MANILA, Philippines - Mention beautiful white beaches and Boracay or Palawan come to mind. While these are indeed worth a visit, you need not go far and spend on airfare to enjoy the beauty of a white beach. For those with budget and time constraints, there are plenty of beaches and pristine at that 4 to 6 hours away from Manila.
Be prepared to let go of some comforts and go back to the basics, though. But you may find this small sacrifice worth it when you come face to face with the beauty of these unspoiled beaches.
These beach trips are likely to cost around P2,000 and below per person, assuming you are in a group of at least four people. With a few tips from travel bloggers, here are a few options:
1. Borawan, Puting Buhangin, and Dampalitan Beach, Padre Burgos, Quezon
PALAWAN AND BORACAY IN ONE. Borawan, whose name is a combination of the two beach destinations, boasts white sand and towering karsts. Photo by Angel Valle Caronongan
Borawans name is a combination of Boracay and Palawan, named because of its relatively fine white sand and its rock formations reminiscent of Palawans. Its neighboring beach Puting Buhangin, of course, does have white sand and also has a cave partially submerged in water for adventurers to explore. Another nearby beach, Dampalitan, is a simple white beach where travelers on a budget usually set up camp before exploring the two other islands.
ADVENTURE CALLS. Aside from beach bumming, visiting Kwebang Lampas just beyond the shore in Puting Buhangin beach is a must. Photo by Kenneth Lagaa
Kenneth Lagaa of Mr. Bratpacker recommends beach bumming on different islands and discusses the pros and cons of setting up camp on each here.
Accomodations: While Borawan is the most popular among the islands, it is also the more expensive but with the cleanest basic toilet and bathing facilities. It has an entrance fee of P80 and a tent rental of P500. If you have your own tent, you pay P200 for pitching. It also has cottages for camping, and separate charges for bathing and use of toilet. A chartered boat round trip to Borawan costs P800.
If you opt to go to Dampalitan and Puting Buhangin, though, the boat trip costs P1800 (good for 8 people). Puting Buhangins entrance is also P80, though its tent rental is only P300-P400. Dampalitan, meanwhile, has a P20 entrance fee and a P100 charge for tent pitching. This payment is optional, though, so you can just donate the amount you can give.
Excerpt from:
Head to 'Borawan' and these 5 unspoiled PH beaches
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