Many decades after the painstaking filming of "Apocalypse Now" gave rise to the country's perhaps first surfing destination when the film crew left their surfboards behind, the name Baler had become synonymous with surfing. While Colonel Kilgore in the film referred to the Viet Cong as "Charlie" who "don't surf," in real-life Baler, everybody surfed.
More than a Surfer’s Haven, Baler is where one can Travel, Breathe and Dive
Baler at a Glance
More than just a Surfing Paradise
However, as a surfing culture formed in the ensuing years, Baler increasingly became a destination of choice for individuals seeking a brief escape from the major metropolis. Surfers and other nature and adventure enthusiasts were subsequently joined by travelers who came with a variety of interests ranging from local cuisine, meditation, self-care, and spirituality to, for some, a digital nomad stop. Soon after, the once exclusive surfing paradise was converted into a holistic utopia, serving as a melting pot of diverse curiosities.
Tapping into this expanding allure of Baler to travelers, the Department of Tourism Region III organized a “Travel, Breathe and Dive” event to showcase a couple of activities that fit ideally in the town’s setting: Yoga and Freediving.
Yoga and Meditation Sessions
When I signed up as a media participant for the event, I was most excited about the freediving classes since I had always wanted to experience this underwater sport. The other components of the program, which included various yoga practices, were just secondary highlights for me.
Yet, after only a few minutes of our first meditation practice, the activity we were performing immediately caught my attention. I instantly felt a connection to the environment around me as we lay on our yoga mats stretched out on the lawn grounds of the Baler Beach Club, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and beneath a canopy of trees and the blue afternoon sky.
Under the guidance of our session teacher, Kara Basamayor, we were asked to soak in sound waves created by various therapeutic instruments such as Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, gongs, percussion, spinning forks, and even Kara's soothing and harmonic voice.
I realized I was wrong to dismiss the wellness part of the program. I was completely dazzled by the entire experience, which lasted more than an hour. We concluded the practice with a breathing exercise and a tea meditation to attract positive energy.
The next couple of days saw us attending different yoga classes covering Vinyasa, Hatha, and even Beer Yoga with yoga teachers Lorelee Sicat and Camille Ramos.
My Introduction to Freediving
I had been wanting to try freediving for the longest time. Since meeting Valerie Bautista at an event campaigning against the spread of fake news in 2017, I had wanted to give it a go. Valerie, the founder of Azul Freediving, encouraged me to join a freediving lesson a few times, but I could not fit it into my schedule alongside her teaching sessions. Fortunately, Azul Freediving was part of the collaboration with DOT Region 3 to map out freediving spots in Baler.
Together with her fellow instructors from different freediving schools in Batangas and Panglao, Bohol, the team identified a few promising dive sites—one of which served as the location for our introduction as newbies to freediving.
The next day, we traveled to Dipaculao Beach, where we began with an hour-long lesson on the fundamentals of freediving. This was followed by actual pool practice, where I clocked one minute and forty-eight seconds of breath-hold on my second attempt. It was an excellent time for a beginner, according to my assigned instructor.
We proceeded to the dive location after the pool session to finally attempt the techniques of entering the water from above. From there, we were to apply a normal swimming motion underwater for as long as we could hold our breath. Despite failing to stay underwater for more than thirty seconds owing to my inability to properly kick myself underwater, I got a taste of what it was like to overcome my fear of the wide ocean.
Crediting this new experience, I then envisioned myself making plans to go on freediving trips in the near future.
Travel, Breathe and Dive
More yoga sessions were sandwiched between our freediving activities. This included one session of gentle flow at the Baler Fish Port, where we were surrounded by the gleaming glitter of the turquoise seas against the bright sunlight. The entire four days were filled with yoga, meditation, sound baths, food trips, coffee hunting, freediving, and, of course, a little surfing.
Thanks to DOT Region 3, in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Aurora and the LGU units of Baler and Dipaculao, a new campaign was put into motion showcasing Aurora Province's untapped potential as an underwater and wellness destination.
"The #TravelBreatheDive program of DOT Region III envisions the unique combination of dive and wellness to create a holistic, sustainable, and inclusive tourism product offering for Central Luzon," said Chriselle May Yambao, Supervising Tourism Officer at DOT Region III.
Yambao’s colleague, Christian Ray Lingat, also pointed out that the waves that helped Baler become a surfer’s haven were also responsible for the promise of its deep-sea diving locations. "Strong waves generate underwater treasures, including sea caves, tunnels, and fissures that serve as a marine refuge and a shelter for divers alike."
While DOT Region 3 and the Baler LGU were currently ironing out the freediving locations in hopes of making them available to general visitors soon, wellness tourism was now set to take off.
Echoing the town’s new tourism campaign, one could easily travel wide, breathe in good vibes, and dive into a wonderful community in Baler.
🗓️ Suggested Three-Day Baler Itinerary
Catch baseline morning breaks along Sabang Beach / Join an oceanfront sound healing meditation class at Baler Beach Club / Mingle with local vendors over fresh local seafood
Execute introductory breathing lessons and pool disciplines at Dipaculao Beach / Test open water limits with certified freediving mentors / Unwind with gentle flow yoga at Baler Fish Port
Cycle through nearby cultural sites including historical town structures / Mingle with local tribal communities / Cap off the media trail experience with a casual Beer Yoga session
Top Attractions Checklist
📸 Best Photo Spots
Frequently Asked Questions
Completely. While it maintains its status as an iconic surf destination, Baler has successfully transitioned into a holistic wellness sanctuary offering sound healing meditations, professional freediving schools, and rewarding coastal yoga experiences.
A window of three to four days provides the ideal pace to complete basic freediving check-offs, experience different yoga practices, and sample the burgeoning local culinary and coffee scenes completely.
Yes. Under the structured #TravelBreatheDive program, professional instructors from established entities manage deep-sea safety ropes, pool basics, and depth training guidelines meticulously.
While surf swells peak from October through March, the summer window stretching from April to September offers the calmest, clearest sea conditions for tracking underwater dive spots comfortably.
Baler Adventure Blueprint
Nomadic Experiences Take
Baler surprised me because it isn't just India's yoga capital or simply a rugged domain for wave riders. It was one of those rare destinations where coastal tranquility and deep-sea adrenaline coexisted naturally. One hour one was soaking in harmonic vibrations from Tibetan singing bowls on a windswept oceanfront lawn, the next they were testing their physical parameters under a deep water column. Few coastal sanctuaries managed that balance as effortlessly as Baler.
This article also appeared in the print pages and online version of BusinessMirror.
