Shalu messaged me one morning about a Deal Grocer deal for a Corregidor Island day tour and asked me if I wanted to go. Of course I said yes! Not only am I super ready for any kind of trip but I have always wanted to go to Corregidor. To those unfamiliar with the island, Corregidor had been an integral part of our history especially during WW2 but, yes, it's more famous for 'ghost stories'. Anyway, the deal we got from Sun Cruises was worth Php1,100 (that's probably half the regular price) which included round trip ferry ride, a guided tour of the island aboard a tram and buffet lunch. Super sulit!
On the day of the trip, we went to Sun Cruises terminal at the CCP Complex, behind the Folk Arts Theater. Registration is at 7am, and the ferry leaves for Corregidor at 8am. That day, a typhoon was in the country so the ride was a bit bumpy. Mid-trip, I already felt a bit queasy, moreso when the crew began handing out barf bags and everyone around us started getting seasick. But I got cured by a bit of sea air, a couple of Mentos and a lot of staring into the horizon. After 2 hours, Corregidor Island!
The show consisted of audio and video presentation, as well as installations depicting memorable events during the Japanese war, where the Malinta tunnel played a crucial role. We had to walk from one part of the tunnel to the next, as the narrator takes us to different moments in history.
After an hour of buffet lunch at the Corregidor Inn, we were off to seeing the rest of the island. First stop was one of the most famous ruins in the island, the Middleside Barracks.
Then we were brought to a series of Batteries - Battery Way, Battery Hearn and Battery Grubbs - where the major artillery batteries, which were used to defend the island, can be found.
Next destination was the Mile-Long Barracks, which was the longest military barracks. It's actually a misnomer because the whole thing is less than a mile long. =)
We were then off to the Pacific War Memorial...
... the Spanish Lighthouse, Filipino Heroes Memorial, and finally the Japanese Garden of Peace.
Aside from the entertaining history lesson, I loved riding around the island. It's clean, well-maintained and I loved the fresh breeze. Although there was a bit of drizzling, the cold weather somehow set the relaxing mood and made the entire trip more enjoyable. All in all, it was a day well-spent! I would love to go back and next time try their overnight trip with a night tour of the Malinta Tunnel. Ngee, hehe!
Total cost for the trip: Php1,610
* Price for the tour - Php1,100
* Lights and Sounds Show - Php150
* Yellow Cab dinner - Php160
* Taxicab fare going home - Php200
On the day of the trip, we went to Sun Cruises terminal at the CCP Complex, behind the Folk Arts Theater. Registration is at 7am, and the ferry leaves for Corregidor at 8am. That day, a typhoon was in the country so the ride was a bit bumpy. Mid-trip, I already felt a bit queasy, moreso when the crew began handing out barf bags and everyone around us started getting seasick. But I got cured by a bit of sea air, a couple of Mentos and a lot of staring into the horizon. After 2 hours, Corregidor Island!
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| Such a welcome sight after 2 hours of choppy waters! |
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| Check out our swanky ride! |
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| Our nameless guide |
We were assigned to Bus #1 and were welcomed by our guide for the day. As mentioned before, I am a bit wary of guided tours no thanks to my HK and Nagsasa Cove trips, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that our guide's totally cool! She speaks well (she was forced to speak mostly in English as we had a foreigner onboard, nosebleed daw haha!) and obviously knows her stuff. She even managed to entertain us by throwing in witty jokes here and there. For the life of me, I just can't remember her name!
Anyway, our first stop was the Lights & Sounds Show inside the Malinta tunnel. The show wasn't part of our tour package so we had to shell out Php150.
The show consisted of audio and video presentation, as well as installations depicting memorable events during the Japanese war, where the Malinta tunnel played a crucial role. We had to walk from one part of the tunnel to the next, as the narrator takes us to different moments in history.
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| Guarded entrance |
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| Took a pic, just in case we get lost inside the tunnel. |
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| There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. |
After the show, we went to the Lorcha Dock where Gen. Douglas McArthur exited the Malinta Tunnel to head on to Australia. Although there's a sign reading 'I Shall Return', he didn't really utter those words here in Corregidor.
After an hour of buffet lunch at the Corregidor Inn, we were off to seeing the rest of the island. First stop was one of the most famous ruins in the island, the Middleside Barracks.
Then we were brought to a series of Batteries - Battery Way, Battery Hearn and Battery Grubbs - where the major artillery batteries, which were used to defend the island, can be found.
 |
Next destination was the Mile-Long Barracks, which was the longest military barracks. It's actually a misnomer because the whole thing is less than a mile long. =)
We were then off to the Pacific War Memorial...
... the Spanish Lighthouse, Filipino Heroes Memorial, and finally the Japanese Garden of Peace.
 |
| The Spanish Lighthouse |
Aside from the entertaining history lesson, I loved riding around the island. It's clean, well-maintained and I loved the fresh breeze. Although there was a bit of drizzling, the cold weather somehow set the relaxing mood and made the entire trip more enjoyable. All in all, it was a day well-spent! I would love to go back and next time try their overnight trip with a night tour of the Malinta Tunnel. Ngee, hehe!
Total cost for the trip: Php1,610
* Price for the tour - Php1,100
* Lights and Sounds Show - Php150
* Yellow Cab dinner - Php160
* Taxicab fare going home - Php200
