If you are looking for a memorable place to celebrate a momentous occasion, you should try Stilts Calatagan Resort in Batangas.
Here’s my travel review...
July 2018 was my 40th birthday and since this resort was in my bucket list for some time, I thought this is the perfect date to experience the place.
Aside from celebrating my birthday, this will also be the first time for my son to experience beach life.
So, without much hesitation (but with lots of preparation), I booked for a night for their bungalow place called Simplicity.
If you have been reading my blog, you know that two of the biggest consideration whenever I choose our adventure are (1), will my son with autism will like it (2) will I still be able to do my online work. Please read my About page, if you are new here.
The Travel
It was quite a long travel, I might say, but I think it’s because of several factors:
My husband is not a fast driver. :)
It was our first time going deep to the south so the anticipation of seeing the place, I think, makes the travel even longer
We made a quite longer stop in Jollibee (Caltex TUY Palico) to take our lunch and rest a bit
But when we arrived at the resort, I could instantly say that it’s all worth it.
The Accommodation
The front desk people were all friendly. To my surprise, they offered me to “upgrade” my accommodation to one of their beachfront cottages without any additional cost. I guess they do this on the off-season.
We were assisted to see the beach cottage. We are kind of tired already because of the long travel but it was not much of a hassle since they offered their service vehicle so we can see the cottage without tiring us further.
The place is nice and looks comfortable (being it in the beachfront) but it’s not really that fancy.
We decided to still choose Simplicity bungalow because we were unsure if our son will be comfortable there (especially at night) if he hears the sound of the waves. As I mentioned, it was my son’s first beach experience so as much as possible I want him to enjoy it and lessen anything that may cause him anxiety.
When we went to Simplicity Bungalow, we were still assisted by their staff. They asked us if we still need anything before they leave. They just reminded us to be extra careful because of the mosquito killer night light that was placed right outside our room. I guess they know how kids could be unruly sometimes. :)
The Simplicity Bungalow is the perfect room for us. It’s an all-white 1 bedroom type with most of the things that we need. Comfortable bed(s), dining area, ref, thermos, a supply of gallons of water. It doesn't have a TV but we are okay with that.
What I appreciate the most is their supply of toiletries. Unlike other hotels, the shampoo and liquid soap are in a dispenser. I support them on this. I think, aside from being environment-friendly, it cuts down cost on things that are really unnecessary and instead, they made sure that you have a comfortable room with lots of towels and drinking water.
By the way, I am relieved that I didn’t push myself to get the very nice Floating Cottage when I was planning this travel. When we tried to explore the floating cottage area, I think my son felt dizzy. I guess he didn’t like the feel of heights and a sea of water all around him.
The Beach
After taking a short rest, we headed to the beach front.
When I was planning this trip, I had an impression that Stilts have luxurious white sands. It’s actually cream-colored to off-white. Not much of an issue considering the entire experience.
Stilts is divided into three beach area: the Serenity Beach, Harmony Beach, and Destiny Beach.
Since the Simplicity bungalow is like 5 minutes walk away from the beach front, we have a bag with us that includes towels, clothes and some snacks for my son. I guess this is the downside of not being on the beach front because you should take a load with you while you enjoy the beach. Living your bag anywhere seems not a problem, because the place is not crowded at all.
When we were in the Serenity beach area, we were quite dismayed at first because we see some litters and lots of dried twigs floating in the water. Though that part of the beach is the camping site, I feel the litters came from other places.
When we went to Harmony Beach, at far, the water looks dark and we actually thought that the water is not clean. But when we looked closely, we learned that it’s because of seagrass beds that are very visible. It was low tide during that time (it was afternoon).
My son both experienced the waves in the morning and the serenity of the water in the afternoon so he also was able to swim without any fear. Plus points because of this.
We also saw a bunch of sea creatures likes small fishes and baby crabs. I think this is a clear indication that the waters are clean.
We were not able to go farther to Destiny Beach. We were already tired and the first two beach areas were already enough for us.
The Rest of the Resort
My son also enjoyed the pool because of the small fountains. He also enjoyed the pet turtles near the front desk area.
One thing that my son loves here the most are the bamboo fountains placed in some parts of the resort. A friendly staff just reminded us to be careful and refrain from touching it because we may be electrocuted.
We also planned to take a boat ride but it looked like it’s going to rain so we decided to just enjoy the rest of the resort.
The Food
When it was about late afternoon, my husband and I were thinking if it will be good to drive again to the town proper to buy dinner for my son. But we think it will not be a good idea since it seems there’s no fast food in the area, so we just ordered from their restaurant.
My son is a picky eater so this part of ordering food is almost always a challenge for us. So, we ordered something that is very much familiar with him - we ordered fried chicken.
Unfortunately, my son refused to eat it. When we go on a travel, we always have Plan B. We usually have ready food for our little one. For that trip, we brought a can of tuna. The staff was willing to have it cooked but we decided to just have it heated on boiling water. My son ate the tuna with rice and also ate bread. So, that night we survived. :)
Going back, their service is good because they delivered the food in our room without extra cost. I also craved for fresh spring rolls so we also have that for dinner. The servings are more than enough for the two of us at a reasonable price.
The Morning After
My son is an early riser. We were all awake at 6am. Unfortunately, it was raining hard so we were not able to enjoy the morning sun on the beach front. So, we just waited inside our room and enjoyed our "baon".
The rain stopped at around 8:30AM so we first headed to the restaurant area to take our buffet breakfast. My husband and I enjoyed both the food and the view. As expected, my son didn’t try to eat (maybe because he was also already full).
It was a bit cold that morning because of the rain so we were not able to swim again on the beach nor in the pool.
So, we just spend the morning building a sand castle. My son also enjoyed jumping on muddy puddles (just like Peppa Pig). This made me grateful for the rain.
To Conclude
Pros
Not a crowdy beach resort
Room is very comfortable
Food is reasonably priced
Friendly staff
Environment-friendly
Cons
Long travel
No nearby establishment or fast food
Needs Improvement
I wish they have a ready doormat in the room
And a broom (because of the sands that always came in with us)
Complimentary Wi-Fi for online entrepreneurs like me
Going to Stilts Calatagan is highly recommended especially for families like us who wanted a peaceful beach experience. Worth to see the resort the second time, but maybe we will make sure that it will not be a rainy season and this time it will be a longer stay.
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