villa escudero, quezon

this was the family's first trip to Villa Escudero, special because my sisters and i were not keen on going then, that dad & mom continually tried selling the place to us on the way. we thought it was just a so-so resort owned by some wealthy haciendero who just decided his estate was worth showing-off (and make money out of unsuspecting tourists). we were so wrong! there was never a dull moment during our overnite stay, in fact we were begging dad to agree to a 2nd nite as we haven't finished discovering the entire place yet. it was so huge, so self-sustaining (sooo wise of the owner to build a man-made lake & dam) to generate power and serve even the neighboring communities)...inside the premises, the escudero's preserved & refurbished the old chapel which also served as a museum of real old & antique collections...guests were treated to sumptuous buffets served & taken at nipa huts along the foot of the dam - definitely awesome! this has become one place we always take visiting relatives or friends in the years that followed...