Puerto del Sol, Bolinao Pangasinan
A couple of years ago, my cousins got infected by me. No not the kind that kills you. I once took them to this exploratory mountain climb up the mountains of Bicol, 60 percent of which involved rock climbing and hopping barefoot, took them scuba diving and snorkelling (tama ba spelling?). They lived in Pangasinan and that experience prompted them to find nice adventure sites up North. I'll write more about our Hundred Islands Adventure as soon as I locate the pictures.What and Where: Some websites, are dramatic about their description with regards to Puerto del Sol. To quote...
"the rustic appeal of a beautiful town rich in culture and steep in history...its verdant shelters breathtaking waterfalls and mystic caves...the crystal clear waters of the South China Sea is lined with golden-white sands that sparkle under the tropic sun...and its people.."
I'd say, if you want to really feel the town, don't go to puerto as it by far, not rustic. It is very modern and beautiful, but if you want to "rough it out", you could go to the White Rock Beach Resort which is basically just cottages. It would do well with your budget but then if you have the means, please go and visit Puerto del Sol.
Unlike some of the beaches in Pangasinan like San Fabian whose sand is black and is quite the angry ocean, bolinao beach is very calm, and though it is not as white as Amanpulo's, it is still very beautiful.
How to get there: Bus ride from Pasay that says "Bolinao". I however, recommend that before you go here, go spend the morning at the Hundred Islands then after having your fill of s snorkelling around the giant clams, and avoiding jelly fishes, you could then go to Bolinao by dinner time, and relax your tired muscles at their jacuzzi. Why go there? Well, the jacuzzi is one reason. Their accomodation is great. Security is okay as every hour or so a guard roams the whole place. It's not that big, but it gives you your privacy. I like the fact that the bar is located right on the center of the pool. They also have kayaks and boats for the person who likes more than sunbathing.
Housing: I think they have three kinds, I stayed on the "bahay kubo" which is enough for a group of five or six persons. There's one big room upstairs. Clean bathroom, not likely to infect anyone who comes in.
The feel: Imagine being stuck in EDSA at 2 in the afternoon in a cramped FX with failing aircon and then suddenly someone teleports you to a shade, offers you a hammock by the ocean, sunglasses to minimize the glare of the golden white sand, gives you the best halo halo and then fans you? This is the feel I got.
Pricing: About 5 to 9 thousand pesos per room. Not bad. Food price: Go figure, they sell a can of coke for 55 pesos. But then you could always go out of Puerto del Sol and cook food outside. Remember, this is the area where the best Lukban longganisas are.
Conclusion: This is worth your vacation time. I rate it around three ipods.
