Pages

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Sand and Stars Beach Resort: A Place for Non-Surfers

Baler, Aurora is also known as one of the best surfing spots in the Philippines. But what if you are non-surfers like us? Can you still enjoy it's beach? 



The answer is a big fat "YES". If you are looking for a place to chill and just feel the sun, the sand and the stars we found the right place for you.

It is approximately seven (7) to eight (8) hours away from Manila. To get there you can ride a bus going to Baler in Cubao bus terminal. We opt to book online so we can avoid the long wait in getting tickets and to get the time we want to depart. We want to travel in ease and comfort so we chose JoyBus Deluxe, this cost us for seven hundred and thirty pesos (Php730). Alighting in Baler around five thirty in the morning. This allows us some time to buy food and and other things we need in the market. There is no market near the resort so it is best to do all your shopping here if you still need to buy anything. The market is just near the bus terminal from where we get off and also near to the next bus we're riding. So from Baler, we catch the bus going to Casiguran which departs at six thirty in the morning. Just tell the conductor to drop you off Sand and Stars Beach Resort. They already know where it is and the bus fare is only eighty five pesos (Php85). Now let's talk about the road and what to prepare yourself. So we go there second week of this December, you ask us why? The answer is there is always summer somewhere in the Philippines. Going back to the road, it is like you are traveling to Sagada, the road is on the mountain side and from Baler to the resort I got worried since the wind is so strong and there are some parts where the support of the land is missing. I am searching for the right term but i can't find the words so to describe imagine a biscuit cracker with fillings. So it has three layers. Imagine the first layer of the biscuit as the road, the fillings and the other biscuit is the soil/land of the mountain. Picture it out as if you only bite on one part but you only take the fillings and the lower biscuit so the first biscuit is still there but no support at the bottom. That's the best I can describe it as of the moment. I felt like if we are too heavy the road might fall. That is just my concern though the road is cemented, I saw some constructions going on so I hope they will fix it all soon.




Swing to the left and swing to the right

Happy Us

We arrived at the resort around eight in the morning. Our check in is at one in the afternoon so we got there early. The head caretaker of the resort is nice and lovely. She will tell you where you can stay for the meantime while waiting. So we got to stay in a cottage for free. While waiting we took our time in taking photos and exploring the resort.





The canteen or the store inside the resort is cute and colorful but lacks personnel. There is only one staff working there and the service is slow. The food is a bit pricey, good thing we brought our own food.






The resort is clean and spacious. The fine sand, the sound of the waves. We went there Sunday so most of the guest is already leaving. Only a few arrived, so it feels like we were the only one in the resort. The weather is a bit gloomy but the sun showed up for a while. 






Our room is pretty and just like what my interior designer friend said it is creative and perfect for your modern "kubo" (hut) experience. The rates are very affordable and the cottages is colorful which will be definitely in your Instagram. There are also tents if you want to go glamping. The resort is very well known for that and that is why a lot of people visited this resort. The long travel is worth it for relaxation, chilling and just connecting with mother nature.

When we were settled in our room. We ate lunch and then went straight to the shore. We dare not swim cause of the strong waves. So we just do what we came for. To take a lot of photos for our IG feeds, to relax and just seize the day. 





Drew our own fishtail on the sand

Vacation is love







The night came and we did not see a lot of stars cause of the weather. It is disappointing that we did not get the chance to do stargazing but there is still another time. We just spend the night feeling the cold breeze of the sea while warming up with good stories to tell. A night filled with laughter. Another great travel experience with friends and memories made. 

To sum up we only spend two thousand four hundred five pesos (Php2,405) per pax. Here is the breakdown of our expenses:

Cottage - 2600
Fair Joy Bus - 3,650
Grab - 830
Food - 928
Bus to Casiguran - 425
Corcage - 442
Fair Joy Bus to Cubao - 3,150

Total—12,025php / 5pax = 2,405php each

You can visit their facebook page sandandstarsdinadiawan for more information and booking details.


No comments:

Post a Comment