Puerto Galera

Puerto Galera is a small town on the northeast coast of the island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Though it is a quiet little town, it is a popular summer destination in the country. People come here from all over the country and the rest of the world for its wonderful beaches and fun water activities. Others also come here for its nearby forests, waterfalls, and dive spots.

Puerto Galera is the northwesternmost municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It is located at the southwestern end of the Isla Verde Passage, about 130 kilometers south of Manila.

This coastal town is well known among tourists for its numerous pocket beaches and many snorkeling and Scuba diving spots. Among the famous beaches in Puerto Galera are Sabang Beach and White Beach, which have an active nightlife with numerous bars and restaurants. Both beaches also have an array of first-class and economy-class accommodations.

Sabang beach is the main destination for foreign tourists, while White Beach remains popular with local travelers.Big La Laguna Beach and Small La Laguna Beach are considered part of Sabang with resorts lining the beaches. Big La Laguna Beach is popular for local swimmers and snorkelers. Since 2001 White beach has seen uncontrolled development. New restaurants and places to stay are rapidly encroaching on the beach itself and little remains of the once charming beach. Puerto Galera town is a pleasant but sleepy Philippine town with few attractions. It has a large central catholic church and a Pier area, with a selection of bistros and cafes.

Puerto Galera is among the top diving destination in the Philippines. Excellent diving is found less than 5 minutes from Sabang Beach. The diving generally focuses around the areas either side of Escarceo Point, which is famous for its current rips. Strong currents are a feature of the diving in Puerto Galera and it is good advice to employ the services of an experienced local guide or dive centre. There are more than thirty dive sites all within a 5-10 minute banca ride from Sabang Beach. Marine life is highly diverse. 180+ species of nudibranchs are found in the area and many species of fish can be seen. A variety of wrecks have been sunk over the years in addition to the one wreck of an engine of a WWII Japanese patrol boat.

Puerto Galera is also one of the main technical diving destinations in Asia. Technical Diving International TDI has many dive centers in the area, offering the full range of TDI courses from Basic nitrox to advanced trimix.

Pagsanjan Falls

Pagsanjan Falls (indigenous name: Magdapio Falls) are one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines. Located in the province of Laguna, the falls are one of the major tourist attractions in the region. The falls are reached by a river trip on dugout canoe known locally as shooting the rapids, originating from the municipality of Pagsanjan. The town itself dates from early Spanish times and lies at the confluence of two rivers, the Balanac and the Bumbungan.The waterfalls are actually located within the boundaries of Cavinti, Laguna but access by a boat originates from the town of Pagsanjan.

Pagsanjan, famous for shooting the rapids of Pagsanjan Falls, is separated from Tutubi's hometown Paete by the towns of Lumban, famous for barong (formal wear of Filipinos), and the sleepy town of Kalayaan. The town got it's name from the word Pinagsangahan which means "a place where branch off" due to the town's location of the branch of theroad going to Lumban to the left and Luisiana (Cavinti and Lucban) to the right.The true name of Pagsanjan Falls is Magdapio Falls and actually located in Cavinti town.

There is a cave behind the waterfalls named Devil's Cave. The river is called Bumbungan river that cuts through a gorge lined with lush vegetation and various small waterfalls.

The upstream boat ride takes about an hour while the return trip is just around 45 minutes.  Each boat (banca) sits 4 people, two boatmen with paddles who jump from rocks on the way to steer the boat, and two tourists.

The Pagsanjan Falls, Laguna, Philippines, are a famous waterfall about 92 km from Manila.
To reach the Falls, visitors must undertake an exciting trip upriver by banca (boat), passing through 16 thrilling rapids en route. The boats are expertly steered through this exciting route by the banceros (boatmen).

Maria Cristina Falls

Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City is the second highest falls in the Philippines. It is a waterfall of the Agus River on the Island of Mindanao and is a landmark of Iligan City. Because of the presence of more than 20 waterfalls, Iligan City is known as the City of Majestic Waterfalls.

Maria Cristina Falls is a waterfall of the Agus River on the island of Mindanao. It is sometimes called the "twin falls" as the flow is separated by a rock at the brink of the waterfall. It is a landmark of Iligan City, nicknamed the City of Majestic Waterfalls, because of the presence of more than 20 waterfalls in the city. It is located 9.3 kilometers away southwest of the city proper at the boundaries of Barangays Maria Cristina, Ditucalan, and Buru-un. Well-known for its natural beauty and grandeur, the 320 - feet (98 meters) high waterfall is also the primary source of electric power for the city's industries, being harnessed by the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant.

Maria Cristina Falls powers the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant, one of the several hydroelectric plants that harness Agus River. The power plant has a 200 MW potential capacitysupplied by a water flow of about 130 cubic meters per second.

Malapascua Island

Malapascua Island is a small island in the northern tip of Cebu. It's especially famous for its white sand beaches and unique dive spots, including the almost certain possibility to see the tresher shark. On this page I'll try to show Malapascua from the tourist's point of view and on the second page some other aspect of life on Malapascua which probably resembles with more islands in The Philippines.

Cebu: Malapascua is a 45 minutes pumboat ride away from Maya. You can get to Maya easily by taking a 4-hour trip by bus or mini-van from the North Bus terminal in Cebu City.

Sometimes the ferry captains take too big risks in Maya. They overload the ferries from Maya to Malapascua or still go out in bad weather. If it looks too dodgy, wait or spent a night in Maya, there's a resort just outside town, people do get killed there. Also almost all the captains try to overcharge newcomers, they either try to make you believe there is no other boat anymore (which is indeed the case after 17:00 and you do need a 'special ride', so be sure to leave Cebu in time) or try to charge you ridiculous amounts. A normal ride should cost around 80-100 PHP and a special ride around 1000-1500PHP (2011).

Some of the tourist says, it is the new Boracay. Far from as crowded as the famous Boracay, yet simply accessible from Cebu's international airport, this little paradise has everything the sun-worshipper or adventurer seek out. Take a dive in the crystal clear ocean at the break of a World War II Japaneese ship, go snorkeling among the fishes at the many coral reefs surrounding the island, take a tour around the island, or just relax in the white sand and let the wind in the palm trees soothe you to sleep.