My husband loves to drive, and I love to travel, and this combined interest led us to our most recent adventure, which is Baler. Baler is 270 kms from Manila, about a 5-hour continuous drive.
Baler is the capital town of the province of Aurora (which used to be part of Quezon until it was separated in 1978).
It is the birthplace of Manuel Quezon, the 2nd president of the Philippines and the 1st President of the Philippine Commonwealth. Founded in 1609 by Franciscan missionaries Baler is also the last bastion of the Spaniards in the country.
Sharing here our 3D/2N stay in the beautiful town of Aurora Baler.
DAY 1
We left Manila at 5am made a breakfast stop at NLEX and reached Baler at about 11am.
The ride was uneventful and surprisingly easy.
As it was still early and check-in is not until 2pm, we decided have lunch at the "poblacion" and drop by Museo de Baler and Baler Church before heading to the resort.
This restaurant is conveniently located across Museo de Baler and the adjacent Quezon Park.
COSTA PACIFICA ~ Our home in Baler.
Hands down one of the best places to stay when in Baler is Costa Pacifica. This resort is owned by the family of the previous Senator Edgardo Angara. Located next to Sabang Beach, this resort is perfect for beach bums and surfing enthusiasts.
We got an Ocean View Room facing Sabang Beach. Sunrise and sunset view are to die for. The waves were pretty scarry though, which is expected of this quaint surfer town.
The room is clean with all the basics needed to enjoy a relaxing vacation. I love that is well lit and that it is literally steps away from the beach.
They gave me a mini-birthday cake which was a beautiful surprise.
My Birthday Dinner was at the Costa Pacifica Beach House. Prices is a bit steep, but overall, I think the price is worth it. There are other restaurants along the "Baywalk" so your options are open.
Yup, I think we over ordered...
We took a short stroll by the Baywalk to watch the subset and decided to call it early.
Do you see pictures and reels of people eating next to a waterfalls while waddling in ankle deep (sometimes knee deep) water?
That place my friend is located inside the Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort. We have been here twice already once last November 2023 and another one pretty recently with my Balikbayan relatives.
Although a day tour would cover most of the activities at the resort, an overnight is highly recommended for a laid back and more-relaxed experience.
Sharing here tips and proposed itinerary for guests who intend to stay at least a night.
LOCATION
Villa Escudero is located about 2-3 hours from Manila (depending on the traffic). Leave at 830am if you intend to reach the resort before 11am in time for lunch at the famous "Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant".
Day tourer may plan to come early for a short trip to the Villa Escudero Museum before heading to the falls for lunch.
I pre-book directly through the Villa Escudero Wed Page. It is fast and easy. They are also quick to reply if you have any questions about the resort.
I suggest you eat breakfast early or simple skip breakfast altogether. On our trip no. 2, we made the mistake of having brunch at SLEX and we were still half full when we reached the resort.
COST
As of this writing a Day Tour costs ~ P1,800/pax (P2,100/pax during special holidays). Included in the rate is the museum tour, carabao cart ride, use of bamboo raft, culture show and lunch by the falls.
Meanwhile, overnight stay is full-board and include dinner and breakfast (both in Filipino buffet style). Cost varies depending on room accommodation + P3,000 per additional guest.
WHAT TO WEAR
Weather in the Philippines is hot and humid, so wear and bring light clothes only. Bring sun protection such as shades, a cap or hat (brimmed hats would be nice for picture taking) and sunscreen (especially if you are going swimming).
If your first activity is lunch by the falls, then you will certainly get wet. Consider arriving in shorts or your swimming attire (if you plan to get really wet). Wear rubber slippers or beach sandals (beach shoes would work too, but I figured it would be such a drag to dry).
ENTERING THE RESORT
Entrance to Villa Escudero is a bit unassuming. From the Maharlika Highway you would be entering a kilometer long dirt road, before reaching the villa's guarded gates. You will then be directed to a nearby parking lot by the resort's reception area.
Check-in is not until 1:00pm, so we left our luggage in the car.
We registered at the reception, and we were given our meal and carabao ride stubs.
If you are staying overnight, you will also be given a room slip (to be surrendered at the Cottage Reception Area) for a later check-in.
Be careful NOT to lose the stubs. The resort staff are very keen on collecting them before meals.
Now off to lunch ~ You have two (2) options in going to the Labasin Waterfalls, you can take the carabao ride or the electric carts. We obviously took the carabao cart ride. My Balikbayans were charmed as they were serenaded on the way to the falls.
LUNCH AT LABASIN WATERFALLS
Get a table nearest to the falls if possible.
Ask help from the waiters who are all so eager to assist guests. Our waiter ("Jojo"),helped in securing a lovely spot for us right next to the waterfalls and buffet table. He also offered to take pictures of our group and imposed on getting 2nd rounds for us, so that we don't need to fall in line again.
Food is pretty basic but is worth the experience. Buko is with additional cost, priced at P50. I tried the mango shake in our last visit, but I didn't like it much.
After lunch, we roamed a bit and headed to the souvenir shop to kill time.
While there, try their homemade ice cream.
CULTURAL SHOW
The cultural show venue, the "Coconut Pavillion" located at the back of the souvenir shop. The show starts at 2pm and is about 1 hour 30 minutes long.
Come early to get good front seats. It could get pretty crowded especially during weekends and holidays.
This is the perfect time to order coffee and turon.
My husband and I were ready to see the show we saw during our last visit. We were, however, pleasantly surprised that they put on a different set. We have seen some of the performances before, but we were not bored at all.
For those who have seen the "Sabong" performance, would easily recognize the star of the show: "Si Puti".The boys would obviously not pass the chance to get a photo with the show's main star.
After the show we made our way back to the parking area to pick up our luggage.
Remember to hail the electric carts (as the carabao carts are not allowed to leave the main resort).
Don't worry the driver will be helping you carry your bags. At the Cottage Receecion
THE ROOMS
We've stayed at Villa Escudero twice.
On our first stay, we booked a "Longhouse Unit (Non-aircon)".
The room is spacious and can easily fit 6-8 pax. There is a bed at the ground floor and futon mattresses on the loft. There is also an outdoor seating area overlooking the garden and the nearby pool. Though not airconditioned, the rooms are well ventilated. Hot and cold shower is also available. The basics are well covered, but I am not sure if there is Wi-Fi (or maybe there is, but we were just not aware of).
If you plan to go on night swimming, the long house units are the closest to the pool.
Our only concern staying at the long house is the lack of privacy. As these are basically row type accommodations, separated by a wall ~ you can almost hear other guests' conversation next door.
LR/TB: Outdoor seating, bed at the ground floor, bathroom, loft and our view
On our 2nd stay, we booked the Executive Riverside Unit (Aircon).
As we were traveling with Balikbayan guests, we got 2 Executive Riverside rooms. The rooms were adjoined by an outdoor patio overlooking the river. The rooms are spic and span. The bed here I think are more comfortable than the ones in the Longhouse. The room comes with complimentary fruits and Wi-Fi. The selling point of the Riverside Unit though is the view.
The executive riverside units were more private, which is perfect for couples.
The only downside is that after dusk bugs could be a bit annoying outside at the patio. But all is forgiven the next day when I woke up to birds' chirps and twitters.
If asked, would hands down choose the Riverside Rooms.
BAMBOO RAFTING
Bamboo rafting is free and perfect to burn off some calories before dinner.
DINNER & BREAKFAST
Have you noticed that all we've done so far is eat and munch? Meals here are like full blown Fiestas. Every meal is like eating as if there is no tomorrow...
If you ever plan on coming and visiting Villa Escudero, be sure you are not dieting. I must have gained a pound or so overnight.
Both meals are served at the "Coconut Pavillion".
We were serenaded before being personally invited for dinner. It was a very nice touch indeed.
Dinner is well thought off, and 100x better than the lunch at Labasin Waterfalls.
Make sure to leave space for their "buko pie". It is far the best buko pie I have had in my life (and I it is not an exaggeration). And have your fill of their delicious buko pie as they don't offer this during breakfast.
Breakfastwas equally filing.
Remember to end your meal with "bibingka" and freshly brewed coffee.
LEAVING THE RESORT
After a hearty breakfast, we took an electric cart to the museum and took photos of the beautiful greenery to last us until our next visit.
This city is very near Nagoya (a little under 35kms) is easily accessible via the Nagoya Meitetsu Train and thus a perfect for a quick day trip away from the busyness of the city.
A DIY is not difficult to arrange ~ Meitetsu offers Special Ticket Discounts to Inuyama. Meitetsu Nagayo Railroad webpage, even includes recommended itineraries and model courses.
We bought our special discount ticket from Meitetsu Nagoya Station Central Gate Ticket Window, one day before our scheduled trip.
We opted for the Inuyama Castle Town and Meiji Mura combo, which included:
>Hop-on hop-off Meitetsu train One-day ticket
> Hop-on hop-off bus ticket between Inuyama station and Museum Meiji-mura
> Museum Meiji-mura admission
> Inuyama castle admission
> Meitetsu discount coupons (usable in Inuyama Castle Town/Meiji Mura museum for discounts on food and souvenirs)
We left Nagoya City at 730am and arrived at Inuyama Station around 830am. We stopped for breakfast at the Lotteria at the Inuyama Station. It is like Japan's McDonald's.
Inuyama Castle (one of the last original castles in Japan, unscathed by the war or any natural disasters) and an open-air architectural theme park/museum called Meiji Mura.
Inuyama Castle is about 1 km leisurely walk from the station. And it was a good thing that we packed energy before beginning our ascend to the castle.
We passed by the Sankoinari Shrine on our way to the castle. It is a mini version of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine (more on that in my Kyoto blog). It is less touristy here, which very good for thanking photos.
The Inuyama Castle is said to be the oldest existing castle tower in Japan.
It was a steep climb up to the top, but the view was all worth it. The tower overlooks the Kiso River.
And stopped by for sweets before heading to our next stop Meiji-mura.
Meiji-murais an open-air architectural museum. It is one of the largest theme parks in Japan at 100 hectares (Yes, we did a lot of walking!)
The museum showcases historic buildings from Japan's Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa periods. The museum allows guests to experience life during the Meiji period (1868-1912). They have shops where you can rent Meiji period kimonos.
It is amazing what they have done here at Meiji Mura. There are so many historic buildings. We were really in awe, they managed to save so many.
They currently have 67 buildings at Meiji Mura, 10 of which are designated "important cultural assets".
Our mode of transport inside the Meiji Mura - bus (that circles the park).
We had a worthwhile time at Inuyama. If you have the luxury of time, I recommend at a day each at the Inuyama Town Castle, then another day at Meiji Mura for better appreciation.
We left Inuyama at around 4pm and arrived at Nagoya Station at around 530pm.
Tonight's dinner is at Maruya Honten Meiekiten for some authentic charcoal grilled eel rice (another of Nagoya's pride cuisine).
Good night, Nagoya! We are temporarily leaving Nagoya City, for the 2nd leg of our Japan holiday. We are off to Kyoto tomorrow.
If you missed our Day 1, 2 and please clink the links below:
For this leg our tour, we took advantage of the Nagoya railway system.
We started the day early to our first destination the SCMaglev Railway Park via Aonami Line (which is the line going to Legoland).
But first we needed a hearty breakfast to kick start our day! Breakfast is at Pronto Cafe at the Nagoya Station.
SCMaglev Railway Park is a must for train enthusiasts. It is located about 20-30 minutes from Nagoya Station and is convenient walk from the Kinjo-futo Station (via the Aonami Line) and is located right across Legoland.
Entrance cost Y1000/adult. You pay extra for the train simulators. We skipped the train simulators as the next available time is early afternoon and it was just 10am.
We spent about 1 1/2 hours here, but train lovers should alot at least half a day. The dioramas were especially nice to look at.
We left the train museum at 1130am to head to our next order of business ~ Lunch
The Nagoya Castle, Japan's first castle to be designated as a National Historic Site.
Don't miss the Honmaru Palace, a 17th-century palace with hinoki cypress wood and decorative metal fittings and fine arts adoring its walls are truly impressive.
From Nagoya Castle, we went to explore Ossu Kanon Shopping Arcade a bit, however, we were too tired from all our morning walking. I wasn't in the mood to buy anything.
Day 3 Nagoya, ends here.
If you missed our Day 1 and 2, you may click the link below:
We have decided to take the less travelled Nagoya and Kyoto areas (or so we thought...).
DAY 1
Welcome to Nagoya, the Center of Japan (halfway across Osaka-Tokyo)
Mainly know as an industrial hub and home to Toyota and Mitsubishi, Nagoya unknown to many is also a city rich in history and culture.
We arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport early afternoon and made our way to Nagoya City via μ-SKY ~ Chubu Airport to Nagoya Station. Travel time was a little under an hour. It took a bit of navigating skills using the trusted "google map" we were arrived at Ibis Styles Nagoya (our home base in Nagoya City).
Ibis Style Nagoya
The hotel's location is about 5-10mins walk from the Nagoya Station (but can be quite a stretch if you are travelling with small kids or seniors).
The rooms were small (as is expected of majority of hotels in Japan) but clean and very functional.
The hotel staff were friendly and cordial. I made a booboo booking, but they were able to do a workaround (and saved me some shopping money).
We rested a bit, before heading to the first list in our agenda... dinner with friends...
Our friend met up with us at the Nagoya Station to dine at YabaTon Matzusakaya
At Yaba Ton, we ordered the recommeded Teppan Tonkatsu (with their signature red miso sauce)
Coffee was at Komeda's Coffee, a well-known "full-service" coffee chain in Japan that originated in Nagoya. I was quite full, from our dinner at Yaba Ton, but I can't pass an order of the English toast with red beans (ummm... delicious)!
We made our way back to the hotel our own via subway, posed a bit with another of Nagoya's famous meet up areas, the Nana Chan Mannequin.
DAY 2
Today is excursion day: Takayama and Shirakawa-go, which we got from Klook.
This tour is a full day tour (via the Meitetsu Bus line) that starts at 8am. We left the hotel at 7am and made our way to the Meitetsu Bus Center.
We were joined by an English speak tour guide assistant to help non-Japaneses speaking tourist (that's us, hehehe).
We had quick stop at the Hirugano Kougen Service Area, which turned out to be a taste of one of the creamiest icecream we have ever had. Hubby got second servings.
Takaya is about 160km from Nagoya, which is about 2hours bus ride. This city is famous for its beautifully preserved buildings and traditional houses.
Ah, so much to do with so little time. An entire afternoon touring Takayama would have been wonderful.
Lunch was at the Takayama Green Hotel. We were served a tasty (and beautifully prepared) lunch course which includes the town's famous Hida beef.
Off to our next stop, the Shirakawa Village (a UNESCO world heritage site, and see the traditional houses).
This is place is picturesque and breathtaking. Pictures do not do justice to its beauty.
Overall, I would say, this tour is convenient and hassle-free.
We would not have been able to visit these areas at such short time on our own. Having said that, it would have been better if we were able to stay longer and experience Takayama and Shirakawa-go more. Unfortunately, we only have 9 days (including travel time) in Japan and there is not much time really.
