A Place Where the Sun Shines the Brightest – Baler, Aurora, Philippines

Baler is one of the top destinations here in the Philippines. It features the best sunrise and sunset, a perfect site for surfing, amusing historical places, wonderful scenic views, and peculiar tourist spots.
Baler is found in the province of Aurora, Philippines. It is accessible by bus or private vehicle and is labeled as one of the “top surf spots” in the Philippines.

Our trip to Baler was unusual, most of the time; you stayed a day or two at some of the destinations to savor each moment, but we visited 9 destination places in Baler for just 10 hours excluding our trip from Baguio which was 7-8 hours. And I assure you, it was a great jam-packed adventure.

5:00 AM– Perfect time for walking along the beach and witnessing the sunrise at Sabang Beach.

6:00 AM– We had our hearty breakfast, after that, Kuya Rommel, our accredited tour guide/ tricycle driver fetched us.

6:30 AM- Arrival at Ermita Hill. Ermita Hill is situated in Mt. Dibudalan at Sitio Dicaloyungan, Barangay Zabali, Baler, Aurora. According to Kuya Rommel, this place was said to be a safe area when a tsunami occurs, Ermita Hill was historically the place of settlement of the people in Baler when “Tromba Marina” devastated the whole municipality last December 27, 1735. Besides its interesting history, it provides a magnificent view of Baler Bay, Diguisit Beach, and Aniao Islets.

7:30 AM- We went to the Diguisit Bay and Aniao Islets.
The Diguisit Beach is a kilometer-long semi-white sand beach. It is a serene place and perfect for a photo-op. During low tide, the rock formation is seen, you can walk through the rocks, but extra care is needed because it is sharp and rough rocks.

The Aniao Islets are magnificent rock formations located near the shores of Diguisit Bay. The Aniao Islets have smaller rock formations, it is the best place to relax and feel the breeze since it is a tranquil place.

8:00 AM- Diguisit Waterfalls. It is a waterfall that is found just beside the road, you just need 2-3 minutes to climb and see its main falls.

8:30 AM- Baler Hanging Bridge. It is a very long hanging bridge connecting Brgy. Tibang and Brgy. Sabang. Here, you can see where the sea and river meet. It is fun and exciting.

9:00 AM- Historical walk to Museo de Baler/ Baler Church / Donya Aurora Aragon-Quezon Ancestral House
Baler, Aurora is not only visited for its beaches at tourist spots but it is also visited because of its rich history.
The Museo De Baler lets you taste the history, tradition, and culture of Baler. This museum contains the most important pieces in the town’s history.

Just a few steps from the museum is the Baler Church (San Luis Obispo de Tolosa), this is where “The Siege of Baler” happened. We weren’t able to enter the church since we were wearing inappropriate clothes.

The Donya Aurora Quezon Ancestral House is just southeast of the Baler Church.

10:30 AM– Millenium Tree. At 600 years old, this enchanting is a must-visit attraction because it is the oldest tree in the Philippines and the largest Balete tree in Asia. Its enormous trunk is equivalent to 62 men holding hands with arms outstretched. The tree’s thick roots developed a cave where you can enter.

11:30 AM– The Ditumabo Falls/ Mother Falls.
Kuya Rommel guided us going to the Mother Falls, from the drop-off point, it is approximately 2.6 kilometers and you need to hike 30-40 minutes to see the famous falls. While trekking, you need to cross rivers, walk through narrow passages, climb some boulders, and see a series of mini falls. I enjoyed it, getting there was easy for me compared to what I have been experiencing in some of the falls I visited.

After the trek, we saw the captivating falls. It is the highest waterfall I have seen in my life, towering 140 feet. It has a really strong current which is why you can’t enjoy swimming in its 15-meter pool, you cannot even stand straight or stand for a long time because you will be blown away. You cannot also take a perfect photo because even at a far distance the water splashes at you. Its water is cold, the waterfall is surrounded by cliffs and several floras, especially vines and shrubs.

2:00 PM– Sabang Beach. Since we finished early, Kuya Rommel asked us if we wanted to go back to Sabang Beach until 4:00 PM, we agreed and didn’t miss the chance to feel the strong surfing waves Sabang Beach has to offer.
That 10-hour adventure was worth it. Baler is very vibrant, each place you go has magic, from its sunrise to sunset, from its beaches to mountains, it is indeed the place where the sun shines the brightest.

Travel Details:
Getting there: (from Baguio City)

Fare- 260 php- student
Bus- Lizardo Trans, their terminal is at Slaughter House. There are only 4 available trips, we had the last trip which was 2:00 PM

Accredited Tour Guide and Tricycle Driver

Kuya Rommel Buencamino- 09382760737
The accredited tour guides in Baler are tricycle drivers; you can contract them for a whole day trip which is worth 800 php.

Place to Stay:
We brought our tent and stayed at Baywalk Tent City and Cottages. There are cottages there that you can rent for reasonable prices, but for us, they charged us 100 php per head since we have our tent and will just be staying for short hours. Baywalk Tent City and Cottages is located at Sabang Beach, beside Costa Pacifica.

Entrance/ Registration/ Environmental Fees:

Museo de Baler- 30 php per head, including the entrance fee for Donya Aurora’s Ancestral Hous
Millennium Tree- 20 php per head.
Ditumabo Falls- 30 php per head

Going Back: (to Baguio)