My father was raised in the town of Tayabas and I consider Quezon as my second home province. Yearly, I visit my Tayabasin relatives for our annual family reunion and sometimes on occasions such as Pahiyas and Mayohan festivals. Last September 29, on the feast day of St. Michael Archangel and the town's fiesta, Radney and I went there to see my dad's siblings and my cousins. It was the perfect time to distribute the invitations for our upcoming October wedding, everybody was there plus a buffet lunch welcomed us. We intended to just have a quick visit and planned to go back to Manila at night but suddenly we felt very tired for another 5-hour drive so we decided to find a place to spend the night. Through google search, we were able to find a nearby place to stay and it was at Samkara Restaurant and Garden Resort in the town of Lucban. It is a Bali-inspired resort where the nipa huts and the pool are overlooking a wide rice field and numerous coconut trees. Long time ago, I've been wanting to blog something about Quezon Province and finally I have this entry.
It was such a breath-taking, fresh and peaceful sanctuary where guests can eat, relax and meditate. I cannot take my eyes off the rice terraces with actual hardworking farmers doing their day-to-day job.
For the accommodation, each room is located uphill, made of finest nipa hut materials and windows are made of capiz. We stayed in their "Kalawili" room. It may look vintage but it has comfortable features. It was airconditioned, there was an LED TV with cable channels, the bathroom was clean with toiletries and has water heater (much needed for naturally cold water). The bed with stylish kulambo (mosquito net) was so inviting. The rattan rocking chair near the large sliding glass door was very nostalgic, it reminds me of our grandparents. Opening the sliding glass leads to the veranda with another perspective of the yellow-green rice fields.
The restaurant was tidy and has a relaxing Filipino atmosphere. As our complimentary breakfast, they served the famous and delicious Lucban longganisa and Pancit Habhab and even gave us free watermelon shakes. Instrumental music of OPM love songs was playing on the background while we were eating. I can consider this as one of the best breakfasts of my life!
The pool area was my favorite, it is actually the resort's main attraction. Unlike any other pools, it is chlorine-free! It is not tiled and looks like a natural basin of fresh water coming from Mt. Banahaw. It was not a big pool but we savored every moment of peace and tranquility while swimming, we were not sharing it with anyone as there were only few guests at that time. As we stand in the middle, the 360 degree view surrounding the pool was more than perfection! At the edge of the pool was a closer view of the rice fields. We got caught in the rain but that didn't stop us from having fun, instead we enjoyed it even more! It was a one of a kind provincial experience. Just notice how unexpected this trip was, I wasn't prepared to bring a proper swimming attire.
It was such a breath-taking, fresh and peaceful sanctuary where guests can eat, relax and meditate. I cannot take my eyes off the rice terraces with actual hardworking farmers doing their day-to-day job.
For the accommodation, each room is located uphill, made of finest nipa hut materials and windows are made of capiz. We stayed in their "Kalawili" room. It may look vintage but it has comfortable features. It was airconditioned, there was an LED TV with cable channels, the bathroom was clean with toiletries and has water heater (much needed for naturally cold water). The bed with stylish kulambo (mosquito net) was so inviting. The rattan rocking chair near the large sliding glass door was very nostalgic, it reminds me of our grandparents. Opening the sliding glass leads to the veranda with another perspective of the yellow-green rice fields.
The pool area was my favorite, it is actually the resort's main attraction. Unlike any other pools, it is chlorine-free! It is not tiled and looks like a natural basin of fresh water coming from Mt. Banahaw. It was not a big pool but we savored every moment of peace and tranquility while swimming, we were not sharing it with anyone as there were only few guests at that time. As we stand in the middle, the 360 degree view surrounding the pool was more than perfection! At the edge of the pool was a closer view of the rice fields. We got caught in the rain but that didn't stop us from having fun, instead we enjoyed it even more! It was a one of a kind provincial experience. Just notice how unexpected this trip was, I wasn't prepared to bring a proper swimming attire.
