Road trip to Southern Luzon

IT was almost the end of summer. With my aunt coming home from America and my kids itching to go on a final break before another school year opened, I set out to plan the ultimate road trip. Southern Luzon, notably the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite seemed like a very good idea, mainly because they were barely two hours away from Manila and are easily accessible on good roads. What more, driving through the highway is always refreshing as it gives one the view of those colorful fruit stalls , coconut trees and rice fields — just as you find it in those tourism brochures.

Our first stop was Lipa City which we reached like a breeze via the Star Tollway. Made famous for having movie star Vilma Santos-Recto as the Mayor, Lipa is now a bustling city for business, education, and leisure. Found here are the San Sebastian Cathedral, the Carmelite Convent, major golf-courses, and a branch of the De La Salle System. Passing by the city proper, it looked like we didn’t leave Manila because there were the usual fastfood joints, bars (like The Library) and malls.

It was a good thing that we were billetted at the Hotel La Corona de Lipa. We immediately felt the local brand of hospitality which enabled us not to miss Manila one bit. Established in 1995, La Corona de Lipa is one of the major hotels in the city. Located on Km. 84 of the Laurel Highway, its prime asset is its strategic location, moreso as it is only in front of the soon-to-open SM City Lipa. The Hotel La Corona de Lipa complex has four buildings and only 40 rooms so that service is courteous and more personalized.

We stayed in a cozy family room and I immediately took a liking to the pastel paintings on the walls. Moreover, the three separate beds ensured privacy for our large group. There were also the usual amenities like airconditioning, personal ref, hot & cold shower, TV and 24-hour room service. As soon as we unpacked our bags, the kids hied off to the swimming pool and basked in the noonday sun. And when evening came, we had fun trying one of the karaoke rooms at the Music Zone which was packed with people singing their hearts out.

La Corona de Lipa takes pride not only in attracting tourists but also a number of corporate clients and long-staying guests. For instance, we were able to befriend Frank Merrill, a genial Canadian who has been staying at the hotel for sometime now and has only good words to say about it.

"Regardless of whether a hotel is four-star or five star, if you find that the staff have an attitude problem then you won’t come back. But it’s really different here at my hotel. The staff knows already how I like my food cooked; they’re polite and helpful and good with their job. That’s why I’ve stayed here for a long time now," Merrill said.

Checked-in guests at the Hotel La Corona de Lipa enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast of Filipino favorites. These include the adobo, tapa, tocino and daing (sun-dried fish) which my balikbayan aunt relished with gusto. For lunch, we decided to comb Lipa City for its famous specialty, bulalo, and found ourselves at the doorstep of Hapag Filipino. This is one of the oldest restaurants in the area and gets our vote for serving the best beef shank broth around.

From Lipa City, we again traversed the Star Tollway and headed towards Pagsanjan which prides itself as the "Tourist Capital of Laguna." Except for the monstrous traffic in the crowded university town of Los Baños, our ride proved to be enjoyable as it provided scenic views of various Laguna towns namely Calamba, Bay, Calauan, Victoria, Pila, and Sta. Cruz.

I must say I was really impressed with Pagsanjan. It is very clean and has a character of its own. It beautifully blends the old and the new as one can see with the existence of Spanish-era ancestral houses side by side the modern wellmaintained bungalows. The local government led by Mayor ER Ejercito would do well to preserve Pagsanjan’s ancient flavor to keep the tourists coming here.

Undoubtedly the best place to stay in Pagsanjan is the La Corona de Pagsanjan Resort and Training Center. This hotel is located in a two-hectare campsite, a portion of which is situated along the scenic Pagsanjan River. There are 33 well-appointed rooms or cottages equipped with modern amenities such as cable TV & hot/cold shower. Because the hotel is indemand for the out-of-town sorties of its corporate clients, the hotel also offers dormitory-style rooms or those meant for multiple sharing.

The sight of the friendly La Corona de Pagsanjan waitstaff dressed in sporty outfits added to the casual atmosphere of the place and we immediately felt at home.

The hotel has a good open-air restaurant and in the lower level you have a choice of either poolside or riverside dining. In the former, you can eat with a view of their beautifully landscaped swimming pool with slide. In the latter, you can see people riding their boats going to the legendary falls. There is also an extensive menu from where you can choose your favorite specialties, both local and foreign. A bestseller is their pinaputok na tilapia which is steamed, then drizzled with oyster sauce and topped with lots of fried garlic.

For a standard rate of R660 per head, La Corona offers its guests the Pagsanjan Falls package. This is the top tourist-drawer in Laguna where a couple of boatmen paddle and pull your boats toward the falls while enjoying the majestic, nature-packed scenery along the way. I recommend that after your boat ride, you pay the extra R90 to be able to ride the raft that would go to The Falls itself. It is quite scary going near the falls and having its strong currents wrap your body. But nothing else is as refreshing. Trying the "raft ride" completed our Pagsanjan Falls experience!

La Corona de Pagsanjan has a little bit more for adventure-seekers. It has the very exciting High Altitude Ropes Course Challenge which is the first of its kind in the Philippines. If you have the heart for it, you can try the Slide for Life, Catwalk, the Hi Y, Loop Traverse and other adrenaline-pumping events.

Donna Sy, the assistant manager, said the ropes challenge is most in-demand for the team building, leadership training and self-awareness workshops of big companies.

Sports enthusiasts, on the other hand, can while away their time with the resort’s other facilities like the volleyball, badminton and basketball courts; the pingpong and billiard tables; and the karaoke machines. And when you’re tired after a long day, you can call for an inroom masseuse adept at reflexology or "hilot" massage, the native away.

Before we knew it, our three-day vacation-on-the go was over. But we will surely remember it for its tourist sights, the nature-inspired sceneries, good food, lots of laughter and first-class accommodations in La Corona de Lipa and Pagsanjan.

[ San Sebastian Cathedral Wiki | Carmelite Convent Wiki ]