Hello Puerto Galera!

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. ~ André Gide

I made it a point every summer to travel and enjoy the beach. Although I don't know how to swim, I still find the sand and the sea very inviting. Perhaps, it is in the beach that I am able to pick-up pieces where I left off, like returning to the old me but getting better. I am one heck of a nature lover! I believe that summer is a perfect opportunity to bond with family and friends because it's not as busy as the other months.

One of the perks of my work is being able to reach places in CALABARZON (although I am not the type who's been awarded out of region seminars), I still believe that I am lucky because there's so much to see in the region and I am getting there free with allowances. Before summer ends, I want to set foot on another region I have never been. And it came true last May 1.

After almost a month of planning, rescheduling and almost cancelling it off, DC and I sailed to the Port of Galleons. Puerto Galera is located at Oriental Mindoro and is dubbed as one of the most beautiful bays in the world. It is one of the more budget-friendly destinations and because its accessible to Manila, it is a perfect place for weekend getaways.

There are several beaches in Puerto Galera, White Beach is the most popular among them. Affordable resorts and bars are in this stretch. Aninuan/Tamaraw Beach is home to only two resorts: Tamaraw Beach Resort and the luxurious Sunset at Aninuan Resort. Talipanan Beach is home to Mountain Beach Resort, Mariner's Resort, Bamboo Beach House, El Cañonero, Luca's lodge and restaurant and the newly built Infinity Resort. White Beach, Aninuan and Talipanan beach are in the same stretch separated by hills and boulders. Sabang Beach in Sabang Port is a haven for divers.

a - Ticketing booth of Minolo Shipping Lines at Batangas Port;
b - While waiting to board the ferry;
c  & d - Boarding Golden Falcon,; e & f - Pictures at the ferry-boat;
g - The view from where we are during the trip;
and h - Puerto Galera Yacht Club at Sabang Pier

From Santa Rosa City, we rode a van to Batangas Port. Travel time is approximately 2  hours. We bought roundtrip tickets at Minolo Shipping Lines for 500Php. Be sure to confirm your RT tickets a day before your departure. At 10:45 am, we boarded the Golden Falcon and arrived at White Beach at past 12 in the afternoon. This is my first ferry-boat ride, and because I don't know how to swim, this by far is the longest 1 hour and 30 minutes ride of my life. 

While waiting for the shuttle, DC had her henna done.

At White Beach, we waited for the shuttle that would take us to Tamaraw Beach Resort. DC had her henna done, afterwards, we walked in front of one of the resorts near the sandbar where we waited. Within 5-10 minutes, the shuttle arrived and after less than 5 minutes we reached TBR.


Here are the reasons why I opted to book in Tamaraw Beach Resort in Aninuan: 

• It's beachfront. 
• It has a swimming pool.
• It is quiet because there are no bars in the stretch, but White Beach is just a boulder away in case we want to enjoy the night.
• The majestic Puerto Galera sunset is seen here, which is highly favorable for a sunset chaser like me.

Tamaraw Beach Resort at Aninuan Beach Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro

The view from the balcony. Paradise indeed! 

After checking in at Tamaraw Beach Resort, we headed to Luca to have our lunch. (See post here.) After eating at Luca, we agreed to discover the way back to the resort by walking (DC and I also agreed that if there's really no way to reach the resort by walking along the shore, we will walk to the main road to ride a tricycle or text the kind driver who brought us to Luca a while ago). Along the road before reaching the hill and boulders that separates Talipanan and Aninuan, we saw some abandoned resorts and dilapidated structures. We reached the hill that separates Talipanan and Aninuan beach, thanks to the kind locals who showed us the way and for designing the pathway.

Resorts and dilapidated structures along Talipanan beach

Trekking, this is part of the fun

In the stretch of Aninuan beach, if you're coming from Talipanan side, there's an area of vast shore with glistening sand that is not occupied by any resort. From what I have learned by reading other blogs, that is the Ayala property that houses the Mangyan Village.

In front of the Ayala property in Aninuan beach

Walking further an amazing sight will greet you, it is in Aninuan where fresh water meets salt water.

It was almost 4:30 in the afternoon when we arrived at the resort, we went to our room to charge batteries and freshen up then we went to the beach to witness and enjoy the breathtaking Puerto Galera sunset. 

Sunset at Puerto Galera
Taken: May 01, 2013

Girls just wanna have fun! 

After enjoying the sunset we dipped into the infinity pool before having our dinner. It was 7 in the evening when we ordered our food in the hotel's restaurant (If I'm not mistaken, it closes at 8:00 pm); we availed of the free wi-fi and arranged our complementary breakfast while waiting for the food. Because we had some pasta and pizza leftover from Luca, we decided to eat in the balcony of our room (we were at the Superior Room in the third floor) and enjoyed the sounds of the gushing waves.

The following day, we woke up early to catch the sunrise at White Beach. Before breakfast, we strolled around the resort and walked up to the Ayala property. After breakfast, we bummed in the beach. 

Activities before heading back home.

It was past 12 in the afternoon when we checked out of the hotel. Together with fellow guests, we rode the shuttle going to White Beach. We went to buy some souvenirs before boarding the ferry that will take us back to Batangas Port. We arrived at Batangas Port at almost 2:30 pm, the waves were going crazy when we docked in the port, it felt like we were in a swing. We rode a bus going to Alabang and alight at Turbina in Calamba; we rode the jeepney going to Balibago Complex. At 5:00 pm, we were home.

It was an overnight of fun and relaxation! Next time around I will enjoy other activities like island hopping and visit Tamaraw Falls and Hidden Paradise, hopefully. I believe that traveling will make me gain new perspectives and mold me into someone better.  I will also make sure that I do not just get to enjoy the usual, rather, explore and discover the beauty that lies hidden in these places. La bella vita indeed!

Here's to more adventures ahead!