Sunday, January 16, 2011

Batangas: Taal Volcano trek


While most only get to see Taal Volcano from the Tagaytay Ridge, a few adventurous souls venture down to Talisay, Batangas to set foot on Volcano Island and trek to the crater lake. A good number ride a horse going up to the view point, while others trek up. Even more challenging is the trail that leads all the way down to the banks of the crater lake.


Boats to Volcano Island are readily available. In fact, you'll see touts with small signs trying to get you to ride their boats around Tagaytay. But the problem with this is having to haggle with them. So I decided to take a boat from the Taal Lake Yacht Club where fees are fixed and parking is free. The boat and guide to Taal Volcano costs Php1,800 there (maximum of five passengers).


This time, I chose to trek up to the crater lake viewpoint. The trail is 1.7 kilometers and you can finish it in about an hour. It was quite funny that the horses and their caretakers followed us up, hoping that we'd get tired and decide to ride a horse the rest of the way. The horse ride should cost Php500 for the trip up and back. You can arrange this at the resort to avoid haggling when you get to the island.



Note that there is also a Php20 landing fee when you reach the island. Along the way, you get to see vents spewing out sulfuric gases. The view from the top is really stunning as you get to see the entire lake as well as the coast of Batangas.

As I mentioned, you can opt to go down the crater lake. But this would cost a bit more. I've never been down there. And too bad we didn't have time to do it since we planned to visit Taal Town after lunch.

Taal Lake Yacht Club
Talisay, Batangas, Philippines
(043) 7730192

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Dinagat Islands: Tagbirayan Beach in Cagdianao, Surigao del Norte


Dinagat Islands was a province of the Philippines until February 11, 2010. If it still was a province, I would have been celebrating my completion in December when I set foot on Dinagat Islands, my 80th province (81st if you count Shariff Kabunsuan, another defunct province).

But even if it's been ordered back to Surigao del Norte, I was quite surprised to discover that the Provincial Government of Dinagat Islands is still up and running. In fact, a few days before I arrived, the Bugkosan sa Isla or Dinagatan Festival 2010 had just ended.


To get to Dinagat Islands, you have to hop-on a ferry in Surigao City. As soon as I arrived in Surigao City from Cebu, I rushed straight to the ferry port. There are ferries to various towns in Dinagat Island such as Dinagat Municipality and the capital town San Jose. The one for San Jose leaves at 12 noon. While the one for Dinagat Municipality leaves at 1 p.m. Make sure you mention the exact town because if you say Dinagat, they will point you to the ferry that goes to Dinagat Town.


Since I just stayed overnight, I got to visit only a few places. One of the beaches I saw in Dinagat was Tagbirayan Beach in Cagdianao. We were actually trying to look for a beach in Dinagat Municipality but couldn't seem to find one. So we crossed to Cadianao, the opposite side of the island which faces the Pacific Ocean. I noticed that the waves were stronger there. I later read that they have also have a surfing area in Cagdianao.

The gold sand is very soft and your feet will easily sink in. They have several resorts in Tagbirayan Beach. If only I had more time in Tagbirayan Beach, some of the nearby islands looked enticing. Tagbirayan is definitely a must-visit when you are in Dinagat Islands.

Update (03/29/11): The Supreme Court flip-flops again and reverses its earlier decision nullifying the creation of Dinagat Islands. Dinagat Islands becomes the 80th province of the Philippines.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Powerade for my Taal Volcano trek


Last December, I made a trek up Taal Volcano. I usually take a horse up the crater lake viewpoint. But this time around, I decided to walk for some exercise.


Like in most of my hikes, I was expecting to consume a large amount of water since I get dehydrated really quick. This time around, aside from the water, I decided to bring with me some 500ml bottles of Powerade. I drank my first bottle midway through the trek. And I was pleasantly surprised that I did not need much liquids until I reached the top. I only opened my bottles of water when we got back to the shore.



It seems that Powerade is a really viable hydration solution. It's important during strenuous activities like these that you get the proper hydration. I checked out the label and discovered that Powerade has the right amount of electrolytes and carbohydrates which explains why it provides effective hydration and energy.


I found it funny that the horse owners followed us up hoping that we would tire out and finally say yes to riding a horse up. But I guess, I wanted to challenge myself to walk all the way. And thanks to proper hydration, I was able to do it.

I got the blue-colored Mountain Blast flavor. Powerade also comes in Berry Blast and Orange Burst. And good thing, it's conveniently available in supermarkets & convenience stores. So when going on your own mountain trek, make sure to Power up! Drink up!
Related Posts with Thumbnails