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Puerto Galera, Philippines - Beauty Beyond Imagining!
   
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It was not until I had been given my first San Miguel that I
realised that this place was hot, humid and sticky. My first San
Mig didnt even touch the sides. I was back in Manila sitting at
the bar in the hotel, after dropping off my bag and putting all
my important documents in the safety deposit box. I took some
time to reflect on my first visit to this incredibly diverse
country.
When you discuss holiday destinations with people, the better
trodden paths are the ones most frequented, not many people I
know have traveled to the Philippines. Let me tell you, if you
enjoy tropical islands with white powdery sand merging into the
jungle on one side and then disappearing into the turquoise blue
water on the other, then this is the place for you! After all
there are 7,107 islands in the Philippines, take your pick!
The Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in
the world, which makes getting around so much easier. Tourism
has not really taken off like in neighboring Asian countries,
like Thailand and Malaysia and the infrastructure is not quite
there, which in a way makes it all the more exciting because
your holiday will become an adventure, it can drag you down at
times but once you arrive at your final destination the trip
getting there will be long forgotten.
My journey took me to the resort town of Puerto Galera on the
island of Mindoro. Puerto Galera is the port where Spanish
Galleons use to take refuge from the might of the typhoons.
Letting your imagination wonder a little as you glance around
the port, you can almost see the Spanish Galleons swinging on
their anchors. Puerto Galera has recently won the 2005 Most
Beautiful Bay in the World Award. It is easy to see why.
Getting to Puerto Galera
From Manila you need to take a bus to Batangas which takes
approximately three hours, depending on the time of day and
which day it is, the longest it has taken me was seven hours.
From Batangas which is south of the Philippine capital of Manila
you can catch a ferry across to Puerto Galera which is about an
hour to an hour and half. The trip to Batangas is pretty
uneventful, the real beauty starts when you get on the ferry.
The water is a deep cobalt blue, if you are lucky you may even
see dolphins, turtles and flying fish.
The Beaches
The majority of the resorts are centered around the beaches of
Sabang, Small La Laguna and Big la Laguna. Sabang is where most
of the action is, discos, pubs, restaurants and lots of
accommodation. The next beach along is Small La Laguna which has
more accommodation and the beach is quite nice. Make sure you
stop off at the Point Bar which separates Sabang from Small La
Laguna Beach the view is outstanding. Moving further away from
Sabang you come to, in my opinion, the pick of the beaches, Big
La Laguna Beach. The beach here is beautiful and it a lot
quieter than Sabang, with some superior accommodation.
What to do in Puerto Galera?
Fuel Prices
Well some are relieved that the fuel prices have come down a bit, I am one of them. However I remember when I was complaining about .....
Well some are relieved that the fuel prices have come down a bit, I am one of them. However I remember when I was complaining about .....
The main focus here is the water. Scuba diving and snorkeling
are the number one pursuits. The scuba diving is first class.
There is no swell so swimming is safe, as are other water
activities, sailing, windsurfing and kayaking.
Do try and get up to Ponderosa Golf Club for some jungle golf,
lots of fun. Trekking is also available and do combine the trek
to visit a Mangyan Village. Or you can just curl up on
the beach with a good book!
Back to Reality
Pondering over my icy cold San Miguel, my first two week stay in
these enchanted islands left me relaxed and ready to get back
into the rat race of modern society. My first trip seemed like
years ago, but I have visited and lived in this wonderful
country on and off for a decade.
About the author:
Brett Jankowiak is the owner of
http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com, Philippines
Travel Guide, his passion for the Philippines is
reflected in his writings and articles on his information based
website.