#KOtheExplorer
Hello, guys! Welcome and join me as I explore places here in our country and the world out there!
Monday, January 9, 2017
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Exploring Dingalan, Aurora!
The view atop the Dingalan Lighthouse! |
Every time I hear the province of
Aurora being said, I always associate it with its provincial capital, Baler.
Baler is a haven for surfers due to
its gigantic waves that can go up as high as nine feet. However, this time, I
want to share with you one great travel destination in the province of Aurora
that is not named Baler. It is called Dingalan and you can go here without
spending too much. Let’s start and get to know Dingalan!
Dingalan is a municipality located in the southeastern portion of
the province of Aurora. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, it
has a land area of 304.55 km2
constituting 9.68% of the total area
of Aurora. It is home to beautiful caves, beaches and waterfalls not yet
explored by many.
Back in June, I haven’t had a
solo travel yet for the year. I decided to go here in Dingalan because it isn’t
very far from the metro and also, because I became interested to explore it
when I saw beautiful pictures online depicting the place. I only had two days (Thursday and
Friday) for this trip but it was enough for me to have a wonderful experience
in Dingalan.
Here is my itinerary for the whole trip:
I went to Cubao at around 5 AM to ride a bus going to Cabanatuan,
Nueva Ecija. There are several bus terminals there with the Cabanatuan route
(Victory Liner, Baliwag, Five Star) but I chose Five Star Bus Terminal. Fee is
P185, one way. Personnel in the said terminal said that there’s a trip every
hour.
After about three (3) hours of travel, I have reached
the so-called grand terminal in Cabantuan. There, I rode a van going to
Dingalan, costing me P135 one way. It should be noted that vans are limited so
if you could go there earlier, the better. It is said that there are also buses
going to Dingalan but they aren’t always available and that their trips take
longer compared to vans.
After about two (2) hours of travel time, I have finally
reached Dingalan! The van stopped in Dingalan Market. Next thing I did, I rode
a tricycle and asked the driver to go to feeder port. Fare is about P20. Upon
reaching the feeder port, I registered in the tourism office. Now, time to
explore the place!
DINGALAN’S WHITE
BEACH
Dingalan's White Beach. It really isn't white sand contrary to its name but it still is a good place to rest and relax. |
First stop in Dingalan would be the WHITE BEACH. You have
two options of going there: (1) walk for about an hour or (2) rent a boat for
P500. You can haggle to lower the price and you may just get a deal for P400 if
you are going solo. I chose to ride the boat since I was already hungry and
tired and I’d need it again when I return to the feeder port the following day.
When I have reached White Beach, I looked for
cottages and eventually decided to stay in Kuya Buboy’s Cottage (contact
number: 09185036080). They offered me a fee of P500 for an overnight stay
(bedroom, washroom, toilet). They have a store where one can buy food like
canned goods, chips, among others but in understandably more expensive prices.
It would be better if you’d bring your own food to save up money. I settled
down for a while, ate my lunch that I brought and observed the surroundings.
Dingalan is such a beauty.
DINGALAN LIGHTHOUSE
Did you see the lighthouse up there? Yes, that's the Dingalan Lighthouse! |
Aside from the White Beach and the Dingalan Lighthouse,
other places to visit include the following:
LAMAO CAVES
The beautiful Lamao Caves |
You’d rent a boat for
this. I was thankful I got to join some other travelers who were also in
Dingalan at the time I went there. We divided the cost of the boat ride.
TANAWAN FALLS
Tanwan Falls |
You’d rent a tricycle to go waterfalls chasing. Fee is about
P200.
The way going back to Manila is opposite of going to
Dingalan. Go back to the feeder port via boat (remember that the P500-rent you’d
be paying going to the White Beach is already two-way) or walk for about an
hour. Ride a tricycle and go to Dingalan Market. Ride the van going to
Cabanatuan (this might take a while due to limited number of vans and/or
passengers). Then, from Cabanatuan, ride the bus in the grand terminal to go
back to Cubao, Quezon City.
Here’s a review of my
expenses in this travel:
P185
|
Bus ride from Cubao,
Quezon City to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija
|
P130
|
Van ride from
Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija to Dingalan, Aurora
|
P20
|
Tricycle ride from
Dingalan Market to Feeder Port
|
P500
|
Boat going to (and
from) White Beach
|
P200
|
Boat ride towards
the caves including Lamao Caves
|
P320
|
Cottage (I shared
with my fellow travelers that’s why the rent went from P500 to P320)
|
P50
|
Lighthouse (we were
four when we went up; P200 lighthouse fee divided into four)
|
P200
|
Tricycle rent for
waterfalls chasing
|
P130
|
Van ride from
Dingalan to Cabanatuan
|
P185
|
Bus ride from
Cabanatuan to Cubao
|
Total:
P1920
|
Sunset in Dingalan. Pretty, isn't it? |
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