Museo Pambata

Dear parents instead of taking your kids to the mall for entertainment which is the usual practice nowadays, why don’t you take them to a museum? Remember entertaining your kids is not just about doing the usual things like going to the movies, playing in video game arcades and etc. There are more fun and best of all educational things to do as compared to your local department store. Where can you have fun and learn at the same time? In a museun!

Museo Pambata…from the name itself, it is a museum for kids! It is one of the first interactive museum in the Philippines. It was opened in 2000 a brainchild of Nina-Lim Yuson. It is located at Roxas Boulevard cor. South Drive, Manila.

 

Remember the rules!

Kids and even adults will enjoy this place. It is not boring because it is mostly hands on meaning kids can interact with the objects kind of like an educational toy! Goodbye to the usual paintings and glass enclosed objects.

Insects!

Feel free to touch! A lesson on textures!

Inside the museum, your senses will explode to happiness! As they say we learn best through experience and experience it is when you go to this museum!
Museo Pambata has 8 rooms with various themes that caters to different topics that visitors will enjoy. 

1. Kalikasan and Karagatan (Nature and Sea)

2. Maynila Noon (Old Manila)

3. Paglaki Ko (Jobs/Career)

4. I love my planet Earth

5. Pamilihang Bayan (Market)

6. Katawan Ko (The Human Body)

7. Bata sa Mundo (Children of the World)

Dolls everywhere!

In addition, the Museum also offers Party Packages which is absolutely great. You learn something while partying! LOL!  
To know more about the museum visit its official website http://www.museopambata.org

TELEPHONE NO: 523-1797/98 or 536-0595

HOW MUCH?

P250 for children 2 years old above and adults. It is very affordable! 😀

FREE for Museum workers and teachers with valid ID.

Manila residents with valid ID FREE on TUESDAYS and 50% discount on other days.

MUSEUM HOURS

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Tuesday to Saturday)

1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday

Monday – The museum is clos and selected offcial holidays.

The Fun Farm @ Sta.Elena

Do you want see tons of greeneries? Do you want to smell the fresh air? Do you want to feed and pet some farm animals? Well fret no more! You can all do this at The Sta. Elena Fun Farm at Sta. Rosa, Laguna. 

Welcome to The Fun Farm

LOCATION:
1. Just take SLEX going to Laguna then proceed to Cabuyao exit.

2. Pay the fees at the toll gate,  turn  right.

3. Just follow the signs until you reach the gate of Sta.Elena and drop your I.D. This is after all a huge private estate.

4. Drive again, there are signs that will lead you to the location.

Tip: Download Waze in Google Apps for a better navigation. 😀

HOW MUCH?

P400 per head which includes all the activities you can get your hands on. This is valid for 4 hours. 

20% discount for Senior citizens. (Don’t forget to bring your senior citizen I.D)

Php 50.00 for every succeeding hour after the 4 hour.

FREE for kids 2 years old below.

Operating hours: 8:00-4:00 p.m

CAN YOU BRING YOUR FOOD?
Why yes! There are a lot of picnic tables and pavilions where you can eat to your hearts content. 

CAN WE CELEBRATE SPECIAL OCCASION  HERE?

Yes. Pavilions are not just a place to eat. You can reserve it for birthdays, weddings and etc. Just make sure to contact them in advance.

WHAT TO DO IN THE FUN FARM? 
1. Feed little fuzzy animals like rabbits and guinea pigs.

Feed me!

Where is mah food?

Little Peter Rabbit has a carrot in his mouth!

More animals!

2. Ride horses. BTW, there’s a pony that that little kids can ride.

3. You don’t like horses well try our local farmers’ helpers a.k.a. The Carabao.

4. You can row a boat in the cute lagoon or traverse the rope over it! Make sure you don’t fall! But wait there’s more! You can also do some fishing. Good luck with your catch!

Hold on tight!

Fish, fish where are you?

5. There are also various obstacle course that your kids and even adults can enjoy.

Go over these logs as fast as you can!

Go up and come down at the other side!

Don’t let your feet get stuck in these tires!

Get your team mates ready!

The playground

6. Do your kids miss the white sandy beaches? No worries there’s a sandbox area for them to play.

Sand all over.

7. There’s an ampitheater to watch your groups presentation.

8. While on the farm there are words of wisdom written on cut out logs to inspire you.

9. The most fun part for the children  is none other than the zipline!

Zipline made for kids.

The Zipline area.

IN SUMMARY

The Sta.Elena Fun Farm is a nice and fun place for kids. They are free to roam around (with adult supervision of course) amidst the green and fresh surrounding. They can run and play without the use of modern technology.

You can celebrate your wedding, birthday, pre-nup photoshoots and other occasion here too.

TRANSPORTATION

Well The Fun Farm is located at Sta.Elena…Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate. Obviously from the name itself it is a golf destination located in a luxurious, high security and gated village. So going there probably requires a private vehicle. 

To know more about the place see contact info below:

Address: Sta.Elena Golf and Country Estate 4026 Sta.Rosa, Laguna

63(2) 886-8626

For bookings: Contact Ms. Wilma Villoso

Mobile +63 -(920) 9131349

Landline: +63 (2) 8868686

Email: wilma.villoso@gmail.com

Website: http://www.sta.elena.com/fun-farm.php

FB Page: http://www.faceboom.com/TheFunFarmatStaElena

Dalampasigan Resort

Quezon is one of the provinces that you can go for a quick swimming getaway aside from Batanggas. The nearest beach resorts that you can visit can be found in Brgy. Guis-Guis, Sariaya along the Eco Tourism Road and one of them is called Dalampasigan Resort.

Welcome to Dalampasigan Resort!

Reception/Payment Area

This parking lot can accommodate 150 buses!

 This is a vast resort consisting of 10 hectares which means it can accomodate 5,000 guests during the daytime. It also has a huge parking space in front of the resort’s entrance.

ENTRANCE FEE:

• Daytime 8:00 to 4:00 p.m. Adults P125 Child P60
• Overnight 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 the next day. Adult P150 Child P75
• And I think if I remember right, they have a discount for seniors but  make sure they bring their senior citizen I.D.

This way please!

HOW TO GO THERE:

According to thr website, Take a bus with a signage of LUCENA. Get off at Lutucan Sambat (Mazapan) and take a jeep to Brgy. Guis-Guis then get off 

ACCOMMODATION
There are so many to choose from! They have cottages of various capacity and hotel rooms for you to stay! It ranges from P1,500 to P8,000 depending on your budget. You can divide this amount of money with your family and friends so as not to hurt your wallet. He he he!

Below are pictures of cottages (huts and hall) that you can rent to your heart’s content! Hey that rhymes! 😀

Anahaw Hut the cheapest cottage of them all! P1,500

Elevated Hut P2,000

Now I’m sure one way or another; there are bound to be some company outing as a way of team-building to foster good working relationships with your colleagues. So the resort offers a huge cottage or halls to accommodate a large group of people. These halls can range from P5,500 to P20,000.

Hail to the hall of the resort!

Now if you are not into the natural breeze coming in your cottages and halls there is another option for you stay during the daytime or overnight.

There are hotel like rooms you can choose from:

1. Jasmine 3 storey rooms

2. Dahlia Rooms

3. Gumamela Rooms

Wow!

The resort also offers a playground for the kids and the kids at heart if ever they are already bored from swimming they can come and play here.

Children’s paradise!

Now of course this is not a resort without the beach right? So feast your eyes with the pictures below. Do remember that this is not a white sand beach. It is actually light gray just like all the resorts lined up in Sariaya (it come out as light cream in the pix especially when strong burning sunlight hits the sands)  but this resort is CLEAN and ORGANIZE which is the most essential part of a resort.

Sands for your sandcastle.

Neverending boats

Great view!

There are 2 pools in the resort as well. One for the kids and one for the adults. It is not that big though but still enjoyable.

Never stray your eyes away from your kids!

The 2 pools!

 Now I am sure you are interested on the specific prices of the accommodation right? Do not worry I got you covered! Note: Price Range as of May 2017

OVERALL

I highly recommend for you guys to visit Dalampasigan Resort. It not just a resort for swimming but they also acommodate functions such as wedding, birthday and more. 

RATING: 4 out of 5

To know more about the specific details such as location, booking, reservations and etc. of the resort you may visit their website http://www.dalampasigan.net or call the following:

PLDT MANILA 668-7527, PLDT LUCENA 662-4326

SARIAYA OFFICE

1. Landline 042-5258888

2. Smart 0920-9682278

3. Globe 0917- 5641938

*The rest of their telephone/cellnumbers are in their website.

Villa Cecilia

Looking for a cheap resort just to pass time and temporarily cool down the heat from this summer season? I have one for you! Say hello to Villa Cecilia Resort in Tayabas, Quezon.

A great deal

As you can see from the picture above it is indeed cheap. According to some locals this has been around during the 80’s so it is actually an old resort. It is still popular though because of its very affordable price.

The bridge.

After paying the entrance fee, you go down a stair then cross the bridge as seen in the picture above. While there enjoy the sound of the stream.

View from the bridge

View from the other side of the bridge.

Continue walking and to your right you will see this…(see pix below)

What goes beyond?

After 2 minutes of walking starting from the entrance you will finally see the accommodation which ranges from P200 to P500 rent.

Umbrella type cottage: Good for 2 to 4 persons

This must be the kubo type.

Long table good for 12 persons.

After choosing the cottage you can now swim to your hearts content in the resort’s one big pool. Don’t worry though there is a kiddie pool just beside it.

Swim away!

Kiddie pool

The downside….

According to a local, this resort has encountered some mismanagement problems maybe that is why it did not really flourish as compared to the other resorts in the area. 

Furthermore upon closer inspection there were only 2 restrooms/shower room. One for the males and one for the females. In each restroom there are only 2 cubicles/stalls each. It needs constant maintenance….no it actually needs a major overhaul. Do not worry about the water the resort has no shortage of it. 

 There are some areas in the resort that needs to be reconstructed. The truth is Villa Cecilia because has  great potential in being at par with the other popular resorts in Tayabas or Lucban. It just needs a bit of supervision, good management, landscaping, addition of pools, shower/bathroom stalls and a good function hall.
The place is actually clean and decent though the parking space can only fill up probably up to 4 to 5 large vehicles like cars or vans.

 This resort can be compared to a large resthouse in a province wherein the owners used their backyard to put a large pool and surround it with cottages.

If you are not that really choosy and if you just want to swim to your hearts content plus the fact that you are in a mega tight budget then Villa Cecilia is for you.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5.

You are the Sunshine in my life: Sunshine Resort

Whenever you hear the word Pagbilao Quezon the first thing that comes into mind are the popular resorts found there such as Borawan, Kwebang Lampas, and Dampalitan.

But you see there are other alternatives especially those who does not want to ride a banca going to the islands. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you Sunshine Beach Resort.

Hello Sunshine!

Sunshine Beach Resort is found at Brgy. Bantigue, Pagbilao Quezon. This particular resort before caters only to the family, relatives and close friends of the owner. It was only last year that it was finally opened to the public.

How much to enter this wonderful resort? See picture below.

Note: Overnight is currently price at P180.

The resort offers a variety of accommodations such as their KUBO which is airconditioned and has its own private bathroom. The rates are as follows:

Bahay Kubo kahit munti!

KUBO 1. 2150 good for 2 persons excess pays 180 pp.

KUBO 2. 2250 good for 3 persons excess pays 180 pp

KUBO 3. 2800 good for 4 persons excess pays 180pp.

KUBO 4 2800. Good for 4 persons excess pays 180pp

Filipiniana Inspired Decor

Bathtub for a more relaxing ambiance.

Wash your hands before eating!

The modern kubo

Aside from the kubo, they also have Cabanas price at P800 per day.

Now if you are the type of person who is in a budget, the resort offers tents that you can rent for P500 overnight. They provide all the beddings. For extra 2 to 3 days of camping, it is only P250 per night. If a person brings their own tents one has to pay P300 for tent site/ space. Camping for extra 2 days until 3 days you only pay 175 per day 50% discount.

Not in the mood for those kind of  fancy accommodations? Then you can have the simplicity of renting a table with chairs for only P350.

Tables and chairs under a tree! Natural shade from the sun.

Grill your fish here.

You can actually bring your own food and preferrably water (by the gallon) for drinking and probably your own grills but just in case the resort has the following:
1.LPG stove rental –   For one day is P500. The resort will provide the utensils that you need such as pots and pans.

2. They also offer breakfast for P150, P230 for lunch & dinner (ala carte). In addition try their signature BOoDleFight in which they usually serve (blue crabs) Inihaw & fried fish (catch of the day) Soups veggies

*Don’t forget to call them in advance if you are interested in ordering their food.

Did you foget to bring your own charcoal, snacks and alcoholic drinks? They sell those too.

You want to go somewhere else? No worries!

Take me to paradise!

Sunshine resorts also offers a 15 minute boat ride to a nearby sandbar (Bilaran Sandbar) which will cost you P800. It’s better if you are in a group you can divide the fee for a cheaper travel.

Where do we go from here?

Sandbar pa more!

Not satisfied with just the sandbar? You can have island hopping with your friends for P3,500. This package includes the Bilaran sandbar, Dampalitan, Kwebang Lampas and Borawan. The minimum capacity for the boat is 6 to 8 persons.
Overall the resort is really nice and clean. There are a number of utility personnel making sure that everything is well kept .We went there during the off season which was last March and we literally have the resort for ourselves.

Trees and sand! An interesting match don’t you think?

Ms. Femy who is one of the owners and manages the resort too was kind enough to answer our inquries through Facebook messenger. Even when we finally visited the resort she was very accommodating. She told us that during the month of April till May it is best to have reservations as the resort is filled up to the brim.

It’s a miracle walking on the sea!? Not really it was just a sandbar.

The resort is not just for swimming it is occassionaly used as location for prenup photoshoots and more. Just make sure you tell them beforehand.

Campfire! Let the inner scout shine out!

The main attraction of the resort are these tables near the shore.

When the tide comes in, the water will surround these table making it look like your dining on the sea.

HOW TO GET THERE:

From Cubao, Pasay or Alabang do take Lucena city  bound bus to Grand Central  Terminal. Then ride a jeep that will take you to Pagbilao. Then get off or tell the driver to drop you off at Bagong Tulay. There are tricycles there that will bring you to the resort.

If you have your own transportation the easy way to find the resort is using the application Waze. You can download it via Google Play.

PLUS POINTS: The place is clean, fresh and organized. The owners are accommodating. They answer your inquiries as soon as they receive your message. The accommodations are well ventilated especially the kubo.

MINUS POINTS: Lack of restrooms and shower stalls. I reckon if there are a great number of people in the resort it will not be able to accommodate them. Anyway, since the resort just recently opened a year ago, there are already plans to build more restrooms/shower plus a swimming pool.

I do hope that the resort will also have ramps for those who are in a wheelchair or physically disabled.

Rating: 4 out of 5

For more info you can inquire at their official FB page. Click here –> https://www.facebook.com/sunshinebeachplace/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/sunshinebeachresort

Or text Ms. Femy 0932-363-9156

Enjoy your summer!

 

 

 

 

Calaruega:Closer to Nature, Closer to God.

I am sure you once have experienced at least going to the beach every summer and swim like there is no tomorrow , hiked up the mountain and reached the peak which gave you an exhilarating feeling, trekked the forest and peeked in your binoculars to see interesting creatures and more. Ahhh! Nature  is indeed  astonishing!
Well then, did it ever crossed your mind the beauty that nature gives you? Do you even stop to think and be grateful that all of these wonderful things were created by God? Yes I am sure you did. To further extend your gratitude why don’t you visit a place called Calaruega?

Calaruega is a church found in Bgry. Caylaway, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas. It is widely known for weddings and even pre-nuptial photoshoots. It is a sacred place to pray, reflect and medidate. 

There are actually 2 churches in which the 2nd one is a chapel. Most couples hold their wedding at the Transfiguration Church which is the the first one you will see once you step foot on the place.

Fountain near the front of the Church.

Stations of the cross are seen on the side of the road leading to other interesting places in the area.

Stained glass above the archway.

The second chapel is the tent chapel. One has to traverse a couple of beautiful scenery to go there a.k.a. walk on a wooden planks filled with lots of flora and fauna at the sides, walk on a hanging bridge then hike up a slope then viola enter the tent chapel!

Going up here is no joke people!

No walls!

The altar.

The tent is an alternative venue to hold a wedding. Plus the fact is has a great vantage point too.

Calaruega is so popular it  became a tourist spot. People go there to take photos of the wonderful view of all things nature has to offer. 

Where to go?

As stated above, the church is surrounded by trees, various plants and some koi fish here and there for your eyes and cellphone camera to feast on.

Koi fish!

Payment:

There is an entrance fee that will cost you less than a P100.  I forgot how much was it. It is either P40 pr P80 but it is cheap.

Disadvantage:

Not good for senior citizens or disabled persons. There are no ramps for them to visit the Transfiguration Church nor even go to the Tent Chapel which is nestled on top of a hill. I do hope that the administrators and management ofnthe Church will look into this.

In a nutshell it was a good and nice experience. In the first place this is a church and you go there to have an intate conversation with God or celebrate a momentous event in your life. 

RATING: 3.5 of 5.

Villa Elma @Quezon

Off to Jurassic Park!!!!

Aside from the famous Pahiyas Festival and popular local longganisa found in  Quezon, there is a place where you can visit to see the wonders that Mother Nature has to offer. Say hello to Villa Elma which is located in A.Mabini, Lucban Quezon.

How did i came to know about this place? Where else in Facebook!!!! Its FB page looks promising and curiosity started to spark so I decided that when I go back to Quezon I will definitely visit the place.

I totally agree with that caption!

     According to their FB Page, Villa Elma is “….a Pilgrim site and Nature Park.We are open every weekends! Weekdays are by appointment only! Message us if you would like to visit!”

Entrance Fee
Adult : 100
Kids 7yo. below: FREE!

You can bring food for picnic. No additional charge for the use of tables and picnic areas. We don’t allow swimming in our batis for Day tour guests in order to maintain the water clean. We do allow swimming for OVERNIGHT guests only

       Once you get inside it is a smorgasbord of all things interesting! It feels like an outdoor museum with the mountains and trees surrounding it. There are lots of religious ornaments, antique furniture, paintings, sculptures, and a giant statue! You can definitely feel that each collection came from memorable travels of the owners.

The statues have their own umbrellas???? Tee hee!

The place is actually vast obviously because it is a 10 hectare land! There are so many things to do there. You can have a picnic, go glamping and tour the pilgrimage site.

Hmmmm…I think this is the bust of the original owner. Not sure though.

We did not really get to explore Villa Elma in its entirety but still we did enjoy the place.

I wonder what does this symbolize??? Hmmm….

There’s more down the mountain!!! Gasp!

 

This place as I have stated before is a pilgrimage site. Therefore it has this sanctuary ambiance to it . A place to pray, meditate and just quietly enjoy the beauty of Nature. You can have a day tour or an overnight stay.

Hanging Bridge!!!!

AFTERTHOUGHTS:

I guess they were in the process of renovation or spring cleaning when we visited the place last summer of 2016. You can tell from the series of furniture, cabins, decorations and all the assorted unique collections that this is an old place. It did not WOW me the first time I stepped foot (must be the overcast weather) but it was highly interesting nonetheless or maybe because we just stayed in one location and did not get the chance to explore more.

Do you think the Mountain Giant is sleeping?

A pilgrimage site/museum/bed and breakfast rolled into one!

In all honesty there is this air of mystery that surrounds Villa Elma. It feels like you are  being drawn to Mother Nature itself. So if you have the chance go and visit this place and maybe just maybe you may find what you are looking for in life!

FOR MORE INFO:

Visit: http://www.villaelma.com.ph/blog

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Elma-Lucban-Quezon/334722029996365

Call: 639955045385

Email: info@villaelma.com.ph

 

Modern Playground:Kidzoona

Do you remember the days when you were young and you would play outside with your neighborhood friends? The first thing that you and your pals would do is to rush to the nearest playground. You might have quickly went up and down the ladder just to scream  down the slide, have a hearty laugh while swinging all the while grasping on the swing chains hoping that you will not fall, or maybe climb on the monkey bars and more.

Now how about if the weather is not that good? Does that mean you cannot play anymore? Absolutely not. You either get your box of toys and play make believe with your Barbie and Ken, pretend your the engineer of the train while it chug-a-chug away on the plastic railroad tracks, imagine that you are a robot fighting away aliens attacking our planet Earth or probably grab your mom’s clothes and make-up and try to play a grown up plus so much more! Sigh! Sometimes you do miss being a kid right?

Fast forward to this age in time the traditional playground has upgraded according to the needs of the times. Well it is not that really high-tech but it still uses the same old technique of making kids have fun….in the mall that is.

Kidzoona is an indoor playground that came from Japan for kids to run around and play to their hearts content. You can usually see it in selected malls. It is not your usual playground but it is designed in a way for a child to enhance his/her imagination and creativity while running around like kray kray!

PROCEDURE:

Before you enter the Kidzoona premises you have to sign a piece of paper where in you write the following:

1. Parent/Guardian’s name
2.  Telephone Number
3. Child/children’s name.

After you fill up the form give it to the staff who in turn will tell and write in the form the time your going to exit the playground. After the payment you shall enter the premises and BE SURE TO WEAR SOCKS! If you don’t have socks you can also buy from them too!

The staff will take you to the locker area in which there are two kinds. The first one are for you and your kids shoes and the second one are for your personal property (bags, wallet and etc,) they will give you the key for the personal property type of locker in which you can hang it around your neck. After that you can finally play with your kids.

The orange locker for your shoes obviously. He he he!

Don’t lose the key!

In order for a child to enter there MUST be 1 parent or guardian to accompany him/her.Duration: 90 minutes = P300 and for 3 hours = P400 (We went to Southpark Mall in Alabang)
The first thing that will catch your eye is the giant inflatable slide with a hundreds or more blue, white, and yellow balls for a kid to throw around.

 No swings here people but you can run and jump on this track and field like inflatable if you want.

Now if you are feeling a tiny bit adventurous get inside this barrel like transparent object and let your parent/guardian roll you back and forth until you get dizzy and hopefully don’t throw up!

Kids like playing pretend and there are lots of those to enhance your imagination inside Kidzoona. You want to be a doctor or nurse to treat your patients they have it here too? How about having your own burger stand? Flower store? Ice Cream Parlor? The possibilities are endless!

There are also puzzles and educational toys to play!

In addition there are traditional toys and tiny bikes for toddlers as well.

Tired from babysitting your kids? Take a seat in one of these comfy sofas!

Overall, Kidzoona is the smaller or tiny version of the very popular Kidzania here in Manila. The price is affordable and they also have promos to offer too. It has spacious spaces for the kids to play and they also have some corners to sit just in case you want a breather.

Kidzoona is just among the many indoor playground/park for kids sprouting in malls all over the Philppines. So if you have time with your kids and want to them to go back to the bascis of playing (sans video and arcade games) then this place is for you.
 

RAITNG: 4 out of 5.

 

 

 

The Gingerbread House!

Run! Run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me I am the Gingerbread man so goes the ever so famous Nursery Rhyme. I do wonder where did he ran off? Perhaps back to his home…the Gingerbread House!

Why hello sir!

The holidays are just around the corner and what better way to spend it is where else? In Tagaytay! Being in this  wonderful place is an absolute must. Aside from enjoying your all time favorite meal in a variety of restaurants, you can also somehow get to feel the cold breeze during these coming festive months.
Tagaytay does not just offer food, cozy ambiance and nice chilly weather but there are places where you get to do fun activities as well. One of them is the Gingerbread House!

Welcome to the Gingerbread House!

The Gingerbread House is actually located in Baranggay Palumlom Alfonso, Cavite! So I stand corrected; it  is not really in the Tagaytay proper. (click bait perhaps????)  Anyway, I noticed that it took almost an hour from the border of Tagaytay to get to the Gingerbread House. Going there feels like going to province with that one and .3 width of a road and a bunch of trees and grass on the sides.

TRANSPORTATION: We went there using a private vehicle (a van!) which is more convenient because the Gingerbread House is not like the Skyranch or the Residence Inn Zoo that is perfectly situated beside the highway. No you will really go off the road…but do not worry the road is cemented. And because it was our first time to go there we conveniently just used WAZE! (he! he! he!) 
PRICE: P30 only. Kids below 2 feet are free but wait there is more! Here is their notice from their official FB page.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC:

          Beginning December 1, 2016 our entrance fee will be P50 per person. Kids below 2 feet are free.Operating hours:

           OPEN EVERYDAY including HOLIDAYS

               DEC. 1-15: MON- FRI. 8am – 6pm.   SAT- SUN. 8am -8pm

                DEC. 16-23: 8am -8pm

                DEC. 24. 8am-6pm only

                DEC. 25 – JAN. 8, 2017: 8am-10pm

REACTION:

Well there was really a giant gingerbread house in the middle but that is actually a bakery/alfresco restaurant. 

Is that real snow? Nahhhh!

The main attraction of this cutie patootie site are the booths where kids and adults as well can participate in various activities such as making gingerbread man cookies, gingerbread house, smores, and maybe soak your feet in the Fish Spa and more.

Create smores with your friends!

Yummy Gingerbread house!

Unfortunately though we were just walk-ins there and during that time there’s not much visitors and it was a Sunday. 

Where is the staff?

Oh there she is! We can finally make some cotton candy!

So I guess that must be the reason why they are sort of under-staffed and the usual interactive booths are mostly closed. Though I reckon if it’s a field trip then that is another story. Surely 100% of the staff attendance will  be there and the booths will all  be opened. Still, we enjoyed it. The place is interesting enough to take lots and lots of pictures.


Overall the Gingerbread House is mainly for kids but if you are an adult who is still a kid at heart then you will still surely have fun in this place!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

 

 

 

 

Llamar Beach Resort

     One of the nearest beach here in the South can be found at Brgy. Laiya in San Juan Batanggas. It is a stretch of white sand though not as fine as powder still it is enjoyable and fun to visit. If your point of origin is in Alabang, travel time can take to 3 hours using your own transportation. Come to think of it let us maximize it to 3 and half or 4 just in case if your travelling via public transportation and that includes the traffic.
     There are  resorts to choose from depending on your budget. So choose wisely because you don’t want to overspend and not have enough money for your next travel. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Welcome to Llamar Beach Resort!

Entrance to the resort.

      Llamar Beach Resort is the resort that we went to and because it was the peak season and a weekend (gasp!) the beach was already crowded plus the fact we arrived at 8:00 a.m. It was a good thing we booked in advance which is a good tip especially during the summer because it is the peak season. I recommend booking a week before and always try to remind owner/manager of the resort 3 days if you are going to cancel your reservation.

The arch way sort of going to the beach.

     The resort offers various rooms and cottages to stay for the whole day or overnight. Prices range from P1,500 to P6,500. You may call or text them just in case if there are any changes regarding the price.

Long tables and chairs...stay here if you are in a tight budget.

     Just like some resorts found in the area it also offers a banana boat ride! I’m sure the Minions will definitely love to ride this!

Ready to ride?

To ride or not to ride!

     And lo and behold!!! A great view of the mountain!

Nature!!!

     And if ever you forgot to have your own as they say in the local language “salbabida” they have those too but it is not free. In addition there are boats that you can rent if you want to ride the waves!

For sale!!!

     There are also a henna tattoo kiosk at the beach and some local vendors selling delicacies although I notice a sign that said “No Vendors Allowed.” He he he!
    The only downer are the shower and restrooms for those renting the cottages. I recommend they built more of those and please do have a ramp for disable persons too. Plus there is some sort of a water shortage there. Please do attend to do this okay?
     Overall, it was quite enjoyable and fun experience although overcrowded (weekend boo boo and travelled late in the day!!!) I would still go back to this resort but on a weekday!
     If you want to know more about the resort just look at the picture below!

Have an enjoyable summer!