My company had an outing in Bolinao last April 7 to 9.

How to get there?

1. Rent a van- Php 15,000 (10-12 pax)
2. Take a bus- Php 1,000 roundtrip

Travel time?

5-6 hours depending on the traffic.

Lodging?

Ramos Beach Resort

https://www.facebook.com/ramosresortbuloy/

Price: PHP 1500 for a Kubo without aircon (4-6 people), PHP 2000 for a room with aircon (4 people)

If you’re very picky with resorts and want something glamorous then this isn’t for you. This resort is very simple and chill. For sure nature-lovers will enjoy because you can rent a tent and camp. There are no restaurants nearby and they don’t have one too so you have to bring your own food. In addition, there’s no LTE signal for both SMART and Globe so I guess this is the best place to have a social media detox.

Itinerary

1. Saint James Church
   

   I always light three candles and make three wishes everytime I visit a new church. Do it! I think some of them came true already.

   

   

   
2. Patar White Beach

You need to pay extra if you want to rent tables. There is no entrance fee though. There were a lot of people when we went because it was summer so I suggest that you go some other time.

3. Bolinao Falls

Entrance fee is 50 pesos.

There are three waterfalls here this is just one of them!

I didn’t swim because it was too rocky

You can jump from the top

Budget:

I spent a total of 3000 pesos or less for this trip because we didn’t have to pay for the transportation. I think it really depends on what you plan to do. Bolinao isn’t really expensive.

Tips:

1. I suggest you bring a car or rent a van because it’s cheaper and you’d get to visit a lot of places
2. There are a lot of places to visit there such as the lighthouse, enchanted cave, and etc. So check it out!
3. If you plan to stay in Ramos Resort, bring mosquito repellant, utensils, lots of water, pillows, and blanket. Like I said, it is very simple so they just provide electricity. That’s it.
4. If you plan to take a bus, research how to get around once you are there because I don’t know if you can commute to the falls, cave, and beach.

It was a really short but sweet trip. I needed the social media detox. Even if there was no signal, I was able to survive. I realized that keeping your gadgets away is essential at times because it makes you appreciate the beauty of life. We arrived on a Friday and we were supposed to go home on a Sunday. However, I had a flight to catch on Sunday so I took a bus home with a colleague of mine on Saturday. The bus ride was so uncomfortable because it was full and the trip was long. Like I said, just rent a van or bring your own car.