HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonPangasinanDagupan’s Dawel River Cruise: Bangus Harvest and Mangrove Swamps 147 shares By Marcos Detourist on December 15, 2012It was my first time to step foot in Pangasinan. During our arrival, we were welcomed by Dagupan City Tourism office and our good friend, Mica, Dagupan-local and travel blogger behind Senyorita.net.Our plan for the morning: a relaxing river cruise along the scenic Dawel River, which courses through thick mangrove covered wetlands of Dagupan City.Dagupan’s Dawel River Cruise: Bangus Harvest and Mangrove Swamps<div>Dawel River Cruise of Dagupan City, PangasinanDawel River Cruise is somewhat similar to what is being offered in other tourist sites like the Loboc River Cruise in Bohol. The natural scenery is not exactly same though, so it’s worth checking out both.Dagupan’s landscape has more of coastal wetlands with a wider and more complex natural waterways.It was refreshing to know the city government launched the Dawel River Cruise. I thought it was an excellent way to experience the natural beauty of Dagupan and learn more about lifeblood of communities along the Dawel River. Me, Mica, and Ed. Photo by senyorita.netWe started our cruise from the ferry landing found at one end of the Dawel Bridge. Colorful giant bangus sculptures at the Dawel River Cruise Wharf.Just a side note: I was surprised to discover air-conditioned toilets at the wharf – a refreshing and strange place to hide away from the tropical heat :)Ready for Boarding Spacious floating raft docked at the wharf Raft with dining seats/tablesWe boarded one of the smaller boats so we could reach the fish ponds faster. Along the way, we saw thriving mangroves and passing birds. Start of our river tour of DawelOnward to the fish pens where local bred bangusPhotographer’s paradiseI’m no bird expert but I think this is a migratory heron.Mangroves and emerald green watersHarvesting BangusHidden behind the wall of mangroves along the riverbanks of Dawel are extensive fish ponds for Bangus (milkfish) production. Dagupan is known as the Bangus capital of the Philippines.We witnessed the spectacle of locals harvest bangus using nets fenced around one of the big ponds.Bangus harvest in DagupanDagupan bangus is reputed to be tastiest in whole archipelago. Locals explain that active tidal movement of sea water and continuous natural flow of fresh water downstream maintain a fresh living grounds for fish and other aquatic creatures.Fish frenzy. They jumped and flipped crazily to escape but were no match for the nets manned by the locals.Ed transferring fish, which was to be delivered back to the wharf and grilled for our lunch.Lakbay Norte travelers planting mangrove seedlings.Bangus frenzyUpon arrival back at the wharf, we were greeted by trays upon trays of yummy grilled bangus, fresh from the harvest.Bangus overload x_xBangus grilled under the Dawel BridgeLunch Buffet of grilled bangus and small crabsAt the time of our visit, the Dawel River Cruise was offered for free by the Dagupan City Government. Visitors need to contact the city tourism office to check for available schedule beforehand. The usual tour takes around 45-minutes.Dagupan City Tourism Officewebsite: http://dagupantourism.com/ phone: (075) 515-6196 email: [email protected] or [email protected]Pinoy Travel Bloggers enjoying the Dawel River Cruise in Dagupan: Mica from senyorita, me from abmot-ah, Gael from thepinaysolobackpacker, Ed from soloflighted, James from journeyingjames, Angel from lakwatsero, Christian from lakad-pilipinas, Kara from TravelingUp , Karlo from KarloDL, and Ivan from Ivan about town. Photo by Ivan about Town.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Tarlac Go Kart, Panizza, and Karakaoke nightPasig River Cruise – A great way to see Urban Manila8 Days North Philippines (Lakbay Norte) ItineraryLoboc and Bilar: Getting Close to Nature and Heritage in…5 Days Umphang Itinerary — Thee Lor Su Trekking CampCebu to Tubigon, Bohol via Starcraft FerryComments Micamyx|Senyorita saysDecember 15, 2012 at 11:09 pmMag-1 year na pala ito sa January hehe :D Balik ka ng Dagupan marami ka pang di nagagawa dun :D Marcos saysDecember 28, 2012 at 1:22 amUu nga, balik lang ako ulit :) rhomy saysJanuary 14, 2013 at 11:02 ammany nationalities both local and foreign studied to copycat dagupan bangus..all failed..why..surely its GOD given rhomy saysJanuary 14, 2013 at 11:07 ambtw..am from dagupan and i’d been to dawel cruisetwice and used its cr but did not notice its airconits not surprising since we have the same cr amenitiesat the plaza.. ok lets stop talking further about this topichehehe Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Micamyx|Senyorita saysDecember 15, 2012 at 11:09 pmMag-1 year na pala ito sa January hehe :D Balik ka ng Dagupan marami ka pang di nagagawa dun :D
rhomy saysJanuary 14, 2013 at 11:02 ammany nationalities both local and foreign studied to copycat dagupan bangus..all failed..why..surely its GOD given
rhomy saysJanuary 14, 2013 at 11:07 ambtw..am from dagupan and i’d been to dawel cruisetwice and used its cr but did not notice its airconits not surprising since we have the same cr amenitiesat the plaza.. ok lets stop talking further about this topichehehe