While in Baler

There are several "places to stay in Baler". Most are affordable and a number of them are just walking distance from the beach.

When we arrived, we saw the other branch of the “Bahia de Baler Hotel” being constructed. Once construction is finished, this would be a good addition to those beautiful hotels and resorts already in existence in Baler. I really regret that I was not able to make a reservation at Bahia. It was already fully booked. I repeatedly called their front desk to reserve a room but I was not lucky. Perhaps, several tourists and travelers have the same idea of booking a room at Bahia.

When we walked along the beach, we saw the beautiful landscaped gardens of Bahia. At night, their well-lighted beachfront is a delight to surfers. The hotel’s swimming pool sparkles with different colors.  With all the beautiful amenities, one may think that this hotel is pricey.

Bay's Inn Restaurant

While in Baler, we enjoyed dining at the “Bay’s Inn Hotel”. The pizza was worth the wait. It was one of the best pizzas I have ever tasted.  While we were having pizza, we enjoyed the view of the beach. We watched surfers trying to stand up on their surfboards under the extreme heat and direct sun rays. Sunburn did not deter the surfers from conquering the waves. With a backdrop of blue coupled with that soothing sounds of the sea, Bay’s Inn has one good ambiance for a restaurant.

We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this restaurant. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. There were a lot of guests and there is some “waiting time” before the order is served. However, the food servers here are patient and polite. Despite a number of guests, the waiters and waitresses did good service.

At Bay’s Inn, it is very relaxing to just sit and enjoy the view while having your favorite food. My thoughts flew as I was in this restaurant - just take a look at the sea and enjoy everything. Enjoy the moment for a while. Leave all those worries and stress. We should not forget to enjoy what we have at the moment. We got to be thankful with what we have and try not to regret what we don’t have. We got to see the glass as half full.

It is really difficult to reserve the best hotels and resorts during summer and long weekends in Baler. And this situation is similar to almost all resorts. I have repeatedly attempted to reserve Bahia and Bay’s Inn but both are already fully booked weeks before our preferred schedule. I think it is best to reserve at least a month in advance before the intended trip.

With hotels and resorts often fully booked, I really think that the Philippine tourism industry is on the upswing. There seems to be a surge of tourists both foreign and local. When we were at the Genesis bus station in Cubao, I noticed several groups of young friends or students on the way to Baler - a very good indication that traveling is becoming popular. Before only foreigners or those who possess the “power of the exchange rate” have the capability of traveling to beautiful places in this country. Now however there seems to be a significant increase in the number of local tourists. 

It is good to know that interest in traveling is continually growing and the tourism industry is becoming a part of the life of almost every individual.