Guides - Hundred Islands / Bolinao Beach

Route: Manila-North Expressway-Concepcion-Urdaneta-100 Islands/Bolinao 

DAY 1 

02:30am to 09:30am - Manila to Hundred Islands(Alaminos, Pangasinan) 
09:30am to 03:30pm - Hundred Islands tour / snorkeling 
03:30pm to 04:30pm - Shower/prepare to leave for Bolinao 
04:30pm to 05:30pm - Alaminos to Bolinao 
05:30pm to 06:00pm - scouted several beach resorts 
06:00pm to 07:00pm - went to Bgy. Estanza beach stayed overnight 

DAY 2 

Stayed up to 04:00pm beach / Snorkeling at Bgy. Estanza 
04:30pm to 05:00pm - Bgy. Estanza to Bgy. Patar lighthouse 
05:00pm to 05:30pm - lighthouse tour 
05:30pm to 05:45pm - to Cabrera beach resort stayed overnight 

DAY 3 

Stayed up to 05:00pm beach / Snorkeling at Cabrera beach resort surveyed cave a few minutes walk from resort left resort at 05:45pm and arrived Manila at 01:30am. 

Relevant information: 

• Traffic at Concepcion bypass going North (usual route is lahar-prone area)
• Go to Urdaneta, turn left before hitting bridge going to Baguio; this road leads towards Calasiao / Dagupan
• Take Calasiao diversion road bypassing Dagupan city proper
• Hundred Islands National Park, Alaminos from Alaminos town plaza turn left as you see landmark statue pointing towards Hundred Islands National Park tourist office which is located at Bgy. Lucap, Alaminos, another 15 minutes drive.
• Islands with facilities are Quezon Island, Children's beach, Governor's Island. These places are crowded. Drinking water costs P50 per gallon! Go to Taklobo reef site where one can view giant clams preserve and go Snorkeling. Coral reef 25 meters towards nearby isolated island. Colorful fishes abound. Sea is very calm because the place is surrounded by small islets. Choose one of the isolated islands for camp site to avoid the crowds. Several islands have caves!
• P5   entrance fee 
• P50  parking fee 
• P300 banca ride for 5 hours, P40 additional hour; food provision for 2 banca crew to be provided by tourists 
• P10  shower fee 
• Bolinao, Pangasinan (site of UP Marine Research station) Guiguiwanen beach too commercialized. Lots of beer drinkers along the beach front. Not suitable if you have kids with you. This place is just beside the UP Marine Research Laboratory Building and is less than 10 minutes from town proper. Go towards Balingasay where beaches are secluded from the usual crowd, about 15 minutes from town proper. Another 5 to 10 minutes of unpaved road is Bgy. Estanza where we stayed. Bgy. Patar light house and beach is another 20 minutes ride which was our last destination.
• Last trip for regular bus run is 7pm and arrives Bolinao at 1:30am via Dagupan bus lines. Direct trips also available via Five Star bus lines and Victory Liner. Fare is P120 one way. Aircon is about P160 one way. 
• Tricycle to Bgy. Estanza is P7 regular and P20 - P30 if you travel solo. Bgy. Patar is twice the fare. Not sure if there are regular jeepneys plying this route. 
• Other points of interest for further exploration: Bolinao falls and a seaside cave, supposed to be several kilometers long going towards Bani, Pangasinan. 
• For inquiries, email to: Milo Villabroza, Pilipinas Sierra (milo@sierra.cyber.org.ph)

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