Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated.

November 27, 2021
Bataan, Philippines

Bataan has played a great role in the history of the Philippines. The most well known is the Death March. Japan invaded the Philippines after it bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese took over Manila, the capital of the Philippines, The Americans and Filipinos who were fighting back ran away to Bataan. During World War II, in April 1942, the Japanese army forced American and Filipino men to march 105 km/65 miles to prison camps, which was very hard. Many of them died while being abused by the Japanese guards in the stifling heat.

Bataan is especially meaningful to me because that is where my mother was born. We used to travel to Limay, Bataan, to see our relatives. Bataan is located in Region III of Central Luzon. It was a pleasant setting, both peaceful and welcoming. I miss my mother, so I decided to return to this location after nearly 6 years. Being in Bataan brings her closer.

The next reason would have to be meeting one of my closest friends, Toby. We hadn’t seen each other in a year, and I missed him tremendously! And there were so many things we needed to catch up on. I also met my new friend, Jayson, who served as our host in his hometown. 😀

Travel Requirements

Getting to Bataan by bus takes about three hours. We rode Bataan Transit bus line at 630am in Cubao. I actually made an advanced booking in Bataan Transit FB page to make our travel efficient but I forgot to print out the tickets. I assumed a screenshot of the tickets would sufficient; I completely forgot I was in the Philippines and not Singapore, where everything is already online! haha Anyway, we had to stand in line again to get our tickets, which cost Php 278 from Manila to Bataan. Because there is no direct bus to Bataan, we had to switch to another bus route from San Fernando, Pampanga, which was quite exhausting. You only need to provide your vaccination card at the checkpoint, but the regulations are no longer that stringent, so travel at your own risk.

Domestic tourists can now visit Bataan and it’s attractions but since it’s pandemic, we still need to follow health & safety guidelines to ensure a hassle free visit.

Budget

I allotted Php 7,000 for my Bataan trip inclusive of food, transportation and accommodation.

Language

Bataan has no dialect and everyone speaks Tagalog.

Accommodation

On the island of Playa La Caleta, I stayed in a Beach Loft. The price is Php3,800. The room has a trendy mosquito net, a view of the beach, and a shared bathroom. The open air room was interesting, and I enjoyed feeling the breeze from the ocean and listening to the gecko while I dozed off. haha I’d rather have a deluxe beachfront tent with en suite facilities.

Bataan Day 1

Jayson and I met in Balanga, the capital of Bataan. He took us to one of the roadside restaurants. We also visited Mt. Samat, which is currently closed due to a pandemic. Because it’s so chilly here, I adore it. We went to Playa La Caleta after we ate. It was quicker because there was a shuttle waiting for us in the parking lot. Travel time from the parking lot to the resort is around 15 minutes. However, because of the steepness of the road, getting there was an emotional roller coaster, but I enjoyed the view and the experience. When we arrived, we were met by kind employees who escorted us to our accommodation. Playa is a lovely mountain resort with a cove and a good beach. At night, they illuminated the entire area, creating a beautiful atmosphere on the beach.

Food

Boss Mikko’s Bulalohan
Price: Php 200-1000 good for 3

We ate lunch at Boss Mikko’s Bulalohan. Bulalo is a beef soup that is popular in the Philippines. We ordered bulalo, sisig, dinuguan (pork lungs and heart sautéed in tomatoes and onions), and bopis (pork lungs and heart sautéed in tomatoes and onions). We apparently ordered internal organs for lunch!

The bulalo was my favorite of the dishes since the beef broth was thick and it was served with bone marrow, which cemented the richness of the beef soup! The sisig, dinuguan, and bopis were fine for me; not the best, but worth a try. I’d give this dining experience a 4 out of 5 stars..

Scarborough Restaurant
Price: Php 200-1000 good for 3

The restaurant is located on the island where we stayed, Playa La Caleta. It was a little unfortunate that they didn’t serve shake. I expected a restaurant in front of the beach to serve refreshments, but they didn’t. They served buko juice, but it was not sweet and had no nutty flavor; it tasted more like water in a coconut. We also ordered laing (dried taro leaves), bagnet (deep-fried pork), and pinakbet (a variety of veggies). The dish did not smell or taste good. The laing was a disgrace among Bicolanos! It wasn’t really spicy, and it was overdone, with a strong ginger flavor. the bagnet was also considered a dishonor. I wanted the skin to be crispy and the meat to be soft. This gets a 1.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Bataan Day 2

At 6:30 a.m., after failing to catch the sunrise, we went for a swim on the beach and then refueled with coffee. It was a whole new ballgame when I brought my pals along. While I’m sure there are nicer beaches out there, my time at this location was much enhanced by the company of my pals.

Although I would not recommend this resort, I did enjoy getting away from the city and having no access to the Internet for a change. This one’s for all you campers out there. I think there are other islands in Luzon to visit if you’re looking for something similar. I gave them a three out of five stars because I thought they did a great job with customer service.

Food

Loleng’s Hu Tieu-An
Morong, Bataan
Price Php 200-1000 good for 3

This modest restaurant is located in Morong, Bataan, around 15 kilometers from Playa La Caleta. This restaurant is popular since there were a lot of people eating there, and it also has a deep history because the owner, Aling Loleng, used to work at a refugee processing center where refugees from the Vietnam War took temporary sanctuary. She became friends with several of the individuals in the camp, and they taught her traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

Toby discovered this restaurant, and after eating a lot of Filipino food, we decided to try Vietnamese on our last day in Bataan. We ordered hu tieu, or rice noodles, as well as banh mi and prawn buns. The hu tieu was a little sweet for a soup, and the banh mi is a Filipino imitation of the Vietnamese banh mi, using plain buns instead of French baguette. The coffee was rich and tasty as well; it wasn’t the finest, but it was acceptable. The prawn rolls were decent; they tasted fresh. Overall, I enjoyed all of the food, especially the banh mi, and it’s reasonably priced, so I’d give it a 4 out of 5.

Visiting Bataan is like going back in time; the island’s history is woven into the fabric of its magnificent mountains and sea. My future plans include exploring the whole of Bataan.

Love,
Maria, sometimes Niskie