MussoLOLen is Always Right! |

2010 has been a year of awesome vacations for Marco and I. Last month, we spent a week eating and shopping at Bangkok. This month, we were determined not to let the summer pass without going to the beach, something we’ve been too busy to do since last summer’s trip to La Union. I didn’t want to suffer another round of bumpy six-hour bus rides to La Union so we ended up booking three days at Coco Grove in Laiya, Batangas, which is only two or three hours away from Manila.

Marco and I didn’t intend for this trip to be a romantic vacation – it happened quite by accident. Some of my high school friends were supposed to come with us but they canceled at the last minute because the resort could only accommodate us on weekdays. The biggest perk about working freelance is that you decide when your weekends are. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to share the experience with your friends, unless you had enough foresight to book a weekend months in advance. Another thing about Coco Grove is that the rates per person get cheaper if there are more of you in the group. In the end, only one friend was willing to take three days off work but she didn’t want to pay too much for her stay.

The commute to Laiya, Batangas wasn’t as long as La Union, but it sure involved a lot of transferring. At 4:30 am, we got a bus to Lipa, Batangas from the JAM Terminal station at Cubao (P230 for both of us). When we got down at Lipa two hours later, we had to take a one-hour jeepney ride to the San Juan Public Market (P60 per person). From there, it took us another thirty minutes to get to the resort by tricycle, which cost us an expensive P300. I could kind of see why the trike ride cost so much; the resort is really that far, plus it’s not like there are any passengers coming back to town with the driver. For this reason, I would suggest that anyone commuting to Laiya spend around two or three days in the resort, if only to delay the inevitable hassle of commuting back to Metro Manila. Resorts like Coco Grove also allow day trips, which is a great option if you have a car.

Once I finally laid my eyes on Coco Grove’s grounds, I knew the commute was definitely worth it. The resort itself is dotted by shady trees and tropical flowers to evoke the sensation of a real tropical paradise, which went well with the crystal blue waters and the white-ish sand. As for our treehouse, it is probably the most gorgeous beach accommodation I’ve ever had in my life! I’ve never stayed at a treehouse before, especially not one so close to the ocean. Ours was literally a few steps away from the water, providing us a picturesque view of the waves and the sunset from the balcony or the porch. Unfortunately, this beach wasn’t very good for swimming; the shore is littered with seashells and the shallow areas are covered with slimy seaweed. But our proximity to the water also gave us one other unusual luxury – the ability to enjoy the sounds of the ocean while taking a dump.

Our treehouse cost around P8,600 for three days and two nights, and includes three meals a day plus access to the resort’s other amenities. It’s a little more expensive than what I’m used to but after that long tricycle ride, I could see why the resort owners though to include meals with the package. The food is very lutong-bahay, which probably won’t appeal to those with snootier taste buds, but it suit Marco and I just fine. I love Filipino food by the beach, especially after a long swim, and Coco Grove was very generous with its portions. Each meal includes around two or three viands, plus rice, a glass of iced tea, and dessert. Shortly after I took this photo, a lady came with a plate full of tuyo and kamatis. Mmmm.

I’m not a morning person at all, but I would get up at 7 or 8 to enjoy a cup of Coco Grove’s strong barako coffee. It’s so delicious that even Marco has a cup during breakfast, and he’s not exactly a coffee drinker.

Oddly enough, the other thing that made this trip a romantic vacation was our lack of foresight. If we booked a weekend months before like any conscientious traveler would, we’d be smack dab in the middle of the resort’s 700-strong weekend crowd. On a weekday, however, the place was practically deserted. There were only two other groups when we arrived on Tuesday morning and when they left later in the day, we pretty much had the resort all to ourselves. “It’s the perfect setting for a horror movie,” I said to Marco, who replied with, “If this were a horror movie, it’d be called ‘Coco Grave’.”

Besides water sports, Coco Grove also offers a number of interesting facilities. The following day, we took a leisurely stroll around the resort’s nature trail, which quickly turned into a brisk-walking activity for me. I noticed a number of small holes in the ground and I didn’t want to stick around long enough to see the creatures that made them. I also got the opportunity to overcome my fear of wonky hanging bridges and seesaw-type bridges.

The trail ends with a large treehouse; if you climb the very top, you get to slide down to the beach using a zipline. Unfortunately, my fear of heights won over this one.

The nature trail adventure took about an hour tops. Aside from a quick swim at Coco Grove’s White Beach (where the nature trail ends), Marco and I didn’t really do a whole lot except lie around the beach and be lazy.

The sunsets were breathtaking. I wish we could have stayed there forever.