Baler, Aurora is one of the most popular surfing destinations in the Philippines. But beyond surfing, Baler is also rich in wonderful sights, delicious food and culture. On December 27, 1735, its entire population was almost wiped out by a tsunami and only seven families were able to survive. That should give you an idea about how big the waves can become in this surfing spot.
A tour around this laid-back town is a real treat. Nature lovers will have a great time exploring its beaches, forests, mangroves, islets and waterfalls. Baler’s town center delights its visitors with restaurants, shops and a museum that wonderfully takes you to its past and colorful culture. The warm and hospitable locals will make you feel at home. It’s great to know that a wonderful place like this is accessible to the country’s capital, Metro Manila. The travel time from Metro Manila to Baler would only take you around 6 hours.
Our Experience
On top of surfing the internet, it was our first time to try real surfing. We noticed that the resorts here are elevated above the shore for about 8 feet high. Sturdy walls facing the beach protect them from the spikes of large waves during peak seasons. We went there on a September where the tide is low and the waves are not yet too monstrous for beginners like us.
We almost backed out on our trip because of a typhoon but it was a blessing that it left the next day during our scheduled trip. Our guide told us that there are several areas in Baler that doesn’t get affected much by storms because of the protection from the towering mountains. He also said that we are lucky to have visited Baler in a time when all of the major roads are already concrete. Getting around in Baler’s rough, steep and uphill roads used to be a pain.
Baler’s Surfing History
We also learned from him that surfing in Baler started with the American soldiers that used to have a base in Subic, Olongapo. After they left, some locals who use to observe them tried building their own surfboards. They self-learned how to surf and it later became a popular sport in the area. He also added that the Philippine television program Kris TV boosted the town’s tourism after it featured Baler in 2014.
This is just an introduction to our Baler travel blog series. We will feature each attraction in detail in our upcoming posts.
Baler Map
How to get to Baler:
From Metro Manila, we took a bus through Genesis Transport, Inc. So far, this is the only bus company that offers a trip straight to Baler.
Genesis Transport
G/F & 2/F Genesis Transport Building, 704 EDSA cor New York St., Cubao Quezon City, Philippines
Contact numbers: +63 (2) 551-0842 or +63 (2) 853-3115
Email: genesistransportinc@gma
Rates & Schedules:
JoyBus (Deluxe) = Php 700.00
Standard A/C = Php 450.00
https://genesistransport.com.p
We went straight to the bus terminal without any advanced bookings online because we were not aware of that option yet. Luck just happens to be on our side when we got there because there were still some seats available. We recommend booking your ticket online and ahead of time using any of the two links below to avoid the hassle of missing your trip.
Online Booking Options:
https://iwantseats.com/
https://www.pinoytravel.com.ph
The other option to reach Baler is to take a bus to Cabanatuan City via 5 Star Bus. The Cabanatuan City bus station has several other buses and vans going to Baler. But considering how long the trip is, I recommend refraining from this option as much as possible. We recommend taking the overnight buses instead. This will let you sleep away the long trip and enjoy a delightful breakfast on your first morning in Baler.
We went for their JoyBus overnight bus because it has a restroom. The ticket also covers a small pillow with a blanket and a snack. We were sleeping so hard that we never felt how dizzying the zigzag road was. We only realized how hard our first trip would have been during our morning trip back to Metro Manila.
What to do/Tourist Attractions:
Ampere Beach
Dinadiawan Beach
Doña Aurora House
Museo de Baler
Aniao Islets
Diguisit Falls
Hanging Bridge
Fish port
Ermita Hill (Tromba Marina)
Surfing in Sabang Beach
Where to Eat in Baler + Restaurants Reviews: (Please click for the extensive post)
Where to Stay in Baler:
A – C
Aliya Surf Camp
Sabang Beach, 3200, Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0939-939-0929 / 0939-939 0844
https://www.facebook.com/aliyasurfcampbaler/
Bahai Jujai Resort
Purok 1, Barangay Buhangin, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0916 460 8472
Baler Beachfront House
Buton Street, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0977 849 7373
Baler Fiore del Mare
Purok 2 T. Molina Ext. Brgy. Sabang, Aurora, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0928 386 5398
Best View Villa by Eugene’s Place
Sitio Puntian, Brgy Zabali, Aurora, 3200 Baler, Philippines
BlueCoco Baler Beach House
F. Mendoza St. ( entrance beside INC Church ) Sabang Beach, Aurora, 3200, Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0939 920 7418
Brown Epitome Lodge
108 Sitio Dike, Aurora, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0927 809 8440
Casa Herminia
101 Suclayin, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0927 660 8705
Chamies Transient House
Purok 2, Barangay Sabang, Aurora, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0998 981 8279
Charlie’s Point Baler
Sitio Buton, Barangay Sabang, Aurora, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: 0995 976 3999
Costa Pacifica Resort
080 Buton St. Sitio Labasin, Brgy. Sabang, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Phone: (02) 519 4249
https://www.costapacificabaler.com/
D – G
Dela Torre Beach House
Cemento, Barangay Zabali, Aurora, 3200 Baler, Philippines
Dela Torre Beach Resort Baler
Zabali Road, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0910 821 9706
Dew Drop Inn Oceanside B&B
Munting Gasang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: +1 626-353-4344
DMB Transient
0024 Dike, Sitio Kinalapan, Brgy. Pingit, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0947 817 2968
Drifters’ Nook
T. Molina Street Near Awel transient house, 1300, Philippines
Easy Adventure
Brgy. Reserva, 3202, Philippines
Phone: 0916 767 7971
Emilio Joseph Beach Resort
Sitio Puntian, Brgy. Sabang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0921 766 2873
Endless Summer Hotel
86 Rizal Street, Poblacion, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0917 122 6415
Eugene’s Place
Sitio Puntian, Brgy Zabali, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Giliws Transient
Purok 02 Brgy. Sabang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0999 713 3542
Go Surfari House
T. Molina Street, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0905 499 1982
https://gosurfari.com/
H – M
Hamada’s Guesthouse
Casiguran Road 483 Purok 2 Querijero Street, Brgy.Sabang, 3200, Philippines
HANNAH’S LODGE FORMERLY SURFER GIRLS LODGE
Buton st.brgy Sabang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: (02) 404.4784
http://www.surferslodgebaler.com/
J Hostel
Casiguran Rd, Aurora, Philippines, 3200
Phone: 0908 713 2048
Jamie’s Apartment
Purok 5 Barangay Suklayin, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
L’Sirene Boutique Resort
Purok 6, Barangay Reserva, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0917 743 8556
Luxus Residencia de Baler
Burgos Ext. Brgy. Suklayin, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: (042) 724 0154
Miguel’s HomeStay
Burgos, 3200, Philippines
Mingle in Baler
#204 Dela Torre ext. Barangay 5, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0995 531 9544
N – Z
Nalu Surf Camp
Sabang Beach, Baler, Aurora, Philippines
Email: nalusurf.ph@gmail.com
Phone: +639178172606/ +639178049323
http://www.nalusurfcamp.ph/
Nature Green Forest Resort
Cement Brgy Cemento, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0912 208 3477
Nigella’s Beach House
Dela Torre Beach Resort, Sitio Puntian, Bgy. Zabali, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0932 916 5258
NIKCOLAIDEN’S PLACE
T. Molina Street, Barangay Sabang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0908 979 4819
http://nikcolaidens.com/
Nina’s Transient House
Purok 2, Barangay Sabang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0908 418 1438
North Shore Surf Camp
Brgy. Buhangin Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0917 821 5580 or 0908 813 2048
Oceana Lodge
Address: 104, Buton St, Baler, Aurora
Phone: 0929 628 6360 or 09163401757
https://www.oceanalodgebaler.com/
Old Parola Seaside Cottages
Purok 5 Barangay Sabang, 320, Philippines
Phone: 0917 888 8888
One Bed Room Deluxe by Eugene’s Place
Puntian, Brgy Zabali, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Playa Azul Baler
Buton Street, Barangay Sabang, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0977 845 8301
Seasta Beach Resort
Cemento Beach, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0919 529 9751
Yuushi’s Place
Purok 2, Buhangin, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0910 132 9736
Zeah’s Inn
Purok 2, Brgy. Sabang, Aurora, 3200, Philippines
Phone: 0928 343 4760
Explorer’s Tip:
To save money on your surfing lesson, avoid getting a surfing instructor from the resort. There are roaming locals who would offer to teach you how to surf at a lower price. We can see in the picture below that Nalu Surf Camp’s rate is 350.00/hour with free pictures & beer. We ended up learning how to surf for 150.00 pesos per person only.
It’s because a local offered to teach us for 300.00/hour including surfboard rental. He was flexible enough to let us divide it for the two of us. Each one of us practiced for 30 minutes at 150.00 each. It felt that the 30 minutes was very long because I didn’t expect that surfing is tremendously tiring. Juliet didn’t even spend her full 30 minutes after learning how to surf in five attempts. Forget the price, we’re just glad that we were spared from an exhausting 1-hour surfing.
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