TRAVEL BLOG/REVIEW: Manuel Uy Beach Resort
For this year's summer getaway, I and my friends went to Manuel Uy Beach Resort, located in Calatagan, Batangas last April 14-15, 2018.
We had this high school boy group named We Are One (Yes, for real! š) in 2015 - photo below:
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| (Top left to right: Joshua Paul "Jopoy" Pajarillo, Steven "Popo" Religioso, Ace Balbarez (Me), Renz Araos, Ryan Reyes Below left to right: Jerome Pamulaklakin, John Love Luper, JD Trinidad) |
We have parted ways in Senior High School; some stayed in the same school.
John Love expressed his desire to have a getaway reunion as early as March this year. However, due to the unavailability of some, there was never a plan until we graduated and had the time for vacation. He was the one who wished go to a beach and they let me plan on it.
Upon searching and inquiring, then consulting probable locations to the group, I ended up picking Manuel Uy Beach Resort located in Calatagan, Batangas, where beach resorts are adjacent to each other. It was the best pick with our budget and desire to have some fun, and we successfully did.
I'm not going to elaborate one by one the service rates of the resort because, THANKFULLY, it has an official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/manueluybeachresort/, where a comprehensive information guide is available. Check its pinned post to get the answers to all your questions (from entrance fee and other charges to resort policies and activities)All I'm going to tell you honestly is - IT'S A BUDGET FRIENDLY AND WORTHY BEACH GETAWAY.
(This post serves as a travel blog and as an experience review as well!)
I established a budget plan, set the date, and informed our GC about it; I later assigned assignments to each of us. So we were set to leave Los Banos before dawn on April 14 and would leave in the morning of April 15 as we all preferred to stay overnight and experience camping to fully compensate the long travel time and distance to Calatagan, Batangas.
In the night of April 13, we have already brought our things and stayed at Ryan's residence as we are set to leave before dawn the next day. Renz provided our vehicle where we all shared for the gas expense. Jerome has his tent all ready. John Love, JD, and I prepared our food pledges. Unfortunately, Jopoy and Popo weren't able to come. Renz arrived where we're staying around 4 am, originating from Sta. Rosa where he resides to Los Banos, to pick us up - and we were then headed to CALATAGAN after filling the car with our stuff!
It was our first time to go that far all together and none of us has ever been there; we utilized Google Maps as a guide and got an estimated 3 hours travel time. We were able to reach Manuel Uy at 8:41am - which is longer than the expected arrival time. The reason behind is we made a couple of stop-overs to have some breakfast, to buy more ice and meat to grill, plus a light traffic in some roads. TIP (This is actually a lesson learned. Hahahahaha!) : Have a big ice box to store more ice and marinate all your desired meat to be grilled beforehand.
Before entering the vicinity of the beach resort, there's a checkpoint where you have to pay an environmental fee which costs 30.00pesos/head. (I think this environmental fee is subjected to all guests in all resorts elsewhere.) So as you approach Calatagan, have a head count, compute the total amount, and prepare the money as to lessen the time spent in cueing when you are asked for it. You'd be given a stub right after the payment is made (see photo).
You'll enter the area where more vehicles are cued. Someone will welcome you who would then ask 'Ilan kayo?' 'Day tour or overnight?' 'Magrerent ba kayo ng tent?' He then gave us a receipt where we should present to the lobby and pay.
We are charged a total of 1,450.00 pesos (1,200 = 6 persons * 200 overnight rate; 150 = tent fee; 100 = parking fee)
This rate may vary depending on the vehicle size, the number of people, and size of the tent. All of these are enumerated here: Pinned Post.
TIP: Have someone from your group to get out of the car and go to the lobby (the resort has an open reception) while you wait because a lot of vehicles are cued waiting if there's still available space inside the parking lot of the resort.
I was the one who managed the transaction and we were then allowed to enter inside. The parking space is quite full; a personnel informed us that we cannot go further the parking lot because it's already full. Renz had to park a little bit further from the camping site - we had to walk longer to shift our stuff.
TIP: If you plan for an ovennight stay, come as early as possible. This is to find a good parking area, camp site, and preferred tide. (Its FB page has shared a link to know the tide times in Calatagan: https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Calatagan/tides/latest
And our day started!
We looked for a good spot (we had hard time looking since there were already many campers, especially under trees with good shed) and set-up our tent (we also had a hard time setting up because of the strong wind smashing our direction - ours is larger than the common tents around). Ryan and Jerome immediately went to the beach and took selfies as we shifted our stuff from the car to the tent. They eventually helped to transfer things.
We decided to take an early lunch as we are all hungry from traveling (we didn't have small snacks during travel, that's why š
.) We had pork and chicken adobo, and ripe mango for our first meal.
We started strolling and exploring, swimming and capturing, napping and sleeping throughout the day.
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| First Group Picture |
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| There's me eating MANGA |
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| Hindi naman ako silaw na silaw! |
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| Sunset |
We didn't try any water activities like island hopping, snorkeling, and boat rides. It would be so much fun if we did, but it just so happens that we weren't able to. We still played cards, enjoyed using our pocket wi-fi (millennials!!!), and talk profusely.
Gladly, when the darkness of the night falls and you don't have any portable speaker, no lamp to light, and no power bank to charge your gadgets, you can still survive the night aside from sleeping early by STARGAZING.
Bring out your mat if you have one, go to the beach, look for a good and soft spot, lie down with or without cover, and have the universe above you! Damn, it felt so good during that time. No matter how much noise was there around you, when you look up to the sky and see the stars blink at you, nothing feels more belittling yet extraordinarily massive and special. (Fortunately, it was a clear sky that night and it was a great time to gaze at the stars!)Conveniently, there's a small sari-sari store uphill the beach where you can purchase some necessities like water, soft and alcoholic drinks, chips, ice, even food condiments and dish cleaning materials. There's also a "paluto" service at the same store. We had our rice cooked for 50pesos/kg.
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| Dinner: Grilled Liempo and Chicken Thigh + Hotdog! |
We woke up at 5am; the sun was about to rise, but it's already bright and people were already prepping for the day. We decided to fix our things and head out as we ran out of food for breakfast.
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| Last Group Picture at the Beach (L-R: Ace Balbarez (Me), Renz Araos, Ryan Reyes, JD Trinidad, John Love Lupera, Jerome Pamulaklakin) |
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Rating my experience, I'm giving it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars out of 5.
SAND AND WATER
If you're into white sand beaches and clear sea water, Manuel Uy has both to boast. Not as pearly as white sand on a beach island, you still get to enjoy white fine sand in some parts of the shore. It wouldn't be a beach if it isn't a mixture of sand, pebble, crushed and small corals, and seashells. You can still walk on foot safely though!
The water is damn clear. From the shoreline to the lifeguards' posts in the waters which are meters away, you can see your feet clearly underwater - meaning you can see small corals, seaweeds and plants, and some small live fishes! (I didn't see any starfish though. š)
Aside from that, Manuel Uy has an amazing sandbar where you can totally step onto and indulge yourself with unlimited pictures. Strike a pose - lie down - have a selfie or groupie - or just walk from one point to another!
ACCOMMODATION
The FB Page of the resort has made it clear that it is a camping site and it doesn't have any cottages to offer - not any kind at all. It's evident that Manuel Uy is a go-to beach resort for both campers and typical beach goers alike. Jerome provided our tent which is good for 8 people that reduced the expense of renting one (Yes, they have Tent Rentals at an affordable price, unlike other resorts that have pricey rental cost).
I wished there were more trees with thicker canopies. Hopefully, there will be as the management has planted several saplings which will grow into mature ones.
It's windy so you gotta open your tent windows and openings to let air pass through. At night, I have seen many laid on the sand and slept there, which seemed safe and comfortable enough. BUT at dawn, mosquitoes have penetrated the tents - you could have a clapping frenzy. šš
FACILITY
Manuel Uy has a grilling station and sink area under one roof. I didn't manage to count but I think it has 10 adjacent faucets back to back which make 20, and 10 adjacents grills back to back which also make 20. However, with the proliferation of guests throughout the day, the grills aren't enough to handle all who wish to cook; you gotta wait for your turn especially during meal time.
Beside it is the shower area, male and female comfort and dressing room under one roof. There are several shower heads outdoor, six cubicles with toilet seats, two male urinal bowls, four indoor shower room, and a sink with mirror (at least for the male).
The management has to build more to cater all the guests and to reduce the waiting line during peak hours. There were long lines in the afternoon (day tour guests leaving), and at night time (who took a night swimming). MUST HAVE PATIENCE! Hahahahaha!
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SECURITY
The management has placed the right people in the lobby - they are very welcoming, have discussed the important policies and reminders clearly, and easy to talk to.
There are security guards roaming the campsite, there are others who actively assist vehicles to park.
However, there's a lady in the charging station who was a bit unfriendly when I asked if there's a near store in the vicinity and whether there is still available rice cooker or stove. I understand that she might be tired looking out for numerous mobile phones on her counter. Gladly, I am able to receive a response even in a not-so-friendly manner.
There are several lifeguard posts in the waters in distance between each other but only present from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm. Night swimming is still allowed but we are told that there would be no available lifeguards. The beach has a borderline where you cannot cross over (maybe because it goes deeper and corals rest there). Moreover, we are reminded that they are not responsible for any losses and that we should be responsible for our things. We heard that there was a lost child, but fortunately, the management was able to help find the child who happens to reside near our tent.
ENVIRONMENT
The place is eco-friendly and IG worthy. The place (sand and water) is clean and not yet polluted. There are trash pickers and grabbers to maintain the cleanliness of the place, but empty drinking bottles and cigar butts are still seen under the trees - probably neglected by previous campers. (I hope the management has more people to clean the mess, but importantly, beachgoers must be more responsible and careful of the environment.)
Aside from enjoying the beach, its sand and waters, you can go up a small hill and take pictures -having the beach as your background.
I have nothing to say about the water activities as we didn't get to experience them. šš
You'd see different people - a couple, a group of friends, a whole family from grandparents to grandkids, topless men, some ladies in there two-piece, fashionable gays, and lively children. I have seen no foreigners (probably they opt to choose Stilts and Aquaria, which are neighboring resorts of Manuel Uy, and are both expensive. š), but I saw men in green and gold hair and women in pink and violet hair! š
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Manuel Uy is a good getaway if you're seeking a camp experience and beach outing at the same time at a low cost. So if you're still looking a place for your summer getaway, I recommend considering Manuel Uy Beach Resort in Calatagan, Batangas! Visit their FB page @manueluybeachresort for rates, details, and directions. š
Date of Getaway: April 14-15, 2018
Blog Written:: April 15-16, 2018
-TBWS
I wished there were more trees with thicker canopies. Hopefully, there will be as the management has planted several saplings which will grow into mature ones.
It's windy so you gotta open your tent windows and openings to let air pass through. At night, I have seen many laid on the sand and slept there, which seemed safe and comfortable enough. BUT at dawn, mosquitoes have penetrated the tents - you could have a clapping frenzy. šš
FACILITY
Manuel Uy has a grilling station and sink area under one roof. I didn't manage to count but I think it has 10 adjacent faucets back to back which make 20, and 10 adjacents grills back to back which also make 20. However, with the proliferation of guests throughout the day, the grills aren't enough to handle all who wish to cook; you gotta wait for your turn especially during meal time.
Beside it is the shower area, male and female comfort and dressing room under one roof. There are several shower heads outdoor, six cubicles with toilet seats, two male urinal bowls, four indoor shower room, and a sink with mirror (at least for the male).
The management has to build more to cater all the guests and to reduce the waiting line during peak hours. There were long lines in the afternoon (day tour guests leaving), and at night time (who took a night swimming). MUST HAVE PATIENCE! Hahahahaha!
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SECURITY
The management has placed the right people in the lobby - they are very welcoming, have discussed the important policies and reminders clearly, and easy to talk to.
There are security guards roaming the campsite, there are others who actively assist vehicles to park.
However, there's a lady in the charging station who was a bit unfriendly when I asked if there's a near store in the vicinity and whether there is still available rice cooker or stove. I understand that she might be tired looking out for numerous mobile phones on her counter. Gladly, I am able to receive a response even in a not-so-friendly manner.
There are several lifeguard posts in the waters in distance between each other but only present from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm. Night swimming is still allowed but we are told that there would be no available lifeguards. The beach has a borderline where you cannot cross over (maybe because it goes deeper and corals rest there). Moreover, we are reminded that they are not responsible for any losses and that we should be responsible for our things. We heard that there was a lost child, but fortunately, the management was able to help find the child who happens to reside near our tent.
ENVIRONMENT
The place is eco-friendly and IG worthy. The place (sand and water) is clean and not yet polluted. There are trash pickers and grabbers to maintain the cleanliness of the place, but empty drinking bottles and cigar butts are still seen under the trees - probably neglected by previous campers. (I hope the management has more people to clean the mess, but importantly, beachgoers must be more responsible and careful of the environment.)
Aside from enjoying the beach, its sand and waters, you can go up a small hill and take pictures -having the beach as your background.
I have nothing to say about the water activities as we didn't get to experience them. šš
You'd see different people - a couple, a group of friends, a whole family from grandparents to grandkids, topless men, some ladies in there two-piece, fashionable gays, and lively children. I have seen no foreigners (probably they opt to choose Stilts and Aquaria, which are neighboring resorts of Manuel Uy, and are both expensive. š), but I saw men in green and gold hair and women in pink and violet hair! š
---
Manuel Uy is a good getaway if you're seeking a camp experience and beach outing at the same time at a low cost. So if you're still looking a place for your summer getaway, I recommend considering Manuel Uy Beach Resort in Calatagan, Batangas! Visit their FB page @manueluybeachresort for rates, details, and directions. š
Date of Getaway: April 14-15, 2018
Blog Written:: April 15-16, 2018
-TBWS
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