Pangasinan
offers refreshing respite from the more popular Philippine destinations
with its quaint coastal villages and charming beaches that rarely see
outside visitors. You can basically see the sun rise over the Hundred
Islands and drive westward to Patar Beach and see the sunset on the same
day! Now how cool is that!
Located
about 5-6 hours away from the Philippine capital Manila- the story of
the beautiful crescent-shaped province of Pangasinan dates back from
hundreds to thousands of years. The curious yet spectacular geological
formation – the 123 islets of the Hundred Islands National Park off the
city of Alaminos itself is said to be 2 million years old not to mention
the fossilized giant clams that were found at the Coral Mountain found 2
kilometers away from Patar in Bolinao which have an estimated age of
about 4-5 million years old.
White Sand Hunting, Begins...
A. Colibra Island, Dasol: for hardened sun-lovers, the island’s beach has no shade. Excellent shoreline, good for snorkeling and diving.
B. Tambobong Beach, Dasol: an entire fishing village at your feet, very clear water. Good for sailing.
C. Abrak Beach, Bolinao: has resorts for those who don't feel like roughing it has cheaper huts.
D. Arnedo, Beach, Bolinao: has seen the sprouting of very good resorts charging reasonable rates. Good for wind sports.
E. Tondol, Beach, Anda: long stretch of calm, shallow water. Has attractive sand-bars art low tide. Also for the hard-core tanning freak.
Dining
in Pangasinan is a hit or miss thing but one could never go wrong with a
serving of Boneless Bangus (or Milkfish). Bangus happens to be the
National Fish of the Philippines as well and we had the best Bangus we
ever had in Pangasinan- grilled or fried- the serving is large and cheap
(compared to the its diminutive cousins served in the restaurants of
Manila. Alaminos has its own take on the longganiza as well. And the
sweet sticky rice with coconut dessert called tupig which seemed to be
ubiquitous in this region is a must try.
Another
must bring home item from Pangasinan is a bottle of fermented fish
paste – Pangasinan’s take on that important Filipino foodie must-have-
the bagoong. Make sure to pick one up whenever you are in the area.
If not now... when? So take your tour!
There
are many buses that ply to different points in Pangasinan. If you are
heading to the Hundred Islands in Alaminos and Bolinao – Victory Liner
and Five Star Buses leave Manila as early as 12 midnight. For going back
to Manila, Victory Liner only goes as far as the Cubao terminal from
Bolinao during Fridays and Saturdays. Skip the ordinary buses of Five
Star as they can be extra filthy. Other bus lines that go to Pangasinan
are Dagupan Bus Line, City Trans, and Philippine Rabbit. There are
jeepneys and mini-buses between towns as well as tricycles (motorcycles
with sidecars). Do not forget to take a road map of Pangasinan before
embarking on a trip.
| | |
| Average annual rain fall (mm) | | 182.3 |
| Average annual temperature | | 28 0C |
| Season | | Wet and Dry |
http://tourism-philippines.com/pangasinan/#go
http://travel.pangasinan.com/natural%20wonder/wonder.htm
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