Puerto Gallera

PUERTO GALLERA, Philippines -- For the atypical and the peculiar, a weekend holiday itinerary should swerve from the usual sun, sand, and sea package and merry-mix the itinerary with a bucolic trek and exploration of the beach to the nearby boroughs of the resource-rich Mindoro Island provinces.

Either by speedboat, a motor vehicle, or a carabao-drawn carriage, travelers get to visit the quiet towns and intermingle and blend with the local folks. They can also take a peek at the inner haven of the ethnic Mangyan communities and have a glimpse of their indigenous culture.

The journey segues to the peripheral tropical rainforests, breezing through vegetation-enclosed rivers or negotiating rocky and blade stone-covered, boulder-path, knee-deep springs that are blissfully rewarded by breathtaking postcard-pretty waterfalls amid invitingly-cold scenic lagoons.

The panoramic speedboat journey of the island’s sandy shores is a plus, indeed a visual treat, as the eyes truncate to an irregular coastline of natural rock formations, estuarial waters, stylish mountainside villas, picturesque vacation houses, vast coconut plantations, rare pebble-stone quarries, and tranquil fishing communities.

The holiday is topped by a ‘de rigueur’ beach plunge in a cliquey hideaway destination distant from the typically debased beaches and off the ecology-beaten track - - to a secluded sanctuary acclaimed as akin to the waters and shores of Maldives and Mauritius combined. Far from the hedonistic frenzy of the discordant mob and distant from the maddening crowd, it is where nature embraces your being while the body frolics and indulges in the azure waters as the mind ponders, contemplates, reflects… and the spirit reawakens to ultimately get recharged, reinvigorated, and fully energized.

Where to stay in Puerto Galera? Try the Marco Vincent’s Dive Resort in White Beach Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.