balinmanok dasol pangasinan

we were supposed to visit the islands of Hermana Mayor and Hermana Menor in the Southern part of Dasol, but according to our guide, these are private islands that we cannot easily enter the area.so we made our last stop, which was in the same coast of Dasol, the Balinmanok shoreline. a more isolated beach just East of Tambobong and Osmena. a mere 15minute boat ride from Colibra island.this part of Dasol gives a more private feel since there are very few houses along the beach. we didn't notice any resort there either. rock formations and a small cave can be seen on the western side of the coast.but what makes Balinmanok attractive, is the semi-submerged wooden boat wreck just near its coastline. a site where one can actually dive and snorkel around, but unlucky as we are, it was a sea grass season. not really advisable to snorkel.still the perfect time to visit Dasol would be on a summer where one can actually expect crystal clear waters. but for beach explorers, still this place would be a good stop on a sunny day. to go to Dasol, it is not recommended to commute because there's an hour long ride of rough road. we don't recommend that you bring a car either as it can be torturous, best would be to bring an SUV and travel time from Manila would be around 6-7hours. special thanks to Nadz for allowing me to use his camera.

colibra island dasol pangasinan

after a cloudy and rainy night in Dasol, it was time that we went island hopping. our laughs as shared with the kapitana, the barangay captain there, continued while we were embarking our banca.our first stop was Colibra island which can be seen from Tambobong's shoreline. and like Tanduyong island in Tondol, one can see trees over the surrounding sands even from afar. a short fifteen minute boat ride brought us there.an islet too big for us since we were just five in the group yet too small when one begins exploring. the side facing the Dasol coastline has a vast expanse of sand where one can run or just sun bathe. but as like one would appreciate the sand, i appreciate the rocks formed by the raging waves of China sea in this island. since this side faces west, a shade from the rising sun behind the sandy walls was a perfect retreat.the usual island flora of mangroves and coconut trees occupies the middle portion of the island. not much to see, yet the shade that it provides to the island is good enough. i prefer a shade like this over cottages.bringing with me a pair of goggles and snorkels, we took a dip on its clear waters. yet it was very disappointing that it like there was no fishes. knowing that it's a remote island yet fishes did not abound.my theory was it's either over fishing or we were just there out of season. there's not much to see in this island, so much like Potipot island in Zambales. it's just best for the beach bums who wants to enjoy the sun and the sands.next stop is the Balinmanoc coast and the wooden boat wreck.

tambobong beach dasol pangasinan

one has to pass by an hour of rough road just to see this beach. what made it even worst was that it rained so hard and we arrived in the area by night time.it was quite relieving hearing the sound of the waves while searching for a place to stay at an almost zero visibility place. it was because it was brown out during that night. so we can't even see the houses along the shoreline.enjoying the night playing a board game, we were quite excited to see the beach the next morning. so we woke up early and the white sand beach of Tambobong and Quezon came to sight. a fishing village located on the southern part of Pangasinan, the municapality of Dasol. at dawn, the shoreline is filled with small fishing boats, which shows that the village is dependent in this way of life. during these season, you won't see its crystal clear water as sea grass are quite abundant along its shoreline. no big luxurious resort can be found here so most people would stay on some of the houses for rent.the people here are friendly and we were even welcomed by the barangay captain herself. she actually prepared our breakfast and even made us laugh over a cup of coffee.

in search of the beatiful beaches of luzon island

as i am continuously searching for the best beaches of Luzon island, i went to the small fishing village of Tambobong in the town of Dasol in Pangasinan. this comes next.i just arrived from our Ilocos Norte trip and it was definitely one of the best trip i had this year. i'll be able to drop by your blogs within the week.

agoo church - la union

it was in January last year when we had a stopover at the town of Agoo in La Union. we just came from a Baguio to San Fernando trip and we chose Agoo as our last stop before we returned to Manila. i should say that the church plaza area of Agoo is one of the most beautiful plaza despite it being along the highway. some ancestral houses are still intact and the structures around it retained a Spanish themed central plaza. this church was rebuilt in 1976 when it was destroyed. the original church was built during the end of the 15th century. very few knew that this church is considered as a Basilica Minore as declared by the late Pope John Paul II in 1982 according to my mother. not so many churches has this title among the popular Basilica Minore in the country are the churches of San Sebastian in Manila and the Basilica Minore del Sto Nino in Cebu. what's unique to this church is the key symbol on top of the church hexagonal shape dome.congratulations to Otep who will bring home the latest copy of ROAM magazine. thank you to all those who participated. i'll be in Ilocos Norte this weekend. enjoy the long weekend!

where is this? - just guess contest

i just learned that i still have an extra copy of the latest ROAM magazine and so i thought of having another contest for the readers. just name the province where this church can be found. it's just in one of the coastal towns of Luzon.just one entry per blogger and one winner will come from a list of those who got the right answer. contest will run from September 16 12:00 until September 17 11:59pm. if nobody gets it right, i'll just randomly choose the winner from those who participated.

tondol pangasinan low tide

as the sun was going down changing the color of the sky, so does the water level of Tondol beach. i would consider it the sweetest time there.during low tide, the water flattens a large part of Tondol's fine powdery sands. flat yet so soft that one would perfectly sit while waiting for the sun to go down. like one would do in Boracay, walking without wearing slippers is relaxing.but on some parts, the sands reveal great artwork from the crabs and sea shells. small sand formations coming from the little holes that they made. it somehow actually looked like islands.
the low tide extends up to meters of its shoreline seeing fishing boats now ashore. one can just sit and witness the ripples of small waves slowly hitting the shoreline.this beach might not have the night life offered by other known beaches in the country, but the beauty of its shoreline during low tide totally compensates it. a beach that i wish will remain as it is today.

tanduyong island tondol

we already crossed meters aways from the Tondol shoreline but as we got closer, water reached our shoulders. we decided to go back and rent a boat instead to cross to the island.
on the right side of the beach shore is the small island of Tanduyong. a mere twenty to thirty minute walk will get us there according to the locals. from afar one can get so excited seeing the white sand beach glowing under the noon time sun.five of us decided to cross as we noticed that the water level under our knees extends meters and meters away from the beach of Tondol. in one area along the way, groups of starfish can be seen and one can't avoid not stepping them because of its great number.we were supposed to cross to the nearby island of Tanduyong easily but we were wrong. it was noon time and the water level was rising. we decided to go back but a boat man recommended us a different route.a route that allowed us to avoid the vast sea grass area, where there's danger of stepping over sea urchins. finally we found the right path and crossed the waters and reached the island.an island so big for one nipa house, which was the only structure that survived the typhoon. a family lives there and even welcomed us with their smile. took a short rest and decided to roam the island.the Northern portion of the island has coconut trees in one group as if they were intentionally fixed to a certain area. the sand in the island was not as fine as that of Tondol shoreline but pebbles and shells were quite abundant. on the other side, more pebbles and sea grass are quite noticeable. one can enjoy shell picking in this island. on the central rear area, a long stretch of sand surprised us. but the water was filled with sea grass. definitely not a nice place for snorkeling.i was more surprised when we had the chance to meet the family staying in the hut and the mother gave me a pair of shell with a smile. a gratitude for visiting their island. a symbol of what Filipinos are truly known for. genuine hospitality. up next, Tondol beach during low tide.

tondol beach

on a hot sunny day, it reveals its beautiful shore. like a swimming pool with clear and calm waters that is so enticing. the beach bums will love loafing in this beach.
it has great expanse of fine white sand and a striving sleepy fishing village along the coast of Lingayen gulf. located Northwest of Dagupan and set in the middle of the town of Alaminos and Bolinao is the island of Cabarruyan. many claim that this is the mother of the hundred islands, simply because it is Pangasinan's largest island and that it is on the same gulf. an island that's almost flat on most of its area filled with rice fields.very few cottages can be found along the beach, that makes the coconut trees the perfect shade. there are few resorts in the area that makes camping a good option. during our visit, the resorts were damaged from the typhoon and electricity was unavailable.what i disliked though about this beach is the part where they placed a sea barrier that somehow destroyed what could have been a perfect coastline. but the Southern stretch won't disappoint you as it has retained a beautiful coastline.this beach can boasts its long stretch of low level water where one can run and play around and or simply just sit and relax with half of your body immersed. of the many beaches that i've been to around Luzon, i should say that this is one of my favorite.