We didn't just paid a visit, we have reminisced Filipino culture too.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
When we wanted to travel again, I asked where we should be going this time, someone suggested about doing pilgrimage, someone told e about visiting Villa Escudero since it is better to go there in group. And I checked everything about the place, how much would it cost us and where is the place.
Villa Escudero or Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort is actually a self-contained coconut plantation, founded in the 1880s by Don Placido Escudero and Dona Claudia Marasigan. The place is said to have been a sugarcane plantation but the crop has been converted to coconut by their son, Don Arsenio Escudero. The place is located in Tiaong, Quezon.
And the plantation and resort is our first itinerary on our year-end trip.
But hours before leaving, I have called the customer service to make sure and inquire more about the prices and the place and even the rules. Gladly, Mariz, the woman whom I talked to is very helpful in everything I have asked her and even sent me a text just to be sure with everything we have talked about.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Travel Time.
Some of my colleagues has been to Quezon but have forgotten the number of hours to get there, with just relying on distance calculator I found on the internet, we have decided to leave Ilocos Sur at 8 PM, but due to the lantern and torch parade in our municipality, somehow the time have been moved to an hour late.
With the bus drivers, having no idea how to get there, Google map has been our helpful guide. With all the stop-overs and everything, we reached Villa Escudero almost 10 in the morning, and just perfect for us to start our day tour.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
The Day Tour.
With Tropical storm hitting the country that time, we somehow felt it. The weather can be cooperating but not quite, cloudy, gloomy, windy and soft showers was what we have when we get there. But still, that didn't made us feel down, instead, still the excitement was felt upon seeing the gate that says, "Hacienda Escudero". And just looking at the vast coconut trees while getting to the main area, we can not help not to be wowed.
After having the bus parked, we hurriedly get into the reception area and we were welcome with cold drinks, handed by the friendly staff of the plantation, and that was before we were be able to pay the amount for the tour, that is surely a nice part of it, for you can still have the welcome drinks even if you decided not to go and take the tour.
Since it is considered the peak season, we paid Php1,600.00 for the tour. For some, it sound so expensive but if you check all the amenities that you can have while you are inside the Villa, you can say it is worth it. The said amount includes all the activities you wanted to do inside, from bamboo rafting, to swimming(wear the proper clothes), biking, checking the museum, carabao cart ride(with singers serenading), the lunch buffet at the Labasin Water Falls of the resort and the cultural show to top the whole day tour.
*Image is grab screened by Rain Tajon
The Museum.
The Villa Escudero has its own museum. Thought that the place we get in is a chapel, well we were wrong, it is actually a museum. The museum has one strict rule, NO TAKING OF PICTURES OR VIDEOS. With that, we have no choice but to follow the house rules.
What is inside the museum are collections of artifacts, relics statues of Saints that the Escudero family owned. Not just those that they own, some are given to the museum to be displayed and be shown to the public, like those that were worn by the former president of the Philippines while taking their oath as the newly-elected president of the country. Aside from those, Philippine animals that were being preserved or mummified are put on displayed too.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
The Carabao Cart Ride.
Though I felt sorry for the carabao, I still get into the ride, and I am glad that the road the carabao have to walk is not cemented, that is good for the carabao's feet.
Upon sitting down I took notice of the name, not sure if is for the carabao of the whole cart, I read the word "maganda", meaning beautiful in English, and that make me smile and while enjoying the cart ride, I have seen the names, "mahinhin" or shy and we get to ride with "sexy" when we go back, the carabao carts has surely has their own names.
We were told to leave the back part of the cart for the people will serenading will take that place and after few minutes, they get into our cart and started singing. They sang old Filipino folk songs then since it is Christmas season, they sang Christmas carols too which we have fun and even joined the singing while making our way to the Labasin waterfalls for our lunch buffet.
During our cart ride, I got the chance to see the wide farm and coconut plantations, the vast greeneries made me relax after that long and tiring trip.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
The Lunch Buffet.
Getting off the carabao cart ride, we hurriedly check the area, and saw the hydro-electric plant that used to supply energy to the whole plantation, I am not sure why they stop operating. The we walk down through this good for narrow stairs to get down to the labasin waterfalls for our lunch.
We were considered walk-ins for the day tour since we just booked but never paid any down-payment, so with that, we we were told to have a late lunch, which is around 1 PM to give way to those who really have their bookings. Since it is the weekend, we expected the place to be crowded, filled with fellow tourists.
Slippers, rubber ones are best to wear to enjoy the water at your feet while eating lunch, but if you are wearing shoes, there is a place where you can leave them and to the waters, you can have your lunch bare feet.
Just that we didn't have that much fun when the rain fall down all of a sudden.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Bamboo Rafting.
Before we get to touch the water from the water falls, there is the river part. The river has still waters and perfect for bamboo rafting.
Four of my colleagues tried to do it, despite the soft showers, there are actually a long line of those who wanted to paddle and experience the native bamboo raft on the waters. There is nothing to be scared to be honest, despite that the river is said to be 80 feet deep, lifesavers are watching everyone who are rafting, blowing whistles when they get near the water falls, like giving warnings.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
*Video is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Cultural show.
After our lunch, we decided to watch the cultural show that starts at 2 PM. This is best part of the day tour to be honest.
The cultural show makes you see how diverse our culture is. From the courtship to the wedding, and in the form of cultural dances. The music that accompanies every dance are from those native musical instruments too, and it is just amazing.
The cultural show last for an hour.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Over-all experience.
The weather maybe uncooperative during our day tour, still we get the chance to enjoy the place. Wish we have more time to roam around and better weather too.
The price worth it too, value for money is great.
The staff, they are all very nice and very accommodating.
*Image si credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
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Hope you can visit the place too. Thank you for reading!
