13 days more to go and we'll see each other on our wedding day! :)
First off, we'd like to greet our moms, our titas, cousins and friends a Happy Mother's Day!!! :) God is pleased with your work and we pray for long, happy and healthy lives for each one of you so that you can continue to be your children's heroes, idols, best friends, cheerleaders, and confidantes! :)
As our wedding day nears, preparations are slowly building up. I know that most of you (esp those who'd be coming from Manila) have been making hotel reservations and talking about carpools and convoys. For those who have special roles on the big day, you're now planning and scheduling your fittings, hair and make-up sessions and rehearsals :)
But before you finalize all your plans, may I suggest that you make good use of the rest of that weekend for some R&R at nearby resorts so that you get one last hurrah out of summer before the rains start to become our regular visitor once again. (I know Bebeng has poured a lot of rains today but I rest on our Lord and trust that He'll bless us with a wonderful, beautiful and sunny day on the 21st :)
So, here are some resorts that you might want to check out while you're here in Batangas and just a drive away from Laguna. Might as well, right? :)
1. Laiya, San Juan, Batangas - Top off the list, this is the place to visit for some serious summer swimming. You might have heard about Laiya when Ryan and Juday had their wedding in this coastal town 2 years ago. The place has fine, polvoron-like sand, a nice seashore and resorts that range from the simple to the sublime :) I personally recommend Sabangan (for its really good share of the shore) and Palm Beach Resort (for really, really nice villas with spacious rooms.) The place we got 2 yrs ago can house 8 persons and the terrace had a wonderful view of the sea. It also had nice, little huts along the shore where you can read a book or just simply meditate, daydream or gaze at the sea. Laiya is around 2hrs from Lipa. You can take the Lipa-Padre Garcia-Rosario-San Juan route or take Star Tollway and take the Ibaan exit.
2. El Madero or La Virginia Resorts in Mataas na Kahoy, Lipa City - My officemates perpetually kid me about the name of this barangay in Lipa but what can I do, it's really the name of the place. (Besides, I don't want to entice them to come by telling them about these nice resorts in Highwoods, Lipa City anyway :). El Madero Resort is a big and spacious resort with 3 big pools and small huts that you can rent for the entire day or houses where you can stay overnight.
Another really nice resort they've been telling me about is La Virginia Resort. This is more high-end and has a view of Taal Volcano.
You can reach these resorts by taking the national highway from Lipa and going towards Batangas City, past the Star Tollway exit (Manila-bound). Turn right immediately after Fernando Air Base to Mataas na Kahoy. Another come-on of the place is the fact that Aga Muhlach and Sharon Cuneta have bought properties here to build weekend homes and cultivate their own farms. Being the Aga Muhlach fan that I am ( I swear the world went into slowmo when I saw him in El Pueblo many, many, many moons ago), I still hope to see him when I come to visit - that'll be the day :)
3. Pansol, Laguna - There are a host of private pools, hot springs and public resorts that you can also visit in Pansol, Laguna. After the reception, you can take Star Tollway (Manila-bound) and take the Calamba exit. Just drive and soon enough, you'll come across men along the natl highway with signs saying "private pool". Drive by and then you'll start seeing resorts on your left and right that all you need to do is to take your pick.
4. Los Banos, Laguna - If you're already in Pansol, why not drive to Los Banos to pay a visit to Mariang Makiling? You can explore UP Los Banos, dine at Bonito's (just before entering the main UPLB entrance) and you should not, I repeat, NOT miss buying and tasting Mer-Nel's chocolate cake! It makes me hum and wiggle EVERYTIME I have a bite of it (okay, not a bite; more like a slice or 2 :):):)
On your way home, don't forget to take home pasalubong:
1. tawilis and maliputo (really yummy fish) from the local market; 2. panucha, rimas and bukayo (really yummy sweetened nuts, local fruit and coconut) from the bus stop stores, and 3. buko pie.
Enjoy your stay, my friends!!! :)
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