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Travel Blog: My Puerto Galera Island ExperiencePublished on 07:33am 11/21/2007 by orangetravel |
Defining hot spot!
This travel tip is part of my scout topic Swimming Resorts in the Philippines.
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1. Chapter: Water Adventures and Nature Trekking in Puerto Galera |
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Puerto Galera is one of the most favorite spots in the Philippines simply for one reason: the island has everything to offer. From nature trekking to beach exploring, Puerto Galera is ready to accommodate all of its visitors. Located at Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, this place boasts of its lush greenery and crystal clear waters. Let us first explore the beach side of the island. Imagine: vast blue ocean view, white waves rushing to the shore, schools of colorful fish, excellent beach sand, and orange sunset. Well with these images in mind, I have one word for you: Perfect! Yes, this is how perfect the Puerto Galera beach side is. It is just what every beach bum is looking for. This is also the main reason for all kinds of tourists to keep on coming back to this island. You can also do a lot of water adventures such as banana boat riding, diving, and snorkeling. If you have lots of money, you can do all of these three. But if you want an economical but enjoyable adventure like I did, go for snorkeling. Snorkeling allows you to explore the underwater beauty with lesser expenses. Don’t know how to swim? No worries! In snorkeling, you will use a lifejacket, goggles, and a breathing tool. All of these tools are comfortable to wear, so you don’t really have to worry about anything. Now, let us go to the other side of the island which is the greenery. If you are bored of the sea, you can explore Puerto Galera’s nature reserve. Puerto Galera is proud of its savannas, grasslands, mossy forests, dipterocarp forests, mangrove, and agroforestry systems. You can also find some animals such as tamaraws (Bubalus mindorensis) in this island. Oh just a bit of advice, all tourists must hire local tourist guides to avoid getting lost. Unless you want to travel alone and disappear amid the trees, you should believe me. Since the island’s greenery is rich, it has been tried to destroy by lots of illegal loggers. But, this island is a favorite of many people which is why the local government has made some efforts to protect the island’s greenery. Today, some nature reserve laws including the clean and green act are observed by local residents. So, be careful with your trash. If you don’t want to go far away from the beach but want to go nature trekking, you can either crawl in a small cave or climb a small hill—both of which lead to another beach resort. If you choose the small cave, be ready because it is too small that you will not be able to do other movements aside from crawling. If you choose the small hill, boost your stamina and be ready to reach the hilltop. Can you feel the excitement? Well if you do, what are you waiting for? You can call a travel agent now and have your reservation to Puerto Galera. But if you are still curious about the place, just send me a note. Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: beach-bum island-hopping nature-trekking economical-adventure |
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2. Chapter: Get to Puerto Galera Fast and Conveniently |
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Puerto Galera is a 23,200-hectare biosphere located in the northern area of Mindoro Island. It is surrounded by other beautiful spots such as the Verde Island in the north, the Camarong River in the west, the town of San Teodoro in the east, and Mount Baco and Mount Malasimbo in the south. But before you worry about travel time, know first how you can get there more easily and conveniently. If you are already in the Philippines, a ferryboat is the fastest and only way to get to Puerto Galera. From Manila, you must travel to Batangas Port for at least two hours. From your hotel or house, you can either get a taxi or hire Sikat and MV Super 85 Ferry and Bus Services to transport you directly to Batangas Port. To travel more economically, listen to my advice: take the taxi. But wait, there’s more! You can still reduce fare fees. Let’s say you are from Manila. Take a bus to Alabang Batangas Terminal. Then from there, take another bus to Batangas Port. There you go. You will arrive at a small airport-style terminal in Batangas where you can get a ferryboat to reach Puerto Galera. Once you are at the terminal, get a ticket for yourself as soon as possible because the ferryboats are not exclusive. Choose your travel schedule and ferryboat with prices ranging from 75PHP (1.74USD) to 350PHP (8.10USD) depending on your beach resort destination. Puerto Galera has three entry points: the Muelle Pier, Balatero Pier, and Sabang. The earliest boarding time to the island is 7:30 a.m. and the latest is 4:00 p.m. If any chance you miss the ferryboats, don’t worry! You can hire a banca or an outrigger boat for 3,500PHP (81.01USD) only. This boat can be exclusive, so it is recommended for group trips. However, this boat is limited up to 50 people only and it also follows the port schedule. I have tried both the ferryboat and the outrigger boat, and I really enjoyed the two rides. Both are fast and comfortable. But if you really want to have privacy, go for the latter. The best thing you can enjoy once you arrive in Puerto Galera is knowing where to go next. That is why you should know your beach resort destination before going to this place. Puerto Galera offers a wide range of beach resorts including the White Beach, Coco Beach, Big La Laguna, Small La Laguna, and more. If you know where to go, you will have lesser hassles in finding a room to stay in. Or better yet, have your reservation beforehand in your chosen beach resort. I’m telling you, if you don’t prefer to sleep on the sand like some of my friends did, get an accommodation beforehand. Aside from that, you must also choose a beach resort in advance so that you know what ferryboat to take. Each ferryboat has a specific port destination which can either be near or far from your intended hotel or beach resort. Truly, Puerto Galera is not any usual destination that you can reach simply by bus or train. You need to go through different kinds of ride before you reach this beach haven. But baby, I tell you! The travel blues and hassles will all be worth it once you get there. Trust me. Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: fast-ride transportation batangas-port boarding-time travel-fare |
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3. Chapter: White Beach |
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The most important matter that all travelers (or at least I) look for in a place is accessibility, and White Beach is simply the most accessible among all beach resorts in Puerto Galera. Different people who visit this place may have various reasons for liking this place. It offers clean waters, fine sand, exciting activities, affordable accommodation, and a panoramic ocean view. But to tell you the truth, these benefits are not everything for a traveler. Accessibility is still number one on the travel check list. That is why White Beach is the most sought-after destination in Oriental Mindoro. Transportation From Batangas Port, you can ride on a ferryboat heading directly to White Beach. If you have a car and have brought it to Batangas Port, you can leave your car in the port parking lot. Don’t worry! The parking lot is safe and you can leave your car there as long as you want. Trust me! My friend left his car there for three days, and it was still the same when we arrived from Puerto Galera. If you would ask me whether to bring a car or not, I suggest you bring one. That is, if you want to go home fast and conveniently after your Galera vacation. I’m telling you this because not all buses in Batangas Port are air-conditioned. So if you don’t like to ride an air-cool bus on the way to your hotel or home, bring your own car. Accommodation As soon as you arrive in White Beach, a lot of people will offer you a place to stay. If you don’t have a reservation, you can trust these people. Otherwise, go directly to the agent you have talked to. But let’s say you don’t have any reservation. Room prices in White Beach vary depending on location and air-condition. Rooms or houses near the beach can reach up to 4,000PHP during the peak season. But you can haggle for a little lower price. If the staff offers you 500PHP per person a night, take it. It’s already a reasonable price. You can still bargain for a cheaper price though. So, just try your bargain skills and use your charm. Who knows? You might find a way cheaper accommodation rate. But here’s the best idea. Since this place is a beach area, its temperature is naturally cold especially at night. So, no one needs an air-conditioned room actually. A plain electric fan or two will do. Other Activities The typical activities in White Beach are swimming, diving, snorkeling, and nature trekking. But, what if you get tired of those activities? Well, here are my tips for you. You can play table tennis, beach volleyball, or badminton with your friends. These sports are perfect for those who don’t want to get wet. Aside from these day activities, you can also enjoy your White Beach experience at night. If you want thrill, play Poker or other card games with your friends. If you are looking for excitement, go to the beach bar and meet new friends. There are lots of things to do in White Beach, so don’t limit yourself with what I have listed here. White Beach is truly one perfect destination for beach bummers and thrill seekers. Easy-to-find location, affordable accommodation, and fun activities—who would not want more from this place? Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: white-beach accessible-place clean-water affordable-accommodation |
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4. Chapter: Tips on Traveling to Puerto Galera |
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Puerto Galera is not like any typical travel destination. Yes, it has clear and cold sea. It has tall and fresh coconut trees. It has fine sand. It has cozy rooms, and so much more. But hey! How many times do you find a travel destination that has no ATM machines or internet cafes? Pre-Departure Tips Before you leave your house, be sure to have everything you need with you: toiletries, clothes, towels, medicine, and money. The most important matters among these needs are medicine and money. Some people have ailments but they don’t bother about them. This is a big NO-NO when you travel. Your safety totally depends on you because you know yourself more than anyone does. So if you have any ailment, be sure to always bring your medicine with you. Besides, Puerto Galera is located in an island. So, you can’t expect a convenient hospital that has complete facilities if ever something happens to you there. The next important matter is money. If you are from another country, make sure you go directly to a money changer when you arrive at the airport. I tell you, people will not accept your money unless it is in peso (PHP). More so, bring cold cash. Puerto Galera is a sophisticated rural place, and it is hard to find ATM machines around the area. Just make sure you keep your cash in a safe place; otherwise, you’ll be sorry. On Purchasing Ferryboat Tickets Ferryboat tickets to Puerto Galera can only be purchased at Batangas Port. I’m sorry to tell you but there are no online reservations available for these tickets. Getting tickets, however, is easy. When you arrive at the pier, go directly to this airport-style lobby. Choose your travel destination and schedule. Go to the booth that offers tickets for your chosen destination. Observe respect, so wait if there is a queue. That’s it! You can now buy tickets to Puerto Galera. Ticket prices range from 75PHP to 350PHP. And remember, buy from ticket booths only and not from just anybody. On Shopping Once you get to Puerto Galera, you will see lots of shopping kiosks that offer various finds. There are souvenir shirts, key chains, anklets, earrings, bracelets, mugs, or home decors. Shirts and home decors are the most expensive things to buy among those stuffs. Shirts range from 250PHP to 100PHP while home decors range from 300PHP to 100PHP. Anklets, bracelets, and earrings range from 20PHP to 10PHP, and mugs range from 100PHP to 50PHP depending on design. Aside from these things, you will also find sarongs, swimsuits, shorts, and beach toys in Puerto Galera. When I was there, I forgot to bring swimming shorts which I could wear in the beach. But thanks to the stores, I was able to buy one for as low as 50PHP. You know what’s the best tip on shopping in Puerto Galera? Always try to haggle until you get the best bargain. Remember, all prices can be cheaper. Finally, here’s the perfect advice when you are planning to go to Puerto Galera: be ready to take home a wonderful memory for the rest of your life. Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: tips atm-machines needs inexpensive-shopping |
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