Bataan | Westnuk Beach Resort: What to do? How to get there?

Westnuk Beach Resort

Summer time is beach time for most of us Pinoys, especially for people here in the Metro. Even I, who's not much of a beach person (hate the crowd during summer), have been to two already; one in Bohol (no post yet) and the other in Bataan at Westnuk Beach Resort. As I wrote in my previous post, Westnuk is Morong's hidden paradise (at least for me); the beach is clean, the off-white sand is fine and almost powdery, the greenish-blue water is crystal clear.

So how do we get there?

By car (from Quezon City): Drive through the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) then take the San Fernando City exit and turn right and drive through the Subic-Olongapo Road (Jose Abad Santos Avenue) and  Bataan Provincial Road (Gov. Linao Road). You'll pass by the following towns: San Fernando City, Guagua and Lubao (in Pampanga), Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Samal, Balanga and Bagac (in Bataan). You may also try NLEX-SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) by taking the NLEX-Dau exit and then entering and going thru the SCTEX. From SCTEX, take the Dinalupihan exit and drive through the Bataan Provincial Road, passing through the same Bataan towns I mentioned earlier. (Note: I used and followed the directions from my CP's map app for this guide.) 

By public transport: Take a bus going to Balanga, Bataan. From Balanga, take a mini-bus going to Morong and ask the driver to drop you off at BNPP (Bataan Nuclear Power Plant). At the BNPP entrance, there is a tricycle there that will give you a lift to Westnuk (for a fee of course), just ask the guards there (this according to our boatman).

Side Trip

Our travel time to Westnuk Beach Resort was extended to more than four hours. First, because we had an extended stop along NLEX. Second, because we have a side trip to Orani, Bataan. My friend's sister was advised by her colleague that Orani sells crabs so we made a detour to its public market. We made it to Orani at noon time so there's not much crabs in the market but we were still able to buy a few kilos. We also bought some smoked and dried fish for breakfast. Note: This is a recommended side trip, in case you are looking for fresh sea foods; just be there as early as possible so you'll get a good bargain price as there will still be a lot of crab vendors in the market if you get there before noon. ;)  

Orani Public Market

smoked fish

What to do in Westnuk?

Aside from swimming, which is normally what we do whenever we're on a beach,  there are other things you may explore to make your summer getaway here in Westnuk Beach Resort more enjoyable. You may go kayaking for only PhP200 per hour, you may also go boating and marvel on Bataan's coastal scenery or you may schedule a tour in the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

I would love to tour around BNPP and be able to hear and see up close how a nuclear power plant is supposed to work. Unfortunately, I'm the only one interested with it I was not able to schedule a tour. Instead, we went boating, still at my insistence. Boat rental costs PhP100 per person, minimum of 10 persons. You can either go east and visit a cave (including viewing BNPP from the sea) or you may go west and check out  Bataan's pawikan (sea turtle) conservation site. These are two separate tours (according to the boatman) but I haggled with him and got both tours for PhP1,000 (there's only four of us who went on with these tours anyway). Following are some of my photos from the boat tour:

the boat we used....

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

This is the cave we checked out. It's small but one boat could be able to enter it. According to the boatman, during peak season, several boats are queuing up here waiting for their turn to enter. But there's not much to see or do in here though you may go swimming, if you want to. I was just curious to see it because I thought this was the hiding place of then Congressman Jalosjos (Jalosjos was captured in one of the coastal barangays of Bagac, near this cave, this according to the boatman).

inside of the cave...

After the cave, we went to Bataan's pawikan conservation site. It's around 15 minutes boat ride from Westnuk and there's an entrance fee of PhP20 per person. Here, they nurture nesting sea turtles, collect and hatch the eggs and then release the hatchlings to the sea. We were lucky to witness the release of some of these baby sea turtles that time.

Bataan's pawikan conservation site

baby sea turtles

baby sea turtles racing for the sea...

These are preserved sea turtles. They were supposed to be taken out of the country by a foreign national (I forgot the nationality) but he was captured and hence, these sea turtles were confiscated. According to the caretaker of the conservation site, the foreign national bought these preserved sea turtles for PhP14,000.

preserved sea turtles...

Another activity we enjoyed doing in Westnuk was kayaking. Actually, it's me who really enjoyed it more than anyone else. I grew up in a coastal barangay in Mindoro so I'm used to paddling a boat; I'm even used to do racing back then. Being able to do it again after so long a time reminds me of so many happy childhood memories. And I'm glad I was able to do it again, I so love it. :)

~ 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