Chillin at Nhon Hai Beach and Hon Kho Island

I used to be a fan of beaches, that is, until I went to Bauan, Batangas and joined a group of free divers. There's just so much more in the oceans to be fussy about whether the sand in the beach is white or not. So in my sidetrip to Quy Nhon before the start of the conference I'm attending I decided to go to a beach in Nhon Hai, a fishing commune about 30 min from Quy Nhon, and which, I've read, has a nice diving site.

[Attempting] Freediving

What most people don't realize is that swimming isn't just a single skill but rather a collection of several different skills. Being able to swim horizontally on the surface of the water (think freestyle, breaststroke, etc) is a different skill from being able to stay afloat in a stationary position (treading). Another skill, one which I am yet to acquire, is diving. So on one weekend I decided to join a group of freedivers called Team Rocket for some freediving tutorials. They arranged pretty much everything for the 2D 1N trip and all we were left to do is to freedive, or at least attempt to.

Cabo Beach, Burgos, Pangasinan

Cabo/Cabongaoan Beach is a perfect respite for those looking for an unspoiled DIY destination. I bet hardly anyone is familiar with the place - hidden in a remote fishing village in Pangasinan, it is at least 30 km from Alaminos, Pangasinan as the crow flies*! The sand is coarse and orange-ish, and the shoreline, I figure, is twice as long as that of Kwebang Lampas.

Kwebang Lampas, Pagbilao, Quezon

Kwebang Lampas in Pagbilao, Quezon is one of the beaches I wouldn't mind going back to over and over again. The trip is cheap, the water is clear and the sand is (almost) white. Besides, I had zero swimming skills when I first got there, and I wanted these "skills" to be tested. As luck had it, it was sunny during our entire stay even if PAGASA forecasted some "isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms".