It's midday. While the sun beats down on the roof of our mid-sized banca, the sea breeze serves as small consolation, cooling everyone off as the boat continues its inter-island journey. This is the Golden Falcon, one of the many available boats that ferries travelers to and from our current destination: Puerto Galera, in northern Mindoro.

As I look around the ship, it becomes apparent to me that Puerto Galera is a popular tourist attraction. While the boat wasn't filled to the brim with people, it was crowded enough to be noticeable. While most were domestic travelers, some being residents of Mindoro, a good number of visitors were also from South Korea and Taiwan, Europe and the Americas.

An hour had passed since leaving the port of Batangas up north, and as the faintest hint of land began to appear on the horizon, my boredom began to dissipate. Exciting as it was, the rhythmic rattling and the humming of the boat and its engine, along with the constant breaking of waves against the hull and the dull voices of fellow passengers in the background were slowly becoming monotonous.

After a few more minutes, we've finally arrived at the shores of White Beach; the water glistening like fine emerald and sapphire from depths of navy blue. The ship drops anchor in due time; and we disembark through the makeshift plank offered.

Finding Mendelluke's

Obviously, our first priority was to look around for a good, affordable place to stay in. We had decided against booking a room at any resort or hotel before arriving, on the premise that we could probably find a cheaper bargain once we had arrived instead. It was the off-peak season and we expected it to be easier to find a room than during the holidays or summer months. We didn't have to look far; plenty of (overly eager) helpful locals swooped down, bombarding us with lodging suggestions left and right. Unwilling to make a decision until we had at least taken a quick look at the lodgings in question, we politely dfeclined and continued on our way.

The front of Mendellukes. Nothing fancy here. Guests can lounge around a nipa shelter just besides the reception stall.

If you can get a chance at staying at the cabin, go for it, it's the best spot to stay in the resort.

Walking past the grills, the open diners, and the small shops, and past other various inns and resorts, we were out of the main complex, heading west (on the right side, facing the beach from where the Golden Falcon was docked) towards the direction of the mountains, surrounded by mist. We arrived at a relatively quiet resort, with an eye catching two-level front-gabled building made of kawayan and nipa; a weather-beaten sign reads, “Mendelluke Suites”. We approached a similarly designed reception station just beside the resort, where a young lady entertained our inquiries and curiosities. We were told that all three suites in the two-level accommodation facing the beach front were already taken and the only free rooms available were those inside. We decided to headed inside for a closer look first.

A view of area leading to the resort's front and the beach from the pathway to the backyard.

The young lady led us through the backyard where a tall and aged tree stood in the middle of the clearing, with surfboards parked at the back of one building while a set of seesaws creaked, swaying with the wind.

Before entering the rear accommodation building, a seesaw, a set of surfboards (not shown), and a foot washing area by the tree are at the resort's backyard area.

Just besides the main front cabin is the side pathway to the backyard. The stairwell leading up to the top level of the front cabin is in this area.

The view from the upper floors, which also serve as the public balconies. The ocean breeze can be enjoyed by guests at the wooden varnished tables.

The Rooms

A 3-storey building that housed the rest of the guest accommodations stood at the edge of this backyard. Adding some flair to its otherwise plain white-painted cement frames were the wooden doors and the kawayan decorated walls. There are 3 rooms for each floor for a total of 9, accommodating lonely singles, loving couples, and four- and six-pack families. We were able to inspect two kinds of rooms on one side of one floor. A room with a long hallway just beside the main staircase accommodates two guests – great for singles and couples. The other room besides this is wider and more expansive; it has two queen size beds – definitely for the family or the kada. We decided to get the latter room for a negotiated rate of 1,200 pesos.

The two bedroom suite that can accommodate from 4 to 6 guests. It's simple and cleanly laid out.

After filling up a basic form and shelling out the cash, we headed straight to the room to unpack and unwind. We found the rooms to be simply laid out and clean enough to appreciate (though not first-class squeaky clean). The room was quite spacious and was easy to feel comfortable in. There was plenty of room for two more people to stay at.

At the least the room's walls weren't exactly plain. One of the two mixed media artworks that's hung in the room. Want to take this home? Talk to management, they'd most likely give this to you at cost.

The other mixed media artwork with a similar style to the first one.

The beds weren't too soft, nor were they too hard for our backs. The comforter is shaped into a fan upon entering the room and were quite thin as if they were made to be covers for the bed instead, but was large enough for two guests to use.

The airconditioner in the room seemed only on a par with a single horse power, but nevertheless managed to cool the room with four guests quite comfortably.

Outside the room by the balcony were wooden and plastic furnishings, where we were able to enjoy the ocean and mountain-side breeze; this is one of th advantages about staying on the third floor, though this means it took us more steps to climb. There was, however, no direct view of the sea from the balcony.

Since we had valuables in our room, rather than opting for the safety box being offered, we instead asked the girls making up our room to not do so during the duration of our stay.

The Ambiance

The rooms are furnished with tiled floors and whitewashed walls similar to homes in the Mediterranean. By the door and the window is a two-level desk, where a small 14” cabled television and the guest guidelines booklet are located. In between the two beds is a side table with a wooden handicraft lamp without a bulb and without power; there was no power outlet in this area other than by the television. On the other end of the room by the washroom is a large doorless wardrobe slash general purpose cabinet. The room is lighted by two small low-power fluorescent bulbs with a slight orange tinge. There was nothing special with the furnishing except the fact that they worked.

While the room was pretty much basic in terms of amenities, there were some other extras included that added a nicer touch. Colorful mixed media art representing native products of pottery and fish, and of fishing, the local livelihood, were hung on walls above the two beds. These paintings are acrylic-based, lined with glue-like material for the edges, and boasted some 3D textures using dried fibers. They are framed with wooden branches, weaved dried fibers, and threads. If visitors want to take home these furnishings, they are welcome to discuss this with the officer-in-charge.

The Bathroom

This bathroom is one of the larger ones we've seen in proportion to the inn's size. It has the same degree of cleanliness as the main room. There's a mirror, a basin, a toilet, and a shower with a plastic curtain for privacy. A small window just by the shower allows sunlight to enter the room. The bathroom door seems to be made of plastic and is lightweight. While the doorknob can be locked, it had a cheap lightweight feel to it. For drying clothes, a faint nylon string for this purpose hangs outside the three rooms. The showering area was also roomy; the shower head was high on pressure but a little weak in volume. On the contrary, the faucet was able to easily fill up a pail provided for those who bathe using a small tabo.

The bathroom is quite roomy for the inn's class, and comes with two hand towels and two rolls of tissue paper. Other provisions like soap and toothbrush will have to be brought in by guests, in which these can be affordably obtained at shops by the beach.

Another view of the bathroom from the shower area.

There's a lot of water passing through the pipes of this resort. As I twisted the knob of the basin's faucet and collected water into my hands to try, it smelled faintly of metal. True enough, I spat it as quickly as I sipped it, as it tasted strongly of salty rust. Though the water seems clear, it definitely isn't for drinking or for gargling.

Weather And Black Outs

Aside from the water, we did encounter times where blackouts would occur. In our case, this happened during a thunderstorm, which thankfully, usually only occurs during late afternoons, evenings, and wee hours during the course of our visit. Despite the heavy torrents of wind and rain, they last only for several minutes. We experienced two thunderstorms – one at around 5pm during our first day, and the second at about 3am during our second day.

Dining

There are no eateries at Mendelluke's resort, though there are plenty of restaurants and small diners to choose from on both sides. On the left side of the resort is the Palangga inn while on the right is the nearby Coco Aroma, an open bar in a wooden cabin setting that hosts live bands playing smooth reggae and other mellow music. While it's not the most convenient in terms of dining, as there are other inns in the area renting out rooms on the second floor while their cafeterias and restaurants operate on the first, the lack of a dining option does encourage you to strike out and sample what other nearby eateries have to offer.

A view of the resort's front lot area during the evening.

A view of the front cabin area during the evening.

A view of the rear building accommodation during the evening.

The View

Taking a stroll by the resort front, the beach view of this area is better then compared to the eastern part of White Beach. Unlike Boracay, which has a dedicated dock on one area of its island for ferrying visitors to and from Caticlan, Batangas boats land and pick up passengers directly from White Beach itself. While the sight is reassuring – arriving and departing becomes easier for passengers – in time the frequent ferrying of passengers takes something away from the scenery.

Expect the beach in this area to be similar to that of Batangas' coast: deep slopes with loosely packed grainy sand, and large and smooth rocks and boulders that dot the coast near the shoreline.

Rates

There are are total of 12 rooms available in Mendelluke's Suites, 5 of those have a single bed and can accommodate a base of 2 guests up to 4. The other 7 rooms have 2 beds and is good for 4 guests up to 6. The room rates are on a per room per night basis and there is an extra charge to the daily rate of 300 pesos per guest exceeding the base capacity. An extra mattress will be provided for the single bedroom for additional guests.

Similar to other resorts, prices change according to season – or in this case, depending on the number of visitors to the island. Low season, which is roughly from June to the first week of October can net you a room for 2 for as low as 1,000 pesos, and a room for 4 for 1,500 pesos. During peak season, which is more or less from November until May the following year, the price for the twin sharing room is 1,500 pesos and a room for 4 is 2,500 pesos. For super peak seasons, which are very long holidays like Christmas and Holy Week, the rate for a 2-person room is at 4,000 pesos, while a 4-person room is at 6,000 pesos. These rates may go up or down, and these may be negotiable during the low season.

While walk-in clients are entertained, it's best to reserve at least one week prior your intended visit if you're planning to stay during the peak season.

Check out time is at 12:00 noon, while check in time is at 1:00pm. There is an extra charge of 30% if you overstay up until 3:00pm, going up to 50% up until 6pm. Over that and you might as well stay for another night as you'll be charged for that amount anyway. If you intend to squeeze in an activity in the morning of the day when you plan to check out, be sure to be able to get back to the resort on time and inform management beforehand. If your late check out was unintended, you may be able to talk this through with the manager in charge during the low season. Oh yes, don't get henna tatoo stains on the bed, this will cost you, too.

Other interesting Notes

While Mendellukes is strictly for stay-ins, they also have other activities that groups of friends can enjoy. One of these is the banana boat, for 200 pesos per guest. One banana boat can accommodate 8 to 12 guests and the ride lasts for 20 minutes. For those who like to grill their own food, Mendellukes can lend your group one of their ihawans or grill and just ask the resort staff to assist you with the charcoal and banana leaves. There are plenty of ways to get the raw food aside from bringing them over – one is through the food stalls by the beach, the other is by going to the bayan or town, and the other is by purchasing fresh catch from fishermen passing by, hawking their goods. This can range from fish to shellfish to crabs.

For laundry services, Jedi's Laundromat offers washing/drying/folding services for 40 pesos per kilo, washing/drying/pressing for 60 pesos per kilo, and dry cleaning for 150 pesos per kilo. They also do bedsheets, curtains, tablecloths, comforters, and car seat covers ranging from 60 to 80 pesos per kilo. Their service offerings can be seen in the guideline manual.

There is also a backdoor leading towards the town by the backyard of the resort inn, in case you want to do some inland activities or take a stroll towards the nearest sari-sari store or pharmacy.

Just a day before our departure, there was a report of an incoming storm from the east. The thought of a close encounter with raging winds was as exciting as it was worrisome. And this was one of the risks travelers face during the rainy season – it's a make or break deal, a gamble only sweetened by the affordable travel and accommodation rates.

The beach front of Mendelluke's in the morning: a great time for a jog along the calm shore.

Mendelluke's Suites is addressed at Barangay San Isidro, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

For reservations and more information about Mendelluke's Suites, For inquiries and reservations, call or text the owner of the resort +63 9064652069 or the wife, Tess at +639165002670 (mobile). The resort, at the time of writing, does not have Internet presence.