Puerto Galera : 24 hours of Bliss

Puerto Galera had been the go to place for those people needing a quick getaway that's easy on the budget. Nestled in the beautiful Oriental Mindoro, it also boasts of its rich marine life since its geographically situated on the southwestern end of the Isla Verde Passage.

SUMMER!!!

Approximately an hour and a half boat ride from Batangas Port, White Beach is a haven for water sport enthusiasts. Jetski and kayaks,among others can be rented here. Also,there are several tour operators that offer parasailing, island hopping, atv tours etc. This beach is also dotted with restaurants and bars that come alive at night. 

My college buddy Jelai and I were chatting over YM and I was whining about my need to travel.
I was always defeated by the travel bug. I can't bare the anxiety PTSD (Post Travel Stress Disorder) brings every single time. I had fought long and hard but after 2-3 weeks of being on a travel hiatus, I just had to go. Knowing that going on a trip is the only cure. And if hubby disagrees (which only happened once LOL), I have my friends naman to tag along. Kaladkarin ang peg! ;)

And so it was a good-girls-gone-bad (sort of) escape. After my PM  shift, we headed straight to Araneta Center in Cubao and took the 4 am bus to Batangas.

We chatted nonstop all throughout the trip and before I knew it, we were already in Batangas Port. It was a Sunday. And as expected, the crowd waiting in line to purchase tickets were mostly from the city, hopeful that Puerto Galera would give them the much needed dose of vitamin sea.

Excited?LOL :))

It was Jelai's first boat ride and thank heavens for the smooth sailing trip to White Beach. We made our reservations thru Agoda just to avoid the hassle of looking for a place to stay.

Jam packed boat to White Beach

We strolled, took pictures and did a lot of catching up.We talked about random things and how we used to skip our Anatomy Class in college to have fun.( Anatomy talaga yung favorite i-cut LOL). I guess everybody has a fair share of those stories diba?:-P 

And as the day started to end, we took a spot along with the other beach-goers to witness the Galera sunset. The shore was REALLY CROWDED. Maybe because it was a Sunday. Nonetheless, I had fun people watching. :))

people watching

The crowd

"Okaaaayyyy. So san tayo uupo??!"

Like what most would say, the party is always on in Puerto Galera. In the evening, we hopped from one bar to the other and made friends. Its nice to meet folks that share the same passion for traveling. I met people from the same industry as mine and had fun with our little debates on which company ( account for that matter ) was better. I was talking to their client and they wanted me to be part of their team. :)) 

Let's get started :))

On our way to our room, these boys were peddling these cute friendship bracelets. They said they were from Cotabato and they transferred in Puerto Galera to help their parents earn money.

The following morning, we had to pack our bags and drag ourselves to the terminal to head back to Manila. Though short and sweet, the Puerto Galera quickie we had was worth it and it also gave us the liberation we needed. ;-)

Good morning White Beach :))

HOW TO GO TO PUERTO GALERA :

From Araneta Center, several bus lines have routes going to Batangas Port. First trip is 4am and bus leaves every hour 'til 9pm.Travel time is 2-3 hours.

In Batangas Port,several boat operators are available depending on your chosen destination. Discounts are given if you purchase a round trip ticket. Rates depend on the beach destination of our choice.

Just to give you guys an idea, here's my Puerto Galera 2D1N travel expenses :)

- Bus to batangas - 175
- Boat to white beach - 305
- Lunch - 150
- Pasalubong ( shirt for the kids)- 230
- bottled water - 50
- dinner (barbeque,rice and drinks)- 35
- 1 pitcher Mindoro sling + 1 nacho plate (minsan lang naman manlibre hihi)- 650
- Tanduay Ice - 140 ( 4 bottles )
- Boat to Batangas Pier - 275
- Bus to Manila - 175
- Jeep fare to Blumentritt - 30


TOTAL EXPENSES : Php 2215