Viaje Del Sol | The Plan

My first blog for 2013 is dedicated to my birthday weekend retreat!

It has always been difficult for me to make big plans for my birthday since the Christmas holidays has just passed and most people are still recovering from the hangover and expenses (or maybe that’s just me?) And I’ve also recently transferred to a new company which means I didn’t have any paid leaves yet. With these constraints to consider, what we needed was a “quick weekend getaway on a budget”. That meant no airplane rides and/or luxury resorts. That meant: road trip. And we had the perfect place in mind.

Viaje Del Sol is Spanish phrase that translates to “Way of the Sun”. A group of entrepreneurs came together to promote their local tourism by creating this map that leads to the different tourists spots in the provinces of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon.  You can find the complete list and details of each destination through their website. I found this trip very interesting because it features a different mix of culture and arts, local cuisine and nature tripping.

The first challenge in planning a Viaje del Sol trip is choosing among the 19 destinations in the map. That does not include other interesting spots to visit along the way. The “dora the explorer” in me, of course, wanted to visit as many as I can. But previous experiences suggest that we should keep it to a minimum and make it realistic. We are not in the amazing race. And it’s just a few hours away from Manila so we can always come back anyway.

After a couple of modifications in our itinerary, we finally came up with this:

Day 1:

Casa San Pablo

Kinabuhayan Café

Kubli Springs

Carlito’s Workshop

Sulyap Gallery Café

Day 2:

Casa San Pablo

Lake Pandin and Lake Yambo

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

Tsinelas Street in Liliw, Laguna

Café Lago and Sampaloc Lake

Colletes (Yes, colletes is included in the map)

The next part of this challenge is reservations. Almost, if not all, establishments in the Viaje del Sol map requires a reservation. Some of them would ask for a down payment or a full payment, while others just need a notice. Here’s our reservation experience for each:

Casa San Pablo:

• I think my friend called or texted them through their mobile number which is available on their website: Globe: +63917 812 66 87 and Smart: +63920 967 52 77
• Once we’ve confirmed that our chosen room was available, we deposited the FULL amount to their BDO account
• They sent a confirmation letter via email along with other helpful guides
• Rates for overnight stay with breakfast is Php1500 per person 

Kinabuhayan Café

• I was able to contact Jay Herrera through his facebook page. I sent him a private message to ask for a reservation and he replied after a few days or so.
• You can contact him directly through his mobile#: +63 916 221 5791
• He asked for a 50% deposit to be paid only through GCASH
• Rates for a lunch meal is Php750 per person

Carlitos Workshop

• I found Carlito’s mobile number somewhere in the amazing internet world: +63 919 837 7755
• I just texted him that we’re coming and he replied quickly with a yes.
• Entrance Fee is Php150 per person

Sulyap Galery Café

• I just made reservations through their website and they confirmed via email.
• Meals are around Php500 per person

Lake Pandin and Yambo

• Again, I came across Aling Sion’s mobile number in the internet: +63 929 978 9565
• I just texted her that we’ll visit Lake Pandin at lunch time. She didn’t require any down payment.
• Balsa ride with lunch is Php360 per person

Café Lago and Sampaloc Lake

• We didn’t make any reservations because we weren’t sure if we’d still have enough time. But for a tour at the Sampaloc Lake, you can contact Mandy through his mobile#: +63 917 501 6694

Oh and one more important thing. We tried to look for an actual copy of this map in the bookstore but couldn’t find any. Most of the pictures I found in the internet were blurry and unreadable except for this one: 

Randomly found this photo in the internet. Photo credits to the owner. 

I hope this helps! Up next is my post about the first day of our Viaje del Sol trip. :)