Dasol: Pangasinan's Hidden Gem

I got an invite from Ian Limbonis to join his organized trip to Dasol and upon learning about the place, I was first skeptical that it might not just be worth-it. I've been to some of the most popular beaches in Pangasinan so I was thinking that it might just be a so-so tourist destination. But then again, my expectations proved me wrong upon seeing Cabongaoan, Tambobong and Colibra.

I was actually getting used to invites after joining several organized trips to Calaguas, Masasa and Burot. After all, these kinds of trips are still a bang for the buck and the best thing about it is that you get to meet new friends who share the same passion as you do - traveling. Oh, and it also saves me the hassles of creating an itinerary as well so kudos to these organizers. So when Ian said that he's planning to set up another organized trip then I signed up together with my longtime Bakasyonista buddies Earl and Dustin.

The first stop was Cabongaoan beach. The waves were very much inviting but I chose not to get myself wet yet since it is just the first leg of the trip. And while the others already gave in to the temptation and took a dip at the beach, some of us just decided to lie in the sand and took a nap for a few minutes. The coconut trees that offer a perfect shade from the sun and the sound of the waves was too hard to resist so after a few clicks on my camera, I joined the others and just "chilled" by the beach.

The second stop was Tambobong where where we decided to set camp for the night upon hearing the bad news that original plan to set camp at another island was not possible since the waves were already strong. And so we pitched our tents at a nearby empty lot and after that we went back to the beach to just chill. Unfortunately I wasn't able to join the others in their binge drinking spree because of my acid reflux so I just decided to play with my camera in an attempt to capture the starlit sky. And after a few clicks I was surprised to see not just stars but what appears to be a little preview of what the galaxy looks like on a clear night. At first I thought that these were just clouds but upon taking a closer look it dawned on me that it is in fact the Milky Way galaxy.

The next day we woke up late at around 8am already and headed to Colibra Island which is a 15 to 20-minute boat ride from Tambobong. I was actually surprised to see a lot of people so we decided to checkout the other side of the island where the current is much stronger and the views are much more spectacular. Earl went a little further to the edge of the rocks to check out the waves but I decided to stay back because the waves were undeniably strong and it would be too risky for me. And while he was comfortably standing at the edge, a series of big waves suddenly appeared smashing the chubby traveler to the rocks leaving him with a couple of bruises and with no eyeglasses. He was always the daredevil in the group so this freak accident wasn't surprising to me at all.

Later on we went to the nearby Crocodile Island which offered panoramic vistas and amazing views of the South China Sea. There's no fine white sand however at this island but the lush greens and the crystal clear waters are definitely a good consolation especially for nature lovers and beach bums.

Having been to Bolinao and Hundred Islands already made me believe that I have seen the best of Pangasinan but upon seeing the beauty of Dasol, I am now more than convinced that there's a lot more to see in this province. Dasol is truly Pangasinan's hidden gem.