Our family had our first out of town trip last January. We went on a day trip to Corregidor Island via Sun Cruises. I was able to buy promo tickets during a travel fair last year. Each ticket was Php1,750 for both kids and adults including a dinner cruise at Manila Bay (for more their packages and rates, check out this
link). There's a
funny annoying story behind Corregidor, kwento ko muna kasi unforgettable talaga! Back when BOS and I were still dating, we were very into photography and lomography and for our dates, sometimes we go on photowalks and Corregidor was one of our supposedly first trip together BUT someone (not me) woke up late and we missed our ferry going to island (kahit pinalipad na niya ang koche) haha! Now, I am laughing at it pero at that time nakakainis! There's only one trip to Corregidor a day so this time I made sure we woke up early enough, prepared breakfast too so there's no excuse of being late!
I'm glad we booked our trip on a January trip because it's not as hot, medyo malamig pa which was just the perfect weather. We arrived at the Esplanade Seaside Terminal (near Vikings) at SM MOA Complex around 6AM. While BOS and kids were having breakfast, I checked us in at the counter and paid the terminal fee, Php30/pax. We were given stickers to put on our shirt which has our seat number and bus number for when we get to the island. Note: The check-in counter closes 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure.
The terminal is small and clean. It's also the terminal for trips going to Camaya Coast. It has a 7-11 and a MICAH Cafe who wants to fill themselves before leaving. Tip is to bring your own water because when I went to 7-11 to buy our water that morning and the line was long and it was little crazy in there with travelers, bikers, etc were also buying food and water.
We boarded the ferry 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure. I had the kids take Bonamine because it was their first time on a boat, I also took one because it's also my first time on a Hoverferry. It is airconditioned and well maintained but it is old, it made me a little claustrophobic. The ferry also has a mini store and rest rooms were clean.
May entertainment pa before sailing out.
Safety first!
The trip took about 2 hours, longer than I expected, we arrived at the island almost 10am na. It was a long and slow 2 hours haha! There's a TV on board but they only played videos about Corregidor. I like history but running on a few hours of sleep and no coffee, the video made me more sleepy. I was so happy when we arrived. I was also relieved the kids were behaved throughout the trip.
They just played together and fell asleep for awhile.
Corregidor Island is about 48 kilometers west of Manila, located at the entrance of Manila Bay. Corregidor. Formerly known as Fort Mills during the World War II, Corregidor is one of the important historic and tourists sites in the country. The island stands as a military memorial for American, Filipino and Japanese soldiers who served and lost their lives in the island.
After we got off the boat, we transferred to a tramvia which was our mode of transportation for our whole trip in the island. We unloaded at the Bottomside of the island. There was about 8 or 9 tramvias and each tramvia has a tour guide on board. The tadpole-shaped (for me it's a kilay-shaped haha!) island is divided into 4 sections: Topside, Middleside, Bottomside and Tailside which we were all able to see. Our tour guide, Armand, was good, he knows a lot about the island, but since we arrived at 10am and lunch was at 12nn, we were pressed for time and I felt we were in hurry for the whole tour. We still enjoyed the tour despite of that and I will let my photos speak for themselves. Enjoy!
Meet Armand, our tour guide,
The iconic Mile-Long Barracks! I wish I had a wide angle lens to capture the whole stretch!
Our last stop before lunch was the Corregidor Lighthouse. We were the first group to arrive so we took advantage and went up to the lighthouse while it was empty.
Al fresco lunch! Food is already included in the package. It was just okay, I think it's by MIHCA (Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts). There's one drink included but you can also order your drinks at your own expense. After the one hour lunch, we continued our tour to the other side of the island.
The Malinta Tunnel was our last stop. Malinta Tunnel was used as a bomb-proof storage and personnel bunker then later turned into a 1,000-bed hospital. There's a light and sound show inside the tunnel which is an additional of Php200/person and optional. We skipped it because Y didn't want to go plus it was also drizzling. We waited for the show to finish before going inside.
Our group I think has the most people who opted not to watch the show. Since it was a 30-minute show, our tour guide thought of taking a few of us in our group on a off-limits tour. BOS and R went with the group with flashlights and hard hats with flashlights only! They went through to foxhole and came out in one of the lateral tunnels inside. I heard one of them had to crawl just to get through the foxhole. Si R lang daw ang nakalusot na nakatayo. I think this was the best part of the tour for R!
It's actually darker inside than what is in the photo. Medyo eerie siya...
After Malinta Tunnel, it was time to head back to Manila. The trip back also took about 2 hours also, we all slept during the trip. We were all tired! We arrived at around 5PM and we were supposed to join the dinner cruise also but it was raining so we went to the mall na lang.
A lot of my friends were asking: "May mumu ba?" I believe there are spirits roaming around but I have never felt their presence ("Please wag kayo magparamdam!" Haha!). I know some people who do and if you do and you're quite unsure or scared, I suggest you think about it. :)
If you like history and wants to know more, Corregidor is for you. It's not exactly a family-friendly or kid-friendly place but R enjoyed the tramvia ride, the open space, and the tunnel. I just wish the tour was in a slower pace than it was so I can take it all in. What I want to know is, is there any another Corregidor tour provider aside from Sun Cruises?
BOS and I were talking about going back when the kids are bigger and stay at Corregidor Inn. They have different activities for overnighters like hiking, biking, sunset viewing and even camping!
This was our first trip for the year, can't wait for the next one in May! Meanwhile, more city trips for now.
