Aurora Province Destinations: Mother Falls of Ditumabo, San Luis

The northeastern province simply has tons to offer every intrepid traveler, thrill seekers, and wanderers, both local and foreign, could not resist. This Aurora trip, however, was not about us but a very good friend who crossed the vast Pacific and flew halfway across the world in search of the American dream. Returning to the Philippines for a short vacation, squeezing an activity-filled vacation would be difficult. Fortunately, there’s Baler to fill in the gaps.


Sixteen hours earlier, the eager beaver trio left Manila and when I was packing my stuff, they were getting busy with their tan under the Sabang Beach sun. Direct buses to Baler were only until 7AM so I was left with taking two transfers. Five Star Buses have regular trips to Cabanatuan, and from there I could catch a van to Baler. However, the Cabanatuan-Baler schedules were indefinite. I just hoped I’d be able to catch the last trip, and fortunately I did. After my grueling 7-hour trip, I arrived in Baler past midnight. The long haul gave me a safe journey through the pitch black roads of the Siera Madre Mountains in Nueva Vizcaya to Baler Terminal.

Among the numerous guest houses and hotels along Sabang Beach, BBC’s P700.00 room with a single queen size bed and a private C.R. installed would suffice our 4-day endeavor in the coastal province. Distinct green ‘sawali’ (woven split bamboo mats) walls make BBC easy to find when wandering along Sabang Beach’s breakwater. Across the room is an open hut guest may use for dining or viewing the huge waves of the vast Pacific.

If in search of a hefty but low cost meals, rows of eateries called, “The Rolling Store”, offering budget-friendly viands, tons to choose from. Under large colorful umbrellas, indulge in authentic Filipino home-cooked dishes al fresco style. At The Rolling Store, one would definitely get a bang for their buck. Why named Rolling Store? Even its vendors do not know the history.

Get down to Baler’s cultural and historical roots in Museo de Baler located just behind the Rolling Store. The museum holds significant artifacts, cultural heritage, and famous residents of the town like Dona Aurora Quezon, the wife of Former President Quezon. Might as well visit the home of one of Baler’s prominent figure Dona Aurora Quezon’s house which is a few meters from Museo. Getting to know the colorful history of Baler and the rest of Aurora is best done with a stroll around town.

Automated Teller Machines (ATM’s) are a tricycle ride away from Museo de Baler. Landbank and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) ATM’s are located along the national highway just in front of the Aurora Tourism Office and Aurora Government Office. Travelers, and residents as well, would never run out of juice.

Part of our day’s itinerary is a trip to one of Baler’s coastal baranggay called Zabali which holds an isolated counterpart of the bustling Sabang Beach.Through occasional drizzles in cliff side bumpy roads and landslide paths, we made it safe and sound to Digisit Beach (click to read full article on Digisit Beach).Spending the entire day in Digisit‘s kilometer stretch of coral beach was worth a visit. Our awesome but tiring day has come to end so we made our way back to Sabang Beach, while dropping by Baler Wet Market in Suklayin to buy meat and vegetables for our gourmet dinner back in BBC.

The cool breeze of the night swept Sabang Beach’s shores. Ocean mist brought by strong winds sends salty sprinkles on our faces. While we were cutting and slicing parts of our chicken barbeque, the winds were howling like wolves stalking their preys. We celebrated our night with a nice dinner and chit-chat over a few drinks. A swim in Sabang Beach, home-cooked viands in Rolling Store, a cultural visit in Museo de Baler, a whole afternoon in Digisit Beach, ending the day with beers and barbeques – my first day (second for them) was very well-spent.

Thundering roars of waves crashing rampaging towards the beach can be heard from our beds. It was an invitation for an early morning dip in Sabang Beach’s refreshingly cool water. After a morning bath, where else to get a hearty breakfast rather than The Rolling Store.

An adventurous addition to our bucket list of activities is a day hike at the feet of the Siera Madre Mountain Range to San Luis’ Mother Falls. Going to San Luis is about an hour tricycle ride from Sabang until reaching Baranggay Ditumabo where our on-foot adventure kicks off. Under huge tree canopies of the rainforest we hiked through moss-covered paths and muddy trails, crossed streams with strong currents, and hopped one boulder to another before we reached the majestic Mother Falls of Baranggay Ditumabo.Hiking in Ditumabo got us tired and worn out, but the thrill of accomplishment was rewarding enough to keep us going. Again for the nth time, we went to the Rolling Store to fill our rumbling tummies seeking something to digest.

In Bay-Ler View’s restaurant, we watch the full moon rise illuminating the sea and sat under the glittering stars, while consuming Filipino “pulutan” (finger foods matched with beer and alcoholic drinks) delicacies and drinking ice cold beer. Instead of getting our own table, we sat by the break water as we sang beach tunes in harmony with the ocean’s waves in an orchestra of their own.

Any Baler vacation would not be complete without surfing, or at least try to surf. Before we end our four-day frenzy in Aurora, we borrowed a long board hoping to catch some waves and at least try riding it.

Waves in Baler reach a staggering height of  feet during the surfing seasons from September to February which attracted visitors from locally and across the globe. Waves during our visit weren’t even half as tall on surfing season but I was not able to stand up, but at least I tried. My hopes are still up and with a little more perseverance and commitment, I’d be able to ride like a pro.