Bataan | Westnuk Beach Resort: Morong's Hidden Paradise

Westnuk Beach Resort, Morong, Bataan

Hidden in a cove along the coastline of Morong, Bataan is a place I can call a paradise, Westnuk Beach Resort. It is located west of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (hence its name 'Westnuk'), inside a government complex managed by the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR). Originally a private resort (some say you can only book at Westnuk before if you know someone from inside NAPOCOR), Westnuk is now open to the general public.

The Search

I first heard of the place from a friend who's requesting me to scout it on the net. Westnuk was mentioned to him by his colleague and so he asked me to find out information about the place and make reservations, if possible. I looked it up on the net (initially thought it's "west nook", google suggested Westnuk though), got their website and from there, I started reading about them. From their website alone, I was impressed at how beautiful the beach resort is; plus it's highly recommended by my friend's colleague so I immediately tried to contact them.

Though Westnuk has their own website, with its contact page provided, I wasn't able to contact them right away. The numbers mentioned in their website are not working and so I searched for other ways to contact them. And then I found NAPOCOR's (National Power Corporation) Facilities and Management Department page, at last I was able to contact them.

I immediately reserved for an overnight stay, good for nine persons and I was glad to get a reservation at once. I was instructed to pay half of the price (overnight stay is 2,700 PhP) as reservation fee within three days after booking it but it was Friday then so we paid for the reservation the following Monday. I asked the receptionist if there are other guests booked on the same date and was told we're the only ones booked, yet.   Yey! :D (I booked for a weekday visit so that's probably why there were no other reservations that time.)

The Beach

Contrary to Westnuk's published travel time of two and a half hours, we traveled for almost four hours (almost five hours including side trips, will make a separate post about the side trips and other info next time) before we get to Westnuk. It was such a long trip but the beautiful beach and the scenery, the almost powdery off-white sand and the greenish-blue water, makes it all worth the long travel. And the water is so clear and not too deep, even someone like me who doesn't know how to swim could go farther away from the shore without fear of getting drowned.

And you know what's best in this resort? It's not crowded! Probably because it's a weekday then, there's only a few guest when we arrived; and most of them are day-tour guests only. On the night of our stay, only two groups were there - ours and a couple who left so early the following day, it's like as if we got the whole resort  all for ourselves. *happiness*

Accommodation

Westnuk Beach Resort, being a government-managed resort, does not feature 5-star facilities (not even 3-star :P) but it certainly offers a comfortable-enough accommodation. Westnuk has this two-storey pavilion with seven rooms that can accommodate a total of 42 guests. It also has several cottages which is good for day-tour guests. This resort is great for family or small company outings but if you are with a large group, they also have the NPC hotel (located in Bagac), a 20-minute ride via their shuttle service.

For our overnight stay, we get one of their air-conditioned rooms which is good for nine (9) persons at only 2,700 PhP per night. The room is of dorm-type, with two double-decks and three single beds. It has its own bathroom but do bring your own towel and toiletries; no provisions for such.

Westnuk accommodation includes free use of the cottage and the common area of the pavilion (kitchen/dining and bathroom). However, use of refrigerator and stove comes with a fee; 385 PhP each, for the stove and the ref; bringing in/use of electric appliances/stove is prohibited. Note: There's no restaurant here so do bring your own food; though they do catering too, if you arrange it beforehand.

The Sunrise

The next day, I woke up early to catch the sunrise. It becomes a habit for me whenever I'm on a beach; I tried to wake up as early as possible (around 5:30AM) so I can watch the sun rise from the horizon. Sitting there by the beach at an early hour, usually all alone, relaxes me. It gives me joy and inner peace; plus I get to enjoy the beach and the scenery all by myself. Though I haven't seen the sun actually rise here (it's hidden by the mountain), I still enjoyed getting up early and taking these photos. Beautiful and serene, right? Truly, my kind of hidden paradise! ☺

Westnuk-related link: Westnuk Beach Resort | What to do, how to get there

~ oo00oo ~ 

Westnuk Beach Resort

Brgy. Nagbalayong, Morong, Bataan

(inside the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Complex)

Contact Numbers (NAPOCOR): (02) 921-3541 locals 5340, 5505, 5252

~ oo00oo ~

Happy Easter everyone! ☺