I've always been fascinated with Mt. Romelo (also mistakenly known as Mt. Famy). Folks call it the "land of the falls" because of the countless waterfalls you can find there: all within short hiking distance from the camp site. Its a favorite weekend getaway for mountaineers who seek a Shangrila-like respite without the need for an arduous climb.


I was able to make my yearly pilgrimage there a couple of weeks ago. It was still (officially) summer but we had this crazy and weird weather: it was raining most of the time. So I figured it was the best time to hike up to Mt. Romelo and revisit the falls.

The area was still recovering from the havoc brought by Typhoon Emong when I visited Brgy. Tondol in Anda, Pangasinan. There was no electricity at that time and most of the beach were strewn with debris. Nevertheless I find Tondol beach's rustic charm irresistible.

I stayed mostly at Tanduyong island but had the chance to visit the beach area after sunrise one morning. True to the blogs I read about Tondol beach, the low tide scene is amazing.


There is a large expanse of flat powdery white sand beach. During low tide you would be able to walk from Tondol beach to Tanduyong island (just about 800m offshore). Even at high tide there are sections between Tanduyong and Tondol where the water is just about 4 feet deep.


Most of Tondol's beach front are private resorts but there is a public beach area at the western end. Entrance fee is just 5 pesos and you can rent open cottages for 250.00 pesos a day. There is no camping fee if you prefer to pitch a tent.

Accommodations in Tondol

There are lots of homestay accommodations in Tondol beach, most with air conditioned rooms that range from Php 1,000 to Php 1,500 / night.

However if you want a beeline to Tanduyong island, the best place would be the eastern end of the beach. The eastern part has the shallowest beach and provides a "direct" route to Tanduyong island.

There is a large two bedroom bungalow there that you can rent for Php 4,000 pesos (for the 2 rooms) a day. Each room is air-conditioned and has its own CR.

Contact: Amiz/Ampong +639202972305

My day started early in Tanduyong Island. I was awoke as the first light of the day broke through the clouds. Strong winds buffeted my tent the whole night and I am glad I'm still in one piece; amazed that the tent is still where I pitched it the day before. I was half expecting to wake up somewhere near the water. My hosts, the Torinos, invited me to stay in their house for the night but I insisted on staying one end of the island and rough it out.

It was another cloudy sunrise and I resigned to the fact that blast of colors I was praying for was not there. But things suddenly got interesting when Mang Boyet invited me to "fetch" our breakfast - collect the nets they cast earlier. I helped them prepare the nets the night before but was still in dreamland when they went out to sea at 2 in the morning.


Hot coffee and loaf bread greeted us when we reached the shore, perfect timing as my stomach is already grumbling. The first few segments of the net yielded a good number of fish but we got slim pickings with the rest. The catch was not enough to be sold in nearby Tondol, but it was enough for a few meals. Nonong reckoned they should have cast the net somewhere more out sea as the schools of fish must be in deeper waters.


What I am missing now is the laid back environment in the island. Time exist there but is simply ignored. It was the perfect place (small enough) to spend the day doing absolutely nothing.


I miss the kids poking about my stuff. But what I'll miss the most are the meals I shared with the Torinos. Each meal is always a family activity and they never failed to invite me to each one. It was always a feast however simple the fare was.

I was met by the Torino family - the caretakers of the island. Their house was completely destroyed by the typhoon. The rest house (built by the owner) that survived the strong winds served as their temporary quarters.




I dozed off in "my" hut the rest of the afternoon, interrupted by quick swims when it got too hot or by the kids clowning and poking about my tent pitched nearby.