TRAVEL: Laguna, Villa Escudero

What comes into your mind when someboday says LAGUNA? Buko pie? enchanted kingdom? laguna lake?

Last May(2013), i was with the group of travel agent who will have a familiarization tour of Laguna with side trip to Lucban, Quezon for the Pahiyas Festival. Read my blog on my Pahiyas festival experience

Our first stop is Villa Escudero that is located at San Pablo, Laguna. We were greeted at the big lobby by a smiling staff and gave us welcome drinks that is cold enough to compliment for the hot weather. After the registration, we were accompanied to the resort museum.

The welcoming lobby decorated with native accents that is produced in the resort

The cathedral-like facade of the resort museum.

The museum houses the  vast collection of antiques of the owner from their first generation. The first level consists of life-like replica of the Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and other Patron Saints that are sometimes used during feasts at the town.  Other collections are dresses/suits of the former presidents, chinawares, paitnings, Jose Rizal memorabilia, spoons from all over the world, ethnic costumes of the locals worldwide, and a lot more. This museum has the largest variety of collection in the country.

After the museum tour, we ride a cart that was pulled by a carabao. The "kutsero" (driver) is very entertaining that he even join the singers from the back seat.  We are toured around the resort showing the significance of a certain area of the resort. One area is the original residence of the owners that is just beside the museum. The kutsero also brought us the their village wherein the workers are given a portion of land ( 300sqm to be exact) where they can build their houses for their families. Only workers with family are given a land. If you are newlywed, you are given probationary period of 1year before you are give a parcel of land. The workers in the resort are mostly family generations already. The "kutsero" toured us around and showed the other facilities of the resort such as the rooms for overnight guests, swimming pool, function rooms, mini chapel, and souvenir shop. We ended our tour at the man made waterfalls where lunch are served. It is a very unique experience because you will be eating while your feet are dipped into the water, the foods are sumptuous and the ambiance is naturally cool. On weekends,there are cultural show. Toobad we cannot watch it because we went there on a weekday.

Uniquely Villa Escudero

Sumptuous local lunch

your feet will surely get wet. Be careful with the floor as it is covered with molds.

Up close and personal with the waterfalls