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
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
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
- Again, I came across Aling Sion’s mobile number in the
internet: +63 929 978 9565
- I just texted her that we’ll visit
- 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
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. :)
