Tourist Entry Requirements as of July 2022:
- Fully Vaccinated individuals
- For partially vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals, a recent antigen test may be required (valid within 48 hrs from entry)
- Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and your Vaccination card in case of inspection
- Wearing of face mask is still mandatory
- Observe social distancing
One of the famous surfing spots in the Philippines is Baler and as the world reopens, Baler opens its doors again to everyone!
Located on the eastern coast of Luzon Island in the Philippines, Baler is one of the famous tourist destinations not only known for best surfing spot but for its natural tourist attractions and enriched history.
How to go to Baler:
- Ride a bus from Five Star Terminal Cubao to Cabanatuan City. Travel time is 3 hours.
- Once arrived in Cabanatuan City, ride a van to Baler. Travel time is 3-4 hours.
It took us a total of 9 hours of travel time since we have to get in line to wait for a bus in Cubao and wait for the van to fill in at Cabanatuan City.
Fare:
- Cubao to Cabanatuan City: 185 PHP per person
- Cabanatuan City to Baler: 150 PHP per person
Please take note that the fare might have changed already without prior notice.
Where to stay in Baler:
There are a lot of hotels, transients and Airbnbs in Baler but we opted to stay in Endless Summer Hotel.
We took a tricycle ride to Endless Summer Hotel when we arrived in Baler. The room rate is 3,600 PHP with a queen-size bed and an extra single foam as we are a total of 4 guests. It comes with free breakfast and free Wifi access.
Kudos to their hospitable staff as they really waited for us to arrive even if we checked in past midnight. The owner is very considerate and responsive all the time. (Please take note that the rate might have changed without prior notice)
The next day, they recommended a certified tour guide who can bring us around the famous spots of Aurora. The rate is 800 PHP for a day tour with his tricycle. (Please take note that the rate might have changed without prior notice)
Millennium Tree
We left around 9am from the hotel and our first stop is the Millenium Tree in Maria Aurora, Aurora with an entrance fee of 10 PHP per head. It was a huge Balete tree that stood there for more than 6 centuries, that’s 600 years of age! Unbelievable! (Please take note that the rate might have changed without prior notice)
There are locals who will offer to guide you inside the tree. You’ll just need to give a tip for any amount afterward. In our case, we paid 50 PHP for the guy who guided us in the tree and took several nice shots. In fairness, he’s a very good photographer!
According to Philippine folklore, it is said to believe that Balete trees are home to nature spirits/entities such as Kapre “giants” and Tikbalang “Centaurs” but I asked our guide and he said that so far, he never experienced any strange feeling from that tree.
There are souvenir shops on the premises and there are food stalls too. We bought a couple of t-shirts that cost around 200-250 pesos each.
Entrance fee:
- 5 PHP – kids
- 10 PHP – Adult
(Please take note that the rates might have changed without prior notice)
Ditumabo Falls
Our second stop is Ditumabo Falls which is situated in San Luis, Aurora. It took us around 30-40 minutes to reach our destination. We paid 30 PHP each for the Environmental fee and 200 PHP for the tour guide. We trekked for over an hour as we are not used to walking that long. Good thing that the weather isn’t warm or else, it will really drain up our stamina. My parents are kind of old already so they can’t really catch up with us to walk that fast but the terrain is not that challenging so no worries.
There are a couple of stores at the beginning of the trail which allows you to change clothes, take a bath, or use the toilet for a minimal fee. That’s ranging from 5-20 PHP depending on your usage. They’re also selling meals, swim wears, fruits, and other stuff so if you feel hungry after the trek, you can go and eat before you go!
You’ll walk through the river several times which is very inviting to swim as the water flowing from the river is very cold and while trekking, you’ll definitely love the feeling of being with nature so don’t forget to take photos.
It’s a job well done when we reached the falls! I took a dip but didn’t really swim or bathe since it’s super cold! After a while, the rain poured which made the weather chilly especially if you’re inside the forest so we decided to go back to Baler for lunch.
Fees:
- 30 PHP – Environmental fee
- 200 PHP – Ditumabo tour guide
- 5-20 PHP – Usage for toilets and shower room
(Please take note that the rates might have changed without prior notice)
Yolly’s Grill and Restaurant
We were really hungry when we arrived at the restaurant due to several activities in the first half of the day! The Yolly’s Grill and Restaurant was recommended by our official tour guide due to its delectable meals and accessibility. According to him, this restaurant was visited by some famous local celebrities and expat tourists.
We ordered Sinigang na Salmon, Grilled Squid, Grilled Liempo, and Ensaladang Talong. We were really hungry by that time so I apologize if we weren’t able to take photos. We paid almost 3000 PHP for our meal for a group of 4 plus our tourist guide.
Dona Maria Aurora Quezon’s House in Baler
Our next stop is Dona Maria Aurora’s Ancestral house in Baler. The entrance ticket is 30 PHP which you can also use to enter Museo De Baler. The house is originally built as a Nipa Hut several years ago, but as time passes, it has been renovated. It contains preserved furniture, books, and other important items of Dona Maria’s family.
Entrance fee:
- 30 PHP
Baler Catholic Church
Across the Ancestral house is the town square of Baler, Baler Municipal Hall, Baler Church, and Museo De Baler. We walked a bit from the Ancestral house and visited the infamous church of Baler which became a hideout of Spanish soldiers at the time of war.
A quick glance at Baler’s history
During the time of Baler’s Siege, the Spaniards made the church as their hideout when the Filipinos ask them to surrender. The church was surrounded by Filipino soldiers who ask them to surrender by sending out letters to no avail. The Spaniards endured a limited supply of food, space, and humid temperature for the period of 11 months. Some of the soldiers died due to diseases. The captain of the troop refused to believe that the Spaniards lost the war until they finally surrendered and went to Spain where they were honored as heroes.
The church was reconstructed many times due to war and natural calamities. Originally, the church was made out of corals, lime, and honey when it was built around the 1700s. I imagined that the Millenium tree is young at that time during the Spanish era.
The local movie “Baler” was inspired by the events that happened during the Siege of Baler but it focuses on the tragic love story of a Spanish soldier and a Filipina woman.
Museo De Baler
Beside the church is the Museum of Baler which holds the town’s enriched history including the stories, paintings, and photographs of how a group of locals survived the tsunami during the 1700s. Also, it features the awards and props of the movie “Baler”, artifacts of ethnic groups: Dumagat and Ilongot, memorabilia of our late president, Manuel Quezon, and some items that were traded during the Spanish era such as porcelains.
Surf at the beach
Our last stop is the coastal area of Baler which is infamous for surfing. The area has plenty of resorts but our hotel is a half kilometer away from the beach since we booked it last minute as we’re supposed to go to San Juan, La Union, therefore, we were not able to get to choose where to stay at that time but that’s fine since Endless Summer Hotel is pretty new and their staff is very accommodating.
The sand is grey and the wave isn’t that strong compared to the waves of La Union.
We hired two young men who taught my sister and I how to surf for a haggled rate of 500 PHP for two. The standard rate is 300 PHP per person, sometimes, it can go as high as 500 PHP per person. I was under the impression that you need to know how to swim before you surf but I was wrong as you can definitely surf without a skill for swimming. We spent an hour learning how to surf and I had to try it multiple times before I had a perfect balance.
It was around 4pm when we plunged into the sea and I’m glad that it’s not so sunny so there’s no need to put sunblock.
We went back to the hotel around 5pm to pack up and bought some souvenirs like key chains for our friends. It’s really cheaper here compared to some other places since the small keychain costs only 15 PHP while the fridge magnet is 35 PHP.
We departed from Baler around 6 in the evening and arrived back to our accommodation in Pasay around midnight which was way faster than our departure from Manila. I’m sad that we weren’t able to visit some other places such as Dicasalarin Cove and the Baler Hanging Bridge as it’s under maintenance.
KATY TODAY 
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