Rating:4/5 
Though the rooms don't pass my will-i-walk-barefoot test, the clean beach, clear water and good food make La Luz Beach Resort a great weekend destination.
***
I've always been impressed with Laiya, Batangas but it can be confusing to choose among the many different resorts that share this strip of beach.
I won't focus yet on the beach because it's common among all the resorts. But here are 3 reasons (that are unique to La Luz) which make the place a great weekend destination:
1. Great website - It's one of the few resorts which has an uncluttered and easy-to-use web presence. They've got what-you-see-is-what-you-get rates (no hidden fees), precise directions to the resort (the kilometer readings are off by about a kilometer or two) and up to date contact information.
2. Good food - Php900/day includes 3 full buffet meals and an afternoon snack. Each meal has a meat, fish, vegetable dish and dessert. Initially I thought that this was expensive but I realized that i'm willing to pay for the convenience of having a good meal on a beach without going through the hassle of cooking. I stayed for 3 days and the viands never repeated for each meal.
3. Decent rooms - They're not great but it's clean and relatively cheaper than others. You pay per room instead of per person which means it gets cheaper if there are more in your group. We stayed at the Php 2,550 room that can fit four people. It's a tight squeeze for four but it will do.
The bathroom and room don't pass my will-I-walk-barefoot test so make sure you bring slippers. Bonus points for the hot water shower but minus points for the too-thin curtains that force you to wake up when the sun rises.
Unlike Boracay, you aren't constantly hassled by vendors. Instead of massage therapists plying the beach, you call for a booking (php250/hr) which makes it much more organized.
There's no television, no noisy nightlife, no clubs, no thumping music (except maybe for the odd karaoke) it's just you, the sand and waves. The resort is thoughtful enough to have a bonfire set up every night and you can lounge on the chairs, look for shooting stars and listen to the cackle of burning wood.
Bring your own snorkel and have a look at the fish a couple of meters from the shore but don't expect some fancy coral because you'll need to hire a boat to get to the nice spots. Plus points because borrowing life jackets is free. Minus points for the dilapidated state of the jackets.
I wouldn't recommend swimming as there are very sudden drops of the sea floor. This could pose to be a hazard specially that there is no lifeguard.
Just stay within a couple of meters from the shore and you'll be fine. Better yet, just be a camera whore and look for the the hidden places that make for great photo ops.
Conclusion
Four pawikan points. Visit from Thursday to Saturday because the place is pretty empty during weekdays. Plus points for the clear water but minus points for the rocky sand.
Make sure you do the following:
- Try the yummy and refreshing yellow mango shake (P40)
- Head on over to the rock at the west side of the beach which looks great during the sunset.
If you liked this review, you may also want to read my reviews of Terrazas de Punta Fuego and White Cove Resort.
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19 comments:
yay! dont i get kudos for a picture there!?!? i took the first picture! its pretty! tssss....
hey P, can i link up your blog to mine? www.bloggingmiles.com thanks. :-)
hey pao! love your site! :) i think i'm gna go to la luz! been wanting to take a day trip! kaya kaya?:)
This is one of the most complete and well-organized 'Beach review' I've ever read... nice bro...
guest936298 (from meebome): hey... i like your reviews. well anyway.. a couple of friends and i are going to la luz, and with the sound of ur review, i think its kindda good. any suggestions what to do for an overnyt stay? are these real pictures from la luz? well thanks anyway..c",)
What to do on an overnight stay? Inuman and sitting under the stars. =)
And yes these are real photos that I took myself from La Luz. Bear in mind that I wrote this review a long time ago and it might not look the same anymore.
hi there! went to la luz a week ago, and yeah, you got everything right..
the food choices were my favorite! hehehe.. but seriously, it's now my favorite beach..
came across your blog just now coz i'm writing an article about our weekend getaway for the office newsletter.. ^_^
i'm glad that the review is still relevant even if this was written over a year ago!
What I dont like about some resorts in Laiya like La Luz is that, they make their beach private. and that is WRONG! Beach is for everyone to enjoy not just the resort owner...Beach should be open for everyone!
Its just unfair that for the guest of Laluz can walk all over laiya beach then the people who stays in other places cant come to the la luz beach. Just doesnt make sense.
Restaurants should also be open for other guests not just for Laluz people.
That is the problem with Laiya... not much choices... in terms of restaurants, bars, not much beach places to walk around.
Laiya is more for local people and not for western tourist.
Is your review still relevant in 2009?
My brother-in-law will be arriving from the States in July, 2009 together with his wife and 2 kids, 12yo and 6yo. Is this resort ideal for a family? Can they swim in the beach or it's "mabato"? Thanks
hey clarissa,
i haven't returned to La Luz since I last reviewed them so i'm not sure if it's still up to date. Maybe you can read the other comments of the post and you'll see what other people think. Mukha namang OK.
Is it ok to swim? Last time I was there, lots of sudden drops. I wouldn't let kids swim. Maybe just wade a little but definitely with a lifevest and with adult supervision.
consider Villa Crisanta also in Batangas (http://www.villacrisanta.com), i think that would be a good choice for the family. they've got a lot of things for children to do, lots of swimming pools, trampoline, a spa and you are encouraged to bring your own food to cook!
good luck!
hi! do they accomodate walk-in guests?
May I share my first time road trip to La Luz Beach Resort in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas and how I got there!
It was a Monday 22-February-2010, wherein I went with my love (lifetime partner) to explore La Luz Beach Resort in Laiya, Hugom, San Juan, Batangas.
Came from Tondo, Manila; while driving along Liwasang Bonifacio, I synchronized my car’s quartz clock with Manila City Hall’s 8:08am for the record of my road trip drive to San Juan, Batangas.
When I paid my breakfast bill at Pancake House located at the Petron gasoline station along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), I noticed it was 9:09 am.
Then I fueled my L3 diesel van and set the reading of the odometer to triple zero, left Petron and noticed it was already 10:00 am.
I continued the drive along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) until the last toll booth and got out at the end of SLEX and turned right at exit 50A to Batangas, Lucena and Legaspi.
After that right turn from the SLEX, I drove straight and ahead to the Batangas (STAR Toll) Expressway entrance. That drive was approximately 25 minutes and about 7 kilometers, since it was a busy Monday; moderate to heavy traffic has built-up.
The Batangas (STAR Toll) Expressway entrance was on the right side after the First Philippine Industrial Park.
I drove about 33 kilometers on the Batangas (STAR Toll) express highway and took the San Jose – Ibaan Exit (the 4th exit, after the Lipa exit). Lipa was the third exit.
After the San Jose – Ibaan exit, I turned left and drove about 3 kilometers to an intersection with a sign pointing to Rosario, this point I turned left at this particular intersection.
After I turned left, the Municipal Hall of Ibaan was visible on the right and a church on the left. I passed the church on my left and I reached a forked-road and followed the road curved right with sign pointed to San Juan.
I drove about 8 kilometers on this road towards Rosario town proper. From a distance and upon reaching the Rosario town proper, I noticed a Jollibee outlet on my left, a Mercury Drug (opposite Jollibee) and South Star Drug outlet on my right; I passed Jollibee and just drove straight the road going to San Juan town proper, which was approximately about 25 kilometers.
Along the way, I saw an arch and a sign for the Batangas Racing Circuit on my right and veered left at this point towards the San Juan town proper. All along the way, I noticed signs from Landco saying: Laiya, Life in Color.
When I reached the town proper of San Juan, I noticed and passed a Petron gasoline station on my right and after a block, the Municipal Hall of San Juan, I made a right turn.
Immediately I also noticed several signs from different beach resorts and subdivisions being developed in Laiya, and followed this road towards Hugom.
Again, all along the way, I noticed signs from Landco saying: Laiya, Life in Color.
And the total distance from the San Juan Municipal Town Hall to La Luz Beach Resort covered another 25 kilometers.
I finally arrived at La Luz Beach Resort just in time for lunch.
Registered and checked-in 12:22 pm.
For the record, the odometer reading on my L3 diesel van was 123.
So for reference, the total kilometer reading from: Petron (SLEX) to La Luz Beach Resort was 123 kilometers.
Me and my love were satisfied and we enjoyed our stay at La Luz Beach Resort with friendly, courteous staff plus the irresistible sumptuous meals!
May the blessings always be!
May the blessings always be!
My family and I also went to Laiya, Batangas last July 2009 when my brother-in-law and his family arrived from the States. We stayed at Kabayan Resort. It is nice to stay in Kabayan Resort since it is suited for a family. The beachfront is very wide and it is not "mabato" It is perfect for a family with kids and the grounds at Kabayan Resort is not cramped.
went to Laiya, White Cove this holy week 2010 and I was really disappointed. The place is nice but the crew is not so friendly. When we arrived, reception people were ok but they did not even offered to assist us, lead us to where we can wait till our room can be accommodated. Then, our dinner was served around 9pm already! Ang tagal ng set-up! It was by the beach and lighting was very poor, so you have to guess what kind of food is served. Our meal package is good for 3. We were served 3 viands (mixed veggies, 3 small pcs tilapia w/c i don’t even know what kind of sauce it has, 2cups rice, 2pcs small sliced watermelon & 2pcs small sized pineapple, 1 round softdrinks-coke/sprite). It was not good. Had I not requested the waiter for addtional food, that was our dinner “P316/head”. 2 liters of softdrinks was shared by around 20 people! The next day, my sis-in-law had breakfast first and she just got a small portion of food, when she returned at the breakfast buffet to get a second round, the crew told her that the buffet is only good for one round! Me and my hubby got our breakfast around 9am and there was no one there to serve/assist us. There were hardly no food left (tuna, egg, esp tocino-portioned into 3). Buffet lunch is by portion too! 1pc of each viand, though this time had 4 choices. Our ordered shakes/drinks took so long everytime as well as our ordered additional lunch. When we followed up, the crew we asked would not take responsibility in delivering our meals in our table (it was already labeled by my name and he said “di ko po alam yan!”. They knew they had a lot of guests, they should have added more crew to serve their guests! Or their few staffs could have been more friendly and accommodating. I felt they were very discriminating…sorry for the term but “yung feeling na ginugulangan mo sila” sa food…that they promote as “buffet” (1 time serving only and by portion!). We were suppose to have a relaxing weekend but instead got pissed with the kind of service we experienced at Laiya White Cove. I really want to pose this comment to warn guests who would go there… :(
If any of you has experienced poor service at Laiya White Cove Resort, it is because they do not treat their employees right. Employees are overworked and underpaid-12 hour work for minimum wages. They are given leftovers for meals, sometimes all they have to eat are a few pieces of eggplant and alamang! Once, they were even given rice that has gone bad! Laiya White Cove should be boycotted for this kind of treatment to their employees!!!
thanks for your feature on la luz, it clinched teh deal for me. was actually leaning towards it after surfing the net for two hours. thabks & God bless
lucille
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