Hundred Islands Philippines Travel Guide – Alaminos, Pangasinan
Being one of the most prominent tourist spots in the Philippines, I had this notion that Hundred Islands has already been exploited. I kept on delaying my visit to this place because i thought it’s too modernized and crowded for my liking. I had this unfair opinion that it’s not worth the five-hour travel time.
One weekend, however, I found myself at the top of Governor’s Island, impressed and awestricken with the magnificent beauty of Hundred Islands. The place, despite the crowd during weekends and summer season, was such a beauty! I was treated with a surprise I did not expect – splendid sight!
ACTIVITIES IN HUNDRED ISLANDS
There are a lot of activities you can do in Hundred Islands and some of the things you must try are as follows:
- Cliff jumping in Marcos Island (20-feet high)
- Trek to the peak Governor’s Island and enjoy the unobstructed magnificent view of the park.
- Aside from the beauty of the islands themselves, the park also has a very rich marine life so diving or snorkeling would be great.
Other Island Activities
| Zip line in Governor’s Island (546 meters) | Php250 per jump |
| Zip line in Quezon Island (120 meters) | Php100 per jump |
| Wall Climbing | Php50 per person |
| Rappelling | Php50 per person |
| Banana Boat (maximum of 7 persons) | Php1,500 per ride |
| Helmet Diving | Php400 per dive (20 minutes) |
| Kayaking ( maximum of 2 persons) | Php250 per hour |
| Snorkeling | Php250 per set of gear rental |
HOW TO GET TO HUNDRED ISLANDS PHILIPPINES
- From Metro Manila, take a bus to Alaminos Pangasinan. Travel time is 5-6 hours; 4 hours if using a private vehicle.
- In Alaminos, you can hire a tricycle to take you to Lucap Wharf for Php50.00. Or you may go to the Lucap tricycle terminal and share the ride with other passengers. Fare for the shared ride is Php15.00 per person but the tricycle will only depart once all seats are occupied. The wharf is about 8 kilometers away from the Victory Liner Terminal in Alaminos.
- From Lucap Wharf, go to the Tourism Center building and rent a boat that will bring you to the islands.
The boat rental rates are standardized so you shouldn’t need to negotiate here. You can do it in a day from Manila if you leave early enough but its best to take your time and stay overnight in some resorts in Lucap or in Alaminos City.
HUNDRED ISLANDS EXPENSES
| Bus from Manila to Alaminos | Php400 |
| Tricycle from Alaminos Market to Lucap Wharf (Brgy. Lucap) | Php50 |
| Entrance Fee – Day Tour / Overnight | Php30 / Php40 per person |
| Environmental Fee – Day Tour / Overnight | Php40 / Php80 per person |
| Boat rental (refer to list of rates provided below) |
Day Tour Rates
Small Boat (1 to 5 persons) – Php1400
Medium Boat (6 to 10 persons) – Php1800
Big Boat (11 to 15 persons) – Php2000
Overnight Rates (With P40 entrance fee / head) – Php80 Environmental Fee
Small Boat (1 to 5 persons) – Php3000
Medium Boat (6 to 10 persons) – Php3,800
Big Boat (11 to 15 persons) – Php4500
Children 5 years old & below: FREE
Discount of 20% for Senior Citizen/PWD
Discounts are implemented on Environmental Fee ONLY.
Boats in Lucap Wharf are only available from 7AM-5PM.
HUNDRED ISLANDS PHILIPPINES CONTACT INFORMATION
Tourism Office contact numbers: (75) 551 -2145 * (75) 551- 2505 * 0928-244-9011
WHERE TO STAY IN HUNDRED ISLANDS PHILIPPINES
You can opt to stay in one of the islands but it is more advisable to stay in inns and nearby hotels within Alaminos City if you plan to do Bolinao Tour. Provided below are some of the accomodation options. Just click on the photo to book and know more about the properties.
Island Tropic hotel & Restaurant
Treasure Isle Guest House
Amihan Transient House
Traditional Filipino Home in 100 Islands
Islandia Hotel
Alternately, you can use the booking tab below:
HUNDRED ISLANDS PHILIPPINES TRAVEL TIPS
- If you will have to stay overnight in one of the islands, boat rental will be doubled. To save, you can do the island hopping during the day and stay overnight in other resorts or local inns.
- Bring your foods and water as these basic commodities are really expensive in the islands. Buy your commodities in the public market if possible before your tour.
- If you have snorkeling mask and fins, bring them. Rental is Php250 per day and not advisable for hygiene purposes. Also, most likely gears for rent are not your exact fit so you won’t be able to properly use them anyway.
- Bring power banks. Although charging stations are available, the rates are so expensive.
- The best time to visit the Hundred Islands is during dry months (November to May)
- ATM is available at the Tourist Information Center in Lucap Wharf.
- For affordable Hundred Islands and Bolinao Tour Packages, contact Sole Adventours. They sometimes organize group tours to the said destination/s.
- Be part of Love Eat Wander Facebook community and be connected with thousands of like-minded individuals. Share your travel stories with through Tweets and Instagram photos. Please follow @loveeatwander.
MY PLATE OF UNSOLICITED ADVICE
The local government did a good job in preserving and maintaining some of the islands, especially those prominent and well-visited such as Governors’, Quezon, and Children’s which are the only islands developed for tourists. There are utility people who maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the places. I acknowledge the needed effort to keep these islands well-maintained and I wish the same effort will also be extended to other islands as some of them are full of non-biodegradable thrashes such as the Old East Out Island where we spent overnight.
Thank you for dropping by!
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