mahalkitam2013
I had my tour for one day and I enjoyed with my helmet diving.It was so amazing and very relaxing place to stay and unwind I really love it.I recommend it very nice place to do snorkeling and helmet diving.
KIKO597
Thank you for the new toll roads built that's now more accessible to travelers. Going to 100 islands is tiresome even for us who traveled by private van. We decided to stay in Lingayen because the nicer hotels in Alaminos are too pricey (more expensive than tourist destinations like Cebu etc.). It's good that the Alaminos city government implemented a good system of registration and boat scheduie patterned maybe to the Puerto Princesa underground river, thereby giving equal income opportunities for the boatmen and it's owners. We observed the cleanliness of the land and sea environment, and courteousness of it's people especially our boatmen.Instead of having a packed lunch to be brought to the main (Governor or Quezon)island, we decided to buy newly catch shrimps/lobsters, crustaceans and lots of fish at the nearby fish-port and was cooked at the cafeteria for a small fee. We loved the authentic Panginense/Ilocano type of cooking. Because of time constraint, we skipped an island with a cave and settle for the Children's island for a quick swim/dip. An amazing sight is an island inhabited by bats, lots of it, most are hanging on trees and others flying within the island (it's noon). Also a very small thing maybe an island, which I jokingly named as gorilla island that most probably is the smallest among the islands if is it is one.We forget our fatigue, and very much enjoyed our trip to the 100 islands. Hopefully, a commercial airport be built between Laoag (north) and Manila; probably in Pangasinan or southern La Union to boost tourism in this area.
rpantoni
The tour boat, the beach, and other activities are so-so and a bit expensive. But kayak your way through different islands is the best.. This can be done since the islands are very close to each other..
eTaka
Visited Feb 10 2015. Our company drove using the new highway (SCTex) and got lost but with lots of kind people giving us direction able to arrive just about lunchtime. There was no tourists in sight except a couple and us. The tourism center person was very nice and helpful. After renting a boat for P1,500 (Day Tour covers islands hopping limited to three islands including: Quezon Island, Governor’s Island and Children’s Island) and waiting sometime for the boat to arrive (meantime able to buy some lunch food (Lando & Yolly's Eatery) very reasonable and kindly provided us with extra plastic forks,spoons and paper plates. 2guides stayed with us and explained the islands we have passed..too many to remember except 3 main ones with some sort of facilities. Sad to say, some sort of construction going on 2 of 3 islands visited with 2 main ones already with lots of people cramming all the nice spots. After dipping in the water, shower stalls are clean but no running water, need to bring buckets from the outside and it was a bit bothersome. I hope the tourism authority in charge would put more thoughts for a more successful way of developing these nature rich islands.
777nancyb
This trip was on June 2014. Hundred Islands is best for snorkeling, diving, zipline, and island hopping. Upon arrival in Alaminos, just go directly to the Port and look for the Tourism Center and reserve a boat for your Island Tour. The Tourism center is the only authorized to dispatch boats for Island Tours. Cost of boat rental is just PHP 1,500. per day. the boat is good for maximum of 8-10 people. Some people may offer services but they are not registered with the Tourism Center, and if you do business with them, it will be a risk if something happen during the island tour. If you like to arrange boat rental with your hotel, just make sure the boat owner is registered with the Tourism Center. The boat man will serve as your guide during the Island Tour. Do not leave without life vest and make sure the boat man has an assistant. Leaving early in the morning for Island Tour is very much suggested to maximize your day, as one day is not enough to see all the Hundred Islands. Summer ( Feb-June) is the best time to go to Hundred Islands. It is better to bring your own food securely packed as there are very limited food and drinks that you can buy in one of the islands, and a little bit expensive, compared to the food that you can buy in the restaurants in the port. Or you can request your hotel to prepare packed lunch, snacks, and drinks, that you need for the whole day. Bring knives, plates, spoon and fork, etc, in that case you will be ready to eat, if you happen to be at the island that has no facilities, during lunch time. Littering in the island will be fined, so bring bags to put your garbage, and do not leave them in the island.Prepare for a lot of snorkeling, diving, picture taking and Zipline. Giant clams can be seen in one of the islands. Children's Island is best for a group with children as the beach is shallow. Don't miss the Governors Island and take that 150 steps to reach the top of the VIEW POINT, and see the spectacular view of the whole Hundred Islands. It is best to go there in the morning, with a bottle of water or two. Going up and down is safe as the stairs is concrete. Don't miss the bat Island.Anywhere you go, the beach is clean, and the water is pristine. The Islands are just so awesome!
Wolf3742
If you like nature and a place that is yet to be developed go to 100 islands.It is very tourist friendly. From the start, you only have to go through a centralized location to hire a boat and to buy food. The boat ride for the entire day would only cost you USD30. And we are a group of 7 people. There are life jackets and snorkeling gear for rent.As for the islands itself, there are alot of places to visit. I mean alot. My favorite is the Imelda cave. Where there is a hole on top of the hill and jump directly down in to the waterSecond is the giant clam. I was amazed to snorkel and see the giant clamsOnly downside is that shower area after the tour. I wish the shower/dressing area was a bit cleaner and bigger. People are crowding to get a chance to shower or to get changed. There are even times that they ran out of water. But my overall experience cannot downgrade my rating from 5 stars
lindaeddie
My husband and I rented a small outrigger boat with an extremely helpful guide for 1,400 pesos. The water was crystal clear and we very much enjoyed the snorkeling. Our guide advised us where to go to see the giant colorful clams and tropical fish. We were able to capture beautiful pictures and would recommend this stop for all. Diving equipment not necessary....snorkeling is sufficient. If you are on a tight budget, drop off your luggage at the hotel and spend the day..4 hours..on the trip. There are public showers, but I would not dare use them.
H_S620
We did the helmet diving; and my nephews did a snuba. It was fun; beautiful corals; and nice big giant clams!
gajted
You want more fun in the Philippines? The 100 islands are a must see. If there's just two of you, book a medium size private banka for about 1400peso ($45) and control where you go and how long you stay on each island. The extra space makes it more pleasurable and you'll get full 8am-5pm service. We were very impressed with how clean every island was - keep it that way. As we travelled in January, there were not many people and most of the time we had the island we were on to ourselves. Maybe take a chiller with all the food and drinks you will need - but there is cold beer and some food available as you hop from island to island. Be sure to go snorkelling and try some of the other activities like fishing or kayaking if you have the time and don't forget your camera!
iamAldonLopez
The Hundred Islands National Park is located in the Alaminos City, Province of Pangasinan. The islands are scattered along Lingayen Gulf. Locals said that they are about two million years old and because of the lowering of the sea, they were exposed into a mushroom like form which has been caused by the ocean waves all these years.There are three islands developed for tourist, these are Governors Island, Quezon Island and Children’s Island. Our first stop was in Governors Island. This island is ideal for family and friends get together. It has wooden cottages (with beddings), floating picnic shed, restrooms, tent rentals, camping, cooking and dining areas and amenities like linens and lighting. You can see panoramic views as you hike the rock ladders to the highest point of the island.The view from the island was fantastic. The water was so clear, you can even see sea animals hovering around the place. We spent the entire morning in this island where I had my 3rd times snorkeling experience. My friend were so excited to learn the basic of snorkeling because later that morning, we had to jump off our boat and snorkel at the area where the locals said the best snorkeling area in Hundred Islands.
mzzyap
Surprise! The Day/Overnight Tours are actually organized! See attached published rates in my photos. There were only 4 of us so we chose the small size boat with a maximum capacity of 5 passengers. Yes, it was a bumpier ride but we controlled our own time. Yes, the bigger, faster boats kept passing us, but what's the hurry anyway? We're on vacation! For a moment there, you're in a different world where time is slower. It was a pleasure to just be in the midst of these 123 islets. Of course, the Governor's island 250peso/zipline, feeding the fish by hand (bring good bread scraps), snorkeling where the Giant Clams are, jumping into the "hole" in Marcos' island, walking self-explorations, and swimming off the fine beaches, make for an exhilarating time:))) Tips: bring your own food since choices are limited and costly in the islands. And PLEASE bring home your own trash. It's a bummer to see dirty diapers shoved into rock crevices. Local authorities, do address this problem if you want more tourists to spend more money here.
Travelling_Jockie
The sun was shining and the islands looked superb. It's a shame we didn't get to stop on more of them. Find an island which isn't rammed with people and spend the night on the beach under the stars - you can't beat it!
majmani
We were a group of 7 adults and 1 toddler and had checked in at Maxine by the sea (you can read my review separately). Took a boat to 100 islands in the morning and it was a pleasure watching the islands pass by. The boatmen were polite to tell us which islands is known as dog island! turtle, crocodile, bat islands, etc etc. The main 3 islands are Governor island, Children island & Quezon island! Governor island looked quite busy, so we chose to go to children island first. Not that this place has waterpark, or rides; it is called so coz children can play in the shallow water. Make a checklist to carry your bbq grills, bbq meat, water, soft drinks, drinks, change of clothes, coal, camp lights, camping stuff (if you prefer overnight). Do plan the stay properly if you want to go overnight! For us it was a day trip so did not worry much about the stuff. Spent couple of hours at children island and were told by the boatmen that waves are high at Quezon island, risky to go there. We heeded to advice and proceeded to kuenko island (asking for caves). Now, this is one place we enjoyed coz we could jump into the water (around 6 feet deep) from a platform about 5 meters high. It was fun and spent an hour there. There is food available at this island, and no surprises at double the rate. At the shore, ulam (side dish) costs about PHP65 and single rice for PHP20, So budget at about PHP100/head and do not forget to carry food/supplies for minimum of 2 boatmen. From kuenko we proceeded to another island which just had zipline and noone was in a mood of this adventure after jumping in the water. We saw the bats at bat island - sound obvious? But this was in broad day light, all bats hanging upside down! Though bats were nocturnal! It was almost lunch time and we decided to stop and conquer one island for lunch! So we stopped for lunch at braganza island and with no one around, it was just for us! Cool and clean seas, sandy patches and amazing nature to adore! We left by 130pm coz had a long drive ahead of us! But would recommend spending atleast 2 days to explore all the islands (atleast the major ones)Advice: The night time seemed very very windy and chilly on our visit. The wind was easily doing a 60-65kmph and there was no storm. I think this is a natural occurrence, so campers should be aware of the situation. Morning times are normal low tides, which would be ideal for swimming.
Robert_Diver2013
Fantastic place to see with girlfriend/family/used to snorkelling; little not clear visibility in a water in a June. Many islands, some rocs, some white sand. Rent snorkelling equipment possible, but better have own, cause poor quality. Also good to rent boat with local guy.
juncelebria
Experience the nature all in one outing. Island hopping, beaches, snorkelling, zip line, exploring cave. The trip is not so expensive and very safe to local and foreign tourist. For a total experience you have to stay overnight in one of the island. just bring with you enough drinling water and food as they charge more for this item if you bought it on the island.How to get there. If you are coming from Manila travel north west and find the City of Alaminos Pangasinan, there are bus lines that travel to that city regularly. from the city of Alaminos the jump of point is the Lucap Wharf, this is where you will register to the local tourism office. and then negotiate for a boat that will bring you the island. some offer package with food and overnight stay some only day tour until 5pm. So be there early. estimated time of travel from Manila by Bus is about 3-4 hrs.