I have been in the beaches of Barangay Laiya in San Juan, Batangas for a number of times that I think it is appropriate that I finally write something about it.
San Juan is the town at the easternmost part of Batangas and may be found at the boundary which separates the province from the neighboring Quezon. It is accessible from Manila via SLEX followed by CALABARZON highway, and exit at either Ibaan or Lipa (Tambo). Both these exits will lead to the town of Rosario (which by the way, is where I live ), which is directly adjacent San Juan.
This town is becoming increasingly popular because of its white beaches at the coast of Barangay Laiya. As to date, there are perhaps more than 20 different resorts to choose from. Popular ones are of course those which have been featured on television, blogged about, and even used in movies, like the Virgin Beach Resort, Palm Beach Resort, Aquatico Beach Resort, La Luz Beach Resort, Laiya Coco Grove Resort, Blue Coral Beach Resort, and White Cove Beach Resort to name a few.
From the town proper of San Juan, the right corner beside the town municipal hall is that which leads to Laiya. You won’t miss it because it is at the end of that road (truly, all roads lead to beaches!) .
Since I am practically near this town (just about 30 to 40 minutes drive), I was thrice asked to do ocular visits to the resorts there for our company outings. I can pretty much give some personal feedback with regards to all the popular resorts in San Juan but I’d rather give you those from where I personally stayed in.
We first had our company outing in Laiya in the year 2010, at Taramindu Beach Garden Inn. It was a one-building resort, with no swimming pool then. There were just ten rooms, but it just served its purpose to stay relatively private. It was just the perfect venue for small groups. Given that, we booked the whole inn for our outing that year. B-)
Taramindu Beach Garden Inn beachfront (sun deck area)
Taramindu Beach Garden Inn beachfront
The rooms were clean and spacious, with private comfort rooms each. There was this small dining area with a sun deck facing the beach that served really delicious Filipino dishes. There was also this small bar at the roof top where visitors may rent the videoke, and a party area with few tables and chairs perfect for an intimate dinner or just to stay late at night with friends.
Taramindu Beach Garden Inn roof top
Trivia: The name Taramindu was just a play of syllables from the word tamarind, the idea of which came from the prominent tamarind tree within the vicinity of the resort. If you booked during the right season, they would give fresh tamarind juice as a welcome drink. (Perhaps, they may even give it all year-long?) You may check their website at: http://www.taramindugardeninnresort.com
We came back the following year to try out another resort in Laiya which is the Blue Coral Beach Resort. I believe everyone had enjoyed their stay in this resort that we again booked for our company outing this year.
Unlike the Taramindu, Blue Coral Beach Resort is a much bigger one with two swimming pools (one for kids). There are more rooms to choose from – they have the hotel rooms, the pool-side cottages, and the beachfront cottages. The rooms are all very spacious with private comfort rooms each.
Blue Coral Kiddie Pool (2011)
Blue Coral Kiddie Pool (2014)
Blue Coral Bigger Pool
From 2011 to 2014, they made some major developments and transformations: their in-house restaurant got bigger, their hotel building also got bigger (hence, providing more rooms), the design of the pool-side cottages was changed, etc. Still, this resort maintained its peaceful charm despite all those extensions made.
Blue Coral beachfront (2011)
Blue Coral beachfront (2014)
This resort have plenty of public comfort and shower areas. The staff employees are plenty, courteous, and very helpful. They also have a bar with videoke of course, and large huts at the beach area. you may check their website at: http://www.bluecoralbeachresort.com.ph
Most (if not all) resorts with big names are consequently pricey and would require their guests to avail of their compulsory meal package since bringing of own food and drinks inside the resort is not allowed. Then again, there are also other resorts on the other side of the coast which cater guests who opt to bring their own meals or who prefer to do their own barbecue and the likes (which Filipino families often enjoy doing during outings and reunions).
One of those resorts include the Triple G Beach Resort, where our family had an outing last 2010 (the same year as the company outing in Taramindu). The cottages, which may be single detached or apartment- style, all had native designs. We stayed in this fan-cooled bamboo hut with two floors (but we only booked for the first floor with already two rooms). The rooms were decent enough for a simple overnight stay.
Triple G cottage
Triple G beachfront
If you don’t mind not sleeping in a room without AC units, and cook-out is your passion, you might want to try Triple G. They have rooms with AC units as well, which I believe are still relatively cheaper than in other resorts in Laiya. You may check them here:http://www.resortsbatangas.com/triplegbeach
Based on my ocular visits, those cheaper or more affordable resorts (though may not be suitable for company outings, well, it really depends on your taste), are clustered in this area which is nearer coming from the town proper of San Juan. The more expensive ones are those which line the extreme south of the town, which also happen to have better grain size (sand) and width of the beach area. One more far off than the rest of the popular resorts was the Palm Beach Resort, which when I visited last 2011 required us to traverse through a rough road up the hill. (I believe it is not the case now?) This resort, though may give the best-looking accommodation, may not give much of that sand area. The beach there were relatively rocky, and the waves more intense.
Things you can do in Laiya Beach:
1. Try build a sand castle
2. Have an awesome time with the kids!
3. Wake up early to enjoy the beach at low tide
4. Or simply have some morning walk along the beach
5. Watch the sunrise
6. Try taho for breakfast! B-)
7. Wait ’til sunset
8. Videoke time at night!
9. Try various water activities (i.e. banana boat, kayaking, etc)
10. Beach volleyball anyone?
11. Do silly stuff once in a while…
12. Just plainly enjoy the experience!
The common beach and water activities often offered in beach resorts are also offered by most of the resorts in Laiya. Team building facilities and equipment are also being provided by many.
I particularly suggest trying snorkeling in Laiya. I did it twice and I would definitely do it again when given a chance!
Personal tip: When in the beach area, maximize the things you can do at the beach. Have fun! Dip, swim, float, or simply sit down whichever you prefer and depending on the level of your expertise. Spend more time out there even by just merely looking at the horizon. We don’t go to the beach to sleep all day inside our rooms, do we?
Have a great day ahead everyone!
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