Exploring Hundred Islands

Published on July 4, 2010 in Pangasinan and Travel Logs. 1 Comment Tags: , .

It was summer last year, when my friends and I had an escapade up north to the regions of Pangasinan and Baguio. It was not properly planned and it was deliberately one of those “pack up and go” trips that we usually have every year. The reason we love doing these kinds of trips is that because there’s the excitement of not knowing where you’ll end up staying or doing – which is fun ‘cause it’s like writing an open ended story wherein you decide your own ending.

Why Pangasinan? Well, one great reason we decided to visit this place is because of the Hundred Islands which one of many famous tourist spots. I first heard of this place as kid when my dad mentioned about it – during his occasional meetings and out of town work. I first thought about getting there once I get to Pangasinan if ever, which now I finally did.

Pangasinan is not only home to the Hundred Islands, it’s also where you can find the famous Bangus of Dagupan, the delicious puto and kutsinta of Calasiao (one of my favorites) and also the famous beaches of San Fabian and Lingayen. It’s also home to some famous local celebrities, politicians and of course – it’s also one of the nation’s historical places.

Travel to Pangasinan

From Manila, traveling to Pangasinan takes you about 5 hours via bus. If you’re from manila and you would like to go there by fare – you can immediately hop on a bus from Cubao and go straight to Alaminos, Pangasinan. This trip however costs you around 300 pesos per person, per trip. As I said earlier, it would probably take you 5 hours via bus, but don’t worry – you’ll certainly have some stop over points along the way that would give you enough time to eat if you’re hungry or go to the bathroom if you need to.

Pangasinans Finest

Pangasinan's Finest

On our trip however, we got to Alaminos around 7:00 AM – I think, or roughly around that time. We left Manila early in the morning – when it was still dark and rode the bus going there. It was a hot trip but it was worth it – seeing a lot of things along the way is already stress relief for me. When we got to Alaminos, we rode a tricycle going to the Hundred Islands that costs around 50 pesos and would probably take you 30 – 45 minutes to get there. Once you’re there, you would only get to decide if you would stay on shore or stay on one of the bigger islands in the region. If you would have asked me, I would rather stay on one of the bigger islands on the region – that is if you don’t mind staying on the beach for the night. However, if you stayed on shore – like we did back then, you could rent a small room for 1,500 pesos (facilities include aircon, 3 beds, bathroom and dining area) where you can stay for the night. On a side note, there are many mini hotels that can accommodate you once you get to hundred islands, it’s normal that many local people would try to bargain with you – but please be aware and try to get the best out of your money (‘cause we sure did). And also, if you have any Ilocano speaking friends – you might as well bring them along just as they could speak on your behalf to make transactions better and cheaper.

Okay. Due to lack of time – we visited only the most famous islands and also toured along some of the smaller islands in the cluster. The 2 major islands that we visited are the Governor’s Island and Quezon Island.

Governor’s Island

This is the first time I went there – and I’m sorry for being so excited. I love island hopping especially islands where you can stay for the night and feel like you’re stranded somewhere and Governor’s island is certainly one of those islands. It was very beautiful here, lush green and view – it is also on this location where you can get your picture taken with the other islands as your background. This place is very visited by foreigners because of that and also because of it’s cave where you can stay for the night. And also this place is famous because this was the location where they built a house for the PBB Teen edition.

Quezon Island

Quezon Island is definitely a must-see island in the cluster. It’s the liveliest place amongst all isles because here you can eat, drink and do very much everything. It’s pretty much a mini boracay in Pangasinan – and did I mention you can also stay here for the night.

Aside from the lively environment, this island offers more than just the beach – here you can also do diving, kayaking and also snorkeling.

100 Islands

100 Islands

By now, as you all know – Hundred Islands is definitely a sight to see in the Philippines and also a must-see tourist spot for everyone to visit. It’s located in a very accessible part of Luzon and is easy to go to if you’re planning to go for a vacation.

Wanderlust

Published on August 10, 2009 in Personal. 8 Comments Tags: .

Welcome to the new world! So this is what it feels like to have a .net or a .com place in the web. I finally felt that there’s a place for me somewhere Hehehe. Super thanks to Jehzlau Concepts for providing a home for this wandering blogger and for taking time in creating this space – although hindi ako nakakasali sa mga pa-contest nia (dahil sa sobrang dami ng mga subscribers ay hindi ako makasagot ng tama at lagi pang nauunahan). Anyways, this blog in particular will be a place where I can express myself and run freely – anything goes.

Now, why Palaboy? Wala lang. Gusto ko lang. Hehehe I just think it’s a great name for a site – since eto nga homeless ako sa internet. Now I got this great place, I can finally learn more and meet more people. Masaya kaya maging blogger! I know many people would agree with me hahahaha. Recalling my past blogging experiences – I can say they are all worth it and it was fun, self relieving and very entertaining.

Actually, just today – I got beaten up badly at work. I know it’s a bit odd to talk about it here syempre kasi first post ko sa new blog and here it is problema na agad ang nasalubong. But hey, this is what it means like for me to blog – express my ideas and thoughts di ba? Why did I get so beat up? Well, because something happened in my work that indirectly affected my performance – it’s somewhat program related and I know it’s something that I could have averted especially kung na-dobol check ko na. Pero alas, I was served with a very critical warning that could even lead to my termination. I was just fine for me to be given any written warning – but given in a degree of offense – Professionalism? OMG! I can’t take that – at first I was cool but when I thought hard about it – I just can’t really take the heat of being served of something so undignified. Man, come to think about it – I just got promoted last month to a supervisory position in recognition to my passion and hardwork – then someone will come to me and serve me with a warning on Professionalism, which is a bit harsh. Anyways, maybe this blog is a sign from God after all. I mean – it’s here right now and I am free to say anything in the free world.

Come to think of it, Palaboy suits a new tagline – free to roam the world, free to do anything, free of anything else, just me and the world. Astig di ba? Hahaha Joke lang. Again, special thanks to Jehzlau Concepts for giving this site. Welcome to Palaboy – I hope you enjoy my site and I’ll post again. Soon!