Bethesda Private Pool, Tadlac, Los Baños, Laguna

Bethesda Private Pool (by Carillo Group of Resorts)
Lakewood Subdivision, Brgy Tadlac, Los Baños, Laguna

We didn't have a team building this year due to Corona Virus Disease (Covid19). In our industry, team building is part of the office life. I'm always looking forward to team buildings because it gives me the opportunity to see different resorts and private pools.

 

The last team building I attended was  July 7-8, 2019. It was held at Bathesday Private Pool in Lakewood Subdivision, Brgy Tadlac (just after Pansol) in Los Baños, Laguna. I have a different schedule with my team mates so I have to commute.

From our office in Bridgetowne, I rode a jeep to Robinson's Galleria. I rode a bus via LRT Leveriza and dropped off at Taft Avenue corner Gil Puyat (formerly Buendia) avenue. This is where most bus going to Laguna and Batangas are located. I rode Jam Liner.

From SM Calamba I rode a jeep plying the Manila South Road towards Victoria, Laguna. After the famous Brgy Pansol, comes Sucol and Tadlak. Right after Splash Mountain Resort is Lakeview Subdivision. I rode a tricycle that took me to Bethesda.

 

The place is huge. We occupied two bedrooms at the ground floor and have access to the kitchen, dining and pool area. The pool area is large as well. Here are my pictures of the venue.

It's been a year but I'm hoping their contact numbers are still active: 0917-553-7878 and 0917-327-7878 (Globe) as well as their Smart # 0999-995-0988.

My team mates Ejay and Gerard

Billiard area

Kitchen area

Living and dining area

The hallway leading to the pool area

Bunker beds

Bedroom #1

 

 

Of course, there’s a karaoke machine

 

The pool and shower rooms

 

 

Kiddie pool and the main pool

 

Bedroom # 2

The living area

 

The dining area

My team mate Regine and her boyfriend  with the signage of Bethesda Private Pool (and contact numbers) at the back

Flickr Tags: Bethesda Private Pool,Tadlac,Los Baños,Laguna

Sampaguita Gardens, New Washington, Aklan

When I visited the Aklan Museum, I got a brochure showing the different tourist spots in Kalibo and in the province of Aklan. One of the attractions that caught my eye was the Sampaguita Gardens in New Washington, Aklan.

Sampaguita Gardens offers a great view of the sea

After visiting the main church (Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish) in New Washington as well as Rizal’s Monument, Jaime Cardinal Sin’s monument, some old houses and the municipal hall (the market is located somewhere else), I rode a tricycle and asked to be dropped off at Sampaguita Gardens. It’s a short distance from the town proper.

True enough, the place is wonderful. It has a Mediterranean theme (and offers a great view of the sea) as well as Christmas theme. There’s an entire house that has a wide ranged of Christmas decorations. All around the place, you’ll see Christmas decors and angels. The entrance fee is affordable and almost all corners are instagrammable.

The sprawling 2.6 hectare property features 48 Guestrooms and Suites; three restaurants; Convention Facilities; Business Center; Spa and Fitness Center; 2 swimming pools; Circus Rides; a 43 Ft. Aquarium; Oriental Garden, Precious Moments Gallery; the Samuel J. Butcher Mansion with its vast antique collection and stunning pieces of bric-a-bracs and other Orientalia; Precious Moments Meditation Chapel and Jojo’s Christmas Cottage, a Victorian cottage showcasing Precious Moments collectibles and the unique JCC Museum of Christmas. Source

You may check their website here.

In Sampaguita Gardens, everyday is Christmas Day

A house straight out of a fairy tale

 

 

 

 

 

All sorts of Christmas decorations are on sale

 

 

 

Lots of rooms for visitors

Sampaguita Gardens also has a chapel

Everywhere you look, there are angels in Sampaguita Gardens, New Washington, Aklan

Cute turtles that the kids would love

Noah’s Ark for the kids

Sweetest way of saying “Thank You” to the visitors of Sampaguita Gardens, New Washington, Aklan

Flickr Tags: Sampaguita Gardens,New Washington,Aklan

Basura Garden, Balete, Aklan

When I travel I usually do it via jeepney. I go to a new place. Look for the main Catholic church, the municipal/city hall, the market (if it’s nearby), Rizal’s monument and ancestral or old houses. These 5 elements usually is found in the town center (Poblacion if the town is Spanish-era).

When I was in Kalibo, Aklan I saw that there’s a jeepney ride to a town called Balete, Aklan. It’s a new town for me so I visited it. The main church is besides the town hall and Rizal’s monument. The market is located elsewhere and there’s not much old houses in the area.

If I have time, after visiting these 5 elements, I check Google Maps to see a tourist attraction nearby. I saw Basura Garden and it’s walking distance from the plaza. I visited it and to my surprised, it’s a museum and school rolled into one. The artist recycled some materials which you can find in a file of trash or basura and converted it to works of art. When you’re in Kalibo, this place should be on your checklist.

Basura Garden is affiliated with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) and is a school for living tradition.

BASURA GARDEN – The name of this place is derived from the owner’s collection of artifacts, antiques, including recyclable garbage materials from the native Baleten-on folks. Among those that were transformed into works of arts the observer would gape at are a broken shoe that was subsequently turned into a beautiful flower vase, an ordinary stone framed to portray realities which many oftentimes ignore. The artworks are setup inside the private garden purposely to create a haven of inspiration for the owner’s family, to evoke their innate creative nature or talent. Hence, friends and guests who enter the place likewise get inspiration, announcing to the outside world there is a small haven of art that exists in this town of Balete, for all to see. Source

Souvenir items you can buy at Basura Garden

A Christmas tree made of recycle materials

 

An old poso

Baeay Baleten-on: Enhanced school of living tradition

 

 

 

Old clocks

 

 

 

Several trophies and certificates of the artist

Old newspaper clippings

A chest x-ray

The artist and owner of Basura Garden in Balete, Aklan

Flickr Tags: Basura Garden,Balete,Aklan