La Luz Resort Birthday Getaway

I consider it as my birthday getaway.  But if truth be told, we’re just obliged to visit the place for the Clan’s (DH’s side) forthcoming grand reunion.  La luz has long been in my bucket list but never had the chance to visit.  Glad that we were tasked to inspect the place which pressed DH on to grant me my birthday wish.  That is, spending my birthday in La Luz Beach Resort.  The simple ocular inspection turned out to be our brief vacation.  An accidental birthday getaway!  Our nephew came with us along with his wife and son. They were our guests cum co-inspectors! But unlike us (DH, DS and DD), this young family chose to stay only for a day.

La Luz Beach Resort, for all I’ve heard of, is one of the most beautiful if not the best resort in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.  It isn’t too far from Metro Manila, (just about 4 hours drive more or less )  and it offers packages that could suit our reunion’s needs.  Thus,  the getaway! ..   Or rather,  the ocular inspection! Armed with the clan’s go signal, we were set to pay the fee to reserve.   But we had to call it off .   You’ll find  the reasons why!

Heaven gifted us with a good weather that Sunday, my birthday!  La Luz was reached swiftly at the expected time.  A guard stationed on a makeshift gate directed us to park on a spacious but bumpy parking lot.  DS, our driver, wasn’t aware that the rough ground have deep sunken parts every here and there...  resulting therefore to the car’s frequent thump and thud.  
  

 the bumpy car park

 the pebbled "reception hall"

Not too far is the reception hall.  It’s a “hall” of pebbled soil flooring and bamboo benches to rest on while sipping the Gulaman welcome drinks.   The welcome drinks are included in our food package that cost P1,350./pax for overnight guests and P900./pax for day tour guests.  After registering on the resort’s log book, we headed down the steep stairs leading to the resort proper.  While stepping down, I thought of my MIL, the clan’s grand matriarch, as she would certainly have to exert extra effort climbing up and down that high steep stairs.  We are 100% sure, she would complain.  

 the stairway down to the resort proper

 

Our reserved Premium room is A-okay. I would say, not bad for P4,500./night for 6pax/max.   It has 2 semi-double beds(one with pull out bed), a big nice bath room complete with toiletries and almost new white towels. Beddings are sparkling white. No TV nor ref though.  They purposely omit those to maintain the natural ambiance according to their website.  For beach lover that is me, it’s all right.   All that matters is the beautiful beach! 

 our reserved Premium room

 the beach and sand/pebbles

 my lunch plate

The beach is nice from afar. As they say, picture perfect! I wanted to try the waters right away, but our growling tummies were more excited for the buffet lunch!  … Excitement that turned to total disappointment upon seeing the food.   Buffet food offered consisted of veggie salad, the ingredients of which I can’t remember, fried tilapia, over cooked sauteed squash and string beans with shrimps and pork adobo for the main course.  For dessert are fresh pineapple and papaya and iced tea for unlimited drinks.   I’m a non-pork eater so I had to content myself with the soggy fried tilapia and the over cooked squash and sitaw with shrimps .  Our nephew wasn’t able to eat lunch as the buffet counter was already hidden when he came back from the beach.   Nephew said he doesn’t have the appetite anyway!   Well, who would have the appetite with those very ordinary home cooked dishes?!  If only they allow guests to bring in food, we wouldn’t have starved that much! After filling up, we ran to the beach forewarned by nephew of big sharp stones.  Indeed, we couldn’t walk on the beach without hurting our feet, especially under water.  The beach sand isn’t sand but pebbles.  Moreover, walking on the sand(pebbles) is laborious since feet sinks in with every single step made.  I wore my slippers as I walked back to the shore but pebbles that get in between my sole and slippers brought forth more pain on my feet.   

 snack

Come Snack time:  Pancit, LumpiangToge (mongo sprout), Banana cue, and Kutsinta (sticky rice cake) and Orange juice.  -   We were all full after the snack, not because we love the food but more of having been starved much at lunch time.  Satiated hunger via the banana cue at Kutsinta.  “Pwede na rin”!

  

blue coral's beach

the blue coral's swimming pool

one of their family rooms 

 We took time to see another resort nearby, the Blue Coral Resort.  It’s a far cry from La Luz.  Maybe slightly pricier but much more beautiful in all aspect of a resort , not to mention the big swimming pool.  Accommodation style is the same with packaged full meal.  We asked for their lunch on that day. Mentioned few are Chicken BBQ, Beef Kare-kare,  Grilled Fish, etc. How couldn’t we be envious? Lol! We would have chosen this resort for our venue but didn’t try getting into their beach. As it is located on the same area, we surmised the sand/pebbles is no different from La Luz.

 rice and penne pasta

 mushroom and young corn / steamed fish fillet

 white chicken /  pork hamonado

 cold buko with gelatine /  fresh pineapple and papaya

Back to La Luz, we’re pleased that dinner is much, much  better than what we had at lunch!  I found it unfair for Day Tour guests that those “ better” dishes are not offered at lunch. Nephew and wife were deprived of a good meal coz it’s not included in their food package. Can't help but feel sorry for them!

Breakfast consists of garlic rice, Tinapa, corned beef, butter and bread, and the only one I enjoyed, the mushroom, sweet pepper, onion omelet  sans the  ham for me.  Simple but filling!

At the end of the day, our La Luz Resort birthday getaway is not all dissatisfaction and regret after all!  We had one good time to bond. It’s a birthday wish well granted and being in a beach with my family is .. over and over I say, total happiness for me!  I’m grateful for it.  Likewise acknowledging DH’s plain and unfussy way of showing  ...he cares! Thanks to him!  

La Luz Resort for our reunion's venue?  An absolute two thumbs down! You think we'd come back?  No way!