Corregidor Island is full of history, breathtaking views, and stories waiting at every corner. Curious how exploring this iconic island felt? Read my blog!

Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated

January 29, 2023
Batangas, Philippines

Date of Tour – January 27-28

This blog is composed of Pampanga food tour and Corregidor Island tour.

Corregidor is situated at the mouth of Manila Bay, just south of Bataan province on the Philippine island of Luzon. It is a national shrine commemorating the World War II battle waged by American and Filipino forces against the Japanese.

The historical battle of Corregidor began ten hours after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941.

The island of Corregidor served as a witness to the heavy bombardment, thousands of lives lost, and also the moment of victory when the Filipino and American forces recaptured the island in 1945.

Today, the island is known both as a historical monument and a must see tourist destination. It has preserved military installations, wrecked buildings, and other important sites.

*The tour guide mentioned Corregidor is part of Cavite even though it is closer to Bataan because it’s only extension of US military base in Cavite during that time.

Budget – Php8,500 for 2D1N tour. I took off from Manila and went to Pampanga and Bataan by myself. It takes five hours to travel to Bataan from Manila. Due to my lack of familiarity with Mariveles, I chose a hotel that was conveniently located near a bus station in order to make my first excursion on time.

I booked my tour at Corregidor Island tour via Guia Del Mar tours from Mariveles, Bataan. After the Suncruises stopped operating in Manila because of the pandemic, the only method to reach Corregidor was to take a long and complicated journey from Manila to Mariveles, Bataan, and then from Mariveles, Bataan, to Corregidor via outrigger boat.

Update Sept302025: Link to Corregidor tour here.

Expenses Breakdown:
Php2,500 Corregidor Island tour inclusive of outrigger boat, entrance fees in the island, tour guide fees and tranvia/tram used to tour the island exclusive of lunch
Php250 – lunch fees
Php3,642 – 1 night in Oriental Bataan. Agoda gave me free Agoda cash so I used it here haha! I only paid PHp560.89 for 1 night
Php365 – Bus fare going to Mariveles
Php250 – Bus fare going to Pampanga
Php40 – Jeep fare going to Dau, Pampanga
Php40 – Tricycle fare going to San Fernando terminal
Php40 – Jeep fare going to San Fernando
Php174- Grab going to Souq
Php150- Tricycle going to Bus terminal to Mariveles, Bataan
Php80 – Tricycle going to Oriental Bataan
Php100 – Tricycle going to Cabcaben terminal
Php30 – Jeep going to Villa Carmen Beach Resort (meet up going to Corregidor Island)
Php40- Tricycle going to town proper to hail bus going to Manila
Php368 – Bus fare from Mariveles going to Cubao
Php1000 – Food Expenses

Hotel Accommodation – I booked my hotel at Oriental Bataan Due to its remote location (about 10 minutes away from the highway where the tricycle terminal is), getting to this hotel by public transportation can be challenging; nonetheless, the hotel’s kind staff arranged for a tricycle to pick me up early the following morning.Towels smelled like they had been treated with bug repellant; the shower drain was clogged; there was no working wifi; and I did not enjoy the hotel’s other amenities and toiletries. Thankfully, I was only here for one night, so my time here was limited. I will not come back.

*The only hotel in Corregidor island is still closed as of this moment.

Weather

Like the rest of the Philippines, Bataan has two seasons – rainy (May-Oct) and dry (Nov-Apr). It was dry when we arrived with little to no rain.

Who can travel to Bataan

Bataan is accepting leisure travelers provided that they follow the standard health protocol. No medical certificates, S-pass, RT-PCR test or vaccination card to be presented to some establishments or checkpoints. But I suggest to always bring your vaccination card and for your protection, have yourself vaccinated.

Things to Bring:

Pocket Money, there are no ATMs near the island. Please always bring cash with you, Gcash or Credit card is not accepted as modes of payment.
Bottled Water, there are no stores in the island
Umbrella, it can get really hot during the day or it can rain
Plastic bag to waterproof your things as the weather can change a bit especially when travelling back on a boat
Rain Coat – this is provided by the tour agency but still better if you can bring your own
Snacks

Day1 – January 27 (Friday)

11:00am – prepared to head out to San Fernando, Pampanga, for a foodie adventure. Pampanga is located in Region III of Central Luzon and is two hours northwest of Manila. It is three hours northeast of Mariveles. San Fernando is the provincial capital, however Angeles is the most populous city in Pampanga. When I return to Pampanga, I hope to be able to spend more time there and try more of the region’s restaurants.
12:00pm – Arrived at the bus terminal in Pasay
12:30pm – The bus departed going to Pampanga
2:30pm – Arrived in Pampanga, hailed jeepney at SM San Fernando terminal going to Dau Pampanga
3:00pm – Arrived at Aling Lucing Sisig Dau branch. Sisig was a Kapampangan name for snacking on something sour. It is a Kapampangan culinary creation. Lucia Cunanan, popularly known as Aling Lucing, reinvented the meal by grilling the pig parts (pig ears and cheeks) after boiling them and serving the dish on a sizzling plate. I find the Pampanga’s verstion too sour to my taste. Many regions are constantly reinventing sisig by adding new versions to it, such as mayonnaise or raw egg on top. I still prefer the simpler sisig version.

4:00pm – hailed tricycle going to San Fernando terminal and waited my queue.
4:40pm – Arrived back in San Fernando, booked a Grab and head over to Souq, San Fernando
5:00pm – Arrived at Souq, Pampanga. The restaurant’s interior design was influenced by souqs, or marketplaces, in Dubai. I haven’t gone to the Middle East, so I can’t confirm or deny whether it’s comparable. SOUQ Pampanga specializes in Kapampangan and Filipino cuisine. I asked for Pasta in Aligue or pasta with crab meat. To be honest, the dish was nothing spectacular; it was simply acceptable. I didn’t eat the dish because it was too oily for me. I didn’t even get a chance to try the crab meat. If I return to Pampanga, I will try other restaurants.

6:00pm – Hailed tricycle to bring me to Bataan’s terminal.
6:25pm – Arrived at Bataan Transit terminal in Robinsons.
9:00pm – Arrived in Mariveles, Bataan. Checked in at the hotel, ate, freshen up and slept at 11:00pm

The day was draining, and the journey itself was an adventure in the Philippines, which is not a commuter-friendly country and where you will get ripped off even if you speak the same language. Depending on where in the Philippines you are, you will hear a different intonation and dialect spoken by the locals. People from other provinces assume I’m a tourist because I only speak Tagalog and not their dialect. Buses, minibuses, jeepneys, and Grab all have uniform fares; however, tricycles frequently overcharge, so exercise caution if you decide to take one of these vehicles. Starting a fight is still tricky if you’re not local, but I don’t really give a crap about it anymore. However, if the price difference is less than Php50, I can pass that.

*Pampanga’s mode of transportation are buses, jeepneys, tricycles, taxis and Grab. It is hard to book taxis and Grab.

Day2 – January 28 (Saturday)
Corregidor Island

5:00am – woke up and shower
6:15am – tricycle arrived to pick me up to send me to jeepney terminal going to Villa Carmen
6:35am – Arrived at the jeepney terminal
7:13am – Arrived at Villa Carmen Beach Resort
7:20am – Registered at the Corregidor tour and paid the balance
8:00am – Left Villa Carmen Beach Resort via outrigger boat going to Corregidor Island. The travel time is 20-30minutes.
8:30am – Took a boat to the island of Corregidor. The fact that most visitors were elderly makes me smile. Consequently, most of the people I spoke with belonged to the older generation; I found myself wondering, “Where are my millennials at?” haha

9:00am – The excursion begins with a tranvia bus ride with our tour guide Edward and driver also named Edward. The tour guide was both informative and entertaining. We went on a tour of the entire island, and I learned a lot about our history. I’m really thrilled to be a Filipino again. I had no idea I would enjoy this tour so much. I would strongly recommend it to my friends.

11:30am – After the tour, we ate lunch. My meal was wonderful pork caldereta! They also gave bottled water.

1:00pm – The wave was powerful as we left Corregidor Island, and both my backpack and clothes were soaked! I did not waterproof my belongings as properly! I had no idea the boat voyage was an adventure in and of itself.
2:00pm – Arrived in Villa Carmen, changed clothes and shoes because they were all wet.
2:15pm – Hailed tricycle to bring me to town proper to wait for the bus going to Manila
2:45pm – Bus arrived going to Cubao via Genesis bus liner.
6:00pm – Arrived in Cubao, hailed taxi going to my condo
6:50pm – Arrived in Manila, freshen up and wash clothes haha!

*there are no Grab or taxis in Bataan as of this writing, mode of transportation are buses, jeepneys and tricycle.

The journey to Corregidor was a lot of fun! I am grateful that I was spared the horrors of WWII; I doubt I would have survived. I owe it to the troops who fought heroically in these wars so that I can enjoy the freedom I have now. I am extremely proud to be a Filipino.

Love,
Maria, sometimes, Niskie