Puerto Galera

HSL Villa Bienvenida Beach Resort

If you're thinking of where to spend your stay in Puerto Galera, I'd recommend this resort for reasons I'm going to share here. For one, if you're like us who'd rather explore and discover than sleep all day in a hotel, this beachfront resort is for you. One valuable tip I may say is for as long as the place's clean and your brand of comfortable is not compromised, even if it's just a small room then you're in for a good time. The rooms here range from 2,500 to 3,500 per night. The owners are accommodating and can make arrangements you'll both agree on. Case in point: we got there a few minutes before 8am (their check in time is 1pm and check out is 11am) and they let us (we were 14 in all) use a vacant room for a price we all agreed on just so we could bring our luggage down and rest while we waited for the 3 rooms we paid for to be vacated come lunch time. When the rooms weren't vacated as expected they extended our check out time to compensate. They are even easy to talk to and are just the friendliest. I also like that they have hammocks all around the place if you want to enjoy the cool air that's kinda rare in Manila. The room we rented was fairly good, it was spacious and can accommodate 4 people (our room has 2 beds). You can rent additional mattress if you're more than 4. 

front store of the owners of HSL

one of the kubo rooms available here

tables and benches if you want to eat outside

hall way of one of the 3 rooms we rented

hammocks

view from 2nd floor

our room

rules

Sidelights in Puerto Galera:

while scouring for a place to eat, we were looking for restos where most people gravitated to, a sign for us that the place might have apart from good services, have yummy menus too. Sadly, you can't vouch for that anymore. We didn't like their tapa here and their tocino even their rice. 

Go buy pasalubong the moment you get here first. Yes before all the fun and spending, at least you've secured pasalubong for loved ones, that's less worries.

The store owners told us these fish are real ones. Preserved and used now as displays. Kinda unique and kyoot.

So much for marketing. They were telling us scrambles here were special but I like the plain ones better. Here they serve loads of tapioca which I actually like but not in my scramble. And it's too sweet for me pa. 

Father and Sons. I don't know if you've had not nice experiences with them but they were good for me. We'd probably come back and look for them also.

I realized most restos here take a loooooong time before they serve your orders, so if you're famished have biscuits first before you decide to voodoo them for slooooooow service. But in all fairness, I've loved their sinigang and tinola here.

Braids service. Which I hope I had. Maybe next time.

For gimmick nights, I suggest this place. The gays here are funnier and sings better. Someone sang Love on Top by Beyonce and I was just amazed. 

I super like the idea of having picnics by the beach under the starry starry night. So if you like the same idea, don't forget to bring picnic towels with you. And also bring loads of chichirya, bars of chocolate, candies, chips or whatever you fancy and most importantly bottles of water because ang mahal ng mineral water. In Galera, 500ml of mineral water costs P25. In boat terminal, it's P30. In Batangas port, it's P35. Maryosep.

Don't miss firedance too. They're the coolest (even under the heat of that balls of fire:) ) At the end of their dance number you can have a picture taken with them.

Tamaraw falls. Since you're here why not swim and enjoy the fresh water from the falls. For me, it wasn't worth the (one hour) ride, if only for the views you see on the way to get here. Take a look around, the island was just amazing. Also make sure you've taken your breakfast or any meal before going here or you have take outs with you because there's only one tindahan here and the most decent meal you could have is a cup of noodles which by the way is a lot of sodium, or boiled eggs, or chichirya. Entrance fee is P30. To go here you can opt for a tricyle ride for P100 per person (which won't be comfortable unless of course if you're in for some adventure) or rent a jeep for P2000, this rate is advisable for barkadas. In what they call bayan, I saw that they rent their motorcycles for P500, I'm just not sure of the terms and conditions.

For island hopping, the rates were P1,500 for a group of 12. That's for 2 or 3 islands with snorkeling na. I heard for 4 islands, they'd charge you for P2,000. Just canvass for better options. The locals here naman are easy to talk to and negotiate with.

For pasalubong these coin purses are a-okay. I wish I bought lots. 3 for P100

And just like airport terminals, delayed din ang boats here. Under the sweltering heat it was too much to bear so make sure you are hydrated, iwas heat stroke. Never try to be a chance passenger especially during summertime, it was just horrible. So make sure you have 2-way tickets or choose not to go back to Manila during popular days like Sundays. You will probably wait for forever and a day. For those who are hiluhin, take Bonamine first before the boat ride, it will spare you that queasy and uncomfy feeling. If smooth sailing it will be an hour and a half boat ride.

To get to Puerto Galera, get to Jam Terminal in Buendia [address is 2124 Taft Avenue, Pasay City] (either hop on a jeepney going to Buendia or via LRT-Buendia station), from Buendia take a bus going to Batangas, fare will be P167/head to get you to Batangas Pier. It's an hour and a half ride from Buendia to Batangas Pier at least. Once in Batangas Pier, choose your Lines to get you to White Beach, Puerto Galera. We chose Father n' Son lines. For 2-way boat transfer we paid them P500/head plus P50 for environmental fee, P30 for terminal fee. A total of P580 for 2-way boat ride. 

For inquiries on HSL Villa Bienvenida Beach Resort, call Ate Marie 0916-2074858 or 0918-3747638. I share her number because she was friendly and helpful to us so I want her business to prosper. :)

Other things you can enjoy in Puerto Galera are: banana boats, kayaking, massage services, henna tattoes, parasailing, jetskis, scuba diving which a lot of foreigners are wont to do and shop and eat.

Have fun in White Beach!