This family-owned resort is the perfect place for a weekend getaway with family and friends. It's…read morejust a short 1.5hr-2hrs drive away from Manila, making it very easy to get to. Awilihan can be rented for the entire day or for overnight stays. The place can comfortably accommodate 30 people (max). The rental fee is already inclusive of the use of the house (airconditioned rooms with beds, pillows and showers), the pool, sports facilities (badminton, basketball and billiards) and the use of their pool. You can opt to bring your own food or order food from them for a reasonable fee. The entire place overlooks the Taal Lake and there's always a nice cool breeze, making it the perfect relaxation spot. I have taken my family and friends here and all of them love the place so much. Once you enter, you immediately feel comfortable. The atmosphere is very relaxing and homey and it just makes you want to lounge around. Although there's no beach to swim in, their swimming pool is enticing enough to make you want to jump in one you see it. I love how the whole place is secluded... away from the traffic and the noise of the city. I always recommend this place to my friends and family because you really can't go wrong with Awilihan! It really is paradise!

My college barkada introduced me to the brilliant idea of renting a beach house in Tali and staying…read morethere for the weekend. We would usually scour the internet for great houses that are rented out by the owners, and then we would leave on Saturday morning and head out to Nasugbu. What's great about these places is that they are fully-furnished, and some of them have great stuff, too! I have gone on such weekend trips to Tali exactly six times, and every time, my friends and I have rented a different villa. You know, just to keep things fun and exciting. We have stayed in really creepy and haunted places, and we have also stayed in really awesome, very well-maintained houses. I just love how we don't have to bring anything anymore, since most of the beach houses are fully equipped with great stuff that you can use for cooking. I love preparing food for my friends because I hate seeing them endlessly bingeing on crap food like chips and stale pizza, so we always pool our money, stop by a supermarket in Tagaytay and then shop for an entire weekend's worth of food and groceries. The villas in Tali are usually fitted with nice stoves and a fully-equipped kitchens, so preparing meals in a jiffy is such a breeze. You don't have to worry about food going bad either, since there is usually a fridge where you can keep stuff fresh. Most of the time, though, the best beachhouses are actually still a couple blocks away from the shore, so you would really have to walk or drive just to enjoy the beach. Moreover, there isn't really much of a "beach" to enjoy, because the shoreline is actually pretty short, just a small cove that is partially sheltered by the surrounding bay. It is also advisable to make sure that you have all your supplies and sundries before you even go inside the gated community, because going out for groceries is such a hassle. There isn't any well-stocked store for miles. This is a pretty nice place to just hang out with friends. If you don't have snazzy memberships in nearby Punta Fuego or Pico de Loro (Hamilo Coast), this is not too bad an option if you just want an idyllic weekend getaway.

Tali is a popular seaside resort community in Nasugbu, Batangas, about 2-3 hours away from Manila,…read morejust a short distance from Tagaytay. The place is a private subdivision so you need to have a homeowner with you or at least advisement from wherever you're staying. It's not totally private though! You can go online and just look for beach house accommodations, since many of the residents there already put up their own houses as B&Bs or inns for those who want to go to Tali Beach. It's a really nice place, like how you'd wish it would be if there were beach cities in Manila, hahah. Not overly developed either so it's pretty peaceful. Here, you have a whole village full of summer houses and instead of the regular playgrounds or village parks, they have a beach! However, the beach here isn't exactly fit for swimming. It's rather small, rocky, and full of corals. There's no long, wide stretch of sand where you can lie down and sleep or sunbathe. But they do have gazebos and small open spaces to hang out in with the water splashing about beside you. If you wanna go swimming, better go back to your accommodation. This is why most houses there have swimming pools already. People like to do water sports around there though, so don't be surprised to see boats and jet skis in the houses inside the village. It's also normal to spot people just casually kayaking and standup paddle boarding all around. There aren't really any organized water sports services, you just do it on your own. Of course, there's also the popular Tali cliff jump you have to try at least once! They have great, clear blue waters that you can dive safely into and then you just climb back up easily through the big polished rock boulder beside the cliff area. Just be careful not to touch the sharp rocks/corals by the side of the boulder! Only grab the ropes by the ladder area.

I first stumbled upon this place while I was searching around the Internet, looking for resorts in…read moreLaiya, Batangas. When I saw photos of the place, I instantly loved it and proceeded to book a room for two. The place is quite pricey compared to the other resorts in the area but upon arriving there, I knew why. The resort is very spacious, the cabanas or rooms are spaced quite far from each other, thus giving a lot of privacy to guests. When I went there with my boyfriend, the resort was actually fully booked but it didn't feel like it. The sand was white and the water was clean. It was hard to believe that this place was only 2-3 hours away from Manila.

What a gorgeous beach! While the sand isn't as fine as flour, it's definitely white and doesn't…read morehave too many shells that'll poke your feet as you run. Normally pretty white sand doesn't go with pretty underwater sights, but here I was pleasantly surprised to find corals and colorful fish only a short distance from shore! If you're not the type to snorkel, there are rentable kayaks available at a fairly reasonable price. The rooms are little cottages, either made of bamboo or built like a standard house with aircon. My family stayed in the former and thanks to the sea breeze, it was pleasantly cool during the night. No need to get the more expensive airconditioned room! It's nearly 3000 pesos more. But if you're just going on a day trip, you can rent one of the cabanas on the beach. They have mattresses for midday naps and curtains so no one will see the weird faces you make while asleep. The beachfront itself is beautiful, dotted with lots of coconut trees and smaller trees whose names are unknown to me but look like giant bonsais. The latter's branches are great for climbing and sitting on. Some trees have hammocks strung between them so you can sway with the wind and listen to the waves while daydreaming away that hour between eating and swimming again. Only issue I have with Virgin Beach is you can't bring in your own food. As an added snag, the already kinda expensive fees don't include food; you still have to pay for what you order at their restaurant separately. Overall, this a wonderful resort! My family's been here twice and each time was exactly the vacation we needed.

Beach is clean, mostly pebbles and coral so it's hard to walk barefoot on…read more Cabins are ok. Air conditioning works well, huge bathroom. Place is supposed to be "no smoking" but the people next door were smoking on the porch. Food: terrible. They could do better with what they charge. Road to the resort: terrible. We were so worried we'd get a flat tire. No TV (which is not a problem) and wifi connection was poor.

Two things I absolutely love about La Luz. First, the big rock that's perfect for both silly,…read moreimpromptu photoshoots, and thrill seeking if you dare to jump off of it! Second, it's an amazing beach to go snorkeling. The corals are teeming with colorful fish, even clownfish, which are honestly so rare at beaches with a high volume of people. This would be a great place to teach kids the joys of snorkeling since there's a lot to see. Oh god, this is the place when I wanted to go swimming around sunset with my dad, and he said no because it would probably be too dark to see anything...then when he comes back he yells at everybody, "I SAW A TURTLE!!!" Hashtag ForeverBitter. Just be sure to bring beach shoes though, as the shore is full of pebbles. Harsh on bare feet, but very generous towards your shell collection if you've got one; there are lots of gems lying in plain sight, literally right under your nose! Forget about building sandcastles here, you'll be too busy collecting shells. Or avoiding jellyfish. As a ten or eleven year old, I totally freaked out during high tide when jellyfish washed up on the beach. At least it happens during the hottest part of the day when nobody's really in the water anyway. Moving on to the rooms. My family of five (or four and a half at the time since my brother was just a toddler) plus a ninong, ninang, and their daughter who's practically a second sister to me stayed in this pretty cool room which was actually 2 floors. It was my first time to see and sleep in a loft area, so I had fun! Haha. As I remember, the bathroom was decent, although it's hard having only one for big groups sleeping over. I'd suggest maybe adding another one for those types of rooms. Sad to say that recently when my family went on a day trip here to snorkel, by taking a boat from another resort, the beachfront was crowded with rowdy, sketchy looking people. Hopefully during off season there'll be less of those unpleasant characters and enjoying the beauty and adventure of La Luz will still be possible.

4 stars for the beach and the water, which is actually enjoyable and calm. Don't expect waves. If…read moreyou come here book a hut, they are nice and good for 8 people. The food we got for lunch was good and nicely prepared, some in foam cases and some on plates. But bring something to clean the table yourself and don't stay overnight. The showers and restrooms are horrible. I can cope with a lot of situations but I can't imagine to enter these "facilities" with my kids. There was some litter on the beach and even more around the huts and tents. Obviously nobody cared to pick up beer bottles etc. probably left by guests the previous night. Tables in tents and huts were very dirty. You can rent a volleyball for 50 PHP but you don't rent the net. So if other people are playing you can't really use the ball. To be fair we got our money for the ball back. We enjoyed a great day on the beach, but cleanliness and overall appearance should be improved.

we went on a day trip... this place is so dirty and service is terrible…read more we found another beach that is close and way decent

Relaxing, hidden, and far away from the hustle and bustle of Manila. Despite the distance, this…read moreresort was worth the 3.5 hour drive from Metro Manila. Crystal Beach is in the town of San Narciso in the Province of Zambales. The resort features air-conditioned rooms, cottages, and beachside camping tents. They also have WiFi in the main area. There are a few bon fire pits and grilling stations for anyone to use. We opted for a day entrance just to experience the food, beach huts, and the sand. The admission fee, parking, and cost of food were very reasonable. The long journey from Manila definitely made us hungry. We decided to try out their restaurant located in the main common area. Seating was easy and we also chose the table closest to the fan for comfort. We ordered sisig, tuna salpicao, halo-halo, rice, and sinigang na hipon. The sisig has a nice mix of crunch with a citrus-pepper marinade. The tuna salpicao was tender and flavorful. The shrimp sinigang, which is a true Filipino favorite, was sour and savory. Halo-halo came last as a dessert. The bowl was filled with various sweet toppings and a generous scoop of ube ice cream. Post lunch coma started to kick-in and we decided to relax in one of the many beachside huts. Beach chairs were available along with the perfect view of the mountains and blue waters. The beach was almost empty and quiet. There are available surfboard rentals and surfing lessons for anyone seeking to ride the small waves. Showers are available near the common area. I would recommend this resort to anyone seeking a tranquil escape.

Very disappointed on this beach..first the sand of the beach is not that clean as you see on their…read morewebsite 2nd price of shake..120 pesos for melon and 100 pesos to mango!!! Any differnce? Cabin itself no restroom, lights need update, outlet for 15 person capacity have 3 electric fan!!! Food is so pricey..restroom is to far for the cabin ..not recommend this beach for my friend

This place was beautiful and loved all the activities offered but my only gripe is that it wasn't…read moreclose to the beach so it was pretty hot when we went there. We only did the day tour and didn't stay overnight. You can order prepared food there or bring your own to cook at their BBQ grills. We didn't reserve til the day before so we couldn't get a kubo but was able to have a shared covered area with tables and chairs. They had bathrooms with showers and a sink area to wash dishes. But as usual, bring your own toilet paper and soap. My family did the zip lining, repelling and rock climbing. They said they loved it. We used the pools which were an awesome site. We really liked the maze, too.

I expected a longer travel time to Shercon Resort & Ecology Park from the heart of Manila, so I was…read morepleasantly surprised when our bus rolled into its gates after a little more than two hours. But while the trip was convenient, the stay was not very much so as it does require a bit of walking from the function halls to the rooms to the pools and to the teambuilding areas. For families or small groups, bringing your own van might be best. Still, the forced exercise (we probably needed it anyway) was worth it, given the accommodations we received. It was no small feat, considering there were almost 200 of us for our office teambuilding, but we felt well cared for. Food was delicious and abundant, the staff were friendly and accommodating (they even went the extra mile to assist us when one of our members got sick), and the facilities were well-maintained. For the swimming addicts like me, you'll love that this resort has six (!) pools, so there's definitely no overcrowding at the pool. But the best part of our stay were the teambuilding activities they facilitated for us. We got to experience ziplining, wall climbing, rappelling, and games, which definitely boosted our group spirit. All these great experiences and extraordinary service, for suprisingly friendly rates. I will definitely be coming back. Winner!

great place to unwind and friendly people…read more a lot of stores and restaurants and of private resorts around.

If you're looking for something new to do, then you should visit Tree Top Adventure. My husband and…read moreI wanted to go on a day trip somewhere near the city so we decided to check out Tree Top Adventure. They are basically a forest with different activities revolving around the trees. There are activities where you simply walk or ride alongside and above the trees. Then there are activities for the more adventurous ones where you either swing through the trees or drop down from one really tall one. I like how they stuck to tree activities, without destroying the place. There are no carnival rides or games or anything else to steer away from the whole point of the place. It's a great alternative to the hustle and bustle of the city. Not only do you experience something new, you get to clean your lungs too! My husband and I had a great time there. We did the canopy ride, as well as the superman and drop. I was scared at first but I enjoyed them as I was in the moment. We will definitely go back with our future kids someday. Hopefully they maintain it that way.

For someone who had never experienced field trip from kindergarten to high school (because the…read moreschool I used to attend to is such a killjoy to all the glorious things a student could enjoy), I was too ecstatic to go on a second one for my minor subjects in college. The first one was in Vigan for my Histo I class wherein I, f.y.i, drowned for the first time. It's also funny because I was thinking that maybe this time in Subic, I'd suffer another tragedy or injury. Thank God I didn't. Whew. What made this experience so fun was because my professor crush was also there at that time. Apart from his charming presence, it was also thrilling to experience the tree drop where I thought I was gonna die because the harness won't work at all. Thankfully, it did work before I face the ground and there's a giant foam to catch me if it failed. The facilitators also made sure that everyone is safe before jumping. They do take precautionary measures seriously. It was also fun eating at a boodle fight on a plate. Yes, we ate on a plate that is placed on top of a banana leaf.