Benisa Beach Resort

It is inevitable to be thrown all sorts of challenges and roadblocks when traveling. We know this and we've experienced this last year as we prepare for our friends' pre-nup wedding photo and video shoot. We were supposed to stay in another resort in Bataan but was surprised to see that the place was not it looks like in their website and FB Page. Plus, the person who received us was rude and arrogant. We set and were about to when we saw this nice, clean looking place nearby. I went in ask talked to the Manager on duty. He was accommodating and warm. He made us feel welcome and comfortable in an instant. 

If planning to see Bataan, I recommend Benisa Beach Resort, located in Crossing, Morong, Bataan

09227998528 (Jose San Juan); 09327151491 & 09274994878 (Raquel Garduque)

Benisa's FB Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benisa-Beach-Resort/141380359250751

Dunsulan Falls

After our Mt. Samat tour we were supposed to go directly at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar when we spotted a big sign of Dunsulan Falls along the road. Hoping to swim, we took a sidetrip to Dunsulan Falls, which is about 20 minutes away behind Mt. Samat.  Though the place is ideal for picnic and swimming we were not allowed to hit the water because it rained hard the night before. The  water is too deep and quite muddled.

Entrance fee for adult is fifty pesos, for kids it's twenty pesos. 

Rental fee for table is one hundred pesos.

They have the longest zip line in Luzon, starting from the peak of Mt. Samat going down Dunsulan Falls. Ride is at Php450.00 per person.

Dunsulan Falls is located at Barangay Liyang, Pilar, Bataan

Dambana ng Kagitingan at Mt. Samat

It was in year 2000 when I first came to see ang Dambana ng Kagitingan, situated at the peak of Mount Samat in Diwa, Pilar, Bataan. I  was with my friends, Jane and Jingle, and our classmates in graduate school. 

Dambana ng Kagitingan or Shrine of Valor was built to commemorate the lives of the soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom of Filipinos against the tyranny of the Japanese.

A minimal fee of twenty pesos for adults, and ten pesos for students is collected upon entrance of the vehicle. There's also a parking fee of thirty pesos. Another ten pesos per head is collected if you wish to go at the peak to see the marvelous sight 300 or more feet below.

There are two ways to reach the base of the Memorial Cross. An alternate road for those who wish to bring the car or by footpath. We chose the latter for more adventure.

Pictures abound inside the museum, showing the history, its pain and glory of the past. Arms and ammunitions used in that era are displayed all over the museum.

How to get there:

We left Manila at 5am, with few stop overs, we reached Mt. Samat in less than 2 hours. Although the gps was leading us to take a different route, we took SCTEX then exit at Dinalupihan. It was a good call as we didn't have to pass town after town which will make the trip more tedious.

It is best to visit in the cold months (October, November, and February) as it gets very hot starting at 9am during summer season. On the other hand, my brother visited on Christmas season, he said it was foggy so they were not able get better shots of the shrine.