Oriental Mindoro: The Golden Isle [Part 2]

And there's more! :)

Also located in Mansalay, is the Buktot White Sand Beach. Some say it's Mindoro's "Little Boracay", only more tranquil and peaceful. This virgin island is ideal for family or barkada outings, with just the sun, white sand, clear waters and the blue sky to do all the works.

Fact: You can only make Karla Turista swim on clear waters.

For just Php20 entrance fee, you can fully enjoy your stay in this hidden paradise. Cottage rentals ranges from Php40 - Php100. And seeing goats around the area is free of charge. :)

Meeeeeeh!

Also, make sure to catch the lovely sunset on the other side of the beach. Just the perfect way to end your stay in Buktot Beach. :)

From Mansalay, we go to Roxas where De Calidad Restaurant is located. They serve pastas, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and the best halo-halo in town!

Beat the summer heat for just Php38! What's different in this particular halo-halo is that it's topped with gulaman and cheese! :)

The cheese on top balances the sweetness of the whole thing.

Photo by Glenn Pareno

And oooh, unlimited sugar! Yey!

And our last stop -- Pinamalayan, "Paradise at the end of the rainbow". This paradise is the home of John-nette Banana Chips! The best banana chips in the whole world! Great pasalubong for your loved ones. :) You can buy them at Php15, Php25 or Php45, depending on package size.

Try shaking a pack of banana chips and find out

how crispy those bananas are.

That's it, pansit! I'm looking forward to another trip to Oriental Mindoro... maybe with you? Yes? :)

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Oriental Mindoro: The Golden Isle

"When Spaniards discovered the Philippine archipelago they called this island with a rugged terrain and an irregular coastline "Mina de Oro" (Mine of Gold) - a gold mine of agriculture, mineral and aquatic resources. Since then, Oriental Mindoro came to be known as the Golden Isle."
-- from http://www.filipinianacalapan.com

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When I told some of my friends that I'll be going to Mindoro, most of them instantly asked: "Puerto Galera?" And I said no. I've never been to Puerto Galera, but I'm so sure that there are more "gold" aside from this famous beach in Oriental Mindoro.

Via RO-RO (roll-on roll-off) vessel, our trip from Port of Batangas to Port of Calapan is approximately 2-3 hours. If you want a faster transport, you can take the SuperCat that can get you to Oriental Mindoro in just an hour or less.

We rode the Besto Shipping Lines. It took us almost 3 hours! It's one slow ferry. :|

Trip with my two best brothers, Glenn and Ely.

Upon reaching Calapan City, it's another 2-3 hours drive to Mansalay. Along the way, we saw rice fields, rice mills, rice fields, rice mills and rice fields. Did I mention rice fields? Haha! No wonder this province is known to be the Rice Granary of Southern Tagalog. It's just a nice sight while traveling. The green fields, blue sky, white clouds, colorful clothed farmers, carabaos.. :)

The farmers saw us taking their photos, and they were

kind enough to wave and smile back at us!

Our first stop, Cabalwa Beach. It's a long stretch of white sand in Barangay Cabalwa in Mansalay. As far as I know, this is open to everyone. No entrance fees. I tried googling Cabalwa Beach, but no blogs or articles are written about it. I guess this place is still waiting to be discovered, though a private resort owned by a German is in the works.

Ely and I walking towards the rocky part of the beach.

Photo taken by Glenn Pareno

If you walk a few more kilometers, you will be greeted by rocks of various shapes and sizes. Literally, this is one 'rocky' beach. There were too many rocks that this friend of mine even thought of balancing pieces of rocks to create his masterpiece.

Ely, taking a photo of his 'rocky' masterpiece

We also found this heart-shaped geofact. I'm amazed how Mother Nature came up with this piece of art. Or this is a sign that I'll soon find the love of my life? Haha! Just kidding. I'd like to believe that this is a mark telling us that we should really love and take good care of our natural wonders. :)

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