Saturday, September 25, 2010

Baler, Quezon Province

After a rigorous ten-hour journey across the longest mountain range in the Philippines, I and my friends excitedly got out of the van to stretch our cramped legs and breathe the refreshing breeze of one of the pristine beaches in Baler.

Along the way, we enjoyed spectacular visual delights as we passed by the Sierra Mountain ranges.



About Baler

The birthplace of former President Manuel L. Quezon (first common wealth president of the Philippines), Baler is sprawled over 57,000 hectares. It stands proudly on a horseshoe-shaped coasts that overlooks the Pacific Ocean in the east.

The shallow waters of Baler Bay is 5 - 20 meters up to 3 kilometers deep before it suddenly plunges to more than 50 meters. When the Pacific Ocean stirs, it could dump some mighty swells to the coastline of Aurora which makes it such a bliss to the surfing enthusiasts. Surfers could catch a wave just about any time of the year in Baler but the peak periods of good quality waves is from October to February.

Part of the film Apocalypse Now was filmed in Baler. A scene where US soldiers were catching some waves was shoot at Charlie's Point. Film crews left their surfboards behind which ignited a local passion for surfing.


It was late when we arrived and although we made prior reservations at Bay's Inn, it was already full when we got there. We spent our first night instead at Bahia de Baler.


Contact Details

BAHIA DE BALER GARDEN RESORT & RESTAURANT I
Bgy. Sabang Baler, Aurora
Contact #: 0921-576-5655

The following day, we moved to Bay's Inn. It is cheaper than Bahia de Baler and is known to be the most popular resort in Sabang and the favorite among foreign guests and visiting surfers. The panoramic views of Baler Bay, The Pacific Ocean, as well as the sorrounding beaches and cliffs is a splendid treat for its guests. Room rates range from Php 400-500 per night.

Contact Details

BAY'S INN
Bgy. Sabang Baler, Aurora
Contact#: 0908-982-3509 / 0915-607-7391



Jendi-Seafront Resort, Busuanga Island

Our e-commerce class visited the paradise island of Busuanga for an educational field trip . The purpose of that trip was to look for a resort which we would create a website for. The e-designers(my group) was assigned to design a website for SeaFront Lodge--the place where we stayed during that weekend visit. I don't think our teacher was able to present our final output to the owners as he promised, but I was happy to have worked on that project.

Here's some information about Sea Front Lodge:
Jendi Seafront Resort Inc.
Seafront Lodge
Barangay 5, Coron
Busuanga Island, Palawan, Philippines
Mobile Number: +63 921 649 4192
Email: seafrontlodge@yahoo.com


For your stay at the resort, you can choose from air-conditioned en-suite rooms at the water-side lodge or from one of the private cottages.



one of the rooms in the lodge
one of the cottages

inside the cottage

About Busuanga:

Busuanga Island is a nice place to unwind from your busy and stressful schedules. Things to enjoy there includes a full day island hopping, bbq lunches on white sand beaches, trips to the Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, and Maquinit Hot Springs.
one of the boats you can rent for an all-day island hopping

Kayangan Lake

you can also explore the Kayangan cave
Barracuda lake--local folks tell of a tale about a barakuda fish that has been trapped there
me, trying to climb some rocks
with my classmates
My classmate Anton at the Maquinit Hot Springs
our professor enjoying his snorkling moment
Ilent's precious find - some variety of a seaweed
bbq lunch
entrance to the twin lagoon