BOLINAO- Hidden Paradise of the North (Except on holidays)

Last April 2, 2015 (Maundy Thursday), my friends and I decided to act like normal people and agreed to swim out of town since all our folks decided to stay in and become holy. Not that we are against it, or not that we don't practice it, it's just about taking the opportunity to grab all available friends to go out and about with them not having any damn good reason to say no.

So we opted to go to Patar, Bolinao since it has one of the cleanest and whitiest sand beach I have ever been to, and we thought that the butt-numbing distance from the metro would be enough to keep all the usual holiday-crowd away, or so we thought. We left home (Las Piñas) at about 11am, which is a real bad idea since travel time will take about 8-hours.

For the first time Bolinao travelers, may I kindly advise you that upon reaching the end of TPLEX, your real journey had just begun. From there, it would take about another 3-4 hours depending on the amount of stopovers and "yosi-break" you have and if you're still gonna buy some last minute groceries somewhere you don't really know (we suggest you do your last minute food-cramming in Labrador, Pangasinan because after that and Alaminos, it's just hours and hours of mountains and quiet farmlands). 

We arrived on Patar beach at 7:30 pm, and to our horror, not only was the place packed, trucks and trucks of families in their yearly reunions are still arriving. And when I say trucks, I literally mean trucks, like huge dump trucks with people instead. We know that there will be people, but we didn't think that it would be the same as going to Batangas, that's why we avoided that route in the first place. 

Of course, rooms are scarce as f*** and we're being offered an open Nipa hut for 1500php/overnight in one of the resorts we've previously been into (Costa del Fuego). It's fine at first, but when I saw the lined huts, I knew it can't happen. The huts are literally at arms length with each other, and the two huts beside our available spot are both brimming with kids and stern-looking grandmas. Knowing that all of us are looking forward to an alcohol-and-drunk-dancing filled night, I readily knew that this definitely won't work.  

After hours of haggling and hut hunting; 

-Nature's Camp on the further end of tne beach offered a decent front beach hut for 1700php (last price), it was all good until they won't allow electricity and until they had brownout. 

-Nameless huts on the front end of the street offers roofed-tables for 700php, but the crowd was a little too rowdy and there's no place to store all your valuables when the going gets hazy from all the alcohol. 

---we finally ended up at a nice decent hut at Bolinao Lighthouse Resort, the caretaker gave it for 1500php, we rented a grill for 100php, paid 50php for the parking and another 150php for the "papag" we opted to rent for drinking purposes. All in all it was just 1800Php for 5pax, can't be a better haggler than that! 

This was our simple haven/kubo. 

The papag in full-swing. 

Another thing, they lent an extension for free so we can use all our party-pack in full blast (speakers, laser lights --yes it really went down that night). 

All in all expect to spend about 1000php each for 5pax for a simple overnighter (no rooms and with private vehicle). It really wasn't that bad, it includes kubo rentals, food budget, gas budget and of course "bisyo-budget". 

But personally, if you're not really into burning your skin to the point of cancer, I suggest you go get a room, because I guarantee you an aching back, dirty arms and legs, sweat like hell and a full 7-hours of staring into the sea while waiting for the more pitiful hours of swimming (4pm onwards) the morning after. 

We set out for home at around 8pm, after eating a quick dinner and some pasalubong buying. We arrived in Cavite (my original home) at around 3am, talk about a tiring sleepless journey. But all in all..

 This view was worth all the fuss, sweat and  numb asses. 

Till then Bolinao!