Going
Solo In Baler Philippines
Yes, I admit it. It
scared me but I did it anyway. It was exciting considering this is my
first solo trip. I decided to go on my own when I had the
chance to visit Manila for some reason and a Wohoooo side trip to Baler. OMG, I
missed surfing and my
feet are kicking to ride the surfboard again!
Baler is one of the best surfing spots in the Philippines. It is located in Central Luzon, one of the municipalities in the province of Aurora. It is accessible by private cars and public buses coming from Manila. The capital is blessed with an abundance of tourist attractions such as picturesque waterfalls, lush greenery of mountainsides, and panoramic beaches. Baler is the best place to escape the busy life in the city. Let's go!
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Travel Tips
- For flights, Skyscanner is excellent for comparing the best airline deals.
- For accommodations, our family trusts Booking.com for reasonable prices.
- Organize your trips easily with a Travel Planner.
- For tried-and-true travel and hiking gear, check out our Amazon Storefront.
1. Bus Company
Take either Genesis
Bus & Joy Bus located at Cubao, Quezon City Terminal. This place is known
to locals so you can simply ask for directions where the Genesis Terminal is located.
Or from Manila, you can ride a bus going to Cubao and inform the driver to drop
you off in the Terminal for the Genesis Buses.
2. Joy Buses
Joy Buses accepts
advance reservations which I recommend especially when you are traveling during
the weekend, holiday season, or peak timings. Baler is one of the perfect short
getaway destinations and the volume of passengers is expected to rise during
these times. You can make your advance bookings at Pinoy Travel.
3. Genesis Buses
Genesis Buses does not
need any advance reservations but you need to be there earlier than your desired schedule to secure a seat, sometimes the queue can be very long.
4. Trip to Baler Aurora from Cubao
The trip to Baler
Aurora from Cubao starts at 12 midnight until 7 in the morning. Check
out Joy bus timings. The scheduled trips shown online are for Joy Bus deluxe trips
which start at 12:30-5:30am. Genesis bus starts at 12midnight till 7am which
is not shown online and need not be reserved in advance.
5. Trip duration
The trip duration is
approximately 6 hours. On my trip, we left Cubao station Terminal at 1am and
reached Baler at 5:30 in the morning.
6. Booked in advance
Booked in advance
for your return trip to secure your seat as the bus can get full, especially
during weekends & peak season.
7. Make sure to follow up
Do follow up with the
bus company if your bus reservation is on schedule. Luckily, a
friend called to reserve a return trip at the same time as mine and we found
out that there was a technical issue with the bus, thus will be delayed. By
knowing earlier, we were able to get the alternative route to get to the
airport and just on time for my flight.
8. Alternative way to get to Manila
An alternative way to
get to Manila is via Cabanatuan. Take an Aurora or Genesis Bus from Baler to
Cabanatuan. Transfer bus from Cabanatuan to Pasay or Cubao. There are a few
buses in Cabanatuan with 30-minute bus intervals, so not much to worry about when you
miss the bus.
9. Heavy Traffic Jams
Always be prepared
for heavy traffic jams. In our case, we left Baler at 10:30am and arrived
in Cabanatuan at 2:30pm. We took the bus to Pasay immediately. Along the
way, there was a heavy traffic jam because a certain dance parade took most
of the main road. We reached Manila around 7pm.
10. Arrival Tips
When you arrive in
Manila and rush to the airport, taking the bus all the way to Pasay is not a
good option. Take the taxi instead or take the MRT to avoid the traffic. I
alighted in Monuz, took a taxi immediately to the airport and I was able to
catch my flight at 9:30pm. I arrived just in time for my flight.
Unfortunately, my flight schedule was delayed from 9:30pm it was changed
to 2:30am the next day, 5 hours delayed! If I knew that, I could have
been more relaxed in my travel back to the city. The thing is we don't know
what's ahead of us, it’s always better to be prepared for some bad luck along
the way. After all, it's all about turning bad experiences into great
ones!
Check-in: The Circle Hostel Baler
500-550 PHP per night for female/male dorm/mixed dorm
Day tour & Surfing lesson
Surf lesson with instructor includes surfboard: 350 PHP /hour
Surfboard rental only: 200 PHP /hour
1-day tour ( with transportation, 1 tricycle ride): 800 PHP, good for 4 person
Solo tour: 700 PHP
Tour Instructor Kuya Joel 09309386351
Have fun and be safe ^__^
Do you want more adventure?
Here is a Compilation of all my thrilling escapades over the past few years. Perhaps it's time to revisit your own bucket list and make some progress towards achieving your goals.
Where am I going next?
My next adventure is to Los Angeles, California and I have here a survival guide on how to go around the city.
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