The Dreys visit Lima Park Hotel in Malvar, Batangas!
Last weekend, my family and I wanted to make the most of our family’s time before our son flies off abroad for work (In case you aren’t aware, I wrote all about that on a previous post). So, we took the opportunity to enjoy a little quality family time not too far away from the metro by spending a couple of days in a resort located in Batangas that we’ve been meaning to visit for quite sometime now.
The place is called Lima Park Hotel. It is situated right inside the Lima Techology Center in Malvar, Batangas.
But traveling during the late afternoon of a payday weekday proved to be quite a challenge. We were meaning to head to Batangas earlier but since our daughter still had school, we had to wait for her dismissal before making our way out of Metro Manila. Our main obstacle was the terrible traffic we had to contend with in Makati and SLEX (from Magallanes to Sucat). It was also a payday weekend which made matters worse. But. the moment you reach the Filinvest area of the superhighway, it’s smooth driving all the way.
Thankfully, it was good vibes all the way to Batangas since we had our fave Spotify playlists blasting on loop inside our Ford Everest. Plus, Yen had lots of junk food ready in case anyone of us got hungry on the road which, sure enough, happened more than once. Hehehe.
Hello, Lima Park Hotel!
It took us under 2 hours to get to Lima Park Hotel; faster than our usual travel time to Tagaytay.
I believe we arrived at Lima Park Hotel around 8:30pm. It really means a lot when hotel staff and management warmly welcome you after a long drive. They quickly checked us in and brought us to our room in order to freshen up and get comfy.
Our beautiful Deluxe Room
Check out the beautiful Deluxe Room that was waiting for us…
A quick late dinner at Plum Restaurant
After a few minutes of settling down, we went straight to their beautiful Pan Asian cuisine restaurant called, Plum. This was where we had our late dinner.
Plum Restaurant was where we had all our meals during our stay at Lima Park Hotel save for one wherein we had a special binalot lunch at Manakah (meaning mataasnakahoy), a private Taal lakeside getaway owned and maintained by the same property. But more of that later.
Chef Chris, who heads Plum’s kitchen, masterfully prepared incredibly delicious dishes for us during our entire stay.
What an incredible dinner. *burp!* (Excuse me!)
One of the awesome highlights of our stay happened the next day. It was the awesome opportunity to visit Lima Park Hotel’s very own private Taal lakeside getaway called, Manakah. “Manakah”, according to our friends at Lima Park Hotel, means “mataasnakahoy”. It is a beautifully quaint area located not too far from the hotel.
Lima Park Hotel’s transport service took us to Amore Point (which is about a 20 minute van ride from the property). This is the jumpoff point wherein you take a quick 15 minute boat ride along Taal Lake to reach Manakah.
Manakah!
I love how Manakah provides the feel of a secluded escape where one can enjoy some peace and quiet with friends and family, and the opportunity to be one with nature.
There are many huts that provide cool shelter and a place to enjoy snacks and drinks.
And oh… it is worth mentioning that their comfort room is clean and well-maintained by personnel.
They even have some swings for kids as well as a really cool tree house!
Our brief visit to Manakah that morning coincided with a scheduled Dragonboat and kayak competition which we enjoyed witnessing.
Our family also had a fun time going kayaking!
I partnered up with my wife on one kayak, while the kids were on the other one.
By the way, if you’re a kayak enthusiast, make sure you check this great guide on how to choose kayak drysuits – https://www.globosurfer.com/best-kayak-drysuits/
For lunch, Lima Park Hotel prepared a delicious binalot meal for us which had adobo, egg and rice.
The kind of food that matched perfectly with the setting during that noontime.
Should you want to experience Manakah yourselves, you can check out the very affordable packages provided by Lima Park Hotel. Walk-in customers are just as welcome as hotel staying guests, although prices differ, of course.
After lunch, we headed back to the boat and made our way back to Amore Point where our van was waiting to take us back to the hotel.
As we made our way back to Lima Park Hotel, we stopped by a popular attraction in Balete, Batangas called, Marian Orchard.
Marian Orchard is a regularly visited pilgrimage site that offers guests, local and foreign, a place to relax, meditate, and pray.
It’s a sprawling property with many beautiful and quiet areas where you can commune with God.
Apart from that, the Marian Orchard is also a great place for Instagram shots.
The colors, greenery, and structures make for great photos for anyone’s social media feed.
We only spent about an hour at Marian Orchard then headed straight to the hotel.
Back at Lima Park Hotel
When we arrived at Lima Park Hotel, we still had enough time to take advantage of the sun and the swimming pool. But first, we had to stop by our room to drop our bags and stuff.
The moment we stepped into our room, we immediately realized that the wonderful folks at Lima Park Hotel rearranged and decorated the place while were away to surprise us with this…
Awwww… Thank you so much, Lima Park Hotel. You didn’t have to but you still did. This gesture truly means a lot to me and my wife.
Love you, guys! I really appreciate the effort.
Pool time!
Well, off to the pool, we go!
There was barely anyone at the pool area during that afternoon, so we made sure to make good use of it.
Yen and I spent a considerable amount of time sunbathing.
Afterwards, I did a couple of laps in the water to cool down from the heat of the sun.
Pre-dinner activities
Before sundown, our son took advantage of the “golden hour” outdoors and asked us to help him take his OOTD shots outside of the hotel; right where our Ford Everest was parked.
You can check out our son’s Instagram account by clicking here.
We wanted to check out Lima Park Hotel’s surrounding areas before dinner so we decided to take the Everest for a spin.
But it didn’t take too long and we headed back to the hotel in no time because we were all hungry already — especially me (that swim in the pool earlier really worked up my appetite). Hahaha!
A spectacular dinner awaits at Plum!
Dinner was up next! And Chef Chris sure didn’t disappoint. He prepared an incredible course highlighting the flavors of Batangas by showcasing a few elevated Batangueno dishes that made our dining experience truly exceptional. Check them out…
Kesong Puti with Crostini, Bulalo, Crispy Tawilis, Tulingan Fillet, and Latik Fondue were just some of the amazing gastronomical surprises Chef Chris brought in.
I was never more thankful that this particular evening fell on my diet’s cheat day! Woohoo! Hahaha! Apart from that, I also brought a pack of Formoline L112 to help block upto 60% of fat calories from my food intake. Whew!
A truly spectacular dinner to cap off an entire day of fun, adventure and family bonding.
Next day, as I was getting dressed, I noticed just how sunburned my skin got instead of achieving a golden tan. Hahaha! What’s new.
Anyways, we only had enough time to have breakfast and pack our stuff since we were in a hurry to make it back to Manila by early afternoon; just in time for a baptism that my wife and I needed to attend.
Thank you, Lima Park Hotel.
I wish we could have spent more time enjoying Lima Park Hotel. Nevertheless, the impeccable service and hospitality of their staff, management and personnel, the food and wonderful amenities, as well as the side trips to Manakah and Marian Orchard have made this brief getaway truly memorable.
I look forward to coming back soon and hopefully staying a little bit longer next time.
Thank you very much, Lima Park Hotel. The trip to Batangas was truly well worth it. It is such a delight to know that we now have a wonderful place not too far down south from Metro Manila that we can call home.
Heading back to Manila was equally fun since we still had junk food, drinks, and lotsa music inside the Ford Everest.
And we also had tons of looooooove. Cheesy! Hahaha!
Check out my Instagram Story Highlight featuring our visit to Lima Park Hotel.
I highly recommend that you check out my Instagram Story Highlight that features our stay at Lima Park Hotel to fully appreciate what went down during our stay. You can watch my IG Story Highlight by clicking here or by clicking the image below.
Lima Park Hotel
Lima Technology Center Malvar, Batangas, Philippines
P: +63 43 981 1555
E: [email protected]
https://www.limaparkhotel.com/