Weekend Getaway: Baler

Baler is a fourth class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. It is the provincial capital of Aurora. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 36,010 people.

Baler is the political and economic center of Aurora. It is located some 230 kilometres (140 mi) northeast of Manila via a mountain pass accessible by bus and private vehicle. Baler is host to spectacular geographic formations and is situated on a vast plain at the south end of Baler Bay, a contiguous segment of the Philippine Sea. 9 feet (2.7 m) waves serve as Baler's main tourist asset, attracting hundreds of surfers during the surfing season from September to February.

Source: wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org)


This is a personal itinerary of my trip to Baler, Aurora.

How to get there:

Via bus (Joybus) from Cubao to Baler.

Book as early as possible, seats are limited and they run out fast.
For more info regarding Joybus check out this blog from Local Soul. click here Joybus

personal note: It is much better if you personally go to the Genesis Bus terminal in Cubao rather than calling their hotline for reservations or inquiries, they don't answer the phone most of the time and I don't know why.

Accommodation/where to stay:

There are a lot of resorts to stay in Baler most of them are in Brgy. Sabang.
For the list of resorts check this blog from Adventurous Feet. Click here Resorts in Baler.
We agreed to stay at Isla Virginia Resort even tho it is not located in Brgy. Sabang.

personal note: room rates may change without prior notice specially during the summer and surfing season.

Day 1:

12 MN: Departure from Cubao via Joybus to Baler, travel time approximately 5 to 6 hours (bus fare 700 php)

5 AM: Arrived at Genesis terminal in Baler and we waited for the van that will bring us to our resort.

personal note: you can book your bus going back to Manila the catch is most of the time Joybus is already fully booked, unless you get lucky.

5:30 AM: Checked in at the resort, took our breakfast, take a rest, chat and stroll on the seaside.

view from the shorelines near Isla Virginia Resort

the other side of the resort

me enjoying the sun and the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean

waves

8 AM onward: Isla Virginia Resort offers tour packages around Baler via tricycle, and so our day trip starts. (Tour package: 800 php / Tricycle).


Ermita Hill (Open to the public from 5 AM -7 PM)
From above you see a full view of Baler Bay.

view of Baler Bay from Ermita Hill

Baler Bay

you will see some statues at the side of the hill.

human statues and a large wave @ Ermita Hill

just below Ermita Hill

Diguisit Beach and Aniao Islets/Lukso Lukso Islets

On our way to the islets we passed by two waterfalls just beside the road so i have to stop and take some shots.

The first waterfall

The first waterfall

The first waterfall

the second water fall at the roadside.

you can also see Cemento aka Cobra Reef where the waves can go up from 12 up to 14 ft. high definitely a perfect spot for Pro Surfers.

Baler Museum

Museo De Baler

President Manuel L. Quezon

Doña Aurora's House

personal note: The house is not open during Sunday's

Baler Church

The church is located near the house of Doña Aurora.

We had our lunch break at a local eat all you can restaurant around town.

Eat all you can with drinks for 185 php

Ditumabo Falls aka Mother Falls

Located in Brgy. Ditumabo in the town of San Luis, the road going to the starting point of the Mother Falls is very rocky and is one hell of a bumpy ride.

asan kaya ang ixit? ^_^

Don't mind the sign just pay the fee.. :)


Going to the Mother falls is a 3 kilometer hike that usually takes 30 to 45 min depending on how fast you cross 5 rivers and stony paths.

Starting point

clean and very cool waters

raging waters you need to cross

this is not the Mother falls

The Dam 

The Mother Falls

the sun's rays showing in the mist

the raging waters covers the Falls in mist

It was raining and I was really worried about my DSLR Camera and I was thinking of leaving it, but I was really glad that I took the risk and brought it with me. The hike was a challenge for me too (firs-timer) and I'm glad I did it.

We stayed for a few minutes, took a dip in the clear waters enjoy the view and then returned back happy.

Balete Park & Millennium Tree

Location: Maria Aurora

This park contains a 600-year-old balete tree that was designated the official "Millennium Tree" of The Philippines. It is the largest tree of its kind in Asia, and it would take 60 grown men, holding one another at arm's length, to encircle its gigantic trunk.

Due to its age, the tree's thick roots have grown above ground, such that caves have formed under various sections of the trunk. This unique tree has generated national media attention and is now the most visited tourist spot in Aurora.

Source: (http://www.aurora.ph)

me trying to climb up the tree

a view from below

If you want to climb up the tree local kids can help you climb up and will volunteer to be your photographer while you're busy climbing up the tree, just don't forget to give em a tip afterwards. I ask them if they are always around guiding tourist and they answered me that they are available during weekends and vacation time for they go to school on school days.

That ends Day 1 for us, on our way home we stopped for a quick snack and headed back to the resort, enjoy the sunset, had our dinner, enjoyed a few drinks and then hit the bed.

Day 2:

We had our free breakfast rest for a while and then hit the waves, Surfing! (Surfing lesson - 350php/Hr)

Kuya PJ my instructor

Ready! set!...

Let's do it again!

resting for a while.

don't forget the surfer sign.. \m_(-_-)_m/ Shaka!

after a lot of tries i finally got to stand up the surfboard, too bad they were no able to capture that moment on cam.

personal note: the best time to practice surfing for first-timers is during low tide. 

That ends our short trip to Baler, Aurora. We checked out of the resort 12 noon and took a tricycle to Genesis Terminal for the 1 PM trip to Manila, too bad Joybus is already fully booked so we rode the ordinary air-conditioned bus. Arrived in Manila around 9 PM.