Puerto Galera, Mindoro

On January 2nd, 2019, at 4:00am we began our commute to the first island in our island hopping excursion - Puerto Galera, Mindoro. A one hour car ride from Santa Maria to Batangas City, to the port, to catch an hour long boat ride to the island. Right as we arrived to the island, the fun began. From the port on Puerto Galera Island, we were picked up by little Philippine tricycles that transported us to the White Beach Resort.

Our island hopping journey started immediately after we set down our belongings. Today's checklist: White beach, snorkelling at Talipanan beach, the Tamaraw falls and fresh grilled lunch at Starfish Island.

At night the beach side lit up full of souvenir shops, bars, restaurants and live entertainment. We ended our night walking together along the shore, enjoying the sounds of the tide pulling back and forth, karaoke and live guitar, drag shows and fire performers.

Day 2 we spent at Extreme Sports Philippines where our family bonded (more like contended) over Go Karting, ATV racing and testing our aim at a shooting range. After the outdoor activities we proceeded with a land tour of the island, where we visited and had lunch at the Tamaraw Falls. Our tour guide brought us to the Puerto Galera Mangrove Conservation & Ecotourism area, where we were educated on the ecosystem of the island. We learned about the Mangrove trees and forests, which play a massive role in conserving the coastal and marine ecosystem of the Philippines.

Mangrove forests are also known as “rainforest of the sea” because it grows across the coastlines and is submerged in water. Their long roots work as filters to help protect the coastlines from damage, as well as provide shelter to the mud skipper and other species of amphibians. On our way back to our resort we stopped by Virgin Beach, where a statue of the Virgin Mary stood out high up on a point, in the middle of a coastline, accompanied by acres of stunning white sand on the coastline of the beach. Around 4pm, we arrived at the port to leave Puetro Galera and headed back to my grandparents’ house in Talisay, to catch a flight to the next island.