Where It All Began In Pangasinan (Part 3: Hundred Islands)

Our third day found us to where we first travelled together as Skroo Family (the name of our extended family).  From Tobuan Beach, we went straight to the Hundred Islands National Park via boat.  It was more than an hour ride from Tobuan but the scenery along the way kept us from getting bored.  We passed through the bangus (milkfish) farms of Pangasinan along the way.  

Our ride parked at the beach of Mayor's Island

Still sleepy but ready to go!

We rented three boats to prevent overloading

Bangus (milkfish) fish pens along the way

We passed by Sual Power Plant too

Halfway there...

Almost there!

 In our first trip to the islands several years back, we found an island for ourselves with a small mini cove where the kids could play.  This time, we headed straight to Mayor’s Island (Romulo Island).  This is because of the new regulations around the islands.  After some years of abuse, the local government stepped up its effort to preserve the islands.  One of the new rules is the ban on eating on any of the islands.  Eating is allowed only in designated cottages and we witnessed how strict they are when the security/care takers of the islands asked some of those eating at the beach to stop.  We paid a minimal fee of P700 for the cottage.  The fees collected most probably goes to the preservation of the Hundred Islands National Park.  They even provided black bags where we could put our garbage.

Touch down!

Staircase leading to the cottages at Mayor's Island

View from the staircase

Some areas of the islands was also turned into coral nursery and transplantation site to restore wildlife after years of damage and the government seemed to be doing good at that.  I literally lost track of the time snorkeling and viewing the different colors underwater.  The restoration process is still at its early stages but the marine life there is already a wonder to behold.

The plaque displayed at Mayor's Island

We followed these angelfish around coz they're a joy to watch

One of them has to be Gill from Finding Nemo (Shark bait huhaha!)

Different species of fish swim around the coral transplantation site...

...including these blue beauties.

Those steel frames serve as coral nurseries

Lots of fish come to these steel frames

New corals are starting to grow

Here are our friends again, but one of them is missing

We also saw giant clams around the area

There he is, doing a solo number at the "drop off"

The water around the island is very clear and shallow, sloping just gradually to get deeper.  Since we were at the Hundred Islands, the nearby islands were almost just a stone’s throw away.  These features also make the place generally safe for kids as long as the adults could see them.  We just let the kids play in the cool, shallow waters, occasionally checking to see that they’re ok.  Our special one most especially enjoyed floating on his back in a relaxing manner.  He had his life vest on all the time because lying on his back on the water is his favorite thing to do.

Some islands are just a stone's throw away

Shallow & relatively calm waters make it perfect for the kids

Our special one having the time of his life!

We can let the kids just play around

Kids tried to snorkel too but in shallow waters

Noon time sun? No problem, there are shaded areas around!

They also enjoyed the creamy, fine sand

There were also two fishermen on a boat who approached the island and offered to sell us some seafood.  We bought some fresh live crabs from them which they also cooked for free using the portable stove on board their small boat.

These fishermen were selling live crabs

Cooking is allowed beside the cottages

Lunch with a view!

Our third day was surely a blast especially for the kids who already had wrinkled fingertips for being in the water the longest time.  Fortunately, no one seem to have gotten sunburned because there were shaded areas.  We started packing a little early because we had to travel by boat back to Tobuan beach and we didn’t want to get caught by the late afternoon waves.

Just hanging around!

Family selfie!

Our compulsory family feet photo! 

Back at Tobuan and it's time to rinse

Kids had a blast!

It was once again a summer getaway full of fun memories for our family.  Researching through the internet, we can see that there are a lot more places that Pangasinan can offer.  It would most probably take at least a month to cover everything about Pangasinan.  So if we find ourselves in the province again in one of our future travels, we’re very sure that there will always be something new to surprise us!

Tips:

Travel means:

Getting to the Hundred Islands is a cakewalk since this is already a popular tourist destination.  The usual jump off is at Alaminos either by private vehicle or by bus.  But since our group was staying at Tobuan, Labrador, we simply rented a boat from there.  The travel from Tobuan is about an hour.

Kidsentials and advise for autism families:

• ·     Aptly named Hundred Islands, there are a lot of islands to choose from where you can spend your day.  Just be aware that the local government is very strict in implementing the new rules to preserve the national park and that includes ban on eating anywhere else except on cottages.  So if you plan to eat there, go to the big, popular islands.
• ·     There is a child friendly Children’s Island that is very much suitable for kids.  Some other islands like the Mayor’s Island where we went can be child friendly as well because the waters are quite shallow and calm.
• ·     Life vests are recommended because some parts of the sea can get deep.  Inflatable vests are good but we found that standard life vests with lightweight polyethylene foam floaters are better and more convenient.  One is that the kids don’t have to wear the oversized life vests of commuter boats during the boat trip. Two is that these lightweight vests are slimmer and more comfortable to wear than the inflatables which could get bulky when worn.  The kids will be freer to move around using these vests.  These vests are more expensive than the inflatable types but if your family will be going to beaches or water parks multiple times in a year, it will be worth the investment.
• ·    If your special one needs it, a non-metallic child wrist strap can also be useful here.
• ·    First aid kit.

Other general tips:

• ·    Be sure to take your snorkeling gear with you when you visit the islands.  The government project to restore the corals made the place an amazingly rich and colorful habitat for marine line.  Just be sure never to touch anything and to leave the flora and fauna alone.  Appreciate their beauty without causing harm so that other generations can enjoy them as well.
•       As always, keep the place clean.  If you will rent a cottage, you will be provided with a black bag for your garbage.