I had the most wonderful post birthday celebration with my beloved Ceci. It was a trip to Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort. We took an early bus ride from the Buendia Ave. terminal. It was a smooth 1.5 hour ride from Manila to Tiaong. Approximately 98km away from Manila and 14km from San Pablo City. Main entrance is situated on the San Pablo, Laguna and Tiaong, Quezon boundary. But the actual resort is situated in San Pablo. A 10 minute tricycle ride would take you inside the resort. Cool breeze would greet you because of the lush vegetation in the area.
Arrival...
It was raining on and off the whole day but that did not dampen our enthusiasm.
We booked for a day tour package. Actual cost per head is P1,450.00.
There were no shortage of boutique shops here. One was at the reception hall and the other is inside the complex.
Frolicking around...
There was plenty of time to waste. Photo opportunities here and there. Too bad there was a restriction to take pictures inside the museum.
Our Ride...
Waiting for our ride at the "Wall of Fame". There was a replica of the defunct BLTBCo.
Lunch time...
What we really hoped for was the experience of having lunch at the dam feeling the flowing water on your feet. But the erratic weather forced everybody to have lunch inside the food hall. We had a good lunch. It was Filipino themed buffet. The food came out exactly what we hoped for. Our favorites grilled pork "liempo", grilled tilapia, lechon manok and beef caldereta were served. There was a salad bar and vegetable dish, pumpkin and string beans on coconut cream. We had fresh pineapple and banana on sticks for our dessert.
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| Ceci's plate |
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| Gio's plate |
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| Our dessert... |
After lunch...
We went straight to the other hall where a cultural show takes place 2:00pm every Sunday that runs for almost an hour. The cultural show was grand and noticeably well rehearsed. The performers were composed of resort staffs. The dances were Muslim inspired an the music was performed live using "kulintangs" and other native instruments.
After our hearty lunch, we felt the urge to just chill and watch the afternoon and everybody else go by. Luckily there was a snack bar that serves fresh brewed coffee. We were lazy as a dog and would not want to move an inch. The cool breeze coming from the lake partnered with cloudy skies was the potent mix to make our eyes gloomy. "Give me a hammock", I whispered to Ceci.
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| Ceci likes frappes, I prefer Americano... |
Salamat...
This was both our first visit to Villa Escudero and we enjoyed our day tour of the resort.
How to go....
"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."
-Lin Yutang
