Enjoy a relaxing all-day
outing at Villa Escudero, San Pablo, Laguna (Feb. 20, Friday)
See websites : http://www.travelsmart.net/ph/resorts/Quezon/Villa_Escudero/
http://ezone.freeservers.com/travels/escudero.html
http://www.geocities.jp/gaf03402/villaescudero.htm
San Pablo City, Philippines |
Warm and cheerful hospitality in a rustic Philippine setting - this is the unique experience of Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort. A
pleasant two-hour drive through scenic countryside brings you to a historic
colonial plantation and rural life of the 1800's. You'll be welcomed
with a warm greeting and a cool tropical drink. Be exhilarated by
majestic volcanic mountains, rows of regal coconut trees, luxuriant fields
and the happy faces and light-hearted voices of the village folk. All
combined into a distinct adventure. Experience History First Hand Take
a guided tour of the famous "Escudero Private Museum". Housing one
of the largest collections in the country, its unmatched in its diversity.
Main feature is its trove of religious art, consisting of silver altars,
gilded carrozas, ivory headed santos, and other important pieces
dating to Spanish times. The collection is a rich testimony to the artistry
and piety of the Filipino. You'll also delight in the antique oriental
ceramics, costumes, dioramas of Philippine wildlife and ethnography, rare
coins, Philippine furniture and many items of interest from around the
world... a truly eclectic experience. Savor Delicious Filipino
Cuisine at the Waterfall Restaurant Enjoy
a happy ride on a carabao drawn cart, accompanied by singers and guitarists
who serenade with native folk songs, on your way to a tempting array of
native dishes at the Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant. Lunch is served at dining
tables uniquely set in a few inches of cool running water from the falls, The
experience of dining on delicious native cuisine, with the sparkling
waterfalls as a background, plus clear spring water running around your
feet is enjoyable and memorable.
Following
lunch, enjoy the award winning "Philippine Experience Show" where
the colonial and ethnic diversity of the country comes beautifully to life
(Fri/Sat/Sun/Holidays). More Educational and Sports Activities Try
your hand at paddling a native bamboo raft on Lake Labasin or learn how
coconuts are harvested. Tour the rural village onboard a colorful
Jeepney - or take some exercise - bicycling, tennis basketball - try a song
at the Karaoke hall - or a game of billiards or ping-pong... there's plenty
to do! A Special Experience - Overnite Stay Novel
riverside cottages, constructed entirely of native materials, are comfortable
and cool. Be totally pampered and await serenaders in the early evening who
will put you in the right mood for a restful sleep. Weddings, Conventions, and
Seminars Welcomed The
perfect place for weddings, a company outing, or training seminar, Villa
Escudero is well known as a setting for a focused and fun outing for groups
of all types.
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San Pablo City, Philippines |
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Above info is from website :
http://www.travelsmart.net/ph/resorts/Quezon/Villa_Escudero/
http://ezone.freeservers.com/travels/escudero.html
Villa
Escudero After visiting the Pagsanjan Waterfalls the previous day, some friends and I headed farther south on November 2nd into the province of Batangas to a place called Villa Escudero, an old coconut plantation that has been developed into a very nice tourist attraction / resort area. Some of the featured attractions there are a museum, lunch in the middle of a stream, and a cultural show, all in all a very nice place to spend a relaxing afternoon. |
Again, we were lucky in the fact
that there wasn't much traffic on our way to our destination. But by mid-morning
we started seeing what we could expect on our way back to Subic Bay, long
lines of cars and truck heading toward Manila started appearing near small
towns and cities. With the passing of All Saints Day the day before, everyone
was done paying their respects to their dearly departed in their hometowns
and most were now swarming back to the urban centers. We made it to Villa
Escudero with ease but we too were waiting in long traffic lines on our
return trip soon after our day's worth of fun was over. |
It's pretty economical to travel in
the Philippines. After shooting the rapids at Pagsanjan
Falls we found a place to stay near a little town called Los Banos. For
around 67 U.S. dollars a night, a place called the R&R Resort offered a
little cabana (hut-like house) with air-conditioning that could comfortably
accomodate 6 people. |
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I thought that the museum artifacts
would be drab and boring but it, in fact, is a huge time capsule of sorts for
the entire past century. There are church carvings and processional floats
dating back to the 1700's, Ming dynasty Chinese vases, a shrunken head from a
native head-hunting tribe, insect collections, an international money collection,
stuff from World War II and more! Taking pictures inside the museum wasn't
allowed so I can't show you the amazing collection that's inside those
flamingo pink walls. |
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Ah! A great place to fill our
bellies, chat, rest . . . and soak our feet! |
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To top off the day, all guests are
treated to a cultural show displaying all the ethnic diversity in music,
customs, dress, and dance that's present in the Philippines. When I first
heard that there was a "cultural show" I thought that it would be
some cheesy production where people would merely put on different clothes |
I was quite surprised at
how well produced and coreographed the whole 45 minute show was. Besides a
huge assortment of colorful costumes and well rehearsed dances they also had
a live ensemble of 20 some people playing ethnic instruments. I was very impressed and entertained with the whole show. |
What was
most remarkable in my mind is the fact that the whole performance was put on
by the entire staff of the Villa Escudaro resort. From the maintenance staff
and groundskeepers to the receptionists, everyone had a part in the show. Not
all "cultural shows" are the same and that certainly is true of the
one at Villa Escudaro! |
Villa Escudero's Photo |
Villa Escudero is a coconut plantation and
resort.
About 10 kilometers south of San Pablo is Villa Escudero with a museum that has
many valuable historical and cultural artifacts. It is within reach by a two
hour drive from Manila.
Guests will be received with a welcome drink of fresh young coconut and taken
around the plantation cum resort onboard carabao drawn carts while being
serenaded by the local folks (If you hope, OPM will be sung) at the same time.
Museum
Lake 1
Lake 2
Lake 3
Waterfall
Carabao
Villa Escudero
Warm and cheerful hospitality in a rustic Philippine setting - this is the unique experience of Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort. A pleasant two-hour drive through scenic countryside brings you to a historic colonial plantation and rural life of the 1800's. You'll be welcomed with a warm greeting and a cool tropical drink. Be exhilarated by majestic volcanic mountains, rows of regal coconut trees, luxuriant fields and the happy faces and light-hearted voices of the village folk. All combined into a distinct adventure. |