Hubby and Wifey's Blog

 During my race in Tigasin tri in Bolinao Pangasinan. We’ve already planned to roam around in the area. According my researched there are many places (tourist spot) that you can visit in the area.

How to get there?

From my location in manila I drive along SLEX, NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX and exit to Ramos Panique.

ATM/Bank

Better to bring along some enough cash. There is only 1 bank and 1 ATM in the area of Bolinao near bus terminal and its always offline. So what we do is we go to Bani Pangasinan just to use ATM. Approximately about 20km away form bolinao. They don’t accept credit card in the area even in gasoline station if you want to gas up.

We settle in El pascador hotel in Bolinao Pangasinan because they are the sponsored hotels for the Triathlon. Lowest rate of the hotel is 1,500 a night (as of may 2016). It’s a big room with balcony and you can park your car in front of your room. Inside of the room you have a comfort room, shower with water heater, Television (not cable), huge bed, cabinet, and safe lock. They have different room rates as well. We check some of the hotel in the area especially along patar beach and El pascador is the most cleanliness hotel that we’ve seen.

Our first stop is St. James church. It’s a 400 year old church just a cross the bus terminal (5 star terminal). The church was built in the year of 1969. You can park your car inside the premises of the church for 20 pesos. There will be a parking ticket when you go inside the church. The area is secured because of the police station just beside the church. On the other side of the road you can buy some pasalubong like bagoong in the public market.

There are many restaurants in the area. There is one famous restaurant in the area and it was named Sungayan grill. The location is about 4km from bus station. Some of the residences are offering their area for parking. Parking fee for the residential area is 50 pesos. They will guard your car until you finish your meal. You will walk about 5 mins from parking area to Sungayan grill to get there. When you’re already there just, be caution to the children’s swimming in the area. They make peeping tom below the bridge. This is the one I hate most and the restaurant owner cannot control it. There are 2 options how to eat in there. 1 is the riverside and 2^nd is while you are eating you will be tow by the boats around the river. You’ll going to pay 500 pesos per persons for the 2^nd option. We choose to eat just along the lakeside the option 1. The food are great and it will cost about 1000 pesos for 1 bilao which consist of a Sungayan fish, seaweed, rice, some other fish, grill eggplant, 1 Picher of ice tea and many Filipino grilled cuisine. The menu was good for 2 to 3 persons. By the way just be minded for your food. It was happened to us that we already waited for 1 hour and our food was given to other table.

Enchanted cave

The cave was just the vicinity of patar beach. As of May 2016 the entrance fee when you’re going inside the cave are around 150 pesos per person. For the meal I prefer to bring your own food. There is a mini karinderia before the entrance of the cave. The meal is ordinary house meal but the price is just like a 5 star hotel meal. So in any case just bring your own meal instead on paying on a not worth it meal. Before you pay your entrance fee in the cave. Better to inspect the cave if overcrowded or not. Because of many tourists going there sometimes the cave is overcrowded. The sad part here is when you already pay the entrance fee and you cannot go inside the cave because it’s too crowded you cannot refund your money. That case was happen when we are there. Some of the tourists are arguing for their refund because they waited for a long time but still they can’t get inside the cave.

Bolinao falls

Its just 20 to 30 mins away form the town proper. There are 2 falls in the area. We visited Bolinao falls 1. Just me minded that the road going to falls are 10% concrete and 90% off road. When you get there the entrance fee for the falls is 20 pesos. Swimming, using restroom/shower, lifejacket are already included in 20 pesos. There is a store in the vicinity of the falls where you can buy some food but its better to bring your own food instead to prevent the over price items.

Bolinao Lighthouse.

Its along Patar beach and you can see the over looking of the area. Parking fee is around 50 pesos with official receipt by the locals. As of now the Bolinao lighthouse is already abandoned lighthouse. But still they maintain the lighthouse image for the tourist going to visit the area.

More photo on my flicker account https://www.flickr.com/photos/orlandespero/albums/72157671161796694

Rock view beach resort.

Actually this area is one of the photographer favorite spot because of the rock formation. The rock formation is best for prenuptial shoot. Entrance fee for the rock view is around 150 pesos per person and you can use one of their cottages. If you want to stay in the area the room rates is 1,500 pesos a night. Its already a air-condition room.

Patar beach

Patar beach is a long beach, which composed of many hotels in the area. We go to the southern part of patar beach and the entrance fee there is 50 pesos per person including used of the Rest room and shower area. Patar beach is one of the famous beaches because of its white smooth sand just like Boracay beach.

In my observation some of the hotels around the Patar beach are around 2500 and up. So we just stay in El pascador beach resort, which are around 1,500 a night. We experience one beach resort in the area that according to a blog. The fee for the room is around 1000 a night but when we get there its around 2,500 pesos a night. We tell the receptionist that according to blog it’s around 1000 pesos a night only. Then the receptionists just told us ok just don’t tell to anybody I can give 1,500 a night. We check the room and it’s rubbish. I prefer to sleep in a doghouse than to sleep in that room.

More photos on my fllicker account

https://www.flickr.com/photos/orlandespero/albums/72157673462370961

Please be guided that prices are subjected to increase or decrease according to the seasons or local rates. All prices are based in May 2016,