Hidden Valley Spring, Paradise on Earth

Tucked in the town of Calaun Laguna and situated between the mountains of Mount Banahaw and Mount Makiling is a hidden paradise of tropical rainforest, gifted with captivating falls and natural pools of warm and cool waters. This enchanted place is surrounded with lush vegetation of different species. Guarded by a said to be 300 year old Amlang trees, this natures get away is perfect to reprieve from the hectic life of the city. A not so distant 90 minute drive from Manila. Our trip here with my hub's relatives was so memorable and worth keeping. Although it was few years ago but the memories still lingers in my mind. We only spent a day trip in this tropical rainforest resort, the fees includes welcome drinks, buffet lunch and afternoon snacks and use of resort facilities. The food is tasty and it's more of Filipino dish, we enjoyed it especially the native delicacies served on snacks. Hidden valley has three distinct natural pools-warm pool, soda pool and lovers pool. It has cottages and wonderful casitas with a garden setting surrounded by tall coconut trees. We roamed around the resort and took pictures of beautiful spots and then, had our swimming and hopped from one pool to another. This resort is perfect for people who just take comfort by the sight of lush surroundings. One who enjoys the natural sound  of nature.

entrance of the resort

directional signage

warm pool

                             soda pool

                                                                        lovers pool

the dining area

A long bamboo bridge takes you to the hidden waterfalls

fish pond

fish pond

Day tour rate per person:

Adult- 2,200

child (5 to 10 yrs old)- 1,100

4 yrs old below - free

The fee includes welcome drinks, buffet lunch, afternoon snacks and use of resort facilities.

For more details including overnight stays, pls visit

http://www.hiddenvalleysprings.com.ph/.

                              Travel time: It's only a three hour drive from Manila via
                              South Super Highway. Take Exit 50 going towards
                              Batangas. Take the left lane when you reach Junction
                              Inn Mansion then go left at the Y-Intersection going to
                              Alaminos. In Alaminos, look for the Caltex Station on 
                              the left side and shortly after that, you will see a
                              Y-Intersection. Go at the left lane and directional 
                              signages going to Hidden Valley Springs are available
                              moving forward.  

                                    

                              You can reach the place by commuting by bus at
                              Buendia Station going to Lucena via JAC, JAM, or
                              BLTB Liners. Go down at Alaminos town proper  
                              (fare is about Php90/person to date). Go to the 
                              Apasan terminal and ride a tricycle.

Sabangan Beach Resort Laiya, San Juan Batangas

Stress from the hustle and bustle of city life? If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and de-stress this resort is perfect for you. The rustic feeling of living, that can be seen by their nice nipa huts bungalows,their well maintained landscaped garden,trees and plants that surrounds the resort brings a calming vibes that soothes the mind and body. The long stretch of white sand looks stunning and turquoise clear waters, perfect for swimming was so enticing that I can't help not to plunged even under the scorching heat of the sun. Travel time is only 3 hrs from Manila. The cottages comes in four types namely, yakal bungalow, narra bungalow,molave bungalow and acacia cottage.All has its own toilet and bath, cable television and a refrigerator. They also have dining gazebo,pavilion, playground for children and beachfront parasols. There are also lots of water activities to choose from  like banana boat,parasailing, snorkeling and island hopping.They also offer massage for 350/hr.We had been here five times obviously, we really enjoyed the beach and atmosphere here.

                                                                 the pavilion

                                                                  the garden

                                                                     dining area

                                                                        beach view

                                                                     creamy white sand

 
                                                              the beautiful garden

dining gazebo

crystal clear waters

                                                                    peaceful night                

                                                             beach front parasols

                                                                     bahay kubo

                                                the turquoise blue waters of sabangan

                                                            the landscaped garden

                                                     the stretch of Laiya San Juan beaches

                                                                   swimming pool

bungalow cottage where we stay

This serene place is perfect to unwind and relax.Visit their website for more info and reservation.

website: www.sabangan.com 
email: info@sabangan.com
+63 (2) 667 3997 Manila Office
+63 (2) 914 9640 Manila Office
(043) 774 7198 Laiya Office

Stilts Beach Resort, Calatagan Batangas Perfect Summer Get Away

I've been searching in google lately some places that suits my tight budget as I am planning to spend a day or an overnight trip for our summer adventure soon. I found beaches around Batangas that are free from entrance fees and yet its very nice and looks clean like Layag layag and Masasa beach. Anyways,since I don't have much to do at this time because the children were on vacation from school, so I thought of starting to write a personal blog as a sort of hobby. This will also serve as an album or a memento of my family's travel escapades.We had been in many beach resorts in Batangas back then and one of my memorable and exhilarating experience was our stay at Stilts beach resort in Calatagan. What I like most is the nice ambiance of the resort. It was calm and quiet,the place is surrounded by beautiful plants and trees and garden filled with beautiful flowers.The beach is stunning with creamy white sand and clear waters. Another thing that caught my attention was the nice view and lush surroundings, there are lots of inspiring quotes and sayings carved on wood everywhere, and it's so nice to read them all. There were no wifi in the cottages and no tv's so you will have enough time bonding with the family, but if you wish to connect to their server, you can always  go to their pavilion and restaurants. The place was really spectacular perfect for relaxation.


Upon our arrival here, we took pictures while going down and headed to our floating cottage. We are a group of 10 adults and 3 kids and we paid around 18,000 for 2 days 1 night stay, inclusive of breakfast served into our cottage.The resort have 8 floating cottages, and each one have a master's bedroom, living room, dining, and veranda.The rates for overnight stay is a bit pricey, but if you opt for their day trip the entrance is 385.00 php/pax not inclusive of corkage fees. You can stay in picnic tables, open huts, cabanas and pavilion that suits your needs and size of your crowd. There are also lots of water activities like kayaking,snorkeling,diving,biking and a lot more. This paradise is worth a visit. It is picturesque and attractive. 

      The floating cottages at Stilts

The bamboo raft

huge pool for kiddies and adult

viewing deck at stilts resort

each cottage has its own veranda and hammock

at the dining area

The rooms are nice and cozy with clean bathrooms.

What a beautiful sunset,this time the water was receded back into the ocean but high tide sets in the morning so its the best time to go swimming.

garden filled with nice flowers

                           spacious pools for kiddie and adult

                               The entrance of the resort

We had a very enjoyable stay here and longing to come back here again and again.

For more details just refer to the link below.

Stilts Calatagan Beach Resort
Websitse: www.stiltscalataganbeachresort.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stilts.calataganbeachresort
Mobile: 0917-5807653 / 0917-5237777 / 0917-5863343 / 0908-8662254 / 0925-8226654
Landline: (+632) 511-8120 / 511-1895 / 845-0676
Email: sales@stiltscalataganbeachresort.net or stilts.sales@gmail.com