Acuatico Beach Resort Weekend Get Away

Looking for a short vacation south of Manila?

You may want to check out Acuatico Beach Resort in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.  It is a 3-hr drive from Metro Manila which makes it a great choice for a weekend getaway.

There are 21 contemporary Balinese-designed rooms and villas.  If you don't like staying in crowded resorts (like me) and fighting for every inch of pool space, this is perfect!

Acuatico has a spacious infinity pool, or you may also head over the beach if you want to do some serious swimming, snorkeling, kayak or other water sports.

Acuatico comes with an in-house restaurant (Oceano, run by Tamayo's Catering) with buffet spread or you can opt to order a la carte at the pool-side bar (Acua Bar) for refreshing cocktails (and non-alcoholic drinks) and snacks.

If you want to stay connected, there is WIFI access and Cable TV in every room. We were fortunate to get a villa that is right in front of the infinity pool and loungers. When I don't feel like dipping in to the pool, I can simply snooze in front of the villa and relax.

They also have a facility for conference room that can house as much as 30-50 people, can accommodate theater seating arrangement style. Should be great for moderate sized company event.

Section of the Infinity Pool

Splish-splash at the Laiya Beach

  

Mid-afternoon snack in front of our 2-room pool-front villa

View of Acuatico from the beachfront

You-and-I Moment

 

Pool is well lit for night swimmers. This is view from Oceano.

Loungers at the Beachfront

Until the next time!

 

Vivere Azure: Haven of Serenity (Kevin's Birthday Vacation)

The soothing view of blue sea and sound of gentle rolling waters will always be Kevin’s favorite place to be. To celebrate his 15th birthday, 2015's choice was a 3-day R&R at Vivere Azure. 

Kevin loved to hang around at any place with great views of blue sea.
The Edge pool overlooks the Anilao's famous beach.
 

Worth the drive!

Tree Top Hideaway

Relaxing afternoon dip at the Edge pool

Early morning Kayak is a great exercise to burn those
calories from a hearty breakfast

...while I take more pictures of the beachfront



Our last brekky was served ala carte and I chose
Steak with mashed potato and vegetable sides

Vivere Azure is located at Anilao, Batangas and offers a five-star luxury boutique resort experience.  There are thirteen themed-rooms to choose from, each with a unique interior design. The rooms are cozy cottages spread over multi-level, so be prepared for some hike going up and down if you want to access the beach area or the pool area. 

We were able to book for the Enchant room which is one of their more spacious room, fit for a family of four and is closer to the beachfront but will require a hike if we wanted to go to the pool area. The room comes with equally luxurious amenities, has WiFi access and cable TV.

The package include meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Food lived up to its five-star quality promise.  The meals can be served buffet style on peak days/seasons or either family-style or straight from the ala carte menu during low season when there are fewer guests. 

We spent early morning at the beach by flexing our muscles using the kayaks and Kyla did little bit of snorkeling while Kevin and I got lazy over at the loungers.  Warning-- the beach is teeming with corals and rocks, so we thought it was wiser to stay at their Edge pool for swimming. The pool offers a relaxing view of the beach and if you stay long enough in the afternoon, you will get a glimpse of the glorious Anilao’s sunset.  Vivere Azure is the place to be if you seek peace and quiet kind of relaxation.

The staff are also very professional, accommodating and ready to anticipate your family’s needs.  I am also thankful that they granted my request for a birthday cake for Kevin which they delivered with a happy birthday song during our first dinner which coincided with Kevin’s actual birthday.

Overall, it has been a very relaxing three days… our kind of vacation where the view is glorious, food is a delight and there is nothing much to do except bask in the glow of disconnectedness from the daily grind.

More pictures...

Reception area.

Kevin's Birthday dinner.
The staff sang him the birthday song and gave him a birthday cake.

More from the reception area.

They have a recreation area at the mezzanine of the dining hall/bar area.

Family style candle light dinner

Sumptuous breakfast overlooking the sea

 

Our room had a small terrace that gives you a glimpse of the beach.
Kevin and Kyla loved to hang out in this area.

And finally, breathtaking view of the Anilao sunset.