Together with our good friend Vanessa, our family trooped to Baler, Aurora, for a quick long weekend getaway, last February. I’ve always meant to blog about the places we go to and how we have used online booking sites, such as Traveloka,– a lot of backlogs on my list, I confess. But every time I look at each vacation album, I get overwhelmed by all the photos that I don’t know where to start.
Here’s sharing the five notable things we did in Baler and some handy tips here and there, while I’m at it.
We left our house at 4 a.m., with the hope that we can settle early morning and maximize our time in Baler. This road was pretty much a common sight during the two out of the five hour ride going to Baler.
I’m not sure what the road is like nowadays, but the trail to Baler was plenty bumpy when we went. And that’s an understatement. It would be best to drive to Baler on a 4×4. With the under construction signages we passed by, there are hopefully better roads now.
1.Value for Money Accommodation: Awel Seashore Inn
The first thing we did when we arrived at Baler proper was to find ourselves an accommodation. After inquiring with 4 different Inn and Lodging places, including Costa Pacifica and three others whose names now escape me, we landed at Awel Seashore Inn. During that time of our visit, there were plenty of people vacationing as well, taking advantage of the long weekend.
Most inns we inquired with have rates that range from P1,000 to P1,500. Awel Seashore Inn was a standout since most inns within the area were small compared to this structure. The inn was fairly new from how it looked. The rate was P2,500 for quadruple sharing per room. The only setback was every room was occupied, those that were not were reserved for a company that was set to arrive within the day.
But before we got discouraged, we spotted this corner on the side of Awel Seashore Inn – two nipa huts! The caretaker of Awel Seashore Inn mentioned that it was just extra in cases of spillovers. They were renting it out for P800/night. Sir Caretaker (sorry, his name escapes me) gave both huts for P1,000.
Since we only needed a comfy place to sleep the night away, we were all game. The rooms were decent. Had a foam for a bed, electrical outlets for charging and an electric fan. It was pretty cramped, good for two persons each cabin. But was decent enough and perfect with its barrio feel.
There were two clean common toilet and baths (with shower) outside the cabins that were available for our use.
For P500/night, it was a bang for our buck. Awel Seashore Inn also has the nicest caretakers. That counts a lot if you ask me.
2. Surfing
What’s a visit to Baler without surfing. Whether you happen to be a surf enthusiast or haven’t surfed in your lifetime, you’ve just got to surf when you’re in Baler. Or not. It’s all up to you. Anyone can do whatever they wish, for as long as you have the maximum fun while you’re there. In this case, none of us have tried surfing before but we went right ahead and surfed right through the waves. I’m not crazy for adventures, if at all, I’d rather stay on the shore and plain lounge but the pressure was on as I was in the midst of daredevils and adventure-seekers.
That’s the hubby right there getting it on!
Our then 10 year old had a surf instructor that was smaller than him. I can just feel my son’s masculine heart getting pumped and challenged as I browse through these photos. Teehee!
All right, this was the part where I was thinking, “What did I get myself into!” Haha!
When Jed set himself off the shore, my tendency was to worry. Worry wart Mama, I confess! It’s his first and you can’t blame me. Haha! But our little guy didn’t need a lot of takes. He surfed right through from first try like it wasn’t his first! Oh my heart! Am I so proud and thrilled, all at the same time. 🙂
While that surfing stance doesn’t look so bad, it was really just a good shot.
I was on my butt the next second and I failed to stand up on the board again since. Haha! Oh well. At least I tried. 🙂
3. Ditumabo or Mother Falls located in San Luis, Aurora
As noobs, we didn’t know there was a higher place where we can park, which would only have us trek up to Ditumabo/Mother Falls in an hour or less. We parked on the first parking area we saw, which had us trek a little less than 2 hours. We were up for adventure and that’s exactly what we got ourselves in for. 🙂
The rapids that we had to cross to get to the other side.
We didn’t know what we were in for before we crossed. Without a rope and no hint of trail, we crossed along the area we thought was the safest and shallow.
Shots without watermark are mostly taken by our friend, Vanessa of Foot on the Loose. 🙂
Oh, the rocky trail seemed endless!
Don’t be deceived! This entrance fee is not the entrace to the falls. Yet! You will have to walk 45minutes more to get there! I was just about spent when I got here. Haha!
Exhilarated is an understatement! We were all spent, my knees where already shaky and I was ready to quit.
But the majesty of the falls was all worth it. No photograph can give justice to its beauty. It was hard to take photos even if we were far from the falls. It was already misty all over and Vanessa’s dslr caught some moist in her lens.
I don’t know how she does it but this girl’s an amphibian! The water was ice cold!
The obligatory ‘I conquered’ pose, a second before I was ready to pass out. Haha!
The iconic “Welcome Ditumabo Mother Falls Adventure” rock.
My playful boys as we trekked back to the parking area.
4. Diguisit Beach and Rock Formation
Diguisit Beach is located long Cemento Beach in Baler.
Diguisit Beach is one of the famous surf spots in Baler; it is situated on Baler Bay along the Cemento Beach. The place features beautiful rock formations with perfect scenery of the clear blue sky and the vast wide ocean. It is a must-see place where tourist can relax and enjoy their vacation.
Breathtaking against the blue horizon is the rock formation that Diguisit Beach is known for. The stunning rocks were formed like such from centuries of wave pounding.
Our backdrop is the majestic thirty meters high rock perfect for rock climbing.
Yes, we took full advantage of Diguisit Beach and took lots and lots of photos. Thank you, Van, for the awesome shots! 🙂
5. Balete Eco-Park, Millenium Tree (Balete Tree)
Located in Barangay Quirino, Maria Aurora, the 600 year old Millenium tree is the oldest Balete tree in Asia. It’s so huge that 60 people will need to go around it to cover the tree’s diameter. Entrance fee for adult is P10, while P5 for child.
My son inside the Millenium Tree
The Balete Eco Park is a 30-minute tricycle ride away from Baler. You will find the sign going to Balete Park along the main highway.
There’s so much more to do in Baler, but these are the top five things we did during our visit.
This quick Baler getaway took us back just a little over P5,000 – not bad for a weekend vacay on a budget.
