On this leg of my journey to Biri Island, I made a pit stop at the town of Allen in Northern Samar. I travelled from Cebu to Calbayog on a Monday night. I was supposed to join my friends and start travelling to Biri on a Wednesday morning but my two travel buddies got stuck. So instead of spending a night, I spent two nights in Allen. I didn’t want to go alone to Biri. I wanted to have a companion when I cruise the sea going to the island. The weather was brewing a typhoon on the other side of the archipelago at that time. That way, in case something happens, I won’t be alone drowning at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. LOL.
My friend, Christian, was to arrive in the area on the second night. On my first day in Allen, I basically saw the town. Although I have not fully explored the whole of Allen, I sensed that there’s really nothing to see there. Sorry.
When I asked a pedicab driver where the tourism office is, he said they have none. When I asked him if they have a nice beach in Allen, he immediately mentioned the Spice Beach. He also mentioned about a resort at the next town, which is at the foot of the mountains. It has a swimming pool, he said. But I wasn’t interested with pools. I mentally took note of the name of the beach.
After looking for affordable places to stay in Allen and decided to spend the night at Pahayahayan Hotel, I asked the hotel staff about the beach. Kuya Robert, was kind enough to tell me how to get to the Spice of Life Beach.
After a few walks, a tricycle ride and a few more walks, I found this property with empty cottage huts. The absence of a door on its fence forced me to invite myself in to get to the beach area. 😉
I couldn’t stop from smiling when I saw the entire beach. The sight of clear and inviting waters greeted me. The beach sand was white but there were some corals ashore. There were dead branches and coconut husks too.
It was a Wednesday, a weekday to the locals of Allen. Except for 3-5 persons on the farther end of the beach, I had the beach all to myself. I decided to take a walk around the cove and found more cottages on the other side.
At the back of my head, I kept cursing for not brining extra clothes. I had no plans to swim but the temptation was hard to resist. In the end, I gave in. After securing my stuff, I jumped in the waters.
After taking a few steps, you’d find a not-so-deep drop. The sky was gloomy so the water didn’t look clear but I think that it reveals its magical colors on a beautiful cloudless day. Plunging in the water was so refreshing that I wish I could stay there forever. But I had to stop frolicking as I needed to dry myself before I headed back to town.
cottages for rent at P100
The caretaker of the cottage that I used didn’t bother me at first. But when I stayed there for too long, the old woman came back and asked to spare her any amount for using the cottage. Since the beach was empty and there’s not much competition from other beach bums, my stingy side gave her P50 instead of P100. hehe
I basically spent the entire afternoon on this beachfront. The sound of the waves was very relaxing to the mind and body.
I enjoyed watching a few teenagers who arrived in the afternoon. They immediately jumped in the water while still wearing their shirts and jeans. It’s such a great way to experience how those folks lead a simple life. I don’t think they know how lucky they are to live right next to a giant swimming pool where they can enjoy a cool dip at the end of a tiring day. And experiencing the laid back life the locals have in Allen makes me wonder if they even know what stress means.
me and my time killer thingamajigs
That afternoon, the weather was really having mood swings. It spewed rain showers every now and then. The worst came at 4pm when it rained so hard. My clothes were almost completely dry at that point but the tandem of the rain and the ravaging winds didn’t spare me even if I already climbed on to the cottage seats. I took that as a queue to leave this paradise.
When I reached my hotel, I was shocked to discover how badly burnt my face was. lol. I basically spent the entire afternoon inside the cottage and enjoyed the view of the beach. I never knew that it would turn my face into a roasted pig not to mention burning my forehead to crisp. I had to continuously pat my forehead to ease the burning sensation. lol. So to those who are planning to beach bum at Spice Beach, don’t forget your sunscreens, ok?
But at the end of the day, I had a great me-myself-and-I-time at the Spice of Life Beach. And just before I went back to Cebu after we arrived in the mainland from our trip to Biri Island, I got the chance to get a last glimpse of this cool beach in Allen and bade her goodbye.
How Spice Beach got its name
I asked a local how Spice Beach got its name. I even asked what the real name of the beach is since I remember the pedicab driver saying the name Spice Up Your Life Beach. Here’s what she said…
The name of the place is Buenos Aires. So the place is also known as Buenos Aires Beach. But since someone built a resort, which was named Spice of Life, the locals of Allen has used that name as a reference to the beach in the area. Thus, when people go to this beach, they would say Spice of Life Beach or simply Spice Beach.
How to get to Spice of Life Beach in Allen
There are tricycles stationed beside the church in Allen. Just tell the drivers that you are headed to Spice Beach and they’ll point you to the tricycle that plies that route. Fare is P10/head. It takes less than 10 minutes to reach the area. But you have to wait for the tricycle to get full (waiting time isn’t that long 😉 ).
You will be dropped off at the trike station a few meters away from the beach. You can ride a pedicab for P5/head or you can walk. You’ll know when you reached the area when you see a clear view of the beach cove. It is on the right side of the road when going there.
When going back to town, you can still walk but the tricycle terminal is farther from where you were dropped off when heading to Spice Beach. In this case, you can hire a pedicab for P5.00. Then you can ride a trike back to town. Fare is P10/head if you will get off at the tricycle terminal beside the church. If you want to be dropped off at a different place farther and away from the terminal, you’ll have to add P5.00 or more to the fare.
Expenses:
10.00 – tricycle ride to Spice Beach
50.00 – cottage rent
5.00 – pedicab to tricycle terminal
15.00 – tricycle ride back to town
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P80.00 – Total Expenses at Spice of Life Beach in Allen, Northern Samar
This post is part of my Biri Island Adventure series.
For more information on the previous posts, please refer to the links below:
Majestic Rock Formations: The Hidden Gems of Biri Island
Biri Island Series: En Route Cebu to Calbayog
Biri Island Series: Looking For Affordable Places to Stay in Allen?
Biri Island Series: Side Trip to Spice of Life Beach in Allen <— you are here now 😉
Biri Island Series: Waking Up Biri Early Morning
Biri Island Series: Biri Rock Formations Tour Activate!
Biri Island Series: The Hills are Alive in Magaspad
Witnessing the Sunset at Magasang in Biri Island
Waiting for Sunrise at the Bel-at Rock Formation in Biri
On Being Stranded at the Caranas Rock Formation
Learning How To Drown in the Natural Pools of Biri Island
[…] tummies before we head out to the town of Lavezares. Christian would have wanted to drop by the Spice of Life Beach first since it was too early but decided otherwise as it may delay our journey. We agreed to visit […]