No doubt about it, La Union is my favorite surfing destination here in the Philippines. Second to it is Zambales; Liwliwa in San Felipe in particular. What I love about Liwliwa is that it has a very chill and laid-back vibe. Also, it is not commercialized compared to La Union so you don't get to deal with a huge crowd in Liwliwa. And no crowd means less people on the lineup.

Liwliwa is much closer to Manila compared to La Union and all the other surfing spots in Luzon like Baler in Aurora, Gubat in Sorsogon, and Daet in Camarines Norte. By private vehicle, it will probably take just three hours to get there. By bus, it will take around four hours. So if you're looking for a quick surfing getaway and have to be back in Manila by night, then Liwliwa is the place to be.

For day trips, accommodations can get quite inexpensive there. It would be best to bring a tent. You can opt to pitch it for free on the beach or you can pay a small fee and pitch it on one of the campsites there. I would recommend the latter because you get to use the site's restroom and shower area. You can also charge your phones and gadgets. Because at one point, during your day trip, you would have to use the rest room and you would have to shower afterwards. On my most recent day trip there, my friends and I pitched our tents at Home Along the Liwa. Their minimum pitching fee is Php100 and that's already good for two people. There were four of us so we had to pay Php200, which is not bad considering that we got to use their facilities.

Alternatively, if you don't have a tent, you can stay at The Circle Hostel. Their daytour fees cost Php150 per person and you can use their facilities. You can also safely leave your stuff there while you're hanging out at the beach. To read more about The Circle Hostel in Liwliwa, click here.

When in Liwliwa, there's really nothing else to do but surf. Surf lessons there cost the same as the surf lessons in La Union. It's Php400 per hour, which includes board rental and instructor. During my trip there, the waves were smaller than usual, which made it difficult for me because it was my very first time on my own, with no guide whatsoever. I only caught a few waves in my four hours of being out there on the sea. Nevertheless, I had fun. 

For a complete travel guide on Liwliwa, you can check out my post here. But just to give you an idea, here's what I spent for the entire day trip.
  • Round trip bus via Victory Liner from Pasay to Olongapo - Php436 (Php218 one way)
  • Round trip bus via Victory Liner from Olongapo to San Felipe - Php160 (Php80 one way)
  • Round trip tricycle ride from the bus stop to Sitio Liwliwa - Php50
  • Pitching fee at Home Along the Liwa - Php50
  • Silog meal at Ate Fely's - Php70
  • Bagnet meal and mango shake at Mommy Phoebe's - Php150
  • Board rental - Php400 for half day rental (Php800 for whole day)
All in all I spent roughly Php1366 there, which was not bad. I had fun surfing and I got to getaway from the stressful city life for less than Php1500, so what more could I ask for?

This day trip was something that I needed just so I can get away from the stress and from the struggles of daily life. So I was truly thankful for that day and it's something that I'd definitely do again.