Acuatico Beach Resort in Laiya Batangas

If you are living in the south and do not want the hassle of long haul flight just to swim in a nice beach, you may visit one of the beaches in Batangas.

You really cannot go wrong with Batangas. In case you google search the map, Nasugbu is at the left top part near Tagaytay while San Juan is at the right bottom part of the map near Sariaya, Quezon. You have several choices. For this year, let us try Laiya in San Juan Batangas.

From Alabang, it will take you 3-4 hours travel time to reach Laiya. Once you are in San Juan City proper, Laiya is still at the far end of San Juan, around 30 minute drive. The long stretch of Laiya coastline will welcome you. Laiya is already developed similar to Subic; there are several beach resorts to choose from but a must try is the Acuatico Beach Resort, hailed as the 2016 winner of Travelers Choice for small hotel-luxury category (TripAdvisor).

Seda, Nuvali

Staycationing is becoming a trend for the Manilenyos; even my favourite travel bloggers feature their staycation experience from time to time. If you are a sucker for beautiful scenery and want a peaceful surrounding, you may try Seda Nuvali.

Here are the beautiful pics of Seda:

Donya Jovita Resort, Calamba

Hot springs are therapeutic. In case you want to avoid the crowded resorts and spa in Metro Manila, you may try the Donya Jovita Resort in Calamba, Laguna.

Donya Jovita was featured in the Pop Talk show of GMA.

Conquer and Hiking Batad Rice Terraces

Philippine cultural books never fail to mention the famous rice terraces of Cordillera. In various travel blog sites, Batad is often praised for its majestic view of “green staircases”, built along the mountain range by the indigenous people thousands of years ago. Unknown to many, this man-made attraction is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Philippines.  

I have chosen Batad as my local itinerary for the weekend to break away from my usual beach vacation. Photos of Batad rice terraces prior to my visit led me to believe that one could easily go downstairs and upstairs of the rice terraces. However, when I set foot in Batad, the stairs were approximately 10 feet high and the wall foundations were made of big stones! The pictures might deceive you; it is not an easy trek on the rice field.

Day Tour at Punta Fuego, Batangas

Punta = A point of land extending into a body of water
Fuego = Fire

Punta Fuego (Point of Fire), is an 88-hectare flamed-shape exclusive residential resort in Nasugbu, Batangas. Historical accounts show Punta Fuego as the site of battle between the Spanish Galleon San Diego and the Dutch battleship Mauritius, which was said to carry a crew of pirates on December 14, 1600 . “Fuego!” the Spanish captain commanded, “Fuego!”, thus the name Punta Fuego or point of fire. (http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Punta_Fuego)

Club Punta Fuego is an exclusive membership club. I am privileged to be part of our company outing this year held at Terrazas de Punta Fuego, which is ideal for group bookings. 

The brown powdery sand of Terraza beach resembles the sand color in Bolinao, Pangasinan. There are several huge cabanas alongside the beach. The beach water is cool and clean ; with safety marker ropes. Aqua sports activities, such as kayaking, banana boat riding and jetski are available for the enjoyment of guests.