Surfing Philippines (Baler and Zambales)

Surfing is a water sport where a wave rider (also known as surfer) rides forward to a wave. My friends and I had our first surfing lesson in La Union. We had so much fun that we scheduled the next surfing trips right away.

Surfing in Baler

Last August, we visited Baler to celebrate CJ's, Drew's and Edmar's birthdays. Baler is a 4-6 hour commute from Manila. There are lots of tourist places like the falls, the balete tree and more beaches. It is a popular surfing/tourist place so most places are more pricey but some venues are still budget-friendly. We didn't really explore much of the surfing beach as we had all our meals in one restaurant, the Surfer's Haven but I heard there are more choices for meals. 

The waves are not always there like when we went there but as I would see in my friend's posts they enjoy the trip. Generally, avoid scheduling a trip from late July to early September as the surfing waves are non-existent.

I would recommend this experience if you want a beach weekend that is almost like in a urban setting. 

Surfing in Zambales

On November, we went on another surfing trip to celebrate KC's birthday. This time, we decided to check out Brgy. Liw-Liwa in Zambales. This is a hidden gem that is slowly become a new surfer's haven. But it is still unknown compared to La Union, Baler and Siargao so everything here is budget-friendly.

There's not much to visit here unless you would do a side trip to Anawangin which is 15-30 minutes away. Everything is so relaxed and so quiet. But the waves are great (as in sunod sunod). Avoid scheduling in summer as the waves are not as strong as it is for the rest of the year. 

I would recommend visiting this haven if you are a beginner as you will definitely learn, as well to surfers who are not afraid to be less urban.