The Philippines is a country gifted with great
beaches. The better known beaches are those found in Boracay and
Palawan. Another beach or resorts worth mentioning are those found on
the Mindoro’s northern part in the province of Oriental Mindoro. The
place is called Puerto Galera. It is locate south of Manila (130
kilometers south) and 14 nautical miles from Batangas City.
You
can go to Puerto Galera from Manila to Batangas using only land routes.
When you arrive on Batangas, you would then need to ride a ferry to
transport you. The ferry trip will be 1 to 2 hours long.
You have
two options to go to Puerto Galera, the cheaper way or the more
expensive way. The more expensive way is generally a faster way to get
there. The more expensive one will make you ride the MV Super 85 Ferry
and Sikat and Bus Services. Riding them is more expensive because they
have no stop-overs, board the passengers directly to the ferries and
are coasters or vans that are provided by the company.
The
cheaper transportation is the way of the commuter buses of BLTB, JAM
and TRITRAN which can be located at EDSA-Pasay, Taft Avenue near the
corner of Gil Puyat Avenue, and Buendia, respectively. The bus fares
will only range from P80 (non-air-conditioned) or P100
(air-conditioned). You will then ride a ferry to go to Puerto Galera
and later on would need to hire an outrigger boat that ranges from P2,
000 per banca.
When you arrive at Puerto Galera, there are
limitless activities to be done and places to go. You can go to the
Hidden Valley, the Mangyan Village, the Muelle Bay and the Tammaraw
waterfalls. The activities that can be done in Puerto Galera are
kayaking and golfing to name a few.
For people who are fascinated
by the marine life Puerto Galera also offers a variety of dive sites.
The following dive sites in Puerto Galera are the Coral Garden, The
Pink Wall, the Hill, the Hole in the Wall, the Manila Channel, La
Laguna Point, the Sabang point and wreck, the dungeon wall, the monkey
beach, Ernie’s cave, and many others.
A person who goes to Puerto
Galera can also find some nice souvenirs to bring home to. They can be
able to get the handicrafts that are made by the Mangyan to bring home
to their friends.
There are other interesting places to go to in
the Philippines. Don’t simply restrict yourself to the more popular
ones. The less popular places can also provide you with a memorable
experience.
John Grant has been living in the Philippines for 5 years and has travelled the country extensively. His online Philippines Travel Guide contains a wealth of information from Puerto Galera and other hot destinations in the Philippines.