Bataan — Get Lost

They say Westnuk is one of the Philippines' best kept secrets and I must agree. It still makes me wonder why not a lot of people know about this treasure when it's just a couple of hours away from Manila.

Why I love this place: it's cheap, accessible and not filled with tourists. The beach is still unspoiled as of writing this post and I've been going here for about four years already.

To some people, the downside is you bring and cook your own food (if you want to stay at the beachfront accommodations). Rooms are dorm type with less than desirable bathrooms but if you're used to camping then this shouldn't be a problem.

Starting (is that even the appropriate word) the grill was a bit of a challenge for us. So make sure you practice grilling the old school way at home with charcoal or bring someone who knows how to work a grill! Oh, and what's a beach trip without r… — Starting (is that even the appropriate word) the grill was a bit of a challenge for us. So make sure you practice grilling the old school way at home with charcoal or bring someone who knows how to work a grill! Oh, and what's a beach trip without red tender juicy hotdogs? We feasted on these for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner.

Last time I went here with our NMFtv family in 2015, they already expanded by adding more comfortable rooms BUT you'd have to take a bus to and from the hotel area to get to this beautiful cove. No thanks, I'd rather sleep in the less comfortable area if it means this view is just a few steps away from my room.

Oh and you get to pass by the inactive Bataan Power Plant to get to the beach. It's open for tours but I've never tried it. Maybe we'll get to do this on the next visit to Westnuk! (Click on the photo thumbnails to view the captions.)

Since you're in Bataan already, might as well check out another attraction in the area -- Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.

This is what happens when you let a toddler take charge of the GoPro. Low angles, shaky footage and her own hilarious (and most of the time unintelligible) commentary. Get lost with Erin in Bataan!

This place has Instagram worthy spots everywhere you look.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is the brainchild of Architect Jerry Acuzar who also happens to be an art collector. Heritage houses are relocated to this site, restored to its former glory and shared with everyone to appreciate its beauty. For structures that cannot be relocated, replicating the houses or hotels would be the next option for the group behind this heritage park.

This open air museum conducts tours as well as cultural performances for its guests. A day tour would be more than enough to explore the area but if you decide to stay the night, you can sleep in one of the beautiful houses which is another experience altogether. Since we were only six in the group, we opted to stay in the one of the studios with loft which was quite spacious even with all six of us in the room.

When we went here in May 2015, the beachfront had no facilities such as comfort rooms, cabanas, etc. but it was still an experience for us, especially for the kids, as we crashed along the waves and almost got butt naked in the process. Yes, the waves were that strong and our bikinis weren't really the appropriate outfits. Rash guards are highly recommended!

Since you're in the area already, I suggest you schedule a trip to the Westnuk Beach in Morong. Our family considers it a must visit spot everytime we're in Bataan.

More photos taken at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar below!

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