A Quick Bolinao Getaway
Bolinao, Pangasinan has always been known as the "Boracay of the North." Known for its white sand and clear, blue water, this hidden gem is a six-hour drive from Manila.
My office mates have been to this beach and they all have been raving to me about how nice the beach was. I never liked a long road travel but they told me it was worth it. Last December 2016, we had the chance to spend a bit of our time to experience Bolinao's Patar Beach a day before our family reunion in Pangasinan.
Planning for our Bolinao Trip
Prior to our trip, our accommodations have already been booked at Patar Bolinao Inn. There were five of us plus our little monster so we opted to book for three bedrooms, each room good for two pax. They were offered to us for P1500 per night and we were told that the rooms were brand new. I was very excited for this trip since it was our baby's very first trip to the beach.
I wanted to do a lot of activities in Bolinao but we were only limited to a day and a half. I had a list of things we can do but I have prepared myself that we may not be able to do everything.
The traveling baby ended up sleeping most of the time and was in a very good mood. We just had to make sure that he was entertained despite being cramped inside the car for hours.
Road Travel to Bolinao
We left for Bolinao very early in the morning from Manila. It was at least about six hours travel considering the many stops we did.
The traveling baby ended up sleeping most of the time and was in a very good mood. We just had to make sure that he was entertained despite being cramped inside the car for hours.
Sungayan Grill
We had arrived our destination at around 2:00 in the afternoon, just in time for a late lunch. It was a really long and tiring journey but we were energized as soon as we had set our eyes on the amazing Balingasay River where Sungayan Grill stood. We were extremely famished since we made it a point to have our lunch on this highly recommended restaurant.
Upon our arrival, we went to inquire how to go for the floating restaurant experience. I had been to another floating restaurant before in Bohol but the setting for Sungayan Grill was different.
We found out that there were two dining options we could take: to eat in their floating but static restaurant or to enjoy our meal in a Balingasay River Cruise where we would be on our own floating kubo with a bangka (boat) pulling and cruising us around one of the cleanest rivers in the country. For an additional fee of P1000, the desire for the experience outweighed the cost as we opted for the latter choice.
At first, we were told that there was no available floating kubo yet for the cruise. Thankfully, we were so persistent that we later found out that there was indeed one available for us to use. We immediately hopped in and stated our orders. Once our meals have been served, we soon embarked on our one-hour cruise.
At first, we were told that there was no available floating kubo yet for the cruise. Thankfully, we were so persistent that we later found out that there was indeed one available for us to use. We immediately hopped in and stated our orders. Once our meals have been served, we soon embarked on our one-hour cruise.
Having our very late lunch while being moved around the Balingasay River was definitely refreshing. The view was great and the food was good to. The breeze felt great on our skin.
After eating, we enjoyed the remainder of our time just taking pictures with the very clean river as our background. The whole cruise was just relaxing. It was the perfect time to hangout and chat with family or friends.
Patar Beach
After our sumptuous late lunch, we finally drove to our main destination: the famous Patar Beach.
The first thing we did was to look for the place we booked ahead of time. Unfortunately, my contact person was not around at that time and someone else accommodated us instead. There was a bit of a misunderstanding with this other person and we decided to look for another place to stay.
Looking for an inn was not really difficult in Bolinao at that time. While we were walking along the main road, there were already lots of people offering their place to us and even giving discounts. We ended up going for a newly built place situated right beside our original choice of accommodation. The price for a room for two persons was just the same.
However, do not expect much when choosing a hotel or an inn nearby the Patar Beach. What they can offer is truly just a room with no basic hotel ammenties. There was also no mobile phone signal, no TV, no wifi which should not be much of a bother if you truly just came for the beach.
If we were given a choice again, we would opt to stay in a much nicer hotel even if we would need to drive going to Patar Beach.
We took a peek at the beach and opted to go for a swim the next morning. We decided to call it a day since we were all tired from the long travel.
There was a nearby restaurant called La Palora de Bolinao where we had our dinner. It was in the same location where we were originally supposed to say. But don't expect too much as the food they can serve depends on the availability and was very limited. In fact, if you will stay in one of the inns in Patar Beach, it is recommended to just buy food from the market which is a bit far from the beach and just cook your own meals.
The next morning, we got to experience swimming and walking along the shore of Patar Beach.
The sand was a bit soft so our feet tend to get buried into it we walk along the shore. Axel did not like it a bit. Or probably his reaction was new and unusual for this little adventurer.
Considering that we had an infant with us, we were not able to stay long in the beach since our baby got cold easily. But even at a short time, we got to enjoy what Patar Beach get to offer. Looking at the soft waves was a very calming experience.
The accommodations were also a bit expensive for the kind of place you can get. As I have mentioned at the beginning of my post, we should have stayed in a much nicer hotel which was at almost the same price even though we would be required to drive to Patar Beach. Things you consider when traveling are just different when you have an infant with you.
The first thing we did was to look for the place we booked ahead of time. Unfortunately, my contact person was not around at that time and someone else accommodated us instead. There was a bit of a misunderstanding with this other person and we decided to look for another place to stay.
Looking for an inn was not really difficult in Bolinao at that time. While we were walking along the main road, there were already lots of people offering their place to us and even giving discounts. We ended up going for a newly built place situated right beside our original choice of accommodation. The price for a room for two persons was just the same.
However, do not expect much when choosing a hotel or an inn nearby the Patar Beach. What they can offer is truly just a room with no basic hotel ammenties. There was also no mobile phone signal, no TV, no wifi which should not be much of a bother if you truly just came for the beach.
If we were given a choice again, we would opt to stay in a much nicer hotel even if we would need to drive going to Patar Beach.
We took a peek at the beach and opted to go for a swim the next morning. We decided to call it a day since we were all tired from the long travel.
There was a nearby restaurant called La Palora de Bolinao where we had our dinner. It was in the same location where we were originally supposed to say. But don't expect too much as the food they can serve depends on the availability and was very limited. In fact, if you will stay in one of the inns in Patar Beach, it is recommended to just buy food from the market which is a bit far from the beach and just cook your own meals.
The next morning, we got to experience swimming and walking along the shore of Patar Beach.
My Takeaway
Bolinao could be a great choice for someone who's into white sand beaches and the pristine, blue water and wouldn't mind a long road travel over an airplane ride. But personally, having been to Coron, Boracay and Panglao, the beach can be a little underwhelming.The accommodations were also a bit expensive for the kind of place you can get. As I have mentioned at the beginning of my post, we should have stayed in a much nicer hotel which was at almost the same price even though we would be required to drive to Patar Beach. Things you consider when traveling are just different when you have an infant with you.
However, if you are not the type who's particular about the place you'll be staying and you could go rough, then just go for it. There are also other non-air conditioned accommodation choices (mostly kubo) which are just right in front of the beach.
All in all, the travel was indeed worth it even if we only get to do these two activities. Hopefully, next time, we can come back and even get to go to Bolinao Falls. After a bit of research, I found some really nice accommodations we can consider should we go back to Bolinao:
All in all, the travel was indeed worth it even if we only get to do these two activities. Hopefully, next time, we can come back and even get to go to Bolinao Falls. After a bit of research, I found some really nice accommodations we can consider should we go back to Bolinao:
- Sundowners Vacation Villas - Santorini inspired villas in the beautiful city of Bolinao, Pangasinan. Website: http://sundowners.ph/
- Birdland Beach Club - Voted as 2017 Best Eco Resort in Pangasinan. Website: https://www.birdlandbeachclub.com/
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Note: Credits to Genie Tan for some of the photos posted here. :)
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