Idyllic bay of Puerto Galera, Philippines

This time we share a guest blog of Celine from Travel Vintage. She shares with us her travel journey to the Philippines. Can’t wait to visit this beautiful country next year. For now a little preview.

With snowy winter just one step away and Christmas holidays just around the corner, now’s the time to start planning a tropical getaway. Though Greece or the Maldives are among some of the known choices, more and more people are choosing to stay off the beaten path and opt to vacation in Southeast Asia and especially the Philippines, where the white sands and turquoise waters beckon with the allure of pristine beaches, unspoiled nature and an authentic local experience.

Bay of Puerto Galera

Bay of Puerto Galera

Our first trip to the Philippines was everything that was promised, and more. We wanted to go somewhere that is easily accessible from Manila Airport, and for that reason we chose Puerto Galera as our destination. A mere three hours away from Manila Metro, Puerto Galera was designated a Man and Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO in 1973 and is the only bay in the Philippines to be listed by the Club of Most Beautiful Bays in the World, so naturally we booked tickets without any hesitation.

Our guest blogger Celine

Our guest blogger Celine

We were greeted at the pier by a private boat to transport us to the Buri Resort and Spa Hotel. The Buri is a boutique resort with only twelve private bungalows and is situated in a secluded cove that makes it difficult to navigate by land, but gives its guests ultimate privacy.

As our boat pulled up to the hotel, I immediately fell in love with the white walls and bursts of flowers from the surrounding jungle. The staff was waiting by the infinity pool with a glass of perfectly chilled calamansi slush, and ushered us to our garden villa for the weekend.

Initially expecting a small cottage, I was incredibly surprised when we were led to a spacious two story bungalow with traditional woven roofs and a wrap-around patio, complete with a king sized canopy bed and garden bath. What more luxury can a girl ask for?

Buri Resort & Spa

Buri Resort & Spa

We decided to spend the afternoon beach hopping with the boat captain, so after lunch it was back to the open sea:

One of the biggest attractions of the Philippines is its Spanish colonial architecture, and I was fully charmed when we found a row of abandoned beach houses at Talipanan Beach. Originally the White Beach Resort, these buildings were deserted and gradually aged into a hauntingly beautiful part of the local scenery:

If there’s anything I love more than abandoned places it is colorful houses, and from the Sabang beach we could see an amazing collection of them on the hillside:

When we finally made our way back to the Buri it was almost sunset, and at once I noticed that everything came to life with colors, it was as if the air around us was bathed in shades varying from pink to red and deep blue. This is what I love most about the Philippines, how everything is so vibrant, it’s almost surreal:

The next morning we woke up to plans to kayak to a snorkeling haven on the other side of the mountains. Unfortunately neither my boyfriend nor I had any experience kayaking in churning waves, so after ten minutes in the ocean we decided to give up and hike.

The hike took us on a trail well used by local as means of commute, and overlooks a sparkling bay into shining waters. And to think we almost kayaked and missed this spectacular view! The beauty of travel is written by accidental moments like these, leading to the best discoveries.

We emerged from our hike both feeling like Tarzan, and dove into the ocean to say hi and see if we could find Nemo. And find him we did, along with sea turtles, puffer fish, and MASSIVE clams which looked like boulders until they suddenly open. The marine life is gorgeously diverse, and once I was in the ocean I never wanted to leave!

I was following a sea turtle (they are utterly mesmerizing) when I saw giant pointy blotches of black on the ocean floor. As I am inquisitive above all, I half reached out my hand to poke one of the blotches before I remembered that it was a sea urchin and those things sting! And the entire ocean floor was covered with them, like pointy bombs! That stopped me in a hurry, so I went back to chasing my turtle.

Turtle

With a scorched back and a heavy heart I packed our bags and readied to leave the next morning. What we both know is that one weekend in this island paradise is simply not enough, and while this trip was short but sweet, it is the first of many more to come.

 Thank you Celine from Travel Vintage for sharing your Philippines experience with us!

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