Night Before Jerry's Birthday @ Aninuan Beach Resort

Despite the typhoon that had been hounding the northern part of the Philippines all week last week, the weather was wonderful on Saturday. The sun was out and the water was very inviting. We spent all afternoon in the water and after dinner - which we made on the grill - we decided to go over to the neighboring resort, Sunset @ Aninuan Beach.

The birthday boyYep, found time to work a little bit. Koryu's first trip!Here's a tip if you want to go to Puerto Galera. Stay at Tamaraw Beach Resort because their rates are more affordable and the beach front is better. For brewed coffee, drinks, and ambiance, walk over to Aninuan. They have this nice litte outdoor bar where you can enjoy the sound of the crashing waves and the warmth of the sun while you drink an ice cold beer poured over chilled mugs. They also have a nice selection of wines and liquors. The owner, Lexy, is there on weekends and provides a lively conversation.

Silas and Sam @ the Beach (Tamaraw Beach, Puerto Galera)

Silas and Sam had a blast last weekend. We could hardly get them out of the water. Well, where the water and the land met. The waves were too strong and Silas didn't want to get dragged by the crashing waves as Nikki, Myla, and Mom were dragged.

Silas enjoying the water and sand.See how big those waves are?

Whee!!! Sam loving it.

I wonder how I can go into the deeper waters?With Sam and Silas

Writing at the Beach

This is the life! The resort (Tamaraw Beach) where we are staying at has no WiFi - it got busted due to the storm - but the resort next door (Sunset at Aninuan Beach) has it. We met the owner earlier and she offered her WiFi for free, can you believe that?

We're here celebrating Jer's birthday with Nikki, Han, and Mark. I just finished a bit of work and I just wanted to write a short post here.

Seriously, I could live here!

All Worked Up

Despite my sleepiness, I am all worked up. I forced myself to get up when the alarm went off and I think I did a pretty good job. Instead of the usual 1 or 2 hour delay, I was only 30 minutes behind schedule this morning!

The reason for this is below:

In a little over 24 hours, we should be seeing this view! Woohoo!!!

Food Tripping in Puerto Galera: Luca's at Talipanan Beach

When I first heard of "the other side" of Puerto Galera, one of the things that stuck to my mind was Luca's. A colleague told me about this little Italian restaurant at the end of Talipanan Beach. He insisted that if there is one place we should eat at, it was Luca's.

Of course, being the lovers of Italian food that we are, we were hell bent on going there at least once. We were fortunate enough to have met friends on our first day at the beach - thanks to Jerry's extremely extroverted nature - and Jerry got them all excited about Luca's as well.

What we didn't know was that Luca's was quite far from Tamaraw Beach, that is if you take the road, which we did. I imagine that it would have been easier and faster if we could have walked on the beach but there was this huge boulder in between Tamaraw Beach and Talipanan Beach. So, unless we wanted to swim around it, we had to take the road. Anyhow, the resort offered their van. Since there were 8 of us, the PhP400 fee was not bad. I am glad that we didn't take the tricycle as we originally planned. The last part of the road was VERY rough. I don't think a tricycle could have taken us all the way!

So what about the food? Luca is Italian and according to him, he has found his place in this world - in Talipanan. I am just glad that we found his little place on the beach - the food was fantastic! I would have to say that it was the best Italian meal I have ever had in my entire life! I love Avenetos but it is nothing compared to Luca's pizza and pasta.

The funny thing was that in the beginning, Luca didn't seem too friendly at all. When we first got there, there was a bunch of men at a table. Jerry and the other guys approached them and asked if they knew where Luca was. This guy shrugged asked them who they were. So introductions were made and it was only after a few minutes of chatting that they guy said, "I'm Luca." Hmmm...

It doesn't matter - he was friendly enough to make baked ziti, which was not part of his menu. Not only was it delicious, the servings were so big that we were able to take home some of it!

I think the dish that I liked most was the seafood marinara, though. (Thanks, Moncho, for ordering it!)

The stromboli is something else as well - I will forever be comparing it to Fazoli's (which is the nearest place I can get stromboli at).

Sorry about the lighting - we had to turn the lights off due to the insects!

Oh, and it was at Luca's that I had my first taste of grappa. I have heard of this drink from my Italian learner but I never thought that it was going to be that potent! Moncho, our new friend from Spain, bought us all a round of grappa. I was so embarrassed because I was not able to finish mine - lightweight!

Was there anything negative about our experience at Luca's? Nothing with regard to the food. We could have done away with the insects that came in droves when darkness fell, though.

Food Tripping in Puerto Galera: Tutti Frutti

The sound of the gently crashing waves, the warmth of the sun, the slightly pungent smell of the sea air, and the mouthwatering smell of pizza - our senses were treated to these each time we visited Tutti Frutti. We heard about it from Jerry's friend, Ali, but we didn't really go out of our way to find it. It was thus a pleasant surprise when we stumbled upon this little restaurant right next to Tamaraw Beach Resort.

We had just finished swimming for the night and were enjoying each other's company when the bright lights and the thumping beats of a fire dancer's show caught our attention from a distance. We decided to walk over and see what it was all about. It's a good thing we did - we saw the store and Jerry mentioned needing cigarettes so we headed over. That's when we saw the sign Tutti Frutti and we remembered what Ali was talking about.

It was way too late to have a bite so we decided to go over for lunch the next day. One meal and we were hooked. Their pizza has a thin crispy crust and a very light tomato base. It's not ready made tomato sauce, mind you. You can taste the freshness of the minced tomatoes with each bite!

For picky eaters, you can ask Raphael - the owner of the restaurant - to make a half and half pizza. I like everything on my pizza, Jerry only likes the meat. So each time we ordered a pizza, we had one side bare and had all the other toppings on the other side. The Margherita Pizza captured my heart (or stomach, rather). Pizza prices range from PhP200++ to PhP300++.

If you like adding a little kick to your pizza, forget about the regular hot sauce or pepper flakes. Try their garlic sauce instead - olive oil with garlic and crushed chili peppers.


The Weiner Schnitzel is a must as well. For around PhP300, you get two large slabs of pork and a nice serving of french fries.

Going to Tutti Frutti was not just all about the food, though. Raphael is a nice guy. He sits there and makes conversation with you. He's been in Puerto Galera for 15 years - you'd envy this guy's life! Oh, I shouldn't forget Tutti, Jerry's favorite buddy. Tutti is an 8-year-old monkey that Raphael bought from the natives. I think Tutti and Jerry made a connection - see for yourself.

Monkeys notwithstanding, you should make it a point to visit Tutti Frutti if you ever find yourself in Puerto Galera. Here's Raphael himself inviting you to come over and say hi - and eat his pizza, of course!

Tamaraw Beach: An Island Paradise

You know how you see those small patches of beaches on TV with no people in it? That's what Tamaraw Beach seemed like to me - except for Saturday, that is.

We arrived there on Thursday and stayed till Monday and I can say that we found a keeper! As I mentioned in the last post about the beach, the sand is not really white - nothing compared to Boracay - but the ambiance of the place is something else. Plus, for the price they charge you for the rooms, it is really worth it.

There are two general types of accommodations at the resort - the hotel rooms and the cottages. We wanted the cottages but they were all booked for the weekend so we had to make do with a room on the third floor of the hotel. I was not disappointed, though. The room was big, with two double beds and 2 extra cots. It was obvious that they cater to families but couples will certainly enjoy the extra space. In our room, we had a nice and clean bathroom with hot water (no bathtub though), cable TV, and a personal fridge. The balcony had a perfect view of the beach and the horizon as well. They supply bath soaps, toilet paper, and bath towels.

Our hotel room

Perhaps what took away a little bit from the experience is the service and the price of the food. There is this little hut on the beach where we liked to stay. It is within sight of the restaurant but we hardly got service at all. More often than not, we would have to go to the restaurant and get our own drinks.

Our hangout

The biggest drawback for me is that their coffee was instant coffee - I really missed my brewed coffee in the morning! Their food was quite good - we didn't really eat much there but for our first meal, Jerry ordered a tanigue steak (PhP 300!) and I had pork sinigang (PhP160). I thought it was quite pricey but the servings were huge and we got really full.

For breakfast, we normally had the American breakfast (about PhP180) and a big breakfast (I forget the name) for PhP200. Overpriced, I think as you get only one egg. If you want another egg, that's another PhP55. What I really liked was their fresh fruit platter. For PhP100, you'll get a huge chunk of watermelon, pineapples, mangos, and sometimes, papaya. Needless to say, that's what we had most of the time.

Look at that!

Food and service aside, the beach is perfect for relaxing. Our routine was to get up in the morning, have breakfast, and then go swimming for an hour or so. We would then sit on the numerous lounge chairs scattered around the beach. Most of the time, it was peaceful - Jer would put on some music and I'd read my book. After an hour or so of just lying around, we'd go up to take a shower and then head on to neighboring Tutti Frutti or White Beach for lunch (more about these places in another post).

Reading Robert Jordan at the beach

The water temperature is perfect at this time of the year - we even went swimming at night! One thing I could say about this vacation - I actually went swimming on my own! I don't know how to swim, really, but the water is perfectly safe - no riptides and the depth is just right. There are often lots of waves but they just add to the fun - try riding a big wave and you'll know what I mean.

Swimming at night with Ann

I really like Tamaraw Beach. Their service was kind of redeemed at the end of our stay when, upon checking out, the girl gave us a flat rate of PhP1,500 for our room instead of charging us PhP1,800 for the weekend nights, which is their published rate. We ended up saving quite a considerable sum because of this! I think we'll go back in August with the whole family - they have apartments for rent with kitchenettes where you can cook (more savings!). These fit 10 people max.

If you live in Manila or nearby areas, Tamaraw Beach is perfect for a weekend getaway. You can call Cynthia at 0927-597-5588.

Destination: Puerto Galera (Tamaraw Beach)

I had my doubts about going to Puerta Galera for this vacation but time and financial constraints didn't leave us with too many choices. As it turned out, it was one of the best vacations we've ever had!

We stayed at the Tamaraw Beach Resort - found it on the Internet and was subsequently recommended by friends. The beach is located in between two other beaches - White Beach (the more popular location in PG) and Talipanan Beach. The sand is not white, but neither is it black - let's say that it has a brownish hue. The waves were relatively huge, especially when compared to Boracay and Baras (in Guimaras). The resort itself, though, is something to be quite happy about. (more about this later)

First view of Tamaraw Beach Resort

So how did we get there? We took a bus in Cubao - the bus station is behind Ali Mall. Christene, a friend from work, suggested taking the bus line Alps. It took us directly to Batangas Pier and the bus ride took about 2.5 hours. It would be faster if you had your own car - they have secure parking at the pier. The bus ride cost us PhP153 per head.

Upon arrival at the pier, we were quite surprised at how nice and modern (relatively) it was. It actually rivals some of the provincial airports that we have! Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much of a difference when it comes to keeping to the schedule. We had to wait for about an hour for our boat. It wouldn't have been so bad had we not been starving (we left at 5.30am and the boat didn't leave till 10.30am).

On the boat

If you want to go to Tamaraw Beach or Talipanan Beach, you should take the boat line we took (Commandos) as they can take you there directly. The other lines go to White Beach only. I liked how everyone got off at White Beach, leaving only Jer, myself, and another girl - in my mind, that meant no people at Tamaraw! (As things turned out, we made friends with that girl -again, more about this later). By the way, the fare is PhP250 per person, one way. They can also pick you up at the same beach for the same price, just let the people at the resort's reception area know.

(More on the resort in the next post)