If your Instagram feed has been looking lifeless lately, featuring the same old photos of your pets, plants, the latest pastry you’ve baked, or selfies from your home, consider traveling to Batangas.
The change of pace will allow you to capture beautiful sights, unique experiences, and share-worthy photos. Here are some of the province’s most Instagrammable spots.
Anilao Awari Bay Resort
Brgy. Solo, Mabini
Whether you’re keen on trying out different water activities or simply wishing for a calm and relaxing time, visit Anilao Awari Bay Resort.
The resort is located on a private beach stretch that offers a 180-degree, picturesque view of Balayan Bay.
Capture your experience swimming, diving, and island hopping, or while watching the sunset for the most epic travel photo.
Rates start at Php 7,000 per night. Before check-in, the resort requires booking confirmations, swab test results within the last 72 hours, and a valid ID for those visiting the premises.
To get to Anilao Awari Bay Resort from Manila, ride a bus to Batangas City Public Terminal. Then take a jeepney bound for Mabini and ask to be dropped off at the Mabini Public Market. Finally, ride a tricycle to the resort. If you’re bringing your car, consider Waze and Google Maps your best friends!
Aquaria Waterpark Resort
Brgy. Sta. Ana, Calatagan
If you want to capture smiles and excitement, Aquaria Waterpark Resort is your best bet.
Aquaria Water Park was designed and developed by Millennial Resorts Corporation for fun-loving travelers who want a leisurely break away from the city. It has pools with varying depths, a three-story high water slide, and other activities like beach volleyball and banana boat rides.
Aquaria requires an RT-PCR Test or a Certificate from the BEHRT, a valid ID, and that all guests wear a face mask and face shield in all public areas.
A day pass for an adult guest is Php 370 to Php 790, while accommodations start at Php 6,684. You can book your visit ahead of time through their website.
For maximum convenience, it’s recommended to go by private vehicle. From Manila, take SLEX until the Santa Rosa Exit. Continue until you reach Tagaytay Rotonda, then drive through Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway before turning left at the Balayan-Calatagan Highway. Finally, turn left at M. Apacible near the Calatagan Municipal Hall. Keep going and you’ll see the water park before long.
If you’re going to commute, ride a bus to Tagaytay-Lian. Get off the bus once you’re at 7-Eleven in Lian. From there, ride an ordinary bus to the Calatagan Public Market, then a tricycle directly to Aquaria.
Overall, the trip should take around 3-4 hours, depending on traffic.
La Chevrerie Resort and Spa
52 Brgy. Ligaya, Anilao, Mabini
For a unique and quirky vacation with goats, La Chevrerie is the place to be. La Chevrerie, which means “the goat’s place” in French, is a resort in Anilao that offers an exclusive vacation together with the owners’ pet goats that roam around the area. Interacting or posing with them makes for an adorable Instagram photo.
For more adventurous travel photos, however, it’s best to take advantage of La Chevrerie’s location to go diving, snorkelling, and island hopping. Bring your waterproof camera to help you capture the experience in both photo and video format.
Another Instagram-worthy shot can be by the pool during the golden hour, that window of time when the sun gives off a softer and warmer glow.
The accommodation rates start at Php 11,088 per night for two adults and a child below 12 years old. A special 10 to 20 percent discount is offered to individuals who book directly and pay full in advance.
For medical requirements, you simply have to present a negative RT-PCR test for COVID-19 taken within the last 72 hours.
To commute to La Chevrerie, take a bus headed to Batangas City Public Terminal. Ride a jeepney to Mabini and get off at the Mabini Public Market. From there, ride a tricycle to Anilao via the Bauan-Mabini Road and turn right at the Mabini Tourism Triangle. Just keep going until you see La Chevrerie.
For those going by private vehicle, take SLEX until the Batangas Port exit. Continue driving to Batangas Port until you see the Bauan Overpass, then turn right towards Mabini. Go straight and make another right to the Bauan-Batangas Provincial Road, then take a left from the main road when you see the Bauan Doctors’ Hospital.
From there, keep going until you turn right at the Mabini Tourism Triangle, from which La Chevrerie is straight ahead.
The resort also offers a one-way or roundtrip shuttle service from NAIA. A trip for four people costs Php 12,000, while it costs up to Php 15,000 for 8 guests.
Club Punta Fuego
Brgy. Balaytigue, Nasugbu
Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu was developed in the late 90s to establish an exclusive area for its homeowners and members. Since it’s been opened to the public, experience a luxurious vacation and immortalize it on Instagram.
Active individuals can enjoy the club’s tennis and squash courts, and swimming pools, while more laid-back guests can play billiards, darts, and golf. You can also try out a variety of water activities such as water skiing, jet-skiing, snorkelling, kayaking, and riding a banana boat. Always have your camera on hand so you can quickly record your experiences.
After a long day outdoors, you can opt for a massage or fuel up on food at the San Diego restaurant, which offers Filipino and Spanish specialties. Don’t forget to pose for a snap of you enjoying a glass of red or white wine at the T and C Bar Lounge.
Currently, day tours are reserved for members of the club and their endorsed guests.
On top of observing minimum health standards and protocol, a resident nurse, a doctor, and a medical administrator are present for any medical emergency.
Room rates begin at Php 6,230 and the main requirement for those who plan to stay at the club is a negative antigen test taken on the same day.
Club Punta Fuego can be reached through the Ternate-Nasugbu Highway or SLEX. When you reach Brgy. Balaytigue, simply drive to the gate of Peninsula de Punta Fuego.
Going by public transport, take a bus from Manila to Nasugbu and look for a tricycle to take you to the gate of Peninsula de Punta Fuego. Then, ask the guard where you’ll have to go for check-in and walk to your destination.
Acacia Resort and Dive Center
Mabini
Your waterproof camera will also be useful once you go for a dive via Acacia Resort and Dive Center.
For first-time divers, fret not. The resort employs specialized spotters that show divers where to capture the area’s rich marine life best.
Founded in 2012, Acacia Resort and Dive Center got its name from the fact that its facilities were built around a century-old acacia tree.
Acacia’s pride is its dive crew who can teach Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) courses for beginners and seasoned divers. The dive center offers equipment such as twin cylinders, wings, and regulators for rent.
Rates range from Php 6,960 per person for the standard room to Php 8,640 for the deluxe suite. All rooms come with a complimentary lunch and dinner, and 30% discount for twin sharing.
To get there, take SLEX until the last toll gate and go straight to the STAR Tollway. Go all the way toward the Rotonda, cross Manila-Batangas Highway, and go to Diversion Road, which leads to the Batangas International Port.
Turn right onto Batangas-Balayan Highway and then turn left after Manghinao Bridge. Turn right on Mabini Rotonda towards Anilao, then turn left on the coastal road heading to Barrio Bagalangit. From there, drive around nine kilometers and finally turn right at Acacia Resort & Dive Center. For your convenience, they also offer airport transfers.
Camp Netanya Resort & Spa
Bauan-Mabini Road, Mabini
You can feel like you’re in Greece at the Santorini-inspired Camp Netanya in Anilao, Batangas. The resort and spa is reminiscent of the famous Greek island getaway with its picture-perfect look: blue-roofed white structures with serene views of the blue sky and the crystal-clear waters of the ocean.
The resort offers rooms, villas, an in-house spa, swimming pools, and an opportunity to enjoy the area’s world-renowned diving and snorkeling experiences. You can even go sailing for an even more Instagram-worthy, Santorini-esque experience.
Room rates start at Php 7,500 for two guests. For big groups of people, the resort has a master villa that can fit up to 14 people for Php 54,900. An introductory dive package, meanwhile, costs Php 3,500 per person, inclusive of gear and a professional dive instructor.
To get there, get on Metro Manila Skyway from EDSA Magallanes and continue to Lipa. Take the exit toward Lipa from the Batangas-Quezon Road/CALABARZON Expressway and continue driving by the Batangas-Quezon Road/President Jose P. Laurel Highway. Finally, take Makalintal Avenue until you reach the Bauan-Mabini Road.
Olo-Olo Mangrove Forest And EcoPark
Brgy. Olo-Olo, Lobo
The 21-hectare forest used to be home to destructive activities such as harvesting mangrove trees, illegal fishing, and hunting native birds. Through local government intervention and the cooperation of the community, however, the area was successfully restored.
Now, various flora and fauna thrive there, creating a peaceful and tranquil environment. It is nature in its pristine state, which you can enjoy for an entrance fee of Php 50.
You can take a leisurely stroll at the bamboo bridge within the mangrove forest, or try kayaking, paddle boarding, and rafting. You can also rent a kubo or a nipa hut if you wish to have a place where you can stay.
To get there, ride a bus with a CALABARZON signboard going to Batangas Grand Terminal in Cubao, Buendia, or the Alabang South Station. Upon arriving at the Batangas Grand Terminal, board a jeepney headed for Bayan. Tell the driver to drop you off at Don Ramos.
From there, ride a Capitolio-bound jeepney. This will pass by the terminal where you must board a jeepney going to Lobo.
Upon arrival at Lobo, tell the driver that you are going to Olo-olo so that they can drop you off at another terminal where you can ride a tricycle to take you to the eco-park. Your three to four-hour commute should cost around Php 350-Php 400.
Travel safely!
All tourist destinations in Batangas have health and safety protocols in place to protect locals and visitors alike. Everyone is expected to comply by wearing face masks and face shields, regularly washing their hands, and practicing physical distancing.
To check out up-to-date information regarding local destinations that are open and the safety protocols and requirements needed for each location, you may visit www.philippines.travel/safetrip or download the Travel Philippines app at app.philippines.travel or the Google Playstore.
