Melo Villareal asked:

For sand and sun lovers, food lovers, party lovers and for people who wants to fall in-love, Puerto Galera gives you the easiest access to a perfect summer getaway. This island is deeply scalloped with snorkeling spots and coves edged in powdery white sand, the islands inviting coastline will give you a charming atmosphere you always dreamed of.

Situated on the northern peninsula of Mindoro island, approximately 160km from Manila, Puerto Galera (Port of Galleon) was an excellent port for Spanish Galleons seeking refuge from heavy storms and typhoons. Now that the Galleon days are over, the island become a world class diving spot and a perfect get away for anyone who shows interest in outdoor activities. Trekking high up over the sea-front hills shows vistas of sandy cove after sandy cove fading into the horizon. But the greatest attraction of this island cannot be seen from here. More than twenty world-class dive sites await those willing to put their heads under water, and the nationalities of the diving instructors reflect the main visitors; Americans, Europeans and Australians tend to dominate the diving stations around Puerto Galera. The cost of vacationing and diving is as good as it gets and beginners can qualify inexpensively on a three-day course. The scuba diving season in Puerto Galera is year-round, and going under water can be a good way to escape any rain.

The Trip

It was early morning of Thursday when I left Manila to catch up with the first trip to Puerto Galera via Batangas Port. It has been always in my plan to travel during evening for long trips and early morning for short trips, practically to avoid the traffic in the metropolis. Upon reaching White Beach, it took me fifteen minutes to reach New Encenada Beach Resort, located at Sitio Pandangan, the resort offers a different Puerto Galera experience, no beach vendors, no roving masseurs, only turquoise waters nestled in the famous encenada cove. Unspoiled and uncrowded, Endcenada Beach Resort is the place to get away from it all. The beach here, arguably the best in Puerto Galera, is almost one hectare of nice designed cottages, dive shop, restaurant, souvenir shop and beach volleyball court. Encenada means a protected place; true to its name, the beach itself is a complete island destination where you can be treated like a god.

On the second day, I met Joey, the jolly and gay all around majordomo of the resort, he brought me to the poblacion by a fifteen-minute walk by the seashore. The resort staff’s are all nice, a living proof of the famous Filipino hospitality. The place is more of a garden and the beach is just another unusual surprise. Imagine a sunrise in a beautiful veranda, surrounded by various species of palm trees and colorful flora that gives a vista of a beautiful and exotic hideaways, truly; stumbling upon this beach was serendipity at its finest. Now tell me, who needs the Caribbean?

The New Encenada Beach Resort may not be a five-star resort but its ambiance is more of a home, giving you the feel of being in Boracay a couple of decades ago. No noisy night bars, no internet but mobile phone connections are excellent. During night, the overlooking veranda type of restaurant offers not so expensive freshly cooked local foods. There are 42 rooms available, composed of ten nipa hut and thirty-two concrete cottages located in the main building. For underwater explorers, there is an in-house dive shop with professional dive instructors to guide you to the coral gardens just of shore and in the marine reserve of Varadero Bay. If you like island hopping you can hire a motorized banca and explore the nearby beaches or you may walk along the beach to reach the town center for gift shops, internet cafes and a couple of restaurants.

On my third day, I met Christina Fuentebella, the charming owner of the resort. She managed the resort for almost fifteen years in partnership with an Australian lawyer. She prepared me a jigger of “Mindoro Sling”, their in-house specialty mixed drink, thus heaven begins. Live acoustic bands are performing in the restaurant every Friday and Saturday night, singing romantic love songs and reggae, a la Jamaica nights. On my last evening I’m beginning to love the place like a home, walking around the shore alone sounds lonely with the crystalline night sky like a trespassing constellation. The stars are thick upon my head. I’ve spent the entire trip by myself, it’s all about resting like you never did before, and the serene coolness that comes with being alone but not lonely has settled into my body. I’ve stopped listening and observing my mobile phone, and even though I’m wandering in completely different environment, I feel no danger. Still, if I were part of a honeymooner couple right now, I’d head right off this secret cove and sneak onto the beach to re-create another travel tale, this time more romantic. Oh well, next time.

Getting There

More economical are the commercial buses of BLTB, JAM and TRITRAN. Bus terminals can be found in Cubao, and in Buendia in Pasay City. Schedules of these buses are quite erratic, but the earliest bus usually leaves at 6AM and every hour from then on (depending on the volume of passengers). Fare on these buses range from Php 80 to 100 depending on whether it is a regular or an air-con bus.

At the Batangas City Pier, there is a wide selection of ferries going to Puerto Galera, depending on which port guests intend to enter. (There are three main entry points to Puerto Galera by way of its port facilities: Muelle Pier, Balatero Pier, and Sabang Beach).

Where to Stay

http://www.encenada.com

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com

One of the fastest growing of all water sports in the world today appears to be scuba diving.

The corresponding growth in increased and easier to use transportation links now makes the more obscure and hard to get to diving locations now much more within the reach of the average diver.

In this article I really want to take a basic look at Scuba diving but also take a look at one of the world’s leading scuba diving locations in Grand Bahama Island.

The activity of swimming underwater whilst using a scuba set is not unsurprisingly known as Scuba Diving. By carrying and using an independent source of compressed air, Divers are able to stay underwater for much longer than they would normally be able to.Scuba equipment gives divers the ability to stay underwater for periods way in excess of normal usage.

The additional advantage to all of this as far as the diver is concerned is that it frees them up from being hindered and attached to some form of surface powered air system.

It is more common to see scuba divers propelling themselves around underwater by the usage of flippers on their feet. That having been said it is not uncommon for divers who are undertaking large scale explorations’ to actually use a DPV (Diver propulsion vehicle). Commonly known as a scooter divers occasionally use sleds which are attached to surface boats to help them with moving large distances.

The original equipment from which modern day scuba equipment was developed came from the use of oxygen rebreathers developed and sued by US Navy frogmen in World War II.Most people now recognize the term as being made popular by the equipment developed by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan.

For the technically correct amongst us the term SCUBA is actually an acronym for the phrase “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus” but as with other technical phrases such as the word “laser”, the term scuba has now entered into normal linguistic usage and usually refers to scuba equipment, scuba diving etc.

So to Grand Bahama Island. The reputation of Grand Bahama Island as a diver’s paradise has been growing ever since the earliest episodes of the TV Series “Sea Hunt” were filmed there.The seas around the Island boast elaborate coral gardens, a whole series of speciality dives, deep sites, cave diving and in fact a whole series of different dives.

Grand Bahama Island is of course also famous for its “blue holes” – these are spectacular azure portals in the reefs through which you can descend, surrounded by reef wall on all sides. Depending on which way the current is going at any one time these holes can be “blowing” or “sucking” and the currents here can be quite strong and as a result quite dangerous if you are not an experienced diver.

The geographical sub structure on which the Island is based is a massive limestone base and tied into this is also one of the other major reasons why people flock to this area of the world for diving and that is the massive underwater cave network that exists here.

The underwater cave network that is located by and large within the Lucayan National Park is the second largest of its type in the world.

The caves are still being explored, and there are numerous special dive programs that can take you into them (provided you are cave certified).

As a diver, I am always looking for a perfect place to dive, but doesn’t burn a hole in my pockets as well. I want a good place with good facilities, comfortable accommodation, good weather, good scenery and good food plus good security.

You know where I have found the place? Right in the island of Borneo on the Northern tip. The place is Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai and Mataking islands on the Celebes Sea.

Up north you have the Sulu sea where you have Langkayan island and to the West, you have the pristine waters of the South China Sea. Three vast seas in one trip. Beautiful spots, lots of interesting marine life, big pelagic fishes and action or if you prefer the muck diving, exploring for the vast variety of critters in the ocean floor .

I am a calculative person, meaning I would work my budget out and exploit to the maximum. I am taught to get maximum out from minimum at the work place and this is the principle I applied. Maximum from minimum resources! Traveling to Malaysia and reaching the state of Sabah, there is a certain sum of money being spent, right? If you have traveled half the world to reach this place, you would want to explore as many diving sites as you want. The beautiful part in this place is that the four sites are quite near to each other. The experience is unique in each one though.

For example, at Sipadan, it is big fish action, the Barracuda, Turtles, sharks and rays. At Mabul and Kapalai, it is the macro life on the ocean floor, the weird critters you have never seen before.

It is unique to be staying on houses built on stilts over the sea. Where do you get to sit on your balcony and by looking down at the water below, you can watch the antics of the Mantis Prawn? This is one unique place. And the conversion of currency is USD1 gives you RM3.4 (Ringgit Malaysia). A can of coke cost you about USD50cents. So how about that for spending power at this place?

There are a number of dive resorts with PADI status at these dive paradise. The renting of diving equipment is a bargain compared to other places I have visited.

And getting to Sabah is easy as the capital city Kota Kinabalu is well connected to major airlines from USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Bangkok, Macau, Shanghai, Australia and Kuala Lumpur.

Like all adventure journeys, our Babuyan island quest has never been that easy. About fourteen hours land trip from Manila to Aparri and four hours boat ride to Camiguin Island. But admit it. There are adventures of the mind just as there are adventures of the body, and summer vacation offers the perfect opportunity to tune up your alternative travel skills and challenge yourself to an on-the-edge adventure experiencing the less traveled part of the archipelago – “The Babuyanes”.

Every seasoned extreme traveler has a hallucination story. It’s all about sacrifice but heaven is when you conquer any adventurous journey that you are aiming. The adventure started when nine different individuals meet in a bus station in Manila for the start of their Babuyan Island Quest. It was like the “Survivor Series”, the team was composed of nine adventure seekers with various professional backgrounds, all in one goal. Upon reaching the port of Camiguin in Brgy. Balatubat, Jun – the team leader immediately went to the Barangay Office to ask for possible assistance, luckily in a short while the local officials offered us the beachfront “casitas” for our accommodation.

On our second day, we left Camiguin Island to do some island hopping and whale watching before heading to Babuyan Claro. Watching a whale dive is simply awesome. They simply grab your attention, and then the silent way its slides down into the water. There was a genuine sense of loss when the whales disappear. Babuyan’s biggest and most beloved visitor – the Humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) are arriving during summer for their annual winter holiday, marking the start of whale watching season in the islands. Humpback whales are migrating from Alaska each year to breed and calve in Babuyan’s warm coastal waters, one of the Philippines marine sanctuary dedicated to whales and their habitat. Surveys by the WWF-Philippine’s Humpback Whale Research and Conservation Project over the last four years counted more than 36 individual Humpback whales in the waters of Fuga, Calayan and Batanes. The project group has been working in the area since 2000 when the local WWF confirmed the presence of the whales.

The humpback whale is one of the more energetic species of its kind, known in particular for its fantastic displays of jumping out of the water (breaching), flipper slapping, and lob tailing (arching just beneath the surface so the fluke, or tail, rises out of the water as the body descends). During mating season, they are also known for the complex and haunting “songs” that the males use to attract females. These songs can last for hours, and research has shown that although there are certain patterns that repeat in many of them, the males often improvise variations that make each song unique. Humpback feed on small crustaceans called krill, which they strain out of the water by forcing large amounts of seawater through their baleen, a series of fringed overlapping plates located in the jaw in the place where teeth would normally be found.

Its almost four hours in the sea before we finally reached the Fuga Island, a long island with never ending stretch of white sand and coral beaches. It was already 2pm so we decided to have a stopover to have our lunch. The head boatmen told us that its impossible for us to head to Babuyan Claro by that time so we just stayed in the island. The night was totally dark and cold so we roam around to find driftwoods for our campfire. It’s an exciting race; laughter’s and fun echo everywhere, from naughty to creepy stories, everybody is listening until wee hours of the morning.

Eyes were bit sored, temper where short, and fatigue was etched on everyone’s face – and I’m just talking about the journalists. Almost 4am when we left the island, still aiming to reach the Babuyan Claro. The breeze was exceptionally cold as we sail to the northern part of the islands. The waves are getting bigger as we reach the open sea, nobody knows that there was a cold front because of the islands lack of communication facilities. Some of us still managed to laugh, purposely to ease the stress and fear of the gigantic waves. It was like having the whitewater rafting in Kalinga and surfing in Siargao all at the same time. But who’s to blame? Its part of the adventure, even the strong fishermen’s are not sailing every Good Friday to follow the old beliefs that traveling is not safe during this special Lenten day. The adrenalin pumping waves was gone when we reached the Camiguin cove, we thought that it’s the end of our adventure, but the truth is it was just the beginning.

The third day was our turn to smile, we may have failed to conquer the three remaining islands but we still always have the “next time”. We may say that we are the real “survivors” because this time we are not guided by a script nor a series of reality-based obstacles but instead a true to life exhilarating adventure. It was a sunny morning; everybody was prepared for the beach hopping and dolphin watching. Halfway to the fronting Pamuktan Island, we already saw a couple of jolly dolphins, performing handful of show offs. As we sail around the island, dolphins are just coming out from the waters. The playful dolphins delighted everybody. We had some snorkeling right in the beach shore and then we head back to Camiguin for some bird watching and nature tripping. Ah! This is life.

The Babuyan group of islands is composed of five islands north of Aparri. All of the islands have small Ilokano communities. Phone lines and mobile phones are unheard and only few settlers have electricity powered by gasoline-supplied generators.

The province of Cagayan is bounded by the mountain ranges of Sierra Madre on the east extending up to the beaches of the coastal towns, on the south is Isabela province, on the west is the Cordillera Mountain and on the north by the Balintang, Babuyanes and the China Sea. The Babuyan group of islands which include Calayan, Dalupiri, Fuga, Camiguin and Babuyan Claro is about fifty nautical miles north of Aparri. There are no luxury resorts in these islands and no regular ferries but the trip here with all its inconvenience is well worth the effort.

Whether whale watching or discovering a great beach destination is your goal, Babuyan Group of Island offers a lot for the active traveler.

Babuyan Island adventure is all about dreaming a vacation after it was over. It gives you a never-ending discovery, almost impossible to forget.

The experience maybe unforgiving but truly it was a walk to remember.

Melo Villareal asked:

For sand and sun lovers, food lovers, party lovers and for people who wants to fall in-love, Puerto Galera gives you the easiest access to a perfect summer getaway. This island is deeply scalloped with snorkeling spots and coves edged in powdery white sand, the islands inviting coastline will give you a charming atmosphere you always dreamed of.

Situated on the northern peninsula of Mindoro island, approximately 160km from Manila, Puerto Galera (Port of Galleon) was an excellent port for Spanish Galleons seeking refuge from heavy storms and typhoons. Now that the Galleon days are over, the island become a world class diving spot and a perfect get away for anyone who shows interest in outdoor activities. Trekking high up over the sea-front hills shows vistas of sandy cove after sandy cove fading into the horizon. But the greatest attraction of this island cannot be seen from here. More than twenty world-class dive sites await those willing to put their heads under water, and the nationalities of the diving instructors reflect the main visitors; Americans, Europeans and Australians tend to dominate the diving stations around Puerto Galera. The cost of vacationing and diving is as good as it gets and beginners can qualify inexpensively on a three-day course. The scuba diving season in Puerto Galera is year-round, and going under water can be a good way to escape any rain.

The Trip

It was early morning of Thursday when I left Manila to catch up with the first trip to Puerto Galera via Batangas Port. It has been always in my plan to travel during evening for long trips and early morning for short trips, practically to avoid the traffic in the metropolis. Upon reaching White Beach, it took me fifteen minutes to reach New Encenada Beach Resort, located at Sitio Pandangan, the resort offers a different Puerto Galera experience, no beach vendors, no roving masseurs, only turquoise waters nestled in the famous encenada cove. Unspoiled and uncrowded, Endcenada Beach Resort is the place to get away from it all. The beach here, arguably the best in Puerto Galera, is almost one hectare of nice designed cottages, dive shop, restaurant, souvenir shop and beach volleyball court. Encenada means a protected place; true to its name, the beach itself is a complete island destination where you can be treated like a god.

On the second day, I met Joey, the jolly and gay all around majordomo of the resort, he brought me to the poblacion by a fifteen-minute walk by the seashore. The resort staff’s are all nice, a living proof of the famous Filipino hospitality. The place is more of a garden and the beach is just another unusual surprise. Imagine a sunrise in a beautiful veranda, surrounded by various species of palm trees and colorful flora that gives a vista of a beautiful and exotic hideaways, truly; stumbling upon this beach was serendipity at its finest. Now tell me, who needs the Caribbean?

The New Encenada Beach Resort may not be a five-star resort but its ambiance is more of a home, giving you the feel of being in Boracay a couple of decades ago. No noisy night bars, no internet but mobile phone connections are excellent. During night, the overlooking veranda type of restaurant offers not so expensive freshly cooked local foods. There are 42 rooms available, composed of ten nipa hut and thirty-two concrete cottages located in the main building. For underwater explorers, there is an in-house dive shop with professional dive instructors to guide you to the coral gardens just of shore and in the marine reserve of Varadero Bay. If you like island hopping you can hire a motorized banca and explore the nearby beaches or you may walk along the beach to reach the town center for gift shops, internet cafes and a couple of restaurants.

On my third day, I met Christina Fuentebella, the charming owner of the resort. She managed the resort for almost fifteen years in partnership with an Australian lawyer. She prepared me a jigger of “Mindoro Sling”, their in-house specialty mixed drink, thus heaven begins. Live acoustic bands are performing in the restaurant every Friday and Saturday night, singing romantic love songs and reggae, a la Jamaica nights. On my last evening I’m beginning to love the place like a home, walking around the shore alone sounds lonely with the crystalline night sky like a trespassing constellation. The stars are thick upon my head. I’ve spent the entire trip by myself, it’s all about resting like you never did before, and the serene coolness that comes with being alone but not lonely has settled into my body. I’ve stopped listening and observing my mobile phone, and even though I’m wandering in completely different environment, I feel no danger. Still, if I were part of a honeymooner couple right now, I’d head right off this secret cove and sneak onto the beach to re-create another travel tale, this time more romantic. Oh well, next time.

Getting There

More economical are the commercial buses of BLTB, JAM and TRITRAN. Bus terminals can be found in Cubao, and in Buendia in Pasay City. Schedules of these buses are quite erratic, but the earliest bus usually leaves at 6AM and every hour from then on (depending on the volume of passengers). Fare on these buses range from Php 80 to 100 depending on whether it is a regular or an air-con bus.

At the Batangas City Pier, there is a wide selection of ferries going to Puerto Galera, depending on which port guests intend to enter. (There are three main entry points to Puerto Galera by way of its port facilities: Muelle Pier, Balatero Pier, and Sabang Beach).

Where to Stay

http://www.encenada.com

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com