"Sweet Escape" Puerto Galera by mistletoe63

I enjoyed my trip to White Beach, Puerto Galera, mostly because I was with my boyfriend. We simply wanted to get away from Manila to relax and enjoy each other's company. We thought Galera was a good choice, 'coz we were on a budget and going there didn't seem so hard.

We enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, riding the banana boat, and simply basking in the sun and in each other's company. The food and accommodations in White Beach is pretty affordable. There are some things I'd like to remark about though...

Locals and travelers alike should do better in preserving the beauty of White Beach, since it is definitely deteriorating. First of all, the beach has become very dirty. We keep seeing beer bottles in the water, and the sand is littered with trash. I even burned my foot on a still lit cigarette stub left lying around. Second, the bangkas, speedboats, banana boats, jetskis, etc. keep docking just about anywhere on the beach shore. It almost leaves no room for the people to go swimming in peace. Third, I don't think it's a good place for families, especially during the peak season. The nightlife gets pretty wild, so it's pretty noisy... not exactly conducive for rest and relaxation. There are bars all over the place, not to mention discos. Lastly, the arrangement of the houses, restaurants and bars, stores and other stalls are quite topsy-turvy. The effect is a somewhat disorderly look that is not very appealing.

If I ever visit Puerto Galera again, I don't think I'll go to White Beach. There are other beaches there that seem to be more conducive to rest and relaxation, and are definitely cleaner.

• Pros:Good food, inexpensive accommodations, friendly people, lots of things to do, beautiful sunset
• Cons:Beach is a bit dirty, boats docking everywhere, slightly itchy water, my boyfriend encountered some jellyfish
• In a nutshell:Nice beach, but could use some improvement!