Weekend: Baler

With a heavy nostalgic sigh and a content little heart, here I am back in my hometown trying to write about our weekend spent in the quiet capital of Aurora province. The entire weekend was filled with wonderful and dreadful experiences alike, like somehow the universe was conspiring against us on this one weekend where we could finally pack up and leave town to seek requiescence from the raucous city life! So, where do I even begin?

Baler, as some of you already know, is the birthplace of Philippine surfing situated approximately 145 miles from Manila. It has a long stretch coastline facing the Pacific Ocean, making it an excellent place to catch some waves. This surfing haven has a different kind of charm from that of Siargao. Beautiful in its own unpretentious way. 

Sabang Beach

Our 7-hour drive to Baler was a long and gloomy one. The sky threatening to open up any minute, casting light rain showers here and there during the extent of our journey. Upon our arrival at the resort, L'Sirene Boutique Resort (review posted at the end of the post), we grabbed some lunch before we checked in and started to unpack. 

L'Sirene Boutique Resort restaurant

The foreboding weather was a constant companion during our first day. The winds were strong and the waves were mighty when we arrived at Sabang Beach, the town's most known surf spot. Standing there, looking at the coastline, listening to the crashing sound of the waves against the shore, I was in awe. There's nothing quite like the mighty Baler waves. Frightful and compelling, these forces of nature. 

about 10 minutes before the heavy downpour

We were strolling along Sabang Beach when the sky finally decided to open up. There was heavy downpour all at once, we hardly even had time to react (no exaggeration here). Since we were within the vicinity of Costa Pacifica Resort, we took shelter at their surf shack. 10 minutes had gone and the downpour showed no signs of slowing. Eventually, we resolved to take shelter in the resort lobby. The hotel staff were very accommodating despite knowing that we weren't hotel guests, just a few stranded tourists looking for a place to stay dry. Dusk was falling on this quiet town and since we were already there, we had our dinner at the resort's restaurant.

Every single one of us was dreading the inevitable fact that we had to take a 15 to 20-minute motorcycle ride back to our resort. The distance was really inconvenient, especially in this kind of weather. After a casual discussion of our circumstances over dinner, we all agreed to check in at Costa Pacifica the next day.

Bacon & Eggs + Waffles @ Costa Pacifica

Costa Pacifica

We left L'Sirene early in the morning and had our breakfast at Costa Pacifica's The Beach House. Checked in at 9am. Did the obligatory unpacking. Then, head out to town. Baler is so rich in history since it has been an important place for significant events that has happened in the Philippines in the past centuries. 

coffee and pastries at Dialyn's

if ever you find yourself in Baler, you must try this chocolate cake at Dialyn's!!! it is absolutely divine!!

the hanging bridge is a favorite tourist spot

The greater part of the day was spent learning about the town's history, checking out different food stops, and buying bus tickets back to Manila for the next day. The rest of the afternoon was spent surfing.

'Intimidating' is exactly how I would describe the mighty Baler waves. It was surf season, after all. But once you get in the water, you'll eventually get the hang of it :)

The sun was beginning to set as my surf session was nearing its end. I paddled back to meet the waves again for the last time and just lay on my board, bobbing along to the tides, watching the sky change colors as dusk was starting to settle on this surf haven. 

The next day, we will be headed back to Manila. But not before we take a little side trip to Dicasalarin cove, which I will be posting about in my next entry.

---------------------------------------RESORT REVIEW: L'SIRENE BOUTIQUE RESORT---------------------------------------

Okay. As much as I want to keep this really short, I couldn't. 

We have a room booked at L'Sirene, a newly opened resort in Baler. It was too far out from the well-known surfing spot, Sabang Beach, which we should already know if we actually did our research about the place (okay, my fault entirely). After 7 dizzying hours of land travel, we arrived at the resort around 1pm. Smiles and polite exchanges ensued as we got to the reception area. Standard check-in time is still at 2pm like most resorts, but we were hoping we could occupy the room earlier since there's only about an hour left before 2pm and we were quite exhausted from the journey (and one of us sustained a minor head injury along the way---haha, long story). 

But alas, to no avail, she declined our request. She said she had to charge us P250 (per hour until the allotted check-in time) if we wanted to occupy the room early. We asked politely as to why, she replied that it was their policy (which is perfectly reasonable, of course, but she can always bend a little for her guests if she actually wanted since she was the highest point of authority in the resort at that time). But the thing that struck me most, and I was really taken aback, was that, at some point during the conversation, she said, "Ay, sayang kuryente!" (translated: "It's a waste of electricity!) and to further her reasoning, she exclaimed (quite sarcastically), "Of course, that's business!". Okay, for a "manager", that wasn't a really well-though-out response to paying customers. Rude. We already paid in full online for a 2-night stay! But there's nothing we could do, really, so we acquiesced and decided to have our lunch before checking in.

Since they were on their soft opening, we gave them the benefit of the doubt. The food was okay, nothing sensational to the palate. The resort had a beachfront where guests can surf for a fee. However, there were posted signs about the danger of a rip current and there was not a single surfer in sight...so, for a beginner like me, nope. No, thank you. The rooms were clean and aesthetically pleasing. Elegant yet cozy and tropical. But there were no cabinets/racks or readily available hangers, only wall-mounted hooks. I get that they were going for the minimal look but it is a tad inconvenient for some guests who'd opt to hang their clothing. It's a pet friendly resort, so that's a +1 props for me. To sum it up, the red flags were: (1) early check-in fee (2) the unrefined response of the receptionist (3) too far from Sabang Beach and the town proper (4) transportation contacts can't be reached easily (5) no complimentary breakfast (6) beachfront was littered with coconut debris and even 1/3 of a tree trunk. All in all, I can say is that the place is not bad considering it's still in its early operating days. It was all right, but not worth the hype.

The next day, we checked-out of the resort early in the morning despite having already paid in full for a 2-night stay (non-refundable). We transferred to Costa Pacifica, conveniently situated along Sabang Beach and just a few minutes away form the town proper. We were offered to check in as early as 9am without a fee, and each room has free breakfast vouchers for the guests. That's major props for us.