Our bags were packed and our plan, well it was not really a plan at all, we were going to the Manila airport to hop on the first flight to one of the 7000+ plus islands in the Philippines. We never made it to the airport but we did make it to a beautiful beach resort on the mainland. Before heading to the airport we stopped for a brief visit with a Filipino friend. Before we knew it we were being transported to a beach resort about 6 hours northeast of Manila. My friend’s son had opened Cote Resort just outside of the town of Baler. The resort is set on a placid beach surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Philippine Sea.   

Cote Resort was a few clicks from Baler, which has a reputation for surfing that started when the crew that shot the surfing scene from “Apocalypse Now” left some surfboards behind. A beautiful simple resort that pays attention to details that enables the traveler to show up with just a swimsuit in hand. (Flip flops, beach towels, toothbrushes, surfboards) The property is a coconut plantation and it sits right on a beach with soft sand, warm ocean water and palm trees that line the coast for miles. During the early mornings fisherman take to the ocean to troll the shoreline with their nets. Not wanting to overstay this generous welcome after a few days at this beautiful tranquil part of the Philippines mainland it was time to start island hoping. Next up Palawan Island.