We had our moment of bliss in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas over the weekend. The resort’s name is Punto Miguel and it took us 4 hours to get there. That’s one hell of a ride because it strained my back since I was the one driving – but on second thought, never mind the back strain! I drove some 140 kilometricos! and it’s my first looooooooooooooooong drive!.. cool eh?.. hehe It’s my second time in Laiya. The first was way back in 2007, in Laiya Resthouse which I appreciated more than Punto Miguel.
A few steps away is the not-so-white sand 🙂
We arrived at exactly 7am and all we did is to rush towards our beds to unpack and prepare ourselves for the day. Since our group is too big, we opted to stay in Marina Deck 1 (non-aircon, 7,000Php/overnight) which can accommodate up to 20 people. There are 5 double deck double size beds and one double deck is good to up to 4 persons, so that does the Math. 😛 Take a look.
Cheap yet comfy
It has no windows, only curtains cover us from other people but you can still have your own privacy. 🙂
Looks like a Veranda huh? Living in a province indeed
At noon it’s quite hot but the two industrial fans mounted on each wall end provided the ventilation. The CR and shower rooms are just under it. I think both are yet to be renovated to look better. Besides, the “C” stands for comfort.
The Calm Beach at 7:30 in the morning
To my surprise, I found quite a number of boats that were docked at the shore (which are behind me when I was taking that picture). I can’t help but to compare the view I saw 3 years ago in Laiya Resthouse. There were no boats and there’s huge space to sunbathe and run around. The sand here is not as white as what they say but it’s alright – it’s not a big of a deal. 😛 I think its color changes with the sun. It’s whiter if the sun is at its highest at noon.
Notice the sand's whiter than the picture above? The time is 12 noon (photo courtesy of Spiderham)
As my hopes for a nicer place is going down, I tried to stay positive and stopped the comparison. I just focused on the main goal – to relax, unwind and ENJOY. We prepped up the breakfast and later on dealt with the activities. One GOOD thing I’ve noticed when I was taking time to criticize the place (in my mind only.. hehe) was that the caretakers were really nice, accommodating and friendly. They attend to our every request and always smile back.
Later in the afternoon after a 1.5 hour sleep and before we start the second set of activities, we went snorkling. Kuya Bangkero charged us 190php/head (with gears) and 90Php (w/o gears). I haggle with him and being the “kuripot” that I am, he agreed with 150Php (with gears).
Just in time for sunset
Special thanks to Spiderham, we were able to capture this moment. We stayed in the water for 1 hour and as expected, we’re the only group at this spot. Another GOOD thing I’ve noticed is that Kuya Bangkero just let us soak ourselves to the water unlike others who will keep on reminding you of how much time is left (well, I’ve encountered one before.. :P) Also, I had this misadventure again when the goggles I was wearing just went to the bottom of the sea! I didn’t notice it was gone off my head. The first happened in Boracay and we ended up paying the whole snorkling gear for 800Php (and later finding out that it’s 500Php only! crap…) I told it right away because I don’t want to pay 800 p-h-p – My wallet’s got 500 only.. haha The first attempt to get it was unsuccessful, kuya said it was too deep. When I thought that all hope is gone, the other Kuya Bangkero made his attempt and luckily, he got it! Hallelujah! 😛 I never wore that goggles again.. hehe
In the evening when we’re preparing our dinner (I was cooking Tilapia BTW… hehe) the caretakers are also cooking theirs. They handed us a bowl of Kinilaw na DULONG (anchovies) which tasted good and also felt good because it’s another proof that they’re really nice to their guests.
At midnight, we just laid down on the sand and enjoyed the see breeze. It’s our free time so we took a lot pictures and experimented with light trail shots. I’ve also discovered something after tweaking some settings on my camera. Here’s the result:
Punto Miguel @ 1 in the morning
The place was not an A-lister when it comes to beauty but the time we spent there is LEGEND- * wait for it…
keep waiting…
– ARY! 😛 (pahiram Uncle Barney.. hehe) I’ve realized that it’s not the place that will make your vacation worthwhile – it’s the people you’re with and the adventure you’re into.
Mapanuri 