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June 12, 2024
Getting around Dingalan, Aurora is absolutely fun and worth the travel. It is the southernmost municipality of Aurora that is 3 to 4 hours away from Manila. If Batanes is one of your bucket lists, you may want to consider Dingalan as this place is also dubbed as “Batanes of the East” or “Paradise of the East”. Just like Batanes, Dingalan is surrounded by vast bodies of water. The beauty of the place is overwhelming! It cannot truly be expressed in words.
From the beaches, caves, and the place itself is remarkable. In addition, Dingalan offers many activities to visitors of all ages. Here’s a rundown of the best things that you can do in this hidden paradise of Aurora in just a day.
Cliff Diving and Swimming at Lamao Cave
You shouldn’t miss Lamao Cave when you’re in Dingalan especially if you’re up for an adventure! I’m not into water activities, but I had fun swimming inside the cave. It’s a bit scary at first because you will hear a strange sound inside, and there are a lot of bats inside the cave. But still, I enjoyed it so much! Aside from swimming, you can also do cliff diving here. Some of the people in our group had fun cliff diving. Just be extra careful as the distance gets farther, and the current gets stronger, you need to brace yourselves.
Swimming and Picture taking at Suah Rock Formations
Suah Rock Formations is one of the best tourist attractions in Dingalan. It is just 10 minutes away from Lamao Cave. Sun was really up when we arrived, but I didn’t mind the heat. You can swim, take a picture, and appreciate the beauty of the sea. Just be careful with the sea urchins, the sting is painful and can lead to infection. It’s better if you will wear aqua shoes or outdoor sandals.
Stay at White Beach
You can’t find any hotel or high-end resort in town, but you can stay at the white beach, which is located at Brgy. Paltic. It’s 30-40 minutes away from the feeder port (estimated boat ride). You can set up a tent or rent a cottage. You can also bring your lunch here so that you don’t have to go back to the feeder port.
Unfortunately, the sand is not white anymore. The tour guide said it’s because of Typhoon Ondoy (2009) that caused soil erosion in the area. He already set our expectations before the tour because we might expect for white sand since it is a White beach. But I believe it only needs some rest for the beach to replenish. If only they could give it a time to heal. It can bring back its old look and formation.
Trekking
For you to see the breath-taking view of Dingalan, you have to trek for a few minutes, which will be worth it! You won’t mind the long walk and tiring climb after seeing the view from the top. From the white beach, there are two paths. One will lead you to the mountain view deck and the other path will lead you to the lighthouse. Duration is 15-20 minutes trek to the view deck and another 15-20 minutes to the lighthouse.
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- The Lighthouse
- View from the Moutain View Deck
This breathtaking view will leave you speechless. The long walk and climb really pay off after seeing the view from the top
Swimming and Cliff Diving at Tanawan Falls
Tanawan Falls should be on your list if you will be traveling to Dingalan. After a tiring trek, a dip into the cold water of Tanawan Falls is very satisfying. To get here, you can ride a motor or habal-habal for P100-P120 and travel time is 5-10 minutes but if you’re feeling extra, you can trek the way up to the falls. You will also cross a bridge that is made of woods.
Just a reminder, you don’t have to bring so much things if you will go here. Just bring the things that you really need. We can’t tell, it might get lost. It’s better to be careful.
Expenses:
Boat ride – P100/head minimum of 8 pax
Tourism Fee – P50/head
Dingalan View deck entrance – P20/head
Spot Guide Fee- P200
Additional P500 boat ride fee if you will go to Lamao Cave and Suah Rock formations
Cottage – P500 for day tour and P1000 for overnight
Here’s a sample itinerary:
6:00 am – Dingalan Feeder port for registration and preparation
6:15 am – Boatride to White Beach
6:30 am – White Beach
6:40 am – Start Trekking to Viewdeck
7:10 am – Picture taking at Viewdeck and Appreciate the View
8:00 am – Start Trekking to Lighthouse
9:00 am Start descend
9:30 am – Boat ride to Lamao Cave
11:00 am – Suah Rock Formations
12:00 – Go back to Feeder port for Lunch
1:00 pm – Go to Tanawan Falls
1:30 – 3:00 pm – Swimming and Cliff Diving at Tanawan Falls
3:30 pm – Descend/Clean up
On your way home, you can drop by “I LOVE DINGALAN” marker
For a hassle-free travel, you can join a tour for just a thousand pesos and I recommend Pobreng Wanderer, if you want to go to Dingalan. It’s my first time to travel with this agency and the tour coordinators are very friendly and accommodating. You can contact them by phone (09174596966/09174543800) or visit their Facebook page here
Didn't know that there is beauty in Dingalan. I'm only an hour or two away from this place. Thanks for your post. will Definitely Visit this very soon! <3
Very insightful post. I will be visiting place and other destinations in Aurora soon. Regarding the boat, are there any shared boat option if I will be travelling solo?