Island Hopping in Hundred Islands National Park

• Island Hopping Rates
• Operating Hours
• Notes

At the Tourist Welcome Center at Lucap Wharf, Alaminos, Pangasinan we were given 2 choices for our island hopping adventure. Either we get the Day Tour or we hire a Service Boat for a day.

The Day Tour costs 800 Pesos for 1-5 pax and would only take us to three developed islands – Governor, Childrens and Quezon Island with a time limit of 20 minutes per island and the boat will leave us at the last island and will just fetch us at our desired time.

The Service Boat costs 1,400 Pesos for 1-5 pax and we could have the boat for the whole day and we can go to any island we want without any time limit. We get to have our own tour guide too which will be our boatman.

Since one of our target was to visit Cathedral Island, also known as Marcos Island, and do some cliff jumping to splash to the waters of Cathedral (Imelda) Cave, the Day Tour would not be our option. Besides, I am not a fan of developed islands so it is best to stay on the less developed ones.

Here’s an account of what happened to us during our island hopping tour inside the Hundred Islands National Park

10:46 AM – Arrival at Alaminos Town Proper from Bolinao via mini bus (45 Pesos/pax; Travel Time 1 hour 15 minutes);

10:47 AM – Rode tricycle to Lucap Wharf; 50 Pesos/tricycle

10:57 AM – Arrival at Lucap Wharf; Went into the Tourist Welcome Center to ask for details

11:14 AM – Registered at the Tourist Welcome Center. Paid the 20 Pesos Entrance Fee for a day

11:20 AM – Ate lunch at Lucap Wharf eateries

11:45 AM – Went to the Boat Dispatcher for the start of the Island Hopping

11:54 AM – Start of Island Hopping. Woohooo!!!

12:22 PM – Arrival at Governor’s Island. Check View Deck and go around the island

12:39 PM – Took a wrong turn to Pinoy Big Brother house. We got to a secluded beach

12:49 PM – Turned back and found the right way. Phew!

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12:52 PM – Met Bantay Dagat. An organization that protects the Hundred Island National Park from all types of fishing

01:09 PM – Saw the Turtle Island

01:17 PM – The waves in Marcos Island was too strong for our boat to dock. Booo!!! Goodbye cliff jumping! 🙁

01:19 PM – Got close to the eroding island. Made me wonder that the Hundred Islands National Park is like any other natural tourist attraction. They would not be there forever.

01:23 PM – Arrival at Lopez Island

01:34 PM – Arrival at Quezon Island; Checked out the Giant Clams and chatted in front of the status of Manuel Quezon while being surrounded by Bangar trees.

02:51 PM – Arrival at Childrens Island; Tour around the island and we decided to stay at an undeveloped island

03:08 PM – Back at the boat for Martha Island

03:11 PM – Saw Macapagal Island and decided that it was a better place to swim while being on the shade.

03:17 PM – Arrival at Macapagal Island. Swimming!!!

04:05 PM – Headed back to Lucap Wharf

04:31 PM – Back at Lucap Wharf. Took a shower for 10 Pesos.

05:00 PM – Had Halo-halo at the eateries in Lucap Wharf

05:22 PM – Souvenir Buying

05:31 PM – Rode tricycle to Victory Liner Alaminos; 50 Pesos/tricycle

06:00 PM – Bus to Cubao

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Was our 1,400 Pesos worth it?

To be frank, it was worth it but somehow I feel that we have not fully utilized the 1,400 Pesos. Most of the blame is on us since we arrived late and did not get to spend the whole day island hopping inside the Hundred Islands National Park. We also were only 2 when we did the island hopping which would account to 700 Pesos per person but if we were 5 persons that would only costs us 280 Pesos/person. But there was still something lacking about the tour

• According to the officer in the Tourist Welcome Center the Service Boat had a tour guide that would explain to us what we were seeing and telling us information about the Hundred Islands National Park but our boatman was not explaining anything to us even if we ask him.
• One of the main reasons why we took the Service Boat is for us to go to other islands but when we asked our boatman/tour guide to take us to an undeveloped island where we could swim in the waters without bumping to other tourists he just looked at us and suggested the 3 developed ones. Bummer! We then decided to just point to an island with a beach and ask/command our boatman to take us there. I wish the boatmans would be assertive on suggesting islands to go to.

For the 2 different times that I have visited the Hundred Islands National Park I have experience both problems. The first time I’ve been there was 2008.

But even if there are still room for improvements, I definitely think that the Hundred Islands National Park is worth visiting.

Island Hopping in Hundred Islands National Park Details

Rates

* Unfortunately, Hundred Island National Park is not solo-traveller-friendly because you will have to rent the whole boat when you get there. You may try to wait at the Tourist Welcome Center for other travellers and ask if you can join them to lower your expenses.

Warning: Beware of Fixers who overprice. Hundred Islands National Park has lots of them.

Operating Hours

Boat rides are available from 6AM to 5PM

Notes

• There are sari-sari stores in the islands but be sure to buy your snacks, ingedients and other stuff before you ride your boat in Lucap Wharf because the prices in the islands are very expensive.
• If you’re buying snacks and water, please also bring some for your boatman.
• Lifevest are provided during the island hopping tour.
  

  Lifevests on our boat

• Cold Snacks in the islands
  50 Pesos/piece – Twin Popsies
  80 Pesos/piece – Drumstick
  25 Pesos/piece – Pinipig Ice Drop
  25 Pesos/piece – Buko Salad Ice Drop
• Buko in Quezon Island
  20 Pesos per cup
  100 Pesos per piece
  A look alike of Apl de Ap of Black Eyed Peas is selling them.
  
• Overnight stay at Pinoy Big Brother house in Governor’s Island is 10,000 Pesos
• Quezon Island, Governor’s Island and Children’s Island
  200 Pesos Day Tour Table
  300 Pesos Overnight Table
  200 Pesos Day Tour Tent Pitching Fee
  300 Pesos Overnight Tent Pitching Fee
  – Setting up of tents in the sand portion of the developed islands from 6AM to 5PM is strictly prohibited.
  – Staying overnight at the undeveloped islands is also strictly prohibited.
• Island Comfort Rooms costs 5 Pesos per use
• You can take a shower after the boat tour at Lucap Wharf. Shower is 10 Pesos while the use of the comfort room is 5 Pesos
• Please throw your garbage in proper waste disposal places. Do not just throw them around the islands.
• For more information about Hundred Islands National Park you may visit hundredislands.ph or call (075) 551-2505

This post is a part of my 12 for 2012 Travel Project that aims to document 12 local destination in the Philippines in 2012 to help travellers plan their trips faster.

Follow my Bolinao and Alaminos, Pangasinan Series

• My Bolinao & Alaminos, Pangasinan Expenses (Helpful)
• Bolinao – Alaminos, Pangasinan Budget & Itinerary (Helpful)
• How to get to Hundred Islands National Park from Bolinao, Pangasinan (Helpful)

Alaminos

• Island Hopping in Hundred Islands National Park (Helpful)
• Hundred Islands Service Boat Guide (Helpful)
• Hundred Islands Tourist Welcome Center

Bolinao

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• Abrac Beach in Brgy Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan
• Cape Bolinao Lighthouse in Pangasinan
• 3 Caves of Bolinao, Pangasinan
• UP Marine Science Institute at Bolinao, Pangasinan
• 2 Restaurants that you should know when in Bolinao, Pangasinan
• Pasalubong from Bolinao, Pangasinan
• Lodgings in Abrac Beach in Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan (Helpful)
• Short-Time in Dos Flores at Bolinao, Pangasinan