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[QUOTE=Sir Lancelot]DAY 7: Puerto Galera
The trip to Puerto Galera was easier than expected. A two hour bus-ride to Batangas was followed by a short ferry trip to Mindoro. The ferry landed on the beach at Sabang, so I collected my luggage and found a good room at Sonny's Inn for 1300 pesos a night. It was large with a separate kitchen and a balcony with a sea-view.
[/QUOTE]
Great Report lance...looking forward to your trip in Cebu :)
Sir Lancelot,
Thanks for your tripreports. I really love reading them. They are written very well and if they would be printed in a book, it would be a "page turner" for sure. Also, your tripreports contains some information, but not that much.
Is it possible to post some information here?
- About the bus companies for a ride from Manila to Batangas City.
- About the ferry between Batangas City and Puerto Galera.
- Hotels and resorts you can advice.
- The costs of all this.
- Any other information is also very welcome.
Many thanks in advance...
[QUOTE=Sir Lancelot]DAY 7: Puerto Galera
The trip to Puerto Galera was easier than expected. A two hour bus-ride to Batangas was followed by a short ferry trip to Mindoro. The ferry landed on the beach at Sabang, so I collected my luggage and found a good room at Sonny's Inn for 1300 pesos a night. It was large with a separate kitchen and a balcony with a sea-view.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Brastrav]Sir Lancelot,
Thanks for your tripreports. I really love reading them. They are written very well and if they would be printed in a book, it would be a "page turner" for sure. Also, your tripreports contains some information, but not that much.
Is it possible to post some information here?
- About the bus companies for a ride from Manila to Batangas City.
- About the ferry between Batangas City and Puerto Galera.
- Hotels and resorts you can advice.
- The costs of all this.
- Any other information is also very welcome.
Many thanks in advance...[/QUOTE]Aside from being admonished to RTFF, or to stop being a lazy fuck and do your own online research, a good guide book is well worthwhile.
My bible is titled "Philippines Travel Guide". It's translated from German. Authour is Jens Peters. Ask for it at any National Book Store
Location. If they don't have it, ask them to use the computer to find you a copy. A bargain at about 1200 pisos.
[QUOTE=Starchild2012]Great Report lance...looking forward to your trip in Cebu :)[/QUOTE]
Sir Lancelot,
Can you ensure your reports are up-dated trip reports though.
Many of us here have already read yours and Thommo's reports on Whorist.com so please don't just cut and paste reports from 2008 - 2009.
I am sure I read about the damaged groin at least 18 months ago on whorist.com.
And the report containing exploits in LA Cafe was written way before it was closed down earlier this year.
Always great to get new and updated reports but we don't really need out-dated ones.
[QUOTE=Red Kilt]Sir Lancelot,
Can you ensure your reports are up-dated trip reports though.
Many of us here have already read yours and Thommo's reports on Whorist.com so please don't just cut and paste reports from 2008. 2009.
I am sure I read about the damaged groin at least 18 months ago on whorist.com.
And the report containing exploits in LA Cafe was written way before it was closed down earlier this year.
Always great to get new and updated reports but we don't really need out-dated ones.[/QUOTE]Hello. Apologies that my diary is a little out-of-date. I wrote it for another website but it's only recently that I've become a member on this site.
However, it wasn't copied and pasted from 2008/09. It was actually written in March and April this year. So although LA Cafe has since closed (and re-opened in another guise?) I thought a lot of the information was still relevant and prices still fairly accurate. Also, since it was my first trip to Philippines, I thought it might be quite interesting for other first-timers to read.
Also, not that you've suggested otherwise, I can assure you that it was written by me. I shall post photos at a later date that were never published on whorist.com.
Thanks for your feedback though. Still trying to get the hang of this forum!
[QUOTE=Brastrav]Sir Lancelot,
Thanks for your tripreports. I really love reading them. They are written very well and if they would be printed in a book, it would be a "page turner" for sure. Also, your tripreports contains some information, but not that much.
Is it possible to post some information here?
- About the bus companies for a ride from Manila to Batangas City.
- About the ferry between Batangas City and Puerto Galera.
- Hotels and resorts you can advice.
- The costs of all this.
- Any other information is also very welcome.
Many thanks in advance...[/QUOTE]Firstly, many thanks for your compliment. On the advice of a few people, I've actually turned all of my diaries (2 x Thailand, 1 x Phils) in to pdf diaries, including all of the photos. I'm still trying to work out this site but may post a link in the classified section.
In answer to your questions:
- I got an ALPS bus from Manila to Batangas. Unlike Bangkok for example, Manila doesn't have a central bus-station, instead lots of private operators. ALPS is based very close to Intramuros. It took three hours and is a pretty enjoyable trip once you leave the mayhem of Manila. I'm afraid I can't recall the price but it was pretty cheap.
- Similarly I can't recall the cost of the ferry from Batangas to Sabang but it took about an hour. It pulls up right on the beach and you can walk to any of the hotels. The boat stops right next to 'Eddies bar and restaurant' and the hotel I chose to stay at, Sabang Beach Hotel, is to the left, a three minute walk down. Rooms cost 1300 baht and were really spacious and clean with a separate kitchen area and balcony. I'd definitely recommend it.
- As I said in my report, I think Sabang is a nice balance of tourism and girlie action. The talent of girls was impressive at the gogo bars and the prices not too inflated (refreshing considering it's a touristy places). My favourite bar was Venus. It seemed to be the busiest with the most girls and the prettiest ones too. However, all of the gogo bars (called Disco's in Sabang) are very close to each other, so just go for a bit of a bar-crawl, have a few drinks and enjoy yourself!
Anyone have up to date report of experience of puerto galera area?
i appreciate Sir Lancelots , however a couple years old.
Hotel with nice beach in front and not noisey with street noise or boats?
Prices?
Cheers
[QUOTE=Vandaddio]Anyone have up to date report of experience of puerto galera area?
i appreciate Sir Lancelots , however a couple years old.
Hotel with nice beach in front and not noisey with street noise or boats?
Prices?
Cheers[/QUOTE]I assure you that my report is not a couple of years old. Red Kilt got his dates mixed up, the part when I was in Puerto Galera was written at the end of March THIS YEAR.
In answer to your question, if you're staying in Sabang, once you jump off the ferry, turn left and there are lots of nice hotels within a five minute walk of the main action area. Some have swimming pools and it's quite peaceful at that end of the beach. My room cost 1300 baht per night (see below) and was really spacious with it's own balcony. There are plenty of hotels - you don't even need to book in advance - just turn up, try one you like the look of and if they don't have any vacancies, move on to the next one.
Enjoy your trip.
Thank you Sir Lancelot.
And I do intend to, hehehe.
Huh?
"if you're staying in Sabang, once you jump off the ferry, turn left and there are lots of nice hotels within a five minute walk of the main action area. "
You mean the ferry now goes directly to the beach??? It's been many years but my recollection is a ferry from Batangas Pier to Puerto Galera port town, and then a rough, sometimes muddy ride thru the jungle, over a hill, and on to the other side of the island to the Sabang area. Jeepney gets stuck in the mud...guess who gets to push the damn thing out.
I think there were three beaches, and at least one required wading thru ocean surf if it was high tide.
Of course you can always hire a private boat to get around, possibly even from the port. The Verdes passage is sometimes rough, on my one and only trip the ferry was delayed because of rough water.
Oh, and I remember high intensity sales people on the ferry trying to get you into certain hotels.
X
[QUOTE=Sir Lancelot]I assure you that my report is not a couple of years old. Red Kilt got his dates mixed up, the part when I was in Puerto Galera was written at the end of March THIS YEAR.
In answer to your question, if you're staying in Sabang, once you jump off the ferry, turn left and there are lots of nice hotels within a five minute walk of the main action area. Some have swimming pools and it's quite peaceful at that end of the beach. My room cost 1300 baht per night (see below) and was really spacious with it's own balcony. There are plenty of hotels - you don't even need to book in advance - just turn up, try one you like the look of and if they don't have any vacancies, move on to the next one.
Enjoy your trip.[/QUOTE]
How many ATMchines in Sabang and Puerto Galera area?
Or is it cash and carry kinda place?
[QUOTE=X Man]You mean the ferry now goes directly to the beach??? It's been many years but my recollection is a ferry from Batangas Pier to Puerto Galera port town, and then a rough, sometimes muddy ride thru the jungle, over a hill, and on to the other side of the island to the Sabang area. Jeepney gets stuck in the mud...guess who gets to push the damn thing out.
X[/QUOTE]Yeah, I got a ferry from the ticket office in Batangas and it took me directly to the beach in Sabang. I did specify Sabang when I bought the ticket though, not Puerto Galera. It wasn't some kind of arrangement with a privately hired boat either - it was a large boat with probably 40 people on it, including tourists and Filipino families.
It pulled right up on the beach, in front of Eddies - couldn't be more convenient. Of course the problem with this (as you alluded to) is that you get mobbed with touts for the hotels on your arrival. I just walked past them and said "I have hotel, thank you".
Well that is interesting! Things do change.
As for touts, I remember they hounded people on the ferry for the entire trip - back in the day.
[QUOTE=Sir Lancelot]Yeah, I got a ferry from the ticket office in Batangas and it took me directly to the beach in Sabang. I did specify Sabang when I bought the ticket though, not Puerto Galera. It wasn't some kind of arrangement with a privately hired boat either - it was a large boat with probably 40 people on it, including tourists and Filipino families.
It pulled right up on the beach, in front of Eddies - couldn't be more convenient. Of course the problem with this (as you alluded to) is that you get mobbed with touts for the hotels on your arrival. I just walked past them and said "I have hotel, thank you".[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=X Man]Well that is interesting! Things do change.
As for touts, I remember they hounded people on the ferry for the entire trip - back in the day.[/QUOTE]As I wrote in my diary, I think Sabang is a worthwhile 'escape' from the mayhem of Manila, or Angeles. It's not far away, has a nice ambience, good food and there are some interesting diversions for beginners like me who like to dilute their whorism with a bit of tourism :).
But what surprised me was that the girlie scene was more than adequate too (so long as you like gogos). It's not a huge scene but there are enough places to keep you entertained for, say, three nights. I saw some really pretty girls and the prices were reasonable too.
[QUOTE=Sir Lancelot]Yeah, I got a ferry from the ticket office in Batangas and it took me directly to the beach in Sabang. I did specify Sabang when I bought the ticket though, not Puerto Galera. It wasn't some kind of arrangement with a privately hired boat either - it was a large boat with probably 40 people on it, including tourists and Filipino families. [/QUOTE]Those are the banca's with outriggers. Actually, if you get a trip through swagman, the guide has a book with all the hotels with pictures, so you can choose
Alternate, choose big apple dive, or a refined place. Portofino (google) the manager of Portofino. Chuck is a very hospitable guy.
Avoid "Oriental Hill resort" as you really need to walk up a long flight of stairs. More or less, the hotel is visible on the left side of the beach when you reaching the white beach.