April 21, 2011 2:00 PM
Barangay Osmena, Dasol, Pangasinan
We left a very busy bus station last night and
after hours of land travel, waiting and boat ride, we landed in this quiet
barangay in Dasol, Pangasinan. I was awed by its serenity. It was so easy to
appreciate the beauty of the beach -- its very fine sand (just as good as
Calaguas') and clear waters because there was no distracting noise or
structures. We rested in the house of Joey, our guide. They prepared us a
hearty lunch. We slept for a few hours to recover from the tiring trip. Pao
swam. I chose just to enjoy the moment lying in a bed made of bamboo, watching
some local boys play basketball, and Mamu Rex having a few drinks with our host
family. It was a sojourn I would have gladly agreed to become the entire trip,
but the other sights hold so much promise.
April 21, 2011, 2:30 PM
Barangay Osmena, Dasol, Pangasinan
Christ' passion is all about love. I noticed
this heart-shaped rock before we boarded our banca to Culebra Island. It was a
moment of reflection. No matter what tides may bring, Christ's love will remain steady and strong. It was a bit disappointing that some of my
friends decided to bail out last minute, but I realized that God designed it
this way so that I would have lots of quiet moments, and He chose for me the
perfect companions, my best friends Pao and Rex.
April 21, 2011, 4:00 PM
Culebra Island, Dasol, Pangasinan
It was a short boat ride. The sea was a bit
rough, but that was nothing compared to what we experienced in Surigao. We
thought there would be other tourists on the island. We were lucky. We had the
island all to ourselves. All those fine sands, rock formations, grasslands, and
clear waters were all for us, even the four coconut trees on the island.
April 21, 2011, 4:15 PM
Culebra Islands, Dasol, Pangasinan
I don't think I helped Pao, Rex, and our
companions unload our stuff from the banca. My bad. I was too excited to
explore the islands. I followed the trail, and it led me to the other side of
the island. Oh wow! The sea was glistening, and there were sea birds resting on
the rock formations on the sea. I was staring at this marvelous sight when Pao
arrived. We skirted the island until we landed back to our starting point.
April 21, 2011, 4:15 PM. 4:30 PM
Culebra Island, Dasol, Pangasinan
We started setting up camp here. While we were
pitching our tent, our boatman Arnel left and came back with a lobster. That
was while Joey, our other companion, just finished setting up the fire to grill
the talakitok fish we bought at Barangay Osmena for Php 150.00. We were being
fed like royalties on this little island. I couldn't think of any other place I
would rather be.
April 21, 2011, 4:45 PM
Culebra Island, Dasol, Pangasinan
I took more pictures of the islands while Pao
swam. Walking on sands as fine as this was really relaxing. That was while
listening to the waves and not worrying about anything else. Yes, we didn't
have the regular city comforts like bathrooms, comfort rooms, bed, etc. but I
didn't mind. Those were too little to give up for the luxury of having a very
beautiful island all for ourselves, with really good old and new friends
offering great conversations.
April 21, 2011, 6:30 PM
Culebra Island, Dasol, Pangasinan
The lobster, as expected, was superb. Arnel
went back to the sea, and he came back with Matangbaka, one of my favorite
fishes. I feasted on all these grilled seafood. It was a little bit much for
this holy week, but it was so difficult to resist. I excused myself for a while
to go back to the other side of the island to capture this sunset. When I went back, they were started drinking. Cheers to perfect moments.
P.S. Arnel excused himself again from our socials
and went back with lobsters.
April 22, 2011, 9:00 AM
Crocodile Island, Dasol, Pangasinan
2nd day, and there was still a lot to see here
in Dasol. We broke camp early because Culebra Island can get really hot because
there is no tree cover. Before we left, a group of tourists arrived in the
islands. They rushed to pitch their tents to protect them from the heat. I
think evenings are the best time to stay in Culebra for a lot of peace and
quiet, and stars to watch. Our first stop was Crocodile Island (named such
because one end resembles a crocodile). Our banca stopped at this side of the
island. This is where we got off to go to Cabacungan Cave.
April 22, 2011, 9:00 AM
Cabacungan Cave, Dasol, Pangasinan
Welcome to Mamu Rex' private jacuzzi. Good
thing we arrived here early, so we were able to enjoy the pool while listening
to Mamu's music on her iPod. The water was so cool, and we enjoyed watching the
whirlpool effect of the strong waves.
April 22, 2011, 9:00 AM
Balinmanok Beach, Dasol, Pangasinan
We dropped by Joey's house for lunch before
heading to Balinmanok Beach. This is where we are scheduled to camp for the
night. But before that, Joey anchored our banca to this old sunken Chinese vessel
so we can snorkel. It was fun diving here and inspecting the ship. Wonder what
stories this keep.
April 22, 2011, 9:00 AM
Balinmanok Beach, Dasol, Pangasinan
The first thing that caught my attention while
on the banca approaching this private cove is the swing. I jumped immediately
and swam straight to this spot. I didn't stop until Pao was able to get a good
shot of me here. It brings back childhood memories. Simple joys are sometimes
what really makes moments memorable.
April 22, 2011, 9:00 AM
Balinmanok Beach, Dasol, Pangasinan
After resting, shower, and buko juice, I was
able to appreciate the view of this private cove from a small cottage at the
side of the cove. I loved how the colors of the sea, the sky and the
reflections of the cove meld. There were only a few guests on the beach, so we
had more time for quiet moments, reflections, and good conversations. We had a
few drinks during sunset. Our dinner was freshly caught fish, and ampalaya
sauteed with egg. Pao was also able to harvest uni for our snacks. I will
certainly miss all this. But I am not worried. I am coming back.
Dasol Postscripts
After posting my photos of Dasol, Pangasinan on
Facebook, I got a lot of likes and inquiries, even from people I do not know.
While we want Dasol to remain as pristine as
when we first saw it, I guess tourism is also good for Dasol so the locals here
can have additional income. The sad thing I noticed about Dasol is that there
are signs of overfishing, even abuse. There is still abundant marine life, but
it is not as much as before, as confirmed by our friends there. We also didn't
see a lot of colorful corals. So, tourists can give our friends there
alternative source of income and more reasons to protect their environment.
It was Mamu Rex who first discovered the place
for our group. We were the second batch he brought there to Dasol, Pangasinan.
Our trip was coordinated by Joey, who met us at
the town proper of Dasol. His uncle, Arnel, a former member of the Philippine
Marines and ace fisherman owns the banca we used. Joey took very good care of
us there -- cooking our meals, cleaning our utensils, coordinating our
transportation, and hosting us in his humble home for our mid-day rest.
We
slept one night in Culebra Island and one night in Balinmanok. We brought all
our camping equipment and bought all provisions at the market of Dasol,
including drinking water. There are sari-sari stores only in Tambobong Beach.
There are not a lot of tourism establishments in
Dasol. Balinmanok Cove has a private resort with three cottages on the beach
and a small house available for rent, with three rooms, kitchen and comfort
room. I think there is also one in Tambobong Beach, but I am not sure. So, this
adventure is really for those who are ready to rough it out. The best time to
visit Dasol is now, while the waves are relatively calm and not there are not so many
jellyfish.
13 comments
h! crocodile island seems to be fantastic.. could you provide me the exact location of the island?
ReplyDeleteIt is in Dasol, Pangasinan. You can rent boats from Barangay Osmena or Tambobong. There's a small hut in front of an old shed in Brgy. Osmena. That is where Joey lives, the one who arranged everything for us.
ReplyDeleteWe took the Victory Liner bus to Alaminos then another Victory Liner bus to Sta. Cruz. It will pass by Dasol. There are jeepneys going to Tambobong Beach but it only has two trips or tricycles. You can also ask to be picked-up by the boat there.
Hi! were planning to visit Dasol end of August? Do you Still Happen to have Joey's number? Thanks =D
ReplyDeletePlease try this number 09075183062
ReplyDeleteI also got the number of one of the resort owners at Tambobong Beach, Lydia Bermudez 0949 17595157. I met her on our way to Osmena the last time we visited. You may also want to try her place.
Great Day!!! try mo villa balinmanok...from google search and type villa balinmanok..its a private resort hindi ito typical na resort..not crowded, not residential or barangay area..totally private place na kayo kayo lang ang tao..but super safe..this time they giving free sinigwelas and mangoes..you may call or txt ogie at this no. 09152092010, 09494142631...
ReplyDeleteSagarin mo ang summer mo! more fun villa balinmanok!!!
Hi Kelly thanks for dropping by...the balinmanok miss you and mamu's group see you again...
DeleteI really want to go back. Soon, I hope. Thanks Ogie! Balinmanok is really a nice place to relax. I miss the swing at the beach :-)
Deletehi kelly...were here at singapore and stay for a while for diving...just incase you are planning to go back you may call Lily @ 0915-2092010 Globe & 0908-4551047 Smart...have a nice beach weekend getaway!! regsrds to Mamu Rex
ReplyDeleteThanks! Will ask Mamu Rex
Deleteregards to mamu
DeleteWonderful place i would like to visit that place can anybody tell me the best traveling plan for this place because i am traveling lover and want to travel these kind of places if you need more traveling places in Spain to i have a cheap and affordable source : http://www.clubvillamar.com/
ReplyDeletehi mr.shamar! yes,dasol has nice beaches and so is the neighboring barrios.all of these beaches has their own attractions.i am proud of htese places.been to villa balinmanok with a big group.if you still want to see the place,i can help you,if ever.contact me,lyn-09275322861.thanks.
DeleteMajorly things needs to be goodly managed and also maid of the mist boat tour is the thing that keeps it all in a manner. ''
ReplyDelete