Puerto Galera was a blast! But getting there was such a pain. Pfft. For everyone who wants to go to the beach this summer, specifically at Puerto Galera, here are some tips.

Travel Tips for “Puerto Galera”:

1. Your budget must at least be Php2000 plus emergency cash.
2. Book a place to stay at least 3 weeks ahead to avoid getting overpriced rooms with a manager who takes advantage of the season and billing everything that could be free. LIKE DRINKING WATER!
3. Speaking of water, you must bring enough drinking water because you will truly get dehydrated. Soft drinks cost too much. 1.5L of Coke is priced at Php60 which should only be Php36. While bottled water is at Php40 which should only be Php25.
4. If from Manila, go ride Alps buses that pass along EDSA. They can take you to Batangas pier an hour faster.
5. Do not ride M/V Brian to Puerto Galera. Their vessel was late for an hour and a half! To make matters worse, the vessel we rode isn’t even theirs, both to and from Puerto Galera. Argh..
6. Bring your own breakfast. Yep, food costs too much as well. We brought our own breakfast. Easy to cook hotdogs, eggs and canned goods; bread, mayo and cheese. Your budget for lunch and dinner must at least be Php100/meal.
7. Travel light if it’s just an overnighter. 1 bag should fit all!

Like I said, getting there was a nightmare! We rode a bus at Jam Transit at 8am on Saturday, April 14. We expected to be at the pier by 10:30am at the most, but we arrived at 11:15am, not bad, really. We were stuck in traffic for a little while, and it felt like the driver was driving really slow.

When we got to the pier, a lot of locals will offer you a ride to Mindoro. We wanted to get to a boat as early as possible because we’re all hungry and it’s lunchtime already. A man from M/V Brian told us that most of the boats are fully booked and their earliest available trip is for 12nn. We actually bought two-way tickets from them. By 11:45am, we were all anxious to board the boat, but the man by the door said that M/V Brian hasn’t arrived yet and they will announce if it has arrived.

At 12nn, we were all wondering what’s taking so long, so Kat and Ian went to the ticketing booth so many times to get an update, until we finally heard the announcement that our trip was delayed for 15 minutes, and it’s already 12:30pm! We finally boarded the boat by 1pm, yep, our trip was delayed for an hour! I noticed that the vessel wasn’t even Brian’s, it was M/V Willem. But I didn’t care since I just wanted to get to Puerto Galera and eat lunch!

When we arrived at White Beach Puerto Galera, we were welcomed by Edna, the agent I contacted to find us a place to stay. I was expecting to stay at HSL Beach Resort, but since they prioritize the clients who book their resort, we were placed at Sheryll’s Inn. Man! Was it a nightmare?! She charges extra for everything! Well, the place is clean and the rooms are nice. But it was way expensive for Php3,500/night. The extra mattress they offered for free on the phone cost Php500 when we arrived! WTF?! Oh, the mattress never came. Ugh. If you want to extend your stay, they charge Php300/hr. Ohmymy… So I told the lady that the extra Php500 for the mattress that never came will be used for the 3hr extension we had. If only we booked a place 3 weeks earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.

But basically, the 2 days at the beach was great. It’s fun to be around friends, and it’s refreshing to dip in the cold water under the super hot sun. When we went snorkeling, I was jellyfished (there such a word?). Right now, I have lots of red marks on my legs. It’s very itchy. We also had fun riding the Banana boat, though it left me a sore head from the fall…

The 1 night was also great. ETC’s Sexiest event was held there, together with Infinit’s launch of their new margarita drinks. So on both ends of the beach, there were things to watch. We settled near the Infinit’s event, since there was a loud club chill out music. There was a live DJ and some girl dancers who performed a short production number. Then after dinner, we just sat by the shore and swapped stories and enjoyed the cold air plus sand on our feet.

Fun activities you can do in Puerto Galera:

1. Snorkeling. We spent Php160/head for a ride to the beautiful coral reefs of the island. We saw a lot of exotic fishes and amazingly huge corals! Too bad I don’t have an underwater camera…
2. Banana Boat. A thrill above water. Riding this long and yellow banana-looking floater is fun. But be careful when you hit the water. I was hit in the head the first time we hit the water. Yep, you’re going to be thrown off the water deliberately!
3. Swimming. Duh.
4. Bar-hopping. In White Beach, there are lots of bars where you can chill out. This is another option at Puerto Galera at night time.
5. Get a massage. Imagine lying flat on your stomach on the beach with 2 experienced masseurs massaging your entire body… Hmm… heaven!
6. Diving. There are resorts that actually offer diving lessons. Try Mabuhay Dive.

Of course we have pictures! I posted them at my Multiply account.