I had been in some daytrips in Villa Escudro before but it was my first time to try an overnight stay here and this was to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary with my family. We got a suite for this special occasion to have a bigger space for my son who has become taller than his Dad and mostly because we wanted an expansive view of the river in the veranda.
The view was worth the splurge. The serenity of the river was relaxing especially while lying on the hammock listening to the birds chirping nearby. One inconvenience of this room though is that it’s a little far and there is no phone for room service, just a buzzer to get someone over if you need something.
But other than that, if you want to be away from it all and just want some peace and quiet then this could also suit you. You can also request to have their small electric jeep to pick you up and bring you to the dining area if you don’t like to walk far.
So that’s what we did. After our check-in we had their small electric jeep brought us to the waterfalls for lunch. We dined under this man-made falls with cold running water and large, slippery stones underneath (barefoot is ideal). It was fun eating pancit and grilled tilapia in the midst of a thunderous waterfalls. And if you want something more from the buffet table, the staff was also quite helpful to assist you.
We were not supposed to have the dinner buffet that night because we enjoyed the view in our room and wanted to stay there so we ordered snacks to dine in the veranda. But we still did had the buffet because why waste free food, right? Anyway, the food came in paper plates on top of small bilaos served by staff dressed in Filipiniana attire. It was a fun and filling merienda treat in a magnificent setting.
One of the highlights of our stay for me aside from the view is the harana. I was surprised when I heard music outside the room and two men were singing, one with a guitar. My husband and son were wandering the grounds that time while I sat in the veranda when I heard the serenade. I opened the back door and heard them singing a kundiman. It was a special treat witnessing a part of an old Filipino tradition, a time when lasses in the province were serenaded by suitors outside their bahay kubos.
In the morning, we had breakfast in their huge dining hall near the river. We had their corned beef with potatoes (my son’s favorite), longganiza, dried fish and java rice among others. I liked their hot chocolate made from tablea or pure cacao. It reminded me of the ones made by my relatives in Batangas. Meanwhile, my husband adored their homemade jams like papaya, mango and pineapple paired with their warm pandesal and kapeng barako.
Before we went home, we visited their museum. Note that it’s not a church but a replica only because it houses some religious items. We can’t take pictures inside but it was still a treat especially for my husband who is a museum fan. It was quite educational with its antique statues of saints and other artifacts about the war.
Overall, it was a fun and memorable stay. The attention to detail with emphasis on Filipiniana decor and attire was refreshing. Maybe that’s why there are a lot of tourists and balikbayans who come here for daytours. I wouldn’t mind coming back here again to dine in such picturesque settings and experience our own brand of Filipino hospitality.
