Showing posts with label Bagac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bagac. Show all posts

June 09, 2023

Birthday Staycation at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar tagline is “Pride in the past, hope for the future”. It is the home of the heritage houses of the owner Jose Acuzar. These houses have been rescued, renovated, and rebuilt.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a beach resort, convention center, and heritage destination rolled into one. Indeed this is a unique destination for every traveler because there are so many things that you can experience in this resort so it is not surprising that they received a lot of awards for over a decade. 


I’ve visited open-air museums in Norway and Sweden where I was able to see old houses too but our very own Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is much better because you can stay in the heritage houses and experience what is like to live in old houses. 


I mentioned in my previous post that it’s been almost a decade since our last visit and I am glad that we were able to go back and this time, hindi na Day Trip lang, nakapag-overnight na kami. We were supposed to go back here last December when my mom was here but we were still in Da Nang, Vietnam so hindi kami nakasama sa family outing. 

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar has special offers or special promos so you can visit their website for the latest offerings. So depende na lang sa budget niyo, we did not avail any promos since our budget is limited. Hehehe! My husband just book a room accommodation on their website, full payment is required and will be charged after booking. 

We are a group of 5 people so our initial plan is to book a room for 4 people and additional payment for an extra person but we changed our mind when we learned that the extra person is PHP3200 and no extra bed. We realized that it is practical to book a room for six people and because of that, naging six na kami sa lakad namin. 

We booked the standard room for 6 people for PHP16,000 and the package includes: 

Room Accommodation 
Breakfast at Binondo Hall 
Heritage Walking Guided Tour for 30 mins to 1 hour 
Complimentary Tramvia Ride 
Complimentary Hop On and Hop Off Jeepney Ride Within the Resort 
Use of Beach and Batis-Inspired Swimming Pool 

We live in the South Luzon area so we left as early as 6AM and nagdrive thru na lang kami ng breakfast on our way to the resort. Surprisingly, our travel time is less than four hours so we were really early, check-in time is still 3PM. 


Upon arrival, the security guard gave us an “Entry Pass Check List” and instructed us to go to the reception area. It is not yet check-in time so the staff, get our luggage and store them in the luggage area. At the reception, we fill-out a form, konting orientation, and the staff gave us a map. I hope ibalik nila yung welcome drinks, iba pa rin nagagawa nito after ng mahabang biyahe. 



Anyway, from there, we rode a jeep and the driver dropped us at Casa Biňan for our 10:30AM Heritage Tour. The staff informed us na meron Mass at the La Bella Teodora but we chose the tour kasi mainit na kung sa hapon pa kami magtour. 

Heritage Tour 


We already experienced Heritage Tour during our first visit pero sa tagal na, limot ko na yung ibang information so it is nice to refresh my memory. In addition, okay din yung una naming experience kasi mas marami kami nabisita unlike ngayon na limited na and may off limits na rin sa part ng house.


At the time of our tour, we are only two groups and more than an hour din so sakto sa lunch ang tapos. For lunch, we ate at Kusina ni Maria

Hotel de Oriente 


After eating our lunch, we went to Hotel de Oriente as per the advice of our tour guide, we had no idea na may bayad pala which is PHP200 per head so ending hanggang entrance lang kami. Hehehe!

Tramvia Ride 


We just availed our complimentary tramvia ride from Plaza Mayor de Tobias to Dewey Blvd and vice versa. The ride is only less than 10 minutes back and forth. 

Standard Room for 6 People 


During our tramvia ride, my husband received a text that our room is ready so we are glad that we were able to check in as early as 2PM. Our room is already old, ito pa yung mga nauna na rooms so you can see signs of wear and tear but my husband still chose this room since mas malapit kami sa lahat and hindi mahihirapan yung mother-in-law ko na nakawheelchair. Other room options yung bandang beach area. 


The room is big. We have a living room and bathroom on the first floor, one bed and bathroom on the second floor, and 2 beds in the loft area. The downside of this room, madilim kahit nakabukas ang ilaw. No hot water in the bathroom. 



Cultural Show 

After taking a nap, we watched the Cultural Show at the Paseo de Escolta, the show is less than an hour din. I think sa Villa Escudero pa yung last panood ko ng Cultural Show. It was a good show so we finished it even though we knew na late kami makakapagdinner. We had dinner at La Bella Teodora



Swimming Pool 

The following day, after our Buffet Breakfast at Binondo Hall. we spent our remaining time in touring the other part of the resort pero hindi pa rin namin naikot lahat. We had a quick deep at the Batis Inspired Swimming Pool pero hindi kami tumagal kasi nangangati kami. I hope they won’t forget to clean and maintain the pool. 


There are more activities that you can do so bitin talaga kung overnight lang but we still enjoyed our trip kasi ang tagal din nung last na alis namin which reminded me na hindi ko pa naiblog yung La Chevrerie. Check out is 12PM but we left as early as 10AM para sa labas na kami maglunch. 



Activities: 
Lola Basyang Storytelling 2:30PM at Casa Lubao 
Freedomland Show AM/PM 
Cultural Show 6PM 
Film Showing at 7PM at Casa Lubao 
Arts and Crafts Workshop PHP1,000/head 
Balsa and Gondola Tours PHP600/head 
Balsa Breakfast PHP3500 for 5 pax PHP1,000 for additional person 
Balsa with Meal PHP5,000 for 5 pax 
Hotel de Oriente Viewing PHP200/head 
Kalesa Ride PHP75 per head 
Golf Cart PHP750/per hour



June 08, 2023

Food Trip at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

It’s been almost a decade since our last visit to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and as far as I can remember, there is only one restaurant during our first visit but now, they have six restaurants and bars. So even though food and beverage are not allowed inside the resort, you will not go hungry or thirsty. In addition, they offer different cuisines like Filipino, Italian, and Spanish. 

Binondo Hall - Breakfast Buffet 
Cafe Del Rio - Spanish Tapas Bar 
Dapitan Bar - Beach Bar 
Kusina ni Nanay Maria - Filipino Cuisine 
La Bella Teodora - Italian Cuisine 
La Parilla and Pica - Filipino Delicacies Snack bar 

Since we only stayed for 2 days and 1 night we only tried 3 restaurants for our lunch, dinner, and breakfast. 

Lunch at Kusina ni Nanay Maria 

After our Heritage Tour, we immediately went to Kusina ni Nanay Maria for our lunch. This is where we ate our lunch too when we had our Day Trip at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar but now, they have a separate venue for day-trippers. 


I was a little bit sad because the menu has changed already, akala ko kasi maoorder ko yung dating kinain namin. Hehehe! Kusina ni Nanay Maria offers Filipino dishes that are good for singles and families. For family combos, they offer 4 sets that are good for 4 persons but we are a group of 6 so we decided to order, a la carte na lang. 



There are only few options, we ordered Lechon Carajay PHP710, Kare-Kare PHP780, Pinakbet PHP490, Laing PHP380, Rice PHP75 per cup, and Softdrink in Can PHP125





We waited for more than 30 minutes before our food was served and I was surprised when I saw the serving, konti lang pala so I was thinking kung kakasya ba sa amin. Buti nagkasya naman. We were satisfied with the taste of the food but we were shocked that their version of Laing is different, walang gata? 

Dinner at La Bella Teodora 

For our dinner, we are choosing between Cafe del Rio or La Bella Teodora but we chose the latter because it is near. We just finished watching the Cultural Show at Paseo de Escolta, so malayo ang Cafe del Rio. 


La Bella Teodora is named after Teodora Alonzo because it is beside Casa Biňan. This restaurant serves Italian food like brick-oven pizzas, pasta, grilled meat, and seafood. There is also an acoustic band here where you can also request a song.


Browsing the menu is hard, madilim kasi yung restaurant so we need to use our phone flashlight pa para lang makita namin. The rate of the food is more expensive compared to Kusina ni Maria, good thing na mahina kami kumain kapag dinner. Just like the quote “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” 



We ordered Margherita Pizza PHP630, Insalata Mista PHP450, Carbonara PHP695, Braciola Di Maiale PHP850, and Azimut Sparkling Wine PHP965. While waiting for our food, they served complimentary bread. 


It was already past seven so I really appreciate their fast service, mas mabilis ang serving ng food dito.




But I was a little bit disappointed with the Braciola Di Maiale because according to the menu “Grilled Pork Chops with Italian Herbs and homemade Mashed Potatoes”. So in my mind, 2 pieces of pork chops just like the pork chops that I ordered at Apartment 1B, 2 pieces of porkchops na magkapatong. But I was wrong because there is only one pork chop so the PHP850 is good for one person lang pala. 



Buffet Breakfast at Binondo Hall 

The buffet breakfast starts at 7AM pero wala pa 7AM ang dami ng tao sa labas ng Binondo Hall. I overheard other guests na sobrang late daw ng 7AM breakfast, hindi sanay ang mga working people and senior citizens. I am not surprised because the breakfast time was also too late for us na sanay sa 5:30AM breakfast especially since I have a student na maaga pumapasok. 


Anyway, the door was opened at exactly 7AM so the guests were all happy. I was excited about the buffet breakfast but unfortunately, the options are very limited. Imagine for the main viands, tuyo and sweet longganisa lang ang options. 


Enumerating the buffet spread during our trip. 

Fruits 
Salad 
Homemade Potatoes 
Plain Rice 
Pansit Bihon 
Tuyo 
Sweet Longganisa 
Congee 
Lomi Soup 
Waffles 
Scrambled Egg 
Sunny Side Up Egg 
Boiled Egg 
Bread 
Biko 
Lansong Mais 
Puto Cheese 
Melon Juice 
Watermelon Juice 
Coffee 




I am thankful for the scrambled egg and sunny side up egg, may naulam ako. So if you plan to go here, don’t expect too much sa buffet breakfast. Nabusog naman ako sa kakanin. 

Read: Day Trip at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar 
Birthday Staycation at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Breakfast at Binondo Hall - 7 - 10AM
Day Tour Binondo Hall (Set Lunch) 12 - 4PM
La Bella Teodora  and Kusina ni Maria
12 - 4PM Lunch
6-10PM Dinner
Cafe Del Rio 3-10PM

July 06, 2014

Day Trip in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Update: June 2023 

After almost a decade, we went back to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar but this time, we had an overnight stay. You can check the links below for my updated review and rates. 



Heritage Day Tour Rate 

PHP2,500 (Monday to Friday) 
PHP2,900 (Weekends, Holidays and Peak Dates) 

Inclusions: 

Entrance Fee and Use of Beach Area 
30 mins to 1 Hour Walking Guided Tour; Kalesa Ride 
Hotel de Oriente Viewing, Balsa River Cruise 
Set lunch at HDO Binondo Hall, all taxes and fees 

Walking Heritage Tour Schedule: 8:30AM, 10:30AM, 2:30PM and 4:30PM 
*Allowed time to stay inside the resort is from 8AM to 6PM only

***

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
is in my bucket list but because I live in South Luzon, it is not on my priority list. My friend invited us to attend his son’s 7th Birthday in Bataan since it is too far from Cavite, I suggested to my husband that we stay in Las Casas para di pagod. 


I emailed Las Casas but they replied, “please call to reserve” so my husband called, and unfortunately, no more Studio De Luxe rooms are available. We don’t want to book other rooms because PHP4,050 room rate is already steep for us and the next lowest available room is P5,850. 


We decided to have a day trip instead, we left Cavite around 4AM so we still have enough time na mamasyal before attending the birthday party at 3PM. I posted here our sidetrip “Bataan Road Trip” before going to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Resort. 

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a heritage park or heritage resort in Bagac, Bataan. It is owned by Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar who is an art collector and architect. Jerry aimed to showcase cultural heritage through the restoration of the houses.

At the gate, the guard gave us an entry pass to be given in the reception area. I was thankful that my son is still free.

Day Trip Entrance Fee of Las Casa Filipinas de Acuzar

Day Trip Rate

Package 1 (set meal) P1,200 nett per person
Package 2 (buffet meal) P1,500 nett per person
A guaranteed minimum of 30 persons is required to avail of the buffet arrangement.

Inclusions:

Welcome Drinks
30-minute to 1-hour Guided Tour of Heritage Houses
Entrance Fee and Use of Beach Area
1 Lunch, Afternoon Snack, 2 Tetra Pack Juices, 2 Bottles of Mineral Water
Vicinity Map
All Taxes and Service Charge

Other Options:

Option 1: Entrance Fee with Snacks

P850 - adult
P425 - kids

Option 2: Entrance Fee Only

P685 - adult and 5 years old and above
FREE - toddlers

Upon entering the Heritage Park, you will feel that you’ve been transported in the past. It is really nice to see how big and beautiful the old houses compared to the trend now. 


We were a few minutes late for the Heritage Tour but we don’t want to waste our time waiting for the next schedule so we asked them if pwede pa humabol and they gladly assisted us to locate the tour guide. 

Schedule of Heritage Tour 

8:30 AM
9:30 AM
10:30 AM
11:30AM

1:30 PM
2:30 PM
3:30 PM
4:30 PM

The Heritage Tour is a guided walking tour around the Heritage Park showcasing the cultural and historical background of every single heritage house. After seeing the before and after photos, I was really amazed at how they were able to restore the houses. Check the photos.











After the tour, we ate our lunch at “Casa Unisan” and ordered the set meal at PHP432. It includes soup, a main course, dessert, and drinks. The taste is good.  


Like 


1. I like the idea of a Heritage Tour because you will learn a lot. There are more information that you will know that is not written in History school books. 


2. I’ve been to Calle Crisologo in Vigan but I think this is much better because you can visit more heritage houses. It is like a one-stop shop that showcases different houses around the Philippines. 


3. Service is good.


Dislike 


1. I emailed them to reserve a room but they replied “Please call to reserve”. What is the use of this email reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com if you can’t reserve via email? 


2. I paid PHP685 for the tour, welcome drinks, and beach use only. There is a swimming pool but only check-in guests can use it. If you want to ride a calesa or golf cart there’s a fee for that.



3. My son is free of charge so no welcome drinks also but in Villa Escudero even if the guest is FOC, he/she has a welcome drink and buffet lunch.  

4. We wanted to take a bath before attending the birthday party but after seeing the bathroom, wag na lang. I'm not picky but the bathroom has no lock (broken) so how can I take a bath with an open door and I don’t know where to put my bag. I hope they will have a decent bathroom for day-trip guests.

Bathroom

Note: We went there in April 2014 so it was really hot. There’s not enough shade so it is better to bring an umbrella, cap, drinks and extra clothes. 

Every time you enter a heritage house, you have to remove your slippers or shoes so better wear footwear na madali alisin at isuot.  



Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar 
Bo. Pagasa, Bagac, Bataan
+63 2 332 5338 +63 2 332 5286 
E-mail: reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com 
http://lascasasfilipinas.com Klook.com
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