Viaje del Sol Series: Casa San Pablo

I have heard about the Viaje Del Sol more than a year ago. I knew some of the places it promotes, but have visited only two in my lifetime: Villa Escudero and Kusina Salud. Last Monday, we decided to head off for the Journey of the Sun to visit at least 3 stops in the tourist trail. Here is the first of four parts in the Viaje Del Sol Series:

CASA SAN PABLO became our first stop, as it was positioned to be in the map. Upon entering San Pablo City, take a left to the city proper after seeing the Caltex along Maharlika. A hundred meters more and you will see the Casa San Pablo sign to your right.

Actually, I knew about Casa San Pablo ever since 2004, and I already planned to stay overnight at the famed inn. But work foes got in the way so I had to cancel. 4 years after, I was able to set foot on the place where artists cast themselves away to.


And it was indeed a very inspiring place, mostly because it had a very relaxing atmosphere. It actually had the feel of Baguio, having a pine trees around. I thought the place would be more rustic, but it looked like more of a countryside estate. I could imagine myself lazing around in one of their hammocks or writing down the script for a movie I've always wanted to do.



The place is peaceful and quiet. There are around 12 art inspired rooms and 2 casitas enough to house up to 100 guests! But don't worry. The large expanse and layout of the resort enables guests to enjoy their own private spaces.




We actually had a buffet lunch in Casa San Pablo for P400 per person. The dining area was bright and airy giving it a very casual atmosphere. I was really hungry so it was a pleasure to had bright interiors to match a satisfying dining experience.


The menu was simple: Corn Soup, Chicken in Peanut Sauce (much like kare-kare), Ginataang Hipon, Lechon Kawali, Chicken Barbeque and Ubod Salad (lumpiang ubod without the lumpia). They also served us luscious leche flan for dessert. I thought it was a little expensive at P400, but I knew you were also paying for the ambience and great service.


So, as a first stop, Casa San Pablo is a treat to retreat to. It is probably best to use Casa San Pablo as your accommodation of choice for the night, if you do plan to take the Viaje in 2 days.



CASA SAN PABLO
Gomez Compound, Brgy. San Roque, San Pablo City, Laguna
0917-8126687
http://www.casasanpablo.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Us-Usan Island: Guimaras

Image
After having a pleasant lunch in Nagarao, we decided to hire a boat to explore the surrounding islands of Nagarao. There was this one island that the staff recommended, Us-usan Island. As soon as I saw a strip of sand glistening from a distance, I knew we were in for a treat. Us-usan Island. The water wasn't as clear though as in Nagarao and in most of Guimaras. The sand bar jutting out of the island seemed like a catwalk on the sea. This provided a nice swimming area for the island's visitors as well. We began to explore the island, hoping to circle it in less than an hour. The island has a narrow shoreline, probably because it was high tide. There were also foliage all around, so it was quite a struggle going around. We were treated though with amazing views of the sea. This tree was alone and offshore for around 100 meters. It was quite strange to see a single tree in full bloom in the middle of the sea. After 15 minutes of walking, we arrived at a mangrove area. There were
Explore...

JCO Donuts and Coffee

Image
Its logo looks like Starbucks and the look of the place is like Krispy Kreme in orange. I guess the owners of JCO really thought of merging coffee and donuts, which are of course, perfect for each other. I stumbled upon JCO when it opened in Jakarta 2 years ago. The lines were unbelievably long, and that reminded me of our Gonuts Donuts craze back then. After 2 years, JCO in Jakarta has established itself as a donut shop serving great coffee and blended drinks. They also serve ice cream (gelato). JCO is a franchise that began in Singapore, spread in Malaysia, and hit Indonesia. The donuts craze came about the same time across all countries in Asia. JCO for me is different. When I tasted it the first time, I just had the glazed donut served by my clients. MY initial reaction was, it tasted like Dunkin' Donuts. And that held my interest. While Go Nuts and Krispy Kreme tasted the same, Dunkin Donuts was still different. In the Philippines, Dunkin' is targets the mass market, makin
Explore...

Legaspi Suites Hotel: Davao

Image
Legaspi Suites is the only boutique hotel in Davao. What makes it boutique is its size and attention to design and ambience. Legaspi Suites is located in a complex that was once an ancestral home. The landmark still remains in tact at the middle of the complex and a 4 story apartment building was built around it to house the hotel. Once you enter the lobby, you would feel that the hotel thought about its design, which is uncommon in Davao. I would think this would be normal in Cebu already, but in Davao, good design is still scarce. I got the cheapest room, a standard room for P1,600 since I was only staying for one night. The room was huge and very bare. I'm assuming this room was made simple because of the class. The rooms have different colors, as seen from their brochures. I passed by a suite room which was open, and I thought it looked charming. My room was located on the second floor beside the spa, so I had a view of the courtyard downstairs. I love this place because it had
Explore...