Bolinao, Pangasinan (November 2014)

Patar Beach (c)FayeHusena

This is a late blog post about our lovely trip to Bolinao, Pangasinan. It was supposed to be a group getaway but unfortunately our friends backed out. Nonetheless, I had this feeling that my boyfriend and I should still go even if we have to travel by bus. I made a good decision, indeed! Our trip to Bolinao was one of the best trips of my life!!! (The trip happened last November 29-30, 2014)

How we went there:

There are several bus lines that go straight to Bolinao, Pangasinan. We decided to ride via Five Star in Cubao. One way trip costs P490+ per person. We were able to ride at around 6:00am but since it was a weekend, seats were almost full and we sat at different areas of the bus. (Good thing, the guy seated beside me loaded off at the first stop over. Yey! I couldn’t have enjoyed the five hour trip if I wasn’t seated beside the person I know.) Anyway, we arrived at the Five Star terminal in Bolinao almost 11am.

Passed by the Church of Bolinao. (c)FayeHusena

Several tricycle drivers approached us when we got off the bus. My boyfriend talked to one, which is Mang Danny and he offered to take us to our hotel. Since we didn’t have any car, we had to hire a tricycle that can take us to a land tour during our stay. I asked Mang Danny if he can also tour us and just package the cost of taking us to the hotel, land tour and taking us back to the bus terminal the following day. I haggled the price at P700 pesos which is fairly cheap if you get different tricycle driver in each and every trip you will make. Plus, it’s good to talk to one person which you know you can trust! (I guess Mang Danny was a bit known in the area because many people say hi to him whenever we pass by. Hihi! Too bad my boyfriend lost his phone where we saved Manong’s number. :(

It was still early so we decided we can eat our early lunch at Adora’s Restaurant before we headed to our hotel. It took us around 10-15 minutes before we got to our hotel. The road was a bit rough but most are cemented already. :)

Where we stayed:

Beach front at SCL Garden Paradise Beach Resort. (c)FayeHusena

There are many hotels to choose from in Bolinao, believe me. Checking several reviews from the internet would help but not all have reviews! I mean, when we got in Bolinao, there’s a tourist guide (map and list) in Five Star terminal where all hotels are listed!! As always, I make sure I get to book a room in my chosen hotel before we go to the destination just to avoid any hassle. We decided to stay at SCL Garden Paradise Beach Resort which is nice hotel in Brgy Ilog Malino, Bolinao. It is not situated in the famous Patar Beach but it had its own beach front. :) I’ve read some reviews that they didn’t like the beach in this resort because it’s very shallow especially during low tide but it’s okay for me since we just want to relax by the beach. 

I recommend this place if you’re in a budget (we only paid P1500 for an overnight standard room good for two with breakfast)! For the rooms, they are clean and well maintained but just make sure to check the restroom because the first one we got has a malfunctioning toilet bowl. Hehe! The staffs of the hotel are polite and accommodating enough to hear our request to get another room instead (no hot showers though!). Anyhow, they also have their own restaurant but the food they offer are a bit pricey since they are good for sharing. I loved our dinner by the beach because our food was really delicious!! We ordered, yang chow fried rice, crispy pata and chopsuey (our bill was at around P850 for that dinner).  Visit their site at: http://sclgardenparadise.com/

What to do in Bolinao?

For DAY 1, we decided to rest first in our hotel and head in the famous Patar Beach late in the afternoon to swim and catch the beautiful sunset as well. Indeed, Patar beach is the Boracay of North with its fine white sand (looks golden late in the afternoon) and clear waters. Thank god that we decided to swim late in the afternoon that’s why I didn’t get so tanned while I enjoyed the beach! Haha! After we swam, we waited and watched the sun set in the horizon. I am in love with sunsets; it’s like a magical hour for me that I get so mesmerized with it I just want to stare at it until it lasts. The best part of it is that I’m watching it with the one I love. Aww! :) 

The beauriful Bolinao Sunset! (c)FayeHusena

Note:  I noticed that there are lots of available accommodations in Patar Beach, so if you guys enjoy swimming, this is the perfect place to get a hotel instead.

We had a good night rest that day! We decided to sleep early so we can wake up early and maximize our time for the second day.

Rock Formations (c)FayeHusena

For Day 2, Mang Danny took us first in the Rock Formations. We paid an entrance fee of P50/head since it is part of the area of Rock View Beach Resort. This place is really scenic! No wonder that based on the reviews I have read, they say that this is a photographer’s haven. 

The beach in this area is not too deep but the waves are strong so we decided not to swim! Haha! We just enjoyed walking around the place and took pictures of ourselves.

Our next stop was Cape Bolinao Lighthouse. Well, I couldn’t say much about the place since we were not able to go up the lighthouse and see the panoramic view it could offer. Some people were already inside but they locked it, that’s why other tourists were not able to go up. Quoting a post from the outoftownblog.com: The height of this lighthouse is 101 foot, i.e., 30.78-meters. If a person is standing on its top, then he or she will see a panoramic shot that encompasses the view of the aquamarine sea, stretches of the white sandy beach, rock formation, offshore reefs and gently sloping lush green hills.

After the lighthouse, we were supposed to go to the three famous caves which are: Cindy’s Cave, Wonderful Cave and Enchanted Cave. Since we didn’t want to rush ourselves, we decided to just go to one cave which is the Enchanted Cave. 

Entrance fee is P100/head for those who would like to tour the place and P150/head if you’re going to swim. The place is privately owned and has been well developed already. They now offer accommodation and I think it’s best to stay here if you want to get closer with Nature since the place looks like a big big garden! :P Anyway, back to the cave, Enchanted cave will not be called Enchanted for nothing! Its swimming area is big but the middle part is really deep (plus the water is cold)! We had the cave for ourselves at first then a group of three came in so we were still not crowded. I just stayed at the sides because I couldn't swim hahaha! Well the cave experience concluded our trip and so after which, we went back to our hotel with smiles on our faces! Super enjoyed this trip!!! :D

I never met a sunset I did not like. (c)FayeHusena