My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108

Are you tired of the same dining experience? With the same repetitive ambiance indoors. How would you like to dine outdoors for a change? Dine around nature as water from a falls flows on your feet. An experience which is unique and showcases Philippine culture. Come with me today as I take you with me to Villa Escudero Plantation and Resort.

Waterfall Buffet

Located at Tiaong,Quezon in the Philippines it was a four hour travel from our location. Leaving home around 5 am and without sleep yet due to night out we had was a challenge. I planned to sleep thru the travel on the way to the resort. It has been a while since we last time we had a family excursion. In this occasion it was my aunt's 81st birthday celebration and she wanted to experience this restaurant. The travel is long but the excitement is building up as it is a well known place and it is our first time to experience this type of dining. My daughter @bearkid kept herself busy with her phone and listening to her favorite music. I on the other hand occupied the last row of the van and tried to make up for lost sleep hoping to get a couple of hours sleep before we reach our destination. Unfortunately our driver does not know where the place and is not quite familiar is using navigational apps. I had to set the location on a mobile app called Waze and guided him which way to turn on intersections.

At least I got almost two hours of sleep and I think got a little charge from it. After the long travel we finally reached our destination at around 9:00 am. In front of the reception you could already have a feel of the cultural theme of the resort.

Upon entering the reception you would be greeted with welcome drinks made up of sweet brown sugar with shreds of melon served in a plastic cup. They offered my aunt a seat right away and even assisted her as she sat down.The crew wearing traditional local attire were very welcoming and friendly. Inside the reception hall there were already a lot of people waiting in line.

The place was made from local materials like bamboo, nipa and coconut lumber. The lighting caught my attention with warm light and shade made from weaved materials. We have not gotten to the restaurant yet but from here you could already tell that is a wonderful place.

The entrance fee day tour package:

Mon to Wed - 1,450 pesos ($27.22)
Thurs to Sun and Holiday - 1,650 pesos ($30.00)
Overnight Unit rental - 5,500 pesos ($103.25)

The day tour includes:

Museum Tour

Carabao Cart Ride

Use of the infinity pool and Jacuzzi

Bamboo Rafting

Lunch buffet at the Waterfalls

Philippine Cultural Show

At the center of the reception area is a map showing the points of interest. In case you would want to roam around this 800 hectares property.

To get to the restaurant you would need to take a short ride on a Carabao cart. My aunt had a hard time coming up the steps of the cart instead they called a service which is a motorized vehicle to take her to the location. From there I already commended the service from their staff. They watch out carefully for the needs of their customers especially the elderly.

As for the rest of us off we went to the Carabao ride to get to the restaurant. As for me "Shotgun!" I get to ride beside the driver.

Here is the rest of the family enjoying the ride and not only that. We were serenaded by the staff with acoustic cultural songs as we headed to the restaurant.

Sitting beside the driver you get the best view which is the behind of the Carabao. I was just hopeful that the Carabao does not pass gas. Fortunately it was a pleasant ride with no unexpected odor mishap.

We got to the entrance of the restaurant and the crew bid us and enjoyable experience.

Near the entrance there was a souvenir shop offering native delicacies and hand made bags, keychains and accessories. At the corner there is a small snack bar offering coffee, espresso and fruit juices.

Hand made earnings and my niece seems to fancy the designs.

At the restaurant a lush greenery and a cool forest air would greet you. You could already hear the sound of the waterfall and a scent of freshness with a feeling of calmness would surround you.

Tables are organized in rows and we got there early. Being early has its benefits you get the best seat in the house which is in front of the falls.

The Labasin waterfall is man made flowing from the Bulakin River. At the top is a Hydroelectric Power plant used to power the plantation.

The view is surreal seeing a restaurant with water running thru it. It is an absolute must to visit if you are in the Philippines. I myself was taken away by its charm.

The seats are still empty but soon enough people would start pouring in.

The table that we got was on the front left. I was hoping to get the center table but it was already occupied.

We were one of the first to get in line at the buffet table and we were starving so let's not spend more time lingering.

At the buffet table local dishes are served. You would need to give your stub from the reception area. The attendant would hand you a small bilao which is a plate made from woven material and covered with a banana leaf.

The popular local side dishes served from clay pots.

From top left to right

Steamed Egg plant
Sliced boiled eggs
Sliced tomatoes and onions
In the middle Bagoong (fermented krill in salt) Krill which is a species of tiny shrimps.
Steamed Okra best consumed with the Bagoong
Fermented white radish

The food are warmed by charcoal stoves which adds a traditional touch. There are five main dishes on the menu and they all looks so delicious and should satisfy anyone.

From right to left

Grilled Tilapa ( A fresh water native fish from the cichlid family)
Grilled pork belly
Pork Kalderata
On the end in a large clay pot is Sinigang soup

Roasted Chicken
Pumpkin and string beans in coconut milk

Slices of juicy red watermelons
Calamansi which is local native lime which you could use on the fish

Those coconut shells are used as soup bowls and also to put your vinegar on.

Native water cooler called the Tapayan. Water stored in this vessel is cooler even on a hot day.

Since the resort is also a coconut plantation. Plenty of coconuts for everyone and they charge 40 pesos or $.75 for each coconut.

The meat is already separated from the shell for easy consumption.

Here's my plate with a little bit of everything. The rice is wrapped in paper with the name of the resort.

They can provide plastic utensils but to experience the Filipino traditional way. It is best to eat with your hands.

Bearkid enjoying a refreshing red watermelon with water rushing behind her.

After around 20 minutes people started to pour in and all the tables slowly begins to get occupied.

The lines begins to get longer but they have another food station to accommodate the number of customers.

As we asked the staff how many visitors they get everyday. They said that they get a number of visitors that reaches up to 1000 per day. I am amazed how everything is well maintained ever since they opened to public in 1981. They have very good management and the staff are top notch in service.

Normally the ground would grow moss in the long run submerged in water but they are scrubbed everyday. There are some spots that are still slippery and warnings are posted to walk carefully.

Group activities are often held here and today there were two groups wearing green and blue.

A beautiful place to spend time with friends and family. A unique and unforgettable experience for everyone.

After having lunch it is time to take photos and enjoy the waterfall.

My daughter loved every moment of it as it is not everyday you get to eat beside a waterfall. Too bad she was not dressed up yet for swimming to soak up in the running water.

Throw away your worries behind and live by the moment. Capture sweet memories for something to look back and remind us of an unforgettable dining experience.

The place and service was excellent. I failed to mention earlier that you would need to take the stairs going down to the restaurant. My aunt was assisted by a staff and they even provided a wheelchair for her. The facility has a wheelchair ramp access area going down. A beautiful place made more gorgeous by the amazing staff greeting you with smiles and always attentive to all your needs. If I could give 6 stars to this place I would.

The price is a bit expensive for everyone but to our experience I can absolutely say that it is worth every cent.

The best memories in life are created with people that you love.

Thank you once again for joining me in this #beautifulsunday and have a good morning or evening everyone.

Please let me know what you think and feel free to leave some comments. Cheers!

Resource

Villa Escudero Plantaions and Resort

Follow @surpassinggoogle to witness an extraordinary person in this platform and vote for @steemgigs as witness

Discovering exceptional content in the community follow @curie and vote as witness
To have a glimpse of awesome content from the Philippines check out @bayanihan

All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 Sigma 50mm 1.4 and 12-32 mm