The Hundred Islands National Park in Lucap, Alaminos, Pangasinan is a beautiful and unique place to visit.
They say the total number of islands 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide.
It takes about 4-6 hours to reach Alaminos from Manila. You can take private vehicle or one of the many bus lines. At the park there is an informative visitor center where you can gather all the information you can need and book any trips you want to make, including boat tours of the islands via one of the colorful bankas.
There are three developed islands,Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children’s Island. Developed, meaning they have facilities for tourists to picnic, swim, camp and Governor’s Island even has a small lodge you can book. Price for a banka is about 1500php
During my last trip, December 2008, I decided to give camping a try. I camped on Governors Island, next to the cave…see pics below. The rules on camping are tents can go up at 6pm and must be down at 6am. It costs a few hundred pesos to camp. You can have a small cooking fire in the pits provided, and there are also picnic tables available. Night time was wonderful. The sky was clear, the moon and stars bright and it was very peaceful. Day time, that is a different story. During the day, I estimate at least 500-750 people visited throughout the day. This was during Christmas season, so the traffic was surely heavier than usual.
My suggestion when visiting Hundred Islands is to stay at one of the lodges and do day trips. My favorite lodge is the Seaside Haven. I like their small cottages which rest on stilts above the water. They have air conditioning and hot water. Television as well, but don’t expect much from your reception. No worries for me, as I don’t usually travel to watch television. Rate was 1200php.
For dining, I love Maxines By the Sea. The restaurant has a large deck, with a portion of it being double decker. Morning coffee and fresh boneless bangus while watching the sunrise over the islands is fantastic. Dinner beneath the stars is also a treat.
This trip makes for a wonder weekend escape from Manila or a one or two night stop over if exploring Luzon.
