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Saturday, May 5

Dasol Hideaway: Things to Know Before You Go

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Pangasinan never fails in terms of its different tourist spots, the off-the-beaten paths, particularly its beaches. If you are planning on a weekend beach getaway, Pangasinan must be an alternative if not main in your list. And believe it or not, most of its beautiful beaches are all found in the western side of the province. You might have already heard about Bolinao (or you might have visited it several times already) and its golden beach of Patar. Yes, that beach in Bolinao is really awesome. But have you already heard of Culebra Island (or Collibra Island as other people say it) in Dasol and saw its white sand beach? If not, you might as well consider this in your next trip. It is a GOOD competitor to what Patar Beach in Bolinao can offer.



Part 1 of Dasol Hideaway (Another Pangasinan Island Hopping)

Dasol in Pangasinan is a simple town located in the western side of Pangasinan. It is bordered by the towns of Burgos and Infanta (still in Pangasinan) and around 30-45 minutes from either Sta. Cruz in Zambales or Alaminos in Pangasinan. It is 5-6 hours from Manila and 4-5 hours from Baguio.  When one is going to Tambobong Beach in Dasol, Pangasinan, he might as well consider visiting Hundred Islands in Alaminos because the route to Tambobong Beach passes through the city of Alaminos. To know more about the directions, you can check my post “How to Go to Tambobong Beach and List of Expenses”.

Things to Know Before You Go

Here is a list of things you should know before planning to go to Dasol for a trip. Check them out. 

THE ROAD. Let’s get into this. The road from Manila or Baguio to Burgos in Pangasinan is okay. But once you enter the outskirt road going to Tambobong Beach, prepare for a rocky rough road ride. And I mean it. If you have already visited Patar Beach in Bolinao and experienced its rough road to the beach, forget about that; the road to Tambobong Beach is rougher than ever. Halfway to the destination is cemented but the other half gives you the headache. I don’t recommend you go there via car BUT it is passable. You can bring it at your own risk. If you enjoy that bumpy ride thing out of your trips, this surely will be fun for you because the trike ride from Burgos town to Tambobong Beach is approximately one hour. To know more on how to get there, check my post “How to Go to Tambobong Beach and List of Expenses”.


THE BEACH.Tambobong Beach in Dasol is an undeveloped area. It means leaves, corals, shells and dried woods and leaves are scattered everywhere. There are very few cottages and resorts so if you don’t plan to camp in the beach (it’s free), better book your night stay in advance so you won’t have any worries when you’re already there. I recommend a cheap homestay there where you will enjoy your stay, to know a bit about the homestay, check my other post “Dasol’s Tambobong Beach”.


THE FOOD. You have to bring your food or you can buy them in Burgos Public Market. If you want to really enjoy your Dasol getaway, I recommend you to buy raw meat or fish in Burgos Public Market then grill it afterwards. In case you did not bring anything, you can ask the caretaker of the homestay too cook for you of course for a price. You can also buy your fresh-catch fish and other seafood in the morning because fishermen usually catch seafood at this time.


THE ISLAND HOPPING. Island hopping in Dasol is quicker compared to island hopping in Hundred Islands because there are fewer islands to visit. In that case you must be able to visit the Snake Island or Culebra (Collibra) Island, Crocodile Island, an island cove and a cave. You must insist to visit all the four destinations; otherwise you pay less to the boatman. Some boatmen in Dasol will not tour you in all the four destinations so you MUST insist about it. Because in our case we only visited Crocodile Island and Culebra Island. And others say that the cave was a nice one, but we missed that.


THE BOAT. The boat that we rented can accommodate 5-6 persons. And the rent including gas and boatman costs 700-800 pesos only and you can already visit all the four destinations in one whole day.

THE BOAT RIDE. The boat ride to Crocodile Island is around 10 minutes while it takes around 15-20 minutes to reach Culebra Island, an island with four coconut trees, white sand beach and rock formations combined. If you will visit Dasol and Tambobong Beach, you have to visit this island; otherwise you will not see what Dasol really offers. While on the boat, behave well because the locals there do not provide any life jackets. Imagine you are traveling into the sea without life jackets! They also don’t have snorkels or goggles (but some locals have so try to ask if you can borrow some goggles) so you might as well provide them when you go there. As in our case, we brought our own goggles.


THE BUDGET. What you’ll just have to consider here is your fare, your night stay (or never mind about this if you plan to camp by the beach), your food and the boat rental. No entrance fees, guide fees, whatsoever. Check my post about our budget in “Dasol Hideaway Trip Expenses”
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THE SUN BLOCK/ UMBRELLA. If you plan to stay in Culebra Island for long, then you have to prepare for these things. That is because the island has only four tall coconut trees! It does not have any cottages or sheds. When we went there, we did not expect this thing. And the result—TOTALLY SUN BURNT SKIN.
So that’s it. These tips are just few of things you should consider when you plan to visit Dasol in your next trip. The other things I guess you already knew. So if you are already fine with the prerequisites of this certain trip, you can now consider checking out Tambobong Beach in my next post.



Dasol Hideaway (Another Pangasinan Island Hopping) Travel Series
Part 1: Dasol Hideaway: Things to Know Before You Go


ROUGH ROAD PHOTOS FROM BURGOS TO TAMBOBONG HERE




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9 comments:

  1. I will definitely keep this in mind.
    Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. Yes. No problem. I'll be defining this trip deeper on my next posts! :) Stay tuned. :)

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  2. I am impressed at this post. I love the photos and the off-the-beaten path in Pangasinan is one that must be explored including me!

    ;)

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    1. Thanks for the compliment Doc Wends. And yes definitely true, Pangasinan in one of the many provinces in the Philippines that has best off-the-beaten paths and hidden paradise!

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  3. Tambobong Beach is really one of Pangasinan's best kept secret. Kung di lang malayo sa Manila yan, we'd probably go there every month :)

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    1. Have you visited the islands near it? They are really the ones which make Dasol a tourist haven for me. Tambobong Beach is just a compliment because the true paradise is somehow twenty minutes from Tambobong. :)

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  4. beach na beach na ako summer na !!!! Ganda na ng site :D

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    1. Haha. Ikaw lang pala ito Chino. Yep thanks sa compliment! We are going to uncover another Pangasinan beach soon! Watch for it! :)

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  5. great views, great photos
    should be there someday
    thanks for sharing mate!

    ReplyDelete

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