Batangas Escapade: Laiya Beach

Beach: Laiya Beach
Location: Laiya, San Juan, Batangas
March 10-11, 2018

A perfect, budget-friendly summer escapade for two days and one night for the family and the whole barkada is can be found at Laiya Beach. It is a five-hour getaway from Manila where families and friends can bond and relax for the weekend!

The Planning

My friends and I decided to have a mini reunion and suggested a lot of places to go to that are near from Manila. We had ideas about Antipolo, Bulacan and Rizal but Batangas had the majority. The problem was not solved right then and there because another problem had arisen. Where in Batangas? Indeed, Batangas has a lot to offer when it comes to beaches and Laiya Beach was one of them. We searched and searched for the place to stay for a group of 11 in one room and found Laiya Moonlight Beach Resort which has the offer everyone can afford.

On the Way to Batangas

Our group met up at ALPS bus station in Cubao which, by the way, is the only bus company that has a direct route to San Juan, Batangas. The schedule of the trip was every after an hour. We departed from the station at 8:30a.m. The bus seats were really comfortable so the trip was indeed something our group enjoyed especially because of the old teleserye we were watching.

We arrived at San Juan around 11:30a.m. and decided to eat first. There are nearby fast foods at the bus station. Then we went to Puregold to buy the food we will eat for the dinner until the next day. After buying the necessities, we rode the tricycle going Moonlight Beach Resort in Laiya. Please note that there were two choices going to Laiya, one is the tricycle which was what we did and the other one is through a jeepney that is located near the Manalo Mart. Just try to locate it because it is cheaper than riding a tricycle. The trip was almost an hour before we reached the resort.

Laiya Beach

As I said earlier, there are a lot of resort to choose from when it comes to Laiya Beach. But because we needed a room that can accommodate our group, the resort we had chosen was among the crowded part of the beach. It was disappointly crowded but then we just enjoyed our vacation and everything seemed great.

Our room has three double-decker twin beds that was indeed so comfortable and a bathroom. It also has a space outside where we cooked our food and there was even a refrigerator where we stored our foods. As the night deepened, we played games, eaten a whole lot more and drunk ourselves to sleep. It was indeed a great night!

The Next Day

We had risen around 6:00a.m. to cooked our breakfast. After eating, we decided to check the beach and they were a lot of people swimming already that early. My friends and I rode a banana boat because there was really nothing else to do. I, being a first time rider, did enjoy the ride. Laiya Beach is indeed long and the sea was fascinating.

After our ‘drop’, we stayed at the water and took pictures.

Much to our dismay, our simple getaway was nearing its end. So we enjoyed it while it lasted. The two days and one night trip with friends was very relaxing!

Photo taken by Roxanne Cabrera

My friends have been with me since high school and it was, I think, the first time that we had a travel for overnight at the beach. I have this exhilarating feeling surrounding my heart. It was as if we were in this bubble happiness and everybody was afraid to pop it. The way we talk and banter as we played games, cooked food and even as we did nothing, it was as if we were still in our high school days. Nothing changed much, just the additional members of our group because almost all of us already have partners. We really had so much fun!

Going Home

One of the caretakers of the place voluntarily fetched a jeepney for our group and others so going back to San Juan was not a problem. We rode the ALPS bus again and was dropped off at Cubao.

How to get there:

From Cubao:

• Ride an ALPS bus going to San Juan – P298.00
  (The bus will drop you off at San Juan bus station.)
• Ride a tricycle going to Laiya – P300.00/4 pax
  (Tell the driver the name of your resort so they can drop you off there.)

Other Expenses:

• Environmental Fee – P20.00/pax
• Room – P8,000.00/11 pax or P730.00/pax
• Food – P120.00/pax

Note:

• It is so much cheaper to ride a jeepney going to Laiya instead of a tricycle.
• If you really want a grand vacation, I suggest making a reservation to a much grander resort than the one we went to.
• Contact Laiya Moonlight Beach Resort for inquiries and budget-friendly get-away!

Credits:

Most of the photos are taken by Roxanne Cabrera. View more of her shots at her instagram: @roxie_muyaventurera

Until next trip!