Villa Escudero- A day tour

Villa Escudero Plantations was originally a sugar plantation but converted to coconut plantation. It's a 2.5hour ride by bus from Manila and it is just located after the arc of Tiaong Quezon


The plantation opened its doors as a resort in 1981offering village tours, museum tour, food and accommodations. One can experience Philippine culture and history in a beautiful rural setting.

The reception area is spacious and has this nice lighting in native materials.

After paying the fee at the reception they will give you stubs to the museum, carabao cart and food.. You can start your tour and  proceed first to the church turned museum. Bags and cameras are not allowed inside the museum.  However, smartphone is allowed for calls only and no picture taking or video recording.

A church converted into a museum houses a vast collection of religious artifacts, Chinese porcelain, antique furniture, ethnic clothing and costumes, memorabilia from World War II, clothes of Philippine presidents, butterflies.

After the museum, you will ride a carabao driven cart complete with singing female staff accompanied by a guitar played by a male staff. You will pass some rice fields and coconut trees and arrive at the pathway to the waterfalls where you will have your lunch.

They also have bamboo rafting activity. Labasin lake is about 30ft deep and you need to have a vest when doing the activity.

Two new large swimming pools are also available to adult guests. There is a small pool and water activities for the kids.

The resort is perfect for nature lovers; it is clean and well kept and lots of greeneries.

How to get to Villa Escudero:

Public Ride
Take a bus bound for Lucena at Buendia MRT station. Fare is Php140. Tell the conductor to drop you off Villa Escudero. Cross the main road and ride a tricycle to take you to the resort. Fare is Php50

Private Car
Drive all the way to Sto Tomas Batangas, turn left at the junction , drive all the way towards Quezon, passing SM City Lucena. Slow down upon seeing the Arc to Tiaong , turn left on the marker of the resort. Follow the dirt road to the reception.

Conquering Hulugan Falls

Chasing waterfalls is so much fun and gives you a different kind of adrenalin rush. Four of us who are former officemates had planned to go to Hulugan Falls in Luisiana, Laguna on one Saturday. However, due to fear of the moonsoon rains forecast that weekend, we cancelled our trip. Unfortunately, it did not rain and the sun was up from Saturday to Monday. I was so frustrated and wished that I could have gone by myself.
We rescheduled our trip the following Saturday and only two made it.

We met up at DLTB bus station beneath the Gil Puyat LRT station at 7am and traveled to Sta Cruz, Laguna for about 3.5 hours. Upon reaching Sta Cruz bus terminal, we crossed the street and went to Mr Liempo to have an early lunch.

After eating, we tried to get a jeepney bound for Lucban or Luisiana. Unable to ride the jeepney, we hailed a tricycle that would take us directly to Brgy San Salvador. The ride was about 45 minutes and cost Php300.

Upon reaching the arch of Brgy San Salvador, we were assigned our guide who would take us to the registration area (which happened to be the house of the Brgy Captain).

dont miss the arch

 The guide has no fixed rate and it's up to visitors to give what they think is reasonable. (though we read in blogs that P300 minimum is ok) . We registered and paid the environmental fee.

registration area with mini store

 We left our bags at the registration area cum mini store and the wife of the brgy captain was kind enough to store them. We just took one backpack with our provision.We changed to our bathing clothes and rode another tricycle to the jump off area. The fare was Php10 each. The road was newly paved and we had a smooth ride. The trek started at the end of paved road.

steep descent

Our guide led us to the trail and then to the steep descent. Luckily, it did not rain the night before so that the trail was not muddy. The descent was steep and would sometimes be 70 to 80 degrees inclined. It was not for the fainthearted.

 Thanks to the bamboo railings which helped us along the trail.

It was a heart pumping and knee breaking journey.  The grueling trek was about 40 minutes long. However, the view of the waterfalls took our breath away and we forgot how tired we were.

first glimpse of the waterfalls

the mist can be felt even at this distance

Journey, our guide

It was majestic and the cascades were strong. The mist brought about by the strong falling waters could reach 50 meters. Waterproofing your gadgets is a must. Your DSLR and lens would be dampened and would become difficult to shoot unless you have a waterproof camera . Not sure how deep the catch basin was but there were shallow portions where one can just wade or sit or lie down.

We read that Hulugan falls is about 70 meters high and considered the highest waterfalls in Laguna. It is being maintained with the help of the guides who pick up the trash and scrub the rocks to prevent moss from growing and becoming slippery.

We decided not to go to the second waterfall and just spent time at Hulugan falls. After 2 hours, we headed back to the registration area on the same path we took. The ascent was much difficult. We have to stop every now and then to catch our breath. Our legs were already shaking but we managed to reach the jump off point in one piece.

tricycles waiting at the jump off point

We took a tricycle back to the registration area where we tidy up.

We heard of  a delicious bibingka (rice cake with coconut strips and cheese topping) being sold somewhere.  The store selling the bibingka was far from the main road and our guide was kind enough to buy for us. the bibingka is being sold for 3 pieces @ Php100 and comes in native bag.

We also bought some fruits being sold at the registration area. Lanzones and rambutan were in season when we visited the waterfalls.

low lying rambutan for picking

Overall, we were delighted with our day trip and promised to return to visit the nearby Aliw falls.

Budget if 2 pax
Bus fare Buendia-Sta Cruz-Buendia  140 x 2 = Php 280
Tricycle fare to San Salvador 300/2 = 150
(could have been 30 if via jeepney)

Guide fee ( if 2 pax 300/2) = 150
Environmental fee 15
Shower fee 15
Tricycle to-from jump off point 10 x 2 = 20
Jeepney to Sta Cruz  30
Total excluding food Php 660

How to get to Hulugan Falls:
-Take bus at Buendia bound for Sta Cruz,Laguna ( JAC, DLTB)
-At Sta Cruz , take jeep to Lucban or Luisiana; tell driver to drop you at Brgy San Salvador

Tips:
- check weather forecast for rains
- trail can be muddy during rainy season; avoid wearing flipflops; hiking shoes or aqua shoes are advisable
- Waterproof your belongings especially cameras
-bring packed lunch and water; it would be nice if you bring one for your guide
-prepare your body before your trip; practise going up and down the stairs for 2 weeks to condition your legs
-bring plastic bag ; take your trash with you;
-you can tidy up at the registration area for a small fee

Enjoy!

Hidden Valley Springs Resort- Expensive Nature Tripping

After more than 2 decades of hearing about Hidden Valley Springs Resort, I finally decided to go on a day tour on Black Saturday and I brought my mother with me.

It was less than two hour drive from Paranaque. The location of the resort can be daunting without a GPS navigator. It was located in the middle of a forest like area and was far from the main road. The good thing was the roads were all paved making driving smooth. Only in the last stretch  that it got rough and partially cemented. We entered the gated resort and paid at the guard. Our change and receipt were to be given at the reception area. At Php2200 per head, this was an expensive day tour.

 
Though the staff at the reception area were nice, none of them briefed us on the facilities, house rules and other small welcoming chat. A few steps from the reception, there was a kiosk where a staff is giving out free gulaman. Coconut trees abound and surely they can offer fresh buko juice which is more refreshing than sugar laced gulaman.

 Though you are only allowed to bring in water, they dont search your bag and the brave one can sneak in chips and some energy bars just be responsible to dispose wrappers properly.  It was a long walk from the reception to the dining area to the locker room.

When you reach the locker room, you can opt to rent a locker for P500 which is fully refundable (just dont lose the key and damage the locker). (There are gazebos, tables and chairs which you can use but if nobody will look out for your things, better to get a locker)  The shower and locker room is clean and quite spacious. The locker can accommodate 2 medium sports bags.

The main warm pool can be reached by series of stairs downward. This main pool consists of 3 basins. Water temperature in all 3 basins are just right, not too cold and not too warm. The depth in the middle pool is about 5 to 6 feet while 3-4 feet in the lowest pool. Water is naturally flowing and is clear. There is no smell of chlorine which is good.

main warm pool

Away from the main pool is the Soda pool which is surrounded by tall trees. Water is warm but quite deep. About 20 meters away is the Lover's pool. The path to this pool is also cemented but downward. This is much secluded for those who want to be away from the crowd.

Soda pool

About 20 minute walk through the forest and bamboo pathway is a hidden waterfalls.

The falls is gorgeous and basin is shallow. Unlike other waterfalls we have been to which have cold waters, water here is warm. You can walk barefooted and feel the sand at your feet.

 There are boulders and lush vegetation in the area.

There is also a male staff  stationed at the waterfalls to oversee the guests.


Pros
-close to nature, quiet , very relaxing, well maintained resort
-pools have clean surroundings, warm water , depth is appropriate
-ample parking area
-senior citizen card is accepted
-polite staff 
-shower area is clean and air conditioned
-dining area is spacious and airy; dinner wares and tablecloth are clean
-male staff overseeing each pool area and at the waterfalls
-trek to the falls and the waterfalls itself is gorgeous

Cons
-Resort fee is expensive

-There is no added value at the reception area except staff giving your change and receipt.
-No map of the resort or map in the resort. Management could either give out flyer or install maps in strategic  areas to let guests know they are
-Long queue at the buffet table. This resort has been in the business for so long and yet management & staff dont see the predicament of the guests during lunch time. They could have made two lines at both sides of the buffet table to shorten the waiting time.
-Food is bland and nothing special. Dishes are ordinary. Management should try to taste the food they serve
-There was no improvement in the dishes as we overheard from a second timer.
-Tissue rolls at the toilet are not replenished on time
-Staff manning the pools are quite stiff; they could be a little "warmer" when talking to guests or when giving directions

Generally, for nature lovers , the cons can be overlooked and just enjoy the natural beauty of the place. Experiencing the waterfalls is unforgettable.

Sol y Viento - Sun and Wind

It was a rainy weekend and we're already at Tagaytay road headed to Canyon Cove in Nasugbu. It was a last minute change of venue because of the overcast clouds and intermittent rains. We googled for the nearest resort and found Sol y Viento . We contacted them and we're fortunate that there was a rainy day off peak promo 50% on room rate. We got a cabana at Php3500 complete with indoor jacuzzi, queen size bed, TV, A/C, ref, microwave oven, coffee maker and a tiny kitchen.

Sol y Viento is located atop a hill in Pansol, Laguna. It is easy to find and the road is paved. There's ample parking. The reception area is nice and you can see Laguna de bay. The front desk staff was friendly and quickly assisted us with our reservation. Check in was smooth. A male staff drove us to our cabana via 4 passenger golf cart.  He was very courteous and friendly as well.

The room was spacious and clean. Bed was soft but firm and comfortable. Love the four pillows.

Aircon working fine. TV has cable channels. It has free wifi connection. Toilet and bath was clean and smell good. There is bidet which I like in a toilet. 

The jacuzzi area has a glass wall over looking the lush green hill. It has a nice curtain which you can adjust to your desired length.

Jacuzzi

Water bubbling

The water coming out of the faucet was hot and we waited for the jacuzzi to be filled for about 2 hours. The water was very hot and we had to ask the reception on how to cool it down a bit. We were surprised that after 20 minutes, a male staff brought us 2 sacks of tube ice. We were so happy and thankful that ice made the water a little colder and we're able to enjoy the jacuzzi. However, we found out there was no cold shower only hot. This was a let down because we were not able to shower off completely.

Outdoor, there were 3 swimming pools overlooking the bay and the mountains. The bay and the mountain views were refreshing.

 They also have this man made waterfalls but the water was a bit cold. 2 of the pools with hot spring while the big pool was really cold.

There was a mini team building area which has signs of not being used for a while.

There are other areas at the resort you can check out.

Restaurant is run by Barrio Fiesta. Food was a bit pricey though. Menu is your usual Filipino dishes and nothing fancy.

I commend all the staff who were friendly, cheerful and customer oriented. I love the Manong who brought us tube ice to cool down the jacuzzi.. I do hope they fix the hot & cold shower because it's all hot and no cold. Overall, it was a great weekend get away.