A Weekend in San Juan

My father had been wanting to go to San Juan, Batangas since Z shared how his family always spent the holidays there. And so, as soon as the weekend came, we were set for a short weekend getaway.

LA LUZ

We stayed at La Luz Beach Resort--one of the famous resorts in the area. Of course, the beach was nice. Sand was white, and the waves danced like hell. Oh, it was pure bliss to finally get out of the house, and let my feet touch some natural waters.

We stayed at the premier loft room. It's air-conditioned, and furnished with 2 double-sized beds (48 inches wide), 3 semi-double beds (42 inches), and 1 pull-out mattress. It has one shower and one toilet which were built separately, so people could use it at the same time. It's spacious enough, and can house 7 to 10 people (with extra charge). Rate for the room is P6,760 per night. Overall, satisfactory room for the family.

As for the food, the resort requires guests to avail of their mandatory food package which costs P1,710 per person (per day). It's inclusive of lunch upon arrival, afternoon snack, dinner, and breakfast the next day; all served buffet style. Food is quite delicious. Not all of it, though. But price was enough for the adequate food package.

The resort, naturally, offers other amenities that, unfortunately, we did not get to try. They do have a bar which we enjoyed though. Limited choices of liquors, but enough for a night cap (as long as you have no plans on getting drunk whatsoever). Worth mentioning too were there life-size chess pieces and other board games. Fear not though, because if you want to play them the usual way, they have a shop where you can borrow board games, football, volleyball, etc.

The place was okay, though it could have been better. They could still do a lot of renovations and developments that could make the resort look even nicer. But the view, was and is always, worth the travel. Just the right kind of weekend I need to unwind for a bit.

CAFENO

We were supposed to have lunch at Marimar's Kambingan, a known restaurant in the province, but we decided to get coffee instead (we were still full from our buffet breakfast at the resort). So Z brought us to Cafeño--an old coffee shop that serves delicious barako coffee. They don't only serve great coffee, but scrumptious pastries, too. We tried their coffee with lambanog, iced barako coffee, and even their barako-flavored ice cream. Also, their tamales was as good as I hoped it was.

Place was quiet and cozy. Interior was really pretty, with their playful black and white floor, and unique artwork displays. They even recycled a bunch of old sewing machines, and turned them into tables. Definitely worth a visit.

OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL CHURCH

For our last stop, we also wanted to drop by at a Church since it was a Sunday. We visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (or known simply as 'Carmel') in Lipa to give thanks for the wonderful weekend. It was my first time there. The Church which many believe to be miraculous due to what devotees claim to have had an apparition of Mary the Mediatrix of All Grace in the late 1940s was also famously known for its stories about the shower of petals.

So yes, it was short, and I wished we stayed their a little longer, but it was a wonderfully well-spent weekend with my loves.


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