Island Hopping in Hundred Islands, Pangasinan

If you're traveling on a budget yet you don't want to settle on anything less than your dream beach escapade, I would recommend for you to head to Northern Luzon and have an awesome island hopping experience in Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan. From Manila, you will ride a bus going to Alaminos, you can go to Five Star Bus Terminal in Pasay City or Victory Liner Terminal in Cubao. From Alaminos, you'll ride a tricycle going to Lucap Wharf then rent a boat to one of the major islands where you can stay overnight, Quezon Island, Children's Island or Governor's Island. The travel time would take around 5-6 hours

Before going to any trip it's best if you plan ahead. Make a list of the things you will need to bring. If you're heading to the beach some of the essential things you will need are swimsuits, it's time to show off the body you've been hiding,sunblock, you don't want to get sunburned, camera, capture those memories that will last forever, snacks, to eat while you're traveling, insect repellent, to stay protected from unwanted bites, drinking water, to stay hydrated and the list goes on.

My friends and I decided to stay in Quezon Island because it's one of the islands where there is electricity and cottages. Instead of renting a nipa hut which we found very expensive, P2500 for an overnight stay good for 2-3 persons, we rented a tent with bedding for P1300 which was already good for all eight of us. We also rented a table for P200 and emergency light for P500 for overnight use. We brought our own food because we already anticipated that it would be more expensive if buy them in the island.

After an overnight stay in Quezon Island, we rode on our boat to Marcos Island where the famous Imelda Cave is located. We dove from the cave into the sea, with life-vest on because we can't swim, then we swam our way to the shore. It was the most adventurous experience we had. The water was deep and it was scary not being able to touch the ground when we were swimming and also the waves were so strong that we really had to fight to move forward

We then enjoyed halo-halo in Children's Island, where it got its name from the shallow water surrounding it. You can leave children unattended without worrying that they may get drowned. Also, you can walk from Children's Island to the next island without a life-vest. We also climbed the famous Governor's Island's peak where you have to survive the 123 steps, it was really tiring but the view from the top made it all worth it.

After a wonderful island hopping, we headed back to Lucap Wharf to take a shower, which costed P20. The rest rooms in the islands don't have fresh water that's why we needed to take a shower at the Lucap Wharf. The total cost our of trip was only P2000 per person. It was really a bargain yet the experience that we had was priceless.