These pages are updated regularly, the last update being August 2003. If you feel you would like to contribute, or make a comment, please feel free to contact us using the appropriate icon at the end of this page. Your email address will not be displayed on any web pages or disclosed to any third parties.  I know that many OCW's pass through this page; if you're one of those, I'd welcome your comments for inclusion on these pages. I'm also working on maps for Pangasinan, along with flight tips for those travelling from the UK, and these should appear soon on the Philippine Facts Page, for which you'll find a link further down this page. Remember that this web site primarily covers points of interest in Pangasinan Province, Northern Luzon, Republic of the Philippines. Below are some useful tips and pointers if you've never experienced the Philippines before:

Don't spend too much time in Manila. Instead you should see the variation of culture in the Philippines, and sadly Manila is the place where you're most likely to get ripped off too. Prices generally will vary seasonally, but don't pay anything which seems outrageous. Popular times for price hikes are around Easter and Christmas. Always agree a price with any taxi/tricycle driver before getting in. They see a Westerner and instantly think you're loaded (blame the Americans for this misconception, no apologies made).
As you've probably already been to the URL for the Philippine Vacation, don't be too put off by any comments about theft, it isn't nearly as bad as they make out. Just make sure you put your money and valuables in a secure place and keep an eye on your baggage (as you would visiting any large town/city anywhere around the world).

Weather-wise it starts to become hotter from February onwards, and around July/August it is extremely humid too, and along with the monsoon weather and mosquitoes it can be decidedly uncomfortable unless you wear thin, loose cotton clothing. If you stay in a hotel, I'd recommend at least having an electric fan, if not aircon, to keep the mosquitoes at bay. For these reasons, you may like to stay a couple of days in Baguio, but expect to pay for accommodation at that time of year, as many Filipinos seek the cooler mountain climate during the hot months. If you go there, my personal advice is don't take the Byron Company buses! My experiences tell me these drivers are crazy, and it's a very winding mountainous drive.

A couple of books you should try to get hold of are:
Lonely Planet: Philippines, travel survival kit ISBN 0-86442-224-5 (preferably to take with you)
Culture Shock! Philippines: A guide to Customs ISBN1-85733-017-X (you should read this, but don't need to take it).
If, after visiting, you think you may have some useful tips, why not drop me a line, and maybe I'll include them here.

Here's a MAP of Pangasinan Province

Here are a couple of links to help prepare for your visit:
THE PHILIPPINES: Take a closer look at what's in store
And your direct link to:
Facts & Figures for PANGASINAN
For essential information on the Philippines, I've prepared an indexed page with essential facts, travel information etc.. Click on the link below...
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR PHILIPPINE-BOUND TRAVELLERS

The people of Northern Pangasinan are mainly Ilocano of Malaysian ancestry and are generally very welcoming, but that goes for most parts of the Philippines anyway. Although my own perception of Pangasinan is somewhat biased, I can't help feeling that Pangasinan holds within everything that is so Filipino. The scenery is quite varied, from rice plains, rivers and valleys, to forests and fishing.
It's worth knowing that Filipinos love having their photos taken, so don't be afraid to ask if you can include them in your shots, especially children and teenagers, as they're naturally very photogenic, and you'll always find them smiling into the camera. In the evenings the men also like to drink (pref. Ginebra) so you can make friends instantly by buying a couple of small bottles of Ginebra and offering a small glass to share round, accompanied by a pitcher of water and some potato chips etc.. You'll find out a great deal about the culture this way, but be prepared to eat anything they offer you in return!
The meaning of  pang-asin-an means "where sea-salt is found", so you can also find salt production, although this is rarer than of old. The stronghold of all this activity is probably around the Gulf of Lingayen, where the Chinese pirate, Lee Mah Ong, along with around 3000 men, tried to establish a base here after an unsuccessful attempt to capture Manila. The remains of the tunnel used by these pirates fleeing to their ships can still be seen. The population of Lingayen stands at around 100,000, and although I've passed through Lingayen many times, I've rarely set foot in the town. I do like the look of the vast marketplace, which never fails to intrigue me with its vast array of  food and goods. Lingayen also boasts several relics and reminders of the US landing along the 11.5 Km beach, such as a Japanese fighter plane, a couple of rusty tanks and a commemorative stone marker. Lingayen holds a town fiesta on the 4-6th January, with a beach fiesta on the 1st May. Although Lingayen is the provincial capital of Pangasinan, Dagupan City has overtaken it commercially. Incidentally, as an historical spin-off of Spanish rule, any Philippine fiesta is always worth a look in.

Dagupan City, the city of  bridges, is also worth more than a fleeting visit, and can serve as a base to travel further afield. The population is probably around 120,000, and the main Fiesta is on 26-27th December. You can pick up reasonably-priced, clean, comfortable aircon rooms here at the Star Plaza Hotel, just a walk away from the city centre. This hotel comes personally recommended for truly outstanding service and value, along with a 1st class restaurant serving Filipino and International dishes. Mount Park Hotel also comes highly recommended as being both clean and inexpensive, and you'll find this hotel around 300m metres from the Victory Liner bus terminal.
Life isn't too hectic in Dagupan, and there are a couple of nice shopping malls to browse around. The air-conditioned CSI Shopping Centre sports a supermarket, Macdonalds, Shakeys Pizza and several cinemas. (going to the movies in the Philippines is a great experience, especially if you like audience participation. I would recommend it heartily, as Filipino audiences really get involved with their Tagalog movies). The CSI shopping mall is also a good place to get all your postcards etc., but a new CSI City Mall has now been built on the outskirts of the city, and is much larger and boasts some excellent shops. Also, if you want to escape the crowds, try the Magic Shopping Centre. If you're wanting to send or receive emails, there are several Internet Cafes where you can open an account or go surfing. They are located just down the road from the CSI Shopping Centre on the 2nd floor of the New Sim Too Building, AB Fernandez Avenue.
Down the road from Dagupan there's San Fabian, a small coastal town, which has an enormous stretch of beach, with beach huts plus food and drink. You can entertain yourself  for a whole day as I did here in this pleasant little town, and it's within easy reach of Dagupan by jeepney. The journey from Dagupan City is around 15Km, followed by a short tricycle ride of 1.5Km to White Beach, which sprawls from Nibaliw West to Bolasi. There are some excellent Beach Resorts in this area, with large, clean swimming pools, accomodation and a good selection of foods.

Should you get to Pangasinan, I'd recommend a couple of days in Alaminos. I would normally recommend a look round the market, but sadly that was burned down and has so far not been rebuilt, so the market is outdoors for the time being. They've also opened a Macdonalds fast food restaurant, but do try some of the smaller bakeries which have their own excellent produce and cafes. You can visit Hundred Islands National Park, and also take a boat trip out to Quezon Island, probably the largest, and most visited. Hundred Islands are said to be the tears of a lovelorn giant, and mermaids once lived among the Islands. Keep a sharp lookout and you may be able to verify this legend, but please remember to email me if you see anything unusual! The best way to do the trip is book a room for the night at Maxines by the Sea at Lucap, where rooms are clean and economical, the restaurant is outdoors facing out on to the sea, and the food is 1st class. You should arrange the trip, picnic etc. with the hotel staff at Maxines. Don't forget to tell the boatman when to pick you up, 3-4 hours is enough on any island, after that time having your very own island loses its appeal! You may like to share the trip with others to reduce the cost, depending on how much money you want to spend. It is also possible to hire a cottage on several of the islands, so you could stay overnight.
Lucap also has a Marine Biology Museum and a Fisheries Research Centre, but alas has no beach. However, if you stay at Maxine's overnight, I can tell you that a stroll around the harbour in the late evening is very romantic and calming, with the water quietly lapping the shores and the moonlight streaking across the sea. From Alaminos, you can get to Lucap by tricycle for around P25 max.. Incidentally, if you feel you may be overcharged for your tricycle rides anywhere, first go into any local store and ask what the current fares are. You should have the exact fare ready, and pay only when you reach your destination. If you've never travelled this way before, all I can say is the more people you cram in and on the tricycle, the more fun you'll derive from any journey. This applies to jeepney travel too.

The small town of Sual has contributed much toward the growth and development of both trade and agriculture in the area. An enormous coal-fired power station near Sual was completed around 2001, and the area has been receiving huge amounts of investment, and is changing shape just as rapidly. My guess is that Sual will become a major contributor to Pangasinan's wealth in the next decade, and has already started to change, and that can't be bad news for the Poblacion.
If you want to be very brave, adventurous and daring, and if you are near Sual or Alaminos around December-February, you could hire transport to take you to Sioasio West, a tiny village around 14 Km. up one of the many beautifully wooded rice valleys. Hire yourself a guide to take you to Matico Falls, along with a day's supply of  food and drink. This is quite definitely off the beaten track, known only to the locals. To get there, you must walk several kilometres along the edges of the rice paddys, and across a couple of rivers, but it is assuredly worthwhile. Here you truly can be alone with the world, complete with a 50 metre waterfall, crystal-clear waters, peace and tranquillity. I spent one Christmas day here with my wife, family and friends, having a barbecue, swimming and lazing around, and cannot forget the sheer beauty and experience of it all.

From Sual or Alaminos you can also take a day trip up to Bolinaos, calling in at the sleepy town of Bani, where you'll also find an underground river. Bolinaos is a splendid example of a small quiet fishing village in Northwestern Pangasinan, and if you enjoy seafood, you won't find anywhere better to have it prepared. For me, the attraction of this beautiful little town is it's unspoilt originality and the fact that it isn't yet on the tourist trail. The town also enjoys a Regional Museum, displaying Philippine cultural life from the 7th to the 15th century. You may like to know that here are reputed to be many sunken galleons and junks off Cape Bolinaos, and between the islands of Santiago, Dewey and Silaqui. In the past I've hired a boat for the day to go around the island, and as there a numerous isolated beaches you can effectively have one to yourself for the day if you pack a picnic. You can also enjoy snorkelling around these waters too, but be aware that there are sometimes shoals of jellyfish around April and May, so you should wear clothing at these times while bathing. You may also like to know that the area around Bolinaos is associated with such phenomena as strange lights and other enigmatic happenings. Spooky, uh? You'll find some very exotic shell ornaments worth taking home as souvenirs. The prices are readily affordable, they look great in any conservatory, and you'll be benefiting the local community and economy enormously. By the way, should you have some incurable ailment, this is also the place to find many of the Philippines' renowned psychic surgeons.

As for other places within the Philippines, Cebu and Boracay Island (Paradise!) are also good places to visit (you can reach Cebu by domestic flights from Manila etc. reasonably cheaply). Boracay is known far and wide as an Island Paradise. Boracay has charmed visitors with its powder white sand, crystal blue waters and purposely laid-back pace. Located at the Northern tip of Panay province, Boracay is about three hours away from Manila. Sun worshippers from all over the world visit Boracay yearly, some have even made it their second home. It is no wonder, therefore, that French, German, Spanish and English can be heard spoken in the island. The culinary fare is equally exciting featuring a wide range from Thai and Austrian to Belgian and Filipino. Numerous water sport facilities, including dive shops, are on hand as well as a sprinkling of bars and discos. Most visitors however, prefer to sit back and enjoy the sun.