I ♥ Morong, Bataan 01/23/2010

Morong Bataan

There is a time in your life where you inspired to explore the world around you. In my case it came when I joined a team building in Bataan Province. I could say that this started my need to travel from different places. 

The Bataan team building started from the other team’s plan to have a get together out of town; unfortunately their team lead wasn't able to attend because of family matters so they've decided to ask us if we could go with them. I really wanted to go because this is going to be my first out of town trip for 2009. 



After our shift we waited for the team to assemble in Market Market Taguig and after 30 minutes everyone is good to go. We rented two vans to accommodate 20 people. We first went to a farm in Bataan to prepare the food that we were going to eat. The farm is a two hour drive from Bataan and we enjoyed the time we spent there. Our first plan was to go to Camayan Beach Resort in Subic; however most the resort rooms were already fully booked so we've decided to find a Place in Morong, Bataan.

 It took us 4 hours to drive and it’s already 8pm that time when we arrived in Morong. We still scouted for a cheap resort in the area and luckily we found a good deal. The resort have standard amenities like pool, showers, grill station and veranda. The first thing we did was to eat dinner because it’s already 9pm then and we haven’t eaten yet from the 4 hour drive. We had a great dinner because everyone was already hungry that time . After eating we had spent the whole night partying, drinking, dancing and night swimming. Some of the old folks asked us to rest early because we are going to do an Island tour tomorrow. Because most of us were already tired we packed up and called it a night. 

We woke up early because of the arranged Island Tour. I still feel a little bit dizzy from partying last night but I rested for a while and reserve my energy for the said activity. After eating a light breakfast and drinking coffee we met our local boatmen and tour guide. The local boatmen asked Php1600 for the 20 of us. The old folks arranged the tour so all we have to do is to pay the fees. We were 15 persons so it don’t cost us an arm and leg. We were taken to the Turtle Island which is 30 minutes away from the resort. We also visited the Pawikan Conservatory Centre in Morong, Bataan. It is a temporary home of rescued turtles and nesting site of Sea Turtles. 

We were greeted by the staff of the Pawikan Conservatory Center and paid the entrance fee which is only 20 pesos per head. They have some activities you can join like their Night Patrol (checking the laying areas of Sea Turtle) and Releasing of newly hatched turtles on the shore – one turtle is worth 50 pesos. We just took some photos and looked at the turtles in the center, other than that, there’s nothing much to do here. 

After the Pawikan center activity we saw a raft floating in Turtle Island Beach and out of curiosity we headed straight to the raft, climbed on it and use it like a surf board. We really enjoyed the raft activity because the waves current were really strong that time. We waited for the other group who were still in the Pawikan Center while the rest of us enjoyed the raft ride. I thought it’s the end of our activity however the boatman says that we can go Snorkeling in the middle of the Bataan Beach. This was my first snorkeling experience and I discovered my talent in deep water swimming. 

We had a rough time battling with the waves, so after 30 minutes we’ve decided to go back to our resort. It took us 1 hour to go back and it was a memorable one because I asked the boatman that I will ride the boat's balance support. I just discovered how adventurous I am. When we’re back at the resort we ate the leftover food they set aside last night. Our afternoon activity was mostly spent in taking a lot of pictures, swimming on the pool, and cracking some jokes. Unfortunately, one of a teammate lost his mobile phone and everyone feel bad for him but because of his continuous rant, he already sounded annoying. Around 3pm we packed up and traveled back to Manila. 

The beach in Bataan is unlike the other beaches I’ve visited before. The shore is very rocky and the sand is a mixture of dark and white. It is very common to see fishes and corals because one of the very first things that will strike you is the crystal clear water. Bataan is a great destination to spend weekend getaways. It is only 5 hours drive up north of Metro Manila. It was a good visit and I'll be back to explore more of this province.