Puerto Galera for a night

It was a fiery 40-degree-Celsius Manila on a Sunday morning, but this couldn't stop us from getting to our long-awaited summer vacation! Along with two of my favorite buddies, Chloe and Kristine, the three of us eagerly hit the road for another rowdy, steaming destination: Puerto Galera!

 

Map of the several islets of Puerto Galera

 

Located in the exotic small town of Mindoro in Southern Luzon, Puerto Galera is one of the most-visited tourist spots in the Philippines by thousands of locals and foreigners each month. It is one of the easiest beach access from Manila, with at least 90 minutes of travel by bus going to Batangas Pier (especially on Sundays), and another 90-minute boat ride going straight to the island. There are many spots in Puerto Galera to choose from, but White Beach is one of the most-popular because of its lively people, colorful small resorts, and wild bars and restaurants.

From JAC Liner in Buendia Manila, we took a bus going to Batangas Pier that cost us 167 pesos each. (about 4 USD) Next, we took a two-way-boat-ride ticket that cost 500 pesos per person. (almost 10 USD). When we were just a few more minutes away the destination, we watched and took pictures of the beautiful small islands as seen from the windows of our boat. Finally, we arrived to the shore where the facade displayed a wide range of white sand, a row of colorful resorts that looked like small houses, and tan-colored people enjoying the turquoise blue sea.

There was an entrance fare that cost Php50 per person for the environmental maintenance. We were escorted by the hotel staff towards our checked-in resort house called "Sea Jewel Beach Resort". It was a simple two-floor yellow-colored building just behind White Beach Resort. This rest house was simple yet comfortable, complete with an air-conditioned room, private bath and toilet with hot and cold shower, and towels. And since it was Sunday, Puerto Galera was not too crowded which was perfect for anyone who wanted some privacy.    

We took lunch at a fancy Filipino restaurant called "Aurio's", where we ordered my favorite chicken curry (200 pesos, almost 5 USD), a stick of chicken kebabs (150 pesos, about 4 USD), mango crepe (160 pesos, about 4 USD), and mango shakes (70 pesos each, about 2 USD). Kristine and I were so hungry that we ate all the chicken curry and two cups of rice!

After lunch, we went back to the hotel for check-in. The official check-in started at 1pm and check-out time on the next day was at 11am, for a package of 1,513 pesos each for three people (about 35 USD). That included the overnight stay, boat transfers that we took this morning, and breakfast. We took some nap because it had been a hot, tiring day. Afterwards Kristine and I went outside to take a view of the beach and bought some souvenirs. We took the colorful shirts worth 100 pesos each (about 2 USD), and cute key chains about 20 pesos each, depending on the designs.

At about 3pm we went back to the hotel to check on my sister. We wore our bikinis and spent the rest of the day swimming at the beach. In the early night, we lingered along the row of restaurants and chose a candlelit table next to a stage with colorful moving disco lights. We heard there was a presentation on that evening on the same spot. An hour later, a couple of gay entertainers walked near the shore and performed their amazing fire dances. Their talents drew a large crowd and not later, the stage was filled with more gay performers! They wore skimpy, shiny outfits and lip-synced several songs like "Just Stand Up!" by Beyonce Knowles, "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys, and more. Soon, the evening was occupied with gay people everywhere, "stalking" foreigners and handsome locals. I think it was time to call it a night.

The next day, the three of us got up at 5am to bathe and prepare for the pictorial at Talipanan Beach. This place was just next to White Beach, along the rocky edge. Kristine and I took the trek and got there after 15 minutes. Unlike White Beach, Talipanan Beach was more peaceful and isolated. There were only a number of resorts but they were classy and pricey. There was almost nobody in that place and we thought it was the perfect place to take model shots!

Kristine and me, posing along the rocky path going to Talipanan Beach

Talipanan Beach, Photo by partoftime

We ended our weekend with an Italian pizza for lunch, and a huge glass of halo-halo, the Philippines' favorite summer dessert. It's composed of sweet beans, jellies, shredded coconut strips, flan, ube (purple yam), langka (jack fruit) topped with a generous amount of shaved ice and flavored with evaporated milk. We took the same boat ride back to the port, and the bus going back home.

 

Lunch at Verde Divers Pizzeria

It was a short, but splendid weekend for the three of us. In fact, I wish we had spent two nights to enjoy it longer. I have visited White Beach for the 5th time since 2010, and I am not yet over it!