We wanted to have one last adventure before finally going back to work and luckily, I found a great package deal from Columbus Travel and Tours that included the van transpo, Baler-Casapsapan tour and 1 night accommodation.

It was the Bora Bunch once again + my brother E and cousin P. The travel agency only allowed 13 pax max on their Toyota Hi-Ace and since we were only 12 in the group, there was ample space to travel comfortably with all our bags.

Here is the itinerary of our trip. Crossed out places which were not visited due to the torrrential rain we experienced on the first day in Baler.

BALER TOUR
25k exclusive tour for 12pax
Nov 18 - 20 2016

Inclusions:
*Round trip Van transfer (Trinoma -Baler - Casapsapan- Trinoma)
*Driver, Diesel, Parking & Toll fees
*1 Nights at Baler Inns/Lodge/Homestay
*Registration fees
*City tour

NOTE: FOOD IS ON PAX OWN ACCT.

ITINERARY:
DAY 00: ASSEMBLY TIME
10:30pm    Assembly (Opposite side Trinoma North Ave. McDonald's)
11:00pm    ETD to BALER

DAY 1: BALER TOWN TOUR
06:00am    Breakfast on Pax Account
08:00am    Start of City Tour
                  • Giant Balete Tree ( Millenium Tree)

09:00am    Mother Falls (1.5-2 Hours Trekking)
                  Historical Tour
                  • Quezon Memorial Park • Museo De Baler
                  • Baler Marker • Baler Church
10:00am    Lunch at nearby Eatery
                  • Doña Aurora Quezon House
                  • LT Gilmore Rescue Party Marker
                  • Baler 400 Years Monument
12:00pm    Eco-Strip Tour
                  • Hanging Bridge • Ermita Hill
                  • Baler Fish Port • Tromba Marina 
                  • Duguisit Falls • Dugusit Rock Formation • Aniao Islets 
                  Visited Sabang Beach
01:00pm    Check-In (Transient House)

DAY 2: CASAPSAPAN BEACH
05:00am    ETD Casapsapan
08:00am    ETA at Casapsapan
09:00am    Swimming at Casapsapan
11:30am    Lunch on Pax Account
01:00pm    Free Time for Own Leisure
04:00pm    ETD in Casapsapan
07:00pm    ETA in Baler,dinner
08:00pm    ETD in Baler
02:00am    ETA in Trinoma

___________________________


We all met at McDonald's Trinoma (cor. Mindanao Ave.) where we waited for our driver Kuya Jhay. We left at exactly, 11pm. Since there was no traffic, we arrived at the site of the Giant Balete Tree at around 5am when it was still dark. It also started to rain but good thing there was an eatery nearby where we all had a light breakfast of coffee and cup noodles.

Giant Millenium Balete Tree

The mandatory Baler Marker shot

The rain wouldn't let up and we couldn't even take pictures with the Balete Tree. We waited a while to see if the rain would stop but it didn't so we had to proceed to the next place we needed to see: the Historical Tour. By the way, we requested to skip going to the Mother falls because when we got to the jump-off point, we were told that there were no guides availabe and that the trek is muddy/slippery. We were all adventurous but we didnt want to take that kind of risk.

We headed to the Doña Aurora Quezon House and the Baler Museum instead and had brunch at a karinderya nearby before sight-seeing. There was a ₱30 entrance fee that covers both places. The Baler marker was also around this area.

Doña Aurora Quezon House

After we got our museum fix, we headed to the Eco-Strip tour beginning with Hanging Bridge and Ermita Hill. At this point, we have passed through rivers that had overflowed and crossed over the highway. It was raining that hard. The road to the Hanging Bridge was flooded and although the van could still pass through, we were told by another van that came from that area that the Bridge area is no longer accessible. We had to turn back.


Since we had to skip the entire Eco-Strip Tour, our driver suggested going to Sabang Beach to see the surf spot to kill time. The water was murky because of the rain and strong winds but there were still a lot of people surfing despite the cold. After taking photos, we headed over to our homestay where we settled down and rested. TLC, N and S, went out to look for food for everyone. At around 2pm we were done with lunch. We had the whole afternoon free.


That evening, we went out and had dinner at Yolly's. The food is affordable and they serve unli authentic bulalo soup, which everyone enjoyed. We also tried their suman and it was soo good! We headed back to our homestay after dinner and hit the sack after a few hours of socials.


**Photos grabbed from Pao and Sue.


Up next, our Aurora Adventure Day 2: Casapsapan Beach.