Friday, April 13, 2012
We spent our Lenten Holiday at the Stilts Calatagan Beach Resort. It is a 2 to 3 hour drive from Manila , at the very edge of the Calatagan peninsula. We arrived there at about 3pm and were greeted by the friendly staff. The resort has an entrance walkway surrounded by lush greeneries and a landscaped garden. You'll see planks of wood with quotes and sayings written on it hanging all over the resort. The resort is known for its stilt cottages (thus the name) in the middle of the sea standing on concrete stilts. A bridge connects the stilt cottages to the resorts lobby. On arriving at our stilt cottage, a round of fruit juices awaited us. The cottage had a large master's bedroom, another air conditioned bedroom and a loft bedroom. The whole cottage would fit more than 10 people. It also has a living room, a dining area and a very spacious porch. On the porch, there is a very relaxing hammock and a staircase going down to the sea below. The porch is spacious enough to fit a dining table, so you can eat your meals outdoors with the sea breeze constantly blowing at your face. The sea underneath is visible through the slits on the floor, so make sure you grip your tablets and mobile phones firmly. The sea on these parts is very clean and very clear. It is teeming with fishes, crustaceans and other invertebrates. The sea is shallow enough to walk from the cottage to the shore. Just make sure to avoid the multitudes of sea urchins. On high tide, the sea below the cottage is about 5 feet high, and on low tide, its only about a foot high. There are a number of activities to be done on the resort. We rented a boat that toured us around the peninsula, and took us to a snorkelling spot in the middle of the sea. There is also kayak, and pedal boat, which you can request to fetch you from your cottage. Or you can travel to the nearby Cape Santiago Lighthouse, which was built in 1890, for a little piece of history. The resort also has a pool, for some freshwater fun. No, we didn't use the pool, so no pictures. All in all, our experience in Stilts Calatagan Beach Resort is very gratifying. I would say this is one of the best resorts we've been to that is a drive away from Manila. Now, more about our Stilts Calatagan Beach Resort, in pictures: This is a school of Striped Eel Catfish (Plotosus lineatus). We found this just under our cottage on our first day there. It has a spine in its dorsal fin and pectoral fins, of which when stung, may cause fever, nausea and sometimes death. But a fisherman told me that a juvenile this size, doesn't have venom, I'm not sure though how true that is. I wouldn't want to tempt fate. Feeding the fishes My daughter dropped dolly into the sea And the saved by this brave brave man The mutant Star Fish, aka, X-Fish The boat ride The sunset Morning after
There's a staircase in the cottage that leads down to the sea. You can swim here, even in the afternoon, there is a shade, so you don't get sun burned. Cape Santiago Lighthouse, built in 1890 More sunsets The pedal boat More pictures before we head back to Manila
9 Comments
karoa
ganda po ng mga shots niyo,ano pong camera gamit niyo?
April 14, 2012, 4:40 pm
Marcel
Hi Karoa. I'm using an entry level DSLR, a Canon 500D. Thanks!
April 14, 2012, 7:46 pm
Lyn
Hi Marcel, just DSLR? what lens? The one that came with the kit?
April 18, 2012, 2:47 pm
Marcel
No. For most of the landscapes, I use a Sigma 10-20mm lens. And for the people shots I use a Sigma 30mm 1.4 and a Canon 85mm 1.8.
Cheers! April 18, 2012, 4:55 pm
gabriel
pupuntahan ko to...hopefully ds year;)
April 26, 2012, 4:56 pm
vency
really nice shots, nice place too... meron po ba kyo gamit na filter sa ibang shots nyo
June 2, 2012, 7:18 am
Marcel
Hi Vency. Wala din filters. I brought an IR filter but forgot to use it. Hehe. Sayang.
June 2, 2012, 7:53 am
The Boss
Less words, More pictures mean better blog.
October 3, 2012, 10:09 am
Patrick
Greetings,
I am a student of architecture working on a thesis for my final project. My project is an on water floating resort, similair to yours. I was wondering how you manage waste and waste water in each of your rooms. Is it off-site or is it recycled? Any help would be great. Thank you! February 13, 2013, 1:13 am
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