Alternative Places to Stay in Laiya

The narrow road leading to the entrance of Kabayan Beach Resort in Laiya in San Juan, Batangas is dotted with other "resorts" which more or less share the same beach front as that of Kabayan Resort. During our overnight stay in Laiya Austria Beach Resort, I was able to take a look at the other places as we also tried to book an extra night.

These alternative places are not beach front. Guests have to walk on a narrow cemented path for less than  5 minutes to get to the beach.

Ideal for budget travelers, bringing in and cooking food is allowed. These "resorts" have common kitchen facilities complete with stove, griller and refrigerator. Dining and eating utensils are also provided.

Village Plaza Resort

Four air-conditioned cottages with 2 double-sized beds, 

private toilet and bath, and cable tv at Php 5,000 per night

They also have three bahay kubo-type of rooms, each equipped with a double-sized bed and fan. Toilet and bath is common for all three kubo-types. Room rate is Php 2,500 per night.

For inquiries, call Rachel Valdecantos at numbers (043) 5753261, 0908-5065817,
or Sally at 0929-2258618.

Mang Tomas' Rooms

Mang Tomas has 3 air-conditioned rooms and 2 fan rooms

row of aircon rooms

this room is being rented out for Php 3,000 per night

Casa Remo Apartelle

Eight rooms which can accommodate a maximum of 8 persons per room. 
Each room has two double-sized beds, extra mattresses and its own toilet and bath. 

Rates depend on the number of occupants, 

ranging from PhP 3,800 to Php 5,000.

Click here to view Casa Remo's website.

Good Shepherd Rest House

I sent an inquiry via text to the number found on the tarpaulin poster and was told to text this number instead: 0919-8317985. The rate for an air-con room which is good for 2 persons is PhP 3,000 while a room with a maximum capacity of 6 persons can be rented for PhP 6,000.

Photo Op: Kabayan Beach Resort

As mentioned in an earlier post, we had to pass by the parking lot of Kabayan Beach Resort whenever we went to the beach. From the parking lot, there were two gates which led to the resort. On our way back from the beach on our first afternoon, we entered the gate and briefly explored the resort and took a few shots:

Welcoming entrance

inviting pool

Kabayan's beach front

I hope luck sides with me next time so I can book a room here on our next trip to Laiya and I will definitely  post more pics then ;)

The Laiya Austria Beach Resort

The Laiya Austria Beach Resort is located in the same compound as the Kabayan Beach Resort. It is a 3 minute walk to get to the beach, passing by the parking lot of Kabayan. 

It offers very basic accommodations but the friendly caretaker, Gener, and his wife are very able in making sure that the resort is clean and they attend to the needs of the guests. They allow guests to bring in and/or cook their own food and they provide eating and cooking utensils for the guests' use as well. Mineral water is also available at the resort.

There are only three executive rooms available, each with its own toilet and bath. Inside is a small refrigerator and own set of eating utensils. There are two double sized beds and an extra mattress is provided to sleep a maximum of 6 persons. We rented our room for PhP 4,000 a night.

 the executive rooms

our room 

two double-sized beds

bathroom

no mini bar inside, haha ;)

this nipa hut is the common dining area

one table for each executive room

basic cooking facilities and utensils

Two trailer rooms, distinguished simply by their exterior colors, are also available for rent. These are just cool for barkadas or large groups of friends. I was told that call center agents are the usual occupants of these trailers. I got to take pictures of the interiors when the occupants checked out. Pardon the interior pics as Gener was still tidying up the rooms when I went inside to take the pics.

pink trailer room

inside the pink trailer

additional room inside the pink trailer room

mini kitchen inside the pink trailer

The pink trailer has a maximum capacity of 12. It has an extra small room and the whole trailer has 2 air-conditioners. It also has its own tiny kitchen and bathroom. It can be rented for PhP 5,000 per night.

white trailer room

 room inside the white trailer

double deck beds inside the white trailer

The white trailer can accommodate 8-10 persons with a rate of PhP 4,500 a night. A common bathroom can be found outside the trailer.

All in all, I would say that the Laiya Austria Beach Resort offers a good alternative to the more exclusive resorts in Laiya. It is quite ideal for budget travelers looking for a quick out-of-town escapade.

For reservations, contact Grace Rivera at mobile number 0918-3163386. She is very nice and responds quickly to inquiries. To confirm a reservation, a 50% downpayment should be deposited to their BDO account. She will then send a confirmation note via e-mail.

Laiya to Sariaya

The girls just didn't want to go home yet and wanted to extend. But the all the resorts were already fully-booked and we didn't have a place to stay. HB made some other arrangements to placate the girls.

So we found ourselves driving a little farther south to the town of Sariaya in Quezon. From the Laiya road junction in San Juan, we turned right and headed for Candelaria.

road from San Juan in Batangas to Candelaria in Quezon

We cruised for about 15 kilometers before reaching the town of Candelaria on the Maharlika Highway. Upon reaching the intersection, we turned right again to get to Sariaya. About 8 kilometers later, we turned right again on a narrower road leading to Barangay Guis-guis.

picturesque tree-lined countryside road marred by campaign posters

We traversed this road for about 12 kilometers more before reaching our second beach resort for the day. 

(More about the Dalampasigan Beach Resort on a separate post)    ;)

Laiya's Coral Gardens

On our second day in Laiya, we rented a boat to take us snorkeling in "Lamesang Bato". The banca rental association of Laiya saw that our family was just a small one and with two little kids at that so they arranged to get us a small banca. We agreed to pay Php 700 for the boat ride that took us about 4 kilometers off the beach and stayed with us during the 45-minute snorkeling time.

It was our younger girls' first experience and once they entered the water and donned their goggles, they were awed by the sight of the corals and fishes.

Lamesang Bato coral garden of Laiya

Note: This is NOT an underwater shot. I just focused my camera about a foot above the water and I was able to capture this :)

We brought bread so we could feed the fishes and the boatman even helped us do this. The girls exclaimed every now and then.

What a grand time they had!

Laiya Beach: Then and Now

I found this picture in my computer files. This was taken in Laiya in San Juan, Batangas almost 6 years ago. We were in Laiya during the Labor Day weekend in 2004.

Fiona was just 4 months old then. Zoe had just turned 4. Trish was just 8.

It's the Labor Day weekend again and we find ourselves back in Laiya.

Fiona is now 6, Zoe is 10 and Trish is 14.

Laiya Beach Resorts

Here we are again, planning another trip to Laiya in San Juan, Batangas for April 30-May 1. I've spent most of this afternoon surfing and searching for a good value-for-money resort. Thus far, I've narrowed our choices down to two. Inquiries with regard to the availability of rooms were already sent. I'll be crossing my fingers in anticipation of the replies.

In the meantime, here's a list of the resorts in the stretch of Laiya Beach. Just click on the name of the resort to get directed to their respective websites. Hope this saves you a lot of time :)

Acuatico Beach Resort

Balai Laiya Resort

Blue Coral Beach Resort

Casa Remo Beach Resort

Kabayan Beach Resort

Laiya Coco Grove Resort

La Luz Beach Resort

Palm Beach Resort

Sabangan Beach Resort

Sigayan Bay Beach Resort

Tivona Beach Resort

Triple-G Beach Resort

Virgin Beach Resort

White Cove Beach Resort

April 20, 2010 Update: Both of my initial choices (La Luz & Kabayan) are fully booked for the weekend of April 30-May 1. I went through my list above and contacted each of them. All the resorts are fully-booked as well, except for White Cove but they could not accommodate our small family (as they require a minimum of 5 meal packages on top of the room/cottage rental).

Just 10 minutes ago, I was able to get a reservation with Laiya Austria Beach Resort, which is just beside or is actually an extension of the Kabayan Beach Resort. I was able to book an executive room for Php 4,000. The contact person is Grace who is very nice and accommodating. She may be reached through mobile numbers 0918-3163386 and/or 09157459396.

Whee! I am so excited now!

April 30, 2010 Photo Update:

Laiya Beach in San Juan, Batangas

Our company had a much-needed bonding and R&R last Friday in Laiya in San Juan, Batangas. Due to budget constraints, we chose to stay overnight in Casa Remo Apartelle. For only P 6,200, our group of 5 gals and 6 guys had 2 rooms, each with 2 double beds and extra mattresses. Cooking facilities were available too. On the minus side, the resort is not beach front, we had to walk about 100 meters to get to the beach.

Our trip's highlight is the boat ride for snorkeling.

I had a grand time lying on the boat, gently rocked by the waves and soothed by the blue blue sea.

I've always liked Laiya for its white sand and quick access from Manila. My family has been going to this stretch of beach since about 10 years ago, when it was still undeveloped. We even rented a fisherman's hut and went back to basics at that time. We witnessed Kabayan Resort when it was just starting. We've stayed at the Laiya Resthouse Beach Resort at one time. We've also stayed at the Sabangan Beach Resort and Virgin Beach Resort. We haven't had the luck to get booked in La Luz as it is always packed.

Ten years ago, we had to take the road via Quezon. And then we tried the road via Lipa, Batangas. Those 4 hour trips were cut down to about 2 hours when the Star Toll Expressway opened. The road from the San Juan City Hall leading to the resorts were still rough, unpaved and dusty back then. Now, the road is cemented all the way.

Laiya is still the nearest white sand beach and its accessibility to Manila is quite an advantage.

We've kept coming back and I don't think we'll ever stop.