A quiet little hideaway concealed in the cliffs of Antipolo, just a few minutes from Pasig City, is Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa. I chanced upon this while watching TFC while we were still in Doha and knew right away that we just had to go. The first thing I did our very first day in Manila was to make reservations for our anniversary. It was nothing compared to what we had originally planned, but we were feeling hopeful while we were entering their premises.

• Access to Hanging Gardens Facilities (Sauna, Dr. Fish Spa, Heated Jacuzzi, Hydro-massage Pool, Infinity Pools, Meditation Lounges)

Locker Room

Jacuzzi

Hydro-massage Pool

Infinity Pool

The infinity pool is where we took the most time staying. For me, this is the best place to really waste your seven hours of stay in the garden.


Since Luljetta is located in the cliffs of Antipolo, expect a lot of steep stairways.  It was quite a workout if you ask me, but totally worth it.

Cottages

• Snacks of Antipolo's Best Suman at Luljetta Cafe

Antipolo's Sumaka

Complimentary snacks are available at the cafe. Antipolo's Sumaka, Fried suman (rice cake cooked in coconut milk) with mangoes, kasoy (cashew) nuts and latik (caramelized coconut cream.) I loved this snack, it's not too sweet which is just perfect for my tastebuds.

Everything was at Php20.00 which is really a very good buy. Although, there were some issues regarding organization and foot-traffic flow, but I think that you only get what you paid for.

• Use the bathroom before you leave the house. They have a toilet inside the warehouse but the line is crazy and I can't assure you of the cleanliness.
• Bring a bag or a box where you can put your purchase/s.
• Bring a sanitizer/wipes/alcohol. You'll need one when you're finished going through the books.
• Wear comfortable clothes. It can get really rough inside the warehouse so it would be better if you could move comfortably.
• Bring an extra dose of PATIENCE. Believe me, you'll need it.

Image source: CWC Website

They also offer beginner courses for those who are eager to try out this sport.

Things we did in Bicol:

Day 1: CamSur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur
Day 1: Walk around my dad's home town Gubat, Sorsogon
Day 2: Bulusan Volcano Natural Park: Boating and Trekking
Day 2: Rizal Beach in Gubat, Sorsogon
Day 3: Mayon ATV Tour with Your Brother Travel and Tours
Day 3: Lunch at Embarcadero de Lagazpi
Day 3: First Colonial Grill's Chili Ice Cream
Day 3: Cagsawa Ruins in Albay

Another thing you can't pass up while in Bicol is visiting the Cagsawa Ruins. My family and I have been here a few times before and we will always be amazed by the beauty of Mayon.

Unfortunately, the Mayon was a tad bit shy, it got cloudy later in the afternoon after our ATV Tour so this was what we got to see.

The Cagsawa Ruins (also spelled as Kagsawa or Cagsaua) are the remnants of an 18th-century Franciscan church, the Cagsawa church. It was built in 1724, but was destroyed by the eruption of the Mayon Volcano in 1814. It is located in Barangay Busay, Cagsawa, in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, Philippines. 

It is now transformed into a park which they say, have the best view of Mayon. Our pictures may not verify that (since we came at a bad time) but I assure you that it does offer the most spectacular view of Bulkang Mayon in different circumstances.


The church was ruined during the 1814 eruption of the Mayon Volcano. Although the bell tower and the facade both survived the eruption; the latter gave out decades after, due to earthquakes that hit the area.


There are a group of tour guides around the park which you can approach and ask to take your photos. Mind you, they are quite good with photo tricks and jumpshots. Heck, they were better with our cameras than us, the so-called owners.


Aside from taking our photos, our guide even gave us a tour around the old church. But as I've said, we've been here a bunch of times, so we knew well enough not to listen to stories about the church being buried in lava. A little bit of research would tell you that it is not true; although the church was ruined, it was not buried.




When we were about to leave, the very shy Mayon decided to have us take a peek of its beautiful cone (if you look close enough, you'll see).

Things we did in Bicol:

Day 1: CamSur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur
Day 1: Walk around my dad's home town Gubat, Sorsogon
Day 2: Bulusan Volcano Natural Park: Boating and Trekking
Day 2: Rizal Beach in Gubat, Sorsogon
Day 3: Mayon ATV Tour with Your Brother Travel and Tours
Day 3: Lunch at Embarcadero de Lagazpi
Day 3: First Colonial Grill's Chili Ice Cream
Day 3: Cagsawa Ruins in Albay

Yesterday was a good day because I got news from our HR that our leave has been approved. Although it's still in August, I'm very excited and am now starting to plan itineraries for both Raymond and my family. Of course I am also looking at a trip for only the two of us. Did I mention that I'm also thrilled that this is happening in the most scorching month in the Doha calendar.

But before all that takes place, let me share with you what we did in the Philippines in our vacation last 2013 (sorry, this is outdated). Let's start with our ATV adventure at the Mayon Volcano (consider this as part 1 of the 2013 vacation).

MAYON ATV TOUR

Mayon Volcano Bulkang Mayon is an active volcano in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region. It is known for its "perfect cone" because of the symmetric conical shape of its crater.

We heard of Your Brother Travel and Tours from relatives who have tried their ATV tours and decided to try it out ourselves. They are accredited by the Department of Tourism as an ATV service provider for the Mayon Lava Trail.


And by Zac Efron.



There was a little run-through on operating the ATV at their parking area.



And we were good to go.


Of course my sister has all the good photos.




And Raymond, too.



Unfortunately, the Mayon was shy that day and was hiding behind a gang of clouds. Still beautiful, nonetheless. The thing also was that our guide knows the perfect angles to take photos.


The route was quite challenging, with different terrains, water, rocks, mud and everything else.

They have a camp at the end of the trail (by the way, we opted for the Basic ATV Trail, P2,500 for a 350cc single seater ATV) where you can rest or decide to climb up a lava wall with a helipad at the top and zoom your way down in a 300 meter zip line (additional P300 for the zip line).



It was quite scary, some of the rocks were moving and you can see some light from the inside which just means that some parts of the lava wall were hollow inside.


Only Raymond had the courage to go through with the zipline, so I had to go down the lava wall by foot.

It was a really fun experience and we would definitely do it again if we ever go back to Bicol.Maybe by then I'd have enough courage to go down the zip line. We might also even try a father route than this.

Thanks to Your Brother for the great tour and accommodating us graciously.

Your Brother Travel and Tours
Located at the back of Lignon Hill Nature Park
Diversion Road of Legazpi
Brgy. Pawa, Legazpi City
(052) 472-9871
+63917 595-8859
+63905 455-7594
email: yourbrothertravelandtours@yahoo.com

You can also inquire at the Lignon Hill Nature Park, they have some staff there to assist you on going to the site.

Things we did in Bicol:

Day 1: CamSur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur
Day 1: Walk around my dad's home town Gubat, Sorsogon
Day 2: Bulusan Volcano Natural Park: Boating and Trekking
Day 2: Rizal Beach in Gubat, Sorsogon
Day 3: Mayon ATV Tour with Your Brother Travel and Tours
Day 3: Lunch at Embarcadero de Lagazpi
Day 3: First Colonial Grill's Chili Ice Cream
Day 3: Cagsawa Ruins in Albay

This is NOT a sponsored post.