I advise you to wear a pair of leggings or shorts/walking shorts if you are planning to splash your feet into the water and walk around the bottom of the man-made waterfalls. It would be a wonderful and unusual experience if you were given the opportunity to dine here! Bring a pair of slippers too! It is a bit slippery to jog around and stroll, especially when you are not accustomed to that kind of arrangement.
If that’s not something you might be interested in, though, you may go astray in the other parts of the resort. Claim that rural village tour benefit! Take a lot of random pictures like I did! As I told you before, to explore Villa Escudero, you have to hop on a carabao cart again. Be patient!
There is a cultural show or Philippine Experience Show during the weekend, Fridays, and public holidays. It starts at 2:00 pm. The stage play will bring you back to the rural life!
At first glance, I thought there was a Starbucks branch inside the Coconut Pavilion Hall! It turns out that Villa Escudero has its very own café! Ooh, I never thought a frappuccino was at hand in the early days. My history teacher must have overlooked that detail (I’m kidding).
You may attempt paddling on a bamboo raft at the river before or after the cultural show. Just make sure you know how to swim or you are with someone who does! There’s a swimming pool for adults and kids too, but it’s under renovation until March 2016. Fascinated with birds? Give bird watching a go! How about sports? Does bicycling energize you? Do you play volleyball, tennis, or basketball? Do you want to sing at least one song at the karaoke hall? Billiards? Ping pong? Other recreational activities are fishing, Filipino games, obstacle course, Palosebo, hiking, hit the pot, and pabitins. Villa Escudero also has a bar, chapel, clinic, and more auditoriums. This resort suggests a lot of creative ways to spend your day with family or friends!
Picture taking isn’t allowed inside the museum, so here’s a close snapshot of the exterior.
We were assisted and toured around by a bouncy escort who kept us entertained not only by stating facts about Villa Escudero, but also by joking around! It made us feel at ease with him! For the claustrophobic, take note that there are no air conditioners inside; only electric fans at some point. The electricity even went out for a few minutes when I was there, so be ready for those circumstances!
We only contributed a hundred baisa bill (12 pesos) from Oman. I did not expect the tour guide to ask for foreign paper bills. Look out for my name if you’re going to visit! They exhibit various paper bills at the second of the museum so you may play a part to their collection. I won’t spoil you further since the tour wouldn’t be that thrilling anymore, but you would be greeted by sacred relics at first!
To end our day trip, we visited the house museum. We were too terrified to draw closer. Waves of shivers and goose bumps were sent from the bottom of my spine to my entire body out of nowhere! I thought Villa Escudero was the same title of the motion picture where Maja Salvador, Shaina Magdayao, Jake Cuenca, and Geoff Eigenmann starred in six years ago! The horror movie’s title was Villa Estrella. Thank goodness.
I carried a heavy heart on the way home since the souvenir shop closed at 5 pm! We just got back from our day tour by then! I did not buy a refrigerator magnet at the previous souvenir shop located near the Coconut Pavilion Hall because I wanted to acquire the one at the reception hall. So, if you fancy purchasing a keepsake like a refrigerator magnet, buy one at once. A t-shirt costs roughly 300 pesos and a refrigerator magnet for a hundred pesos. Some even cost more than that! There are many other souvenirs you can take home so just decide on whatever you like. Though, for me, memories and pictures are still the best remembrances!
All in all, it was a strenuous but unforgettable (and spooky) family day! Who will not enjoy when you’re in the company of your loved ones, right?
The day tour package includes a welcome drink, carabao cart rides, use of outdoor recreational facilities, and lunch at the waterfalls. The rate for an adult is 1,250 pesos from Monday to Thursday while it’s 1,400 pesos on Fridays, weekends, and holidays. The fee for children below four feet costs 625 pesos from Monday to Thursday whereas it’s 700 pesos during Fridays, weekends, and holidays. You may rent a Nipa hut, which isn’t necessary, for 750 pesos from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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If you intend to stay overnight, the rates, which are inclusive of meals, depend on the number of people and the type of unit you like. The estimated amount for an individual is 4,000 pesos to 6,000 pesos and 2,650 pesos for groups with ten to twelve people. To cut a long story short, the more, the merrier! There is an equal split of payment as well!
A certificate of excellence was granted to Villa Escudero by TripAdvisor!
Villa Escudero
www.villaescudero.com
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