgy. Lucap. The ride takes approximately 15-20 minutes.

Entrance and other fees will be collected at the Tourism Office who will also arrange the boat for you. Entrance is Php20 as of the date we visited. Boats have uniform rate.

Small boat (1-5 pax)Php800 for daytour and Php1,400 for Overnight/Service Boat
Medium boat (6-10 pax)Php1,000 daytour and Php1,800 for service boat
Large boat (11-15 pax)Php1,100 daytour and Php2,000 for service boat

Accommodation is available in Governor's Island, Php10,000 per night for Big Brother's house.
Pitching your own tent is allowed with pitching fee of Php200 in the developed Islands.

You can contact Hundred Islands National Park at 075-551-2505/552-7406 for moe info.