How I Got There
- Genesis Bus travels from Manila to Baler daily, trips from 3AM to 7AM
- The Cubao terminal is located in the northbound side, right after crossing Aurora Blvd.
- One-way fee was P395.00 for the standard airconditioned bus
- They also have a roomier deluxe coach, with only 28 seats on the bus!
- We took a special midnight ride, and it only took us 5.5 hours to get to Baler
- Call (632) 7090803 / (632) 4211425 or visit http://www.genesistransport.com.ph/
- Bahia de Baler I, located on Sabang Beach – the main beach and surfing spot in Baler. A tricycle ride from the transport terminal to the beach is about 5mins, and costs P12/pax for a group of 3
- The Bahia grounds is split into 2 – the beachfront area has cottages, a camping area and a function hall, and across the street you will find the neatly lined rooms with porches fronting a small field
- A twin room was P1,700/night and extra bed costs P300
- It’s the most expensive accommodation in Sabang beach, but still reasonable. You get an air conditioned room, private toilet & bath, hot water, cable TV and free breakfast
- Other good places to stay: Bay’s Inn, Bahia de Baler II, Aliya Surf Resort, Little Surfer Girl
Where I Wined & Dined
- Bay’s Inn: we had breakfast here when we arrived – best location on the beach, in my opinion. Had a good serving of pancakes with bacon, and strong brewed coffee. They also serve your regular Filipino dishes, and a good selection of shakes. Get’s packed lunch and dinner time, get table early. Spent about P150 for breakfast.
- Bahia Bar & Grill: we had generous serving of sinigang and lechon kawali. They also have excellent fruit shakes. Live band plays on certain days as well. Spent about P270 pesos for lunch
- Gerry Shan’s: is the most famous dinner place located in the town proper, a short walk away from the Museum. They have a huge selection of Filipino, Chinese, and American dishes, they also serve pizza and pasta. Spent about P200 for dinner.
Top Things to Do
- Surfing! Board rentals typically cost P200/hour and getting an instructor to help you paddle and push you will cost another P150/hour. Getting an instructor is a MUST for beginners. An hour will get you tired, but won’t be enough. 2 hours per session will be just right.
- There are 3 main surf shops: Aliya Surf Camp, Charlie Does and Maddox. They all charge the same, but ask for a discount from where you are staying, they usually have special rates
- Museo de Baler: located in town, get to see some relics from the town’s history, props from the movie “Baler,” and personal effects of the late Manuel Quezon – like his recently restored presidential Cadillac
- Ermita Hill: take a tricycle and climb a few steps to get a sweeping view of the Bay of Baler
- Balete Park: home to what is supposedly the largest Banyan Tree in the whole of Asia – it’s estimated to be 60meters high and 300 years old.
- Waterfalls: Diguisit and Ditumabo falls are just a short tricycle ride and hike away from town, and will make for a refreshing day trip
How I Got Away
- Took the same Genesis Bus back, trips start at 4:30AM and leave every hour thereafter
- There are only2 buses that leave from Baler directly, the other buses come from Casiguran – so there is no guarantee on availability of seats
- Fee is the same P395.oo per way
- From the 5.5 hours getting to Baler, it took us 10hours to get back to Manila! It was because of the slow traffic in some towns, but mostly because of the numerous stopovers – we must have taken about 8 stops and some were almost 30minutes long
- Another option is to take a van shuttle to Cabanatuan, and from there it will be easy to get an onward ride to Manila with the many bus companies available
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