Photo Op: Pueblo Por La Playa

After our lunch in Silangang Nayon, we proceeded to the very colorful resort just a couple of hundred meters away. 

My Spanish boss translated the resort's name and said that  Pueblo por la Playa is Town by the Beach in English. 

It is a Mexican-themed residential and country club nestled on the coast of Pagbilao Bay in Quezon. 

For our "survey", we were first brought to the restaurant. I stepped outside and took a picture of this sight:

view of the hotel and the infinity pool

Next, we were ushered into the receiving area of the resort where the function rooms and 14 hotels rooms were located. We were also greeted by this view:

 picturesque infinity pool

We took a short tour of the building and I found the hotel corridor to be very colorful.

the festive-colored hotel corridor

We also viewed a couple of rooms but my pics aren't nice :(  But before I forget, here are the other shots I took:

view of the beach from the parking lot

Pueblo por la Playa as viewed from Silangang Nayon Restaurant

The resort is strictly for members only (or member-sponsored guests). According to the club and resort manager, a lifetime membership pass can be had for Php 300k.

For more information, click here to view their website.

Photo Op: The Sulo Riviera Hotel in Lucena City, Quezon

In most cases during our business trips, we do a "survey" of a hotel which simply means we take a look at a typical room layout. Sometimes, I tag along with our technical guys and I get my photo opportunity ;)

One such hotel that we recently surveyed was The Sulo Riviera in Lucena in Quezon. It is located in front of the Grand Terminal, a few meters off the Diversion Road of the National Highway.

I got the chance to check out the rooms on the second floor.

View of the hotel lobby from the second floor

Ambassador Queen Room for Php 3,500 per night

Ambassador King Room for Php 4,000 per night

... with a view of this pool

The Executive Suite 

... with its own sitting room ...

... and garden view

Regular Room

Regular Twin Room

All rooms are equipped with air conditioner, hot and cold shower, and cable TV. Complimentary breakfast for two is also part of the package.

The other facilities of the hotel are a restaurant (located near the pool and garden areas), function rooms, a wave pool and a Victorian-garden.

Victorian-inspired garden is a great venue for weddings

The wave pool boasts of a maximum capacity of 1,500 persons (whoa!)

To know more about their rates, click here to check out their website. For inquiries or reservations, their numbers are (042) 660-5400, (02) 250-8319 and (02) 584-4276.

Silangang Nayon Restaurant in Pagbilao, Quezon

While I was in Lucena last May 12 for a business trip, I called up my brother-in-law and asked him to recommend a must-try restaurant in the area. Without hesitation, he brought us to Silangang Nayon, an off-the beaten-track restaurant in Pagbilao Cove. We drove past the Lucena City-Pagbilao intersection on the National Highway and then turned right at a small interior road and drove for a little less than 7 kilometers to get to this restaurant:

He led us down some steps and crossed a bamboo bridge to get to the bay-side dining area:

He also took the liberty of ordering for everyone. The food took awhile to arrive but we simply enjoyed the fresh air. When our order arrived, I scrambled to take pictures and thought that everything was worth the wait. 

sotanghon noodles with prawns

inihaw na liempo

grilled oysters

scallops

Everything was so fresh and yummy :) The bay breeze heightened our appetites and we truly enjoyed our meal :D

I wasn't able to take note of the price of each dish because my brother-in-law footed the bill. (Thank you soooooo much!) He said that he paid a little less than Php 1,500 for everything and we were 7 in the group. 

With the fresh seafood at absolutely fantastic prices, we are definitely taking another road trip back and have another wonderful meal at Silangang Nayon!

Eve of The Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon

Every May 15, the town of Lucban in Quezon celebrates the Pahiyas Festival in honor of their patron saint, San Isidro de Labrador. Tradition dictates that houses are decorated with fruits, vegetables and the like in order to thank the patron saint for a bountiful harvest.

We decided to visit Lucban on the eve of the Pahiyas Festival   to avoid the heavy throng of people and heat on the day of the feast itself. Preparations and festivities were already under way. But most of the decors were not lit. 

Only one house stood out and a crowd had already gathered. 

While walking towards the town plaza, we saw these men making longganisa.

Across the town plaza (where a concert was being held), is Buddy's which is touted to have the best Pancit Lucban.

Also in the vicinity of the town plaza are various restaurants and bars where locals and tourists hang out. 

We hung out here :

I vow to go back next year to see more and take part in the actual festival ... if only I could brave the heat and crowds. I've got a year to muster enough bravery, haha.

Dalampasigan Beach Resort in Sariaya, Quezon

the resort's arched entryway

tree-lined path leading to the resort's very spacious parking lot

Located in Baranggay Guis-guis in Sariaya in Quezon Province, the Dalampasigan Beach Resort is on the coast of the Tayabas Bay. The resort is quite popular with local tourists who wish to beat the heat or groups who would like to hold functions and/or events. It has a number of facilities and offer recreational activities ranging from a playground for kids (and kids at heart), billiards, darts, table tennis to kayaking and beach volleyball.

Trish and Fiona at the playground area

The resort has 66 rooms to choose from, with accommodations for twin-sharing to as many as 25 persons. Room rates range from a thousand bucks to a high of Php 12,000 for the 3-storey Jasmine unit which can accommodate a maximum of 25.

Gumamela Rooms near the resort entrance

Jasmine Unit(s) for large groups

Though the beach is far from being called spectacular as the sand is definitely not pristine white, the waters are very kid-friendly. I just sat on the sand watching my girls in the water. As it was the low tide when we got there, the girls were a few meters off and the water was still about Fiona's waist deep.

definitely not white sand

sun, sand, sea and sky

Most importantly, the resort offers a welcome respite from the stifling summer heat. And in the company of my girls, good bonding memories surely abound.

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)    ;)