villa escudero - MUST visit

Sprawling over 40 hec of country farm land, villa escudero is a one-of-a-kind place you MUST visit when you are in the philippines.

His memory of the villa did not present him with any wow impression. He visited the place during marcos time, but did not find anything worth any special mentioning. He rememered there was the buffalo-cart ride, a museum(not remember what's inside) and lunch at the side of the river, and the scenary was something typically countryside.
But when he visited it this time, he had to re-access the place and put it up there in the list on places to visit in the philippines.

First the museum, now housed in a building that replicated the manila old church, complted in 1991, were historically and geographically signifcant artifacts,like the collection of colonial religious arts.

After the museaum, they took the 15minute buffalo ride, to have feel of the pace of rural life. He was pleasantly surpirsed to get entertained by a lady singer and a man guitar player with a few very melodic and lovely filipino classic songs.

Lunch was in the middle of a river, at the bottom of the dam, just beside the waterfall falling from the top of the dam to the bottom. It was an experience never had, for him and many others especially the kids. They had a whale of time playing with the water at the bottom of the falls, while their parents watched them from nearby tables enjoying their bountiful buffet lunch.

the dam provided a very ideal place for a cool and placid rafting. Each bamboo raft took 2 people, kids were not allowed. the trick to turning the raft with the oar, is to roll it from in to out, not parallel to the raft.

the filipinos are big eaters, especially of rice. They did and dig at the rice, and also they scoop and scoop on other dishes... The dishes are mountains of food. But like other well-off people, the left-over on the tables reminds one to think whether there's any poor people in this nation. Perhaps all the people who could afford the 1250P entrance fee are by no means poor in any standard.

The swimming pools for kids and adults were just nearby. The whole family could spend the rest of the day, swimming, rafting...

There's huts built on the side of the rivers, and nearby, for overnite accomodation.

And a big hall in native structure for showing the traditional filipino music and dance.

this place for all to enjoy. if you do not bring your kids there, you enjoy watching the others' kids.... enjoying themselves just like kids do!