Curbside Stories

The hotel where you and your family could stay for a day or two. It's summer time! I bet you are already looking for a place to cool down this 35 degrees scorching hot weather. If you live in Cavite, there are a lot of new resorts that are not yet explored by many, and one of them is Legata Familia Resort in Brgy. Paradahan along Tanza-Trece Road. It is a 2-hour drive from Manila. The main pavilion that can accommodate 30-50 guests for special corporate or family events Entrance fee ranges from 150 to 230 pesos and cottage fee ranges from 400 to 2,000 pesos. The prices are higher compared to other resorts but I don't mind because it somehow promotes privacy and you will not worry about the pool being crowded. The cottages in front of the main pool for small groups. Originally, there is just 1 large pool that is no more than 5 feet deep with a kiddie pool on the left corner but now they have added another large pool with slides for the kids and kids a...

The spectacular view from the balcony. This is my favorite photo of the trip. I have a friend who is a professional diver and he invited me to go to one of his diving trips to snorkel (because I don't dive). I immediately said yes because I badly needed a vacation. Casa Escondida Anilao Resort and Dive Center  in Mabini Circumferential Road, Mabini, Batangas. It i s 3 hours away from Manila. The resort offers 24-hour accommodations with meals included in fully air conditioned rooms, day tours and diving facilities. It is actually one of the favorite diving resorts of local celebrities. I cannot say that it is a family friendly resort since there isn't much to do for kids except for snorkeling and island hopping (the pool is 10-feet deep so swimming without a vest is not recommended), but if the kids are in to learn how to dive, this is the place. To learn more about the resort, just click on the link. The pool area. On the left is where divers prep their gears. J...

The white beach of Bangui Bay in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Click on the photo  for a larger view. Summertime has officially begun in the Philippines and of course a vacation is not complete if you will not spend a day or two in one of the island nation's famous beaches. I was lucky to have the opportunity to take a day off from work and fulfill one task in my bucket list--visit the Ilocos Region. The Ilocos Region is composed of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan provinces situated in the northwestern part of Luzon and is bordered by the South China Sea in the west and Cordillera Administrative Region in the east. This is the beach that greeted us on our first day. The first destination of our Ilocos Tour is Pagudpud, it is 562 kilometers away from Metro Manila or more or less 9 hours non-stop drive but it was all worth it. We left the house at 8 in the evening and arrived at 5 in the morning the next day. We did not have prior hotel reservations but we ...

If you happen to be in Tagaytay City, never miss the opportunity to visit Caleruega. It is a religous complex in Nasugbu, Batangas, just a few minutes off of Tagaytay City to the South. It is currently the famous wedding events of many A-lists and well-to-do families because of the beauty of the location and you can really feel serenity when you are inside the compound. My sister, nieces and my son went here on December 30. It was not a planned trip but it was definitely worth it.  There is an entrance fee of 30 pesos per head, you can bring foods and take lots of photos in their garden. The Koi Pond is the entrance to the picnic grounds and it also leads to another church on top of a hill with a magnificent view of Tagaytay and Batangas. Their motto "Close to nature, closer to God" is very obvious in the ambiance. It is so peaceful. You can just sit in one place and reflect or meditate. I should have bought a book when we went here. ...

My photo taken by my travel buddy. I am not wearing an appropriate beach attire, again. It was five years ago when I  first visited  Munting Buhangin Beach Camp in Nasugbu, Batangas together with my two friends. It was a random trip borne out of boredom. Yesterday, my travel buddy and I only planned to have lunch in Tagaytay City but we ended up driving to Batangas. We initially thought of going to a resort we haven't visited yet, in fact, we inquired at Canyon Cove--but we ended up in Munting Buhangin again... The white sand beach that is overlooked by a neighbor members only resort--Terrazas De Punta Fuego. Me waiting for the sun to set  in one of the tents. I noticed they added more tents to accommodate day tour guests. They were also painting and repairing cottages as one of the preparations for the summer vacation. The same nipa cottages that are lined up on the beach are still there. The entrance fee for day tour is Php180 but if ...

My employer was so generous to treat us department heads to a summer escape in Mount Sea Resort in Marseilla St., Rosario, Cavite. It is around 30 minutes away from Manila and is accessible via Cavitex. Aside from swimming pools, the resort also has a restaurant, a bar, billiards, KTV, zip line, obstacle course and hotel rooms. They have various affordable recreation packages for every group type to enjoy. This is outside of one of the pools of the resort. It opens to the public at 7 in the morning. Guests are allowed to bring in foods. The road leads to the zip line and obstacle course. The zip line is around 500 meters and ends in another resort. A one-way ride is only 50 pesos. The 5 feet deep pool has slides. Guests are allowed to wear white shirt or sleeveless and board shorts for female if they do not want to wear swimsuit and board shorts only for male. The kiddie pool is 3 feet deep and it also has slides. The resort also offers swimming lesson...

Are you planning to have one last summer escapade before the season officially ends? Well, I have discovered a place where you can relax and be a VIP even for a day-- Oasis Hotel and Resort in Capipisa, Tanza, Cavite . The hotel's facade. Shot of the entrance from the lobby. The lounge area near the reception overlooking the pool and beach. The souvenir shop at the first floor near the reception area. The stairs leading to the hotel rooms. Another lounge area in front of the conference halls. The right leads to the bar while the left leads to the restaurant and the pool area. Lounge area in front of the conference halls. Shot from the inside of the hotel going to the pool area. Path leading to the restaurant. The nipa hut at the pool. Giant tortoise guarding the pool. Those are monkeys. Don't worry, they are not real. The mokeys up close guarding the bridge. Panoramic view of the pool area. Click on the ima...