Summer Score, Forest Cove

So where did we go this summer?  The beach, of course.  We're easy. 
But, with the aid of my incredible vacation planning prowess and immeasurable love for discounts and freebies, a simple beach trip transformed into an all-in-one luxury trip.  Well, semi-luxury.  Like I said, we're easy.

Forest Cove by day.

Forest Cove by night.

We went to Forest Cove, a lovely glass beach house in Nasugbu, Batangas. 

Possibly the only beach house with this pretty a complete kitchen set-up...

... and the most comfortable beds of the expensive goosedown sort. 

It came with the usual resort amenities.  Spectacular view, banana boat, jet ski, henna tattooes, and island hopping boat adventures in brand new, quality life vests.  None of those beat-up, orange wrap-arounds.

The gold mine is that it also came with a pass to next door exclusive, ultra swanky Terrazas de Punta Fuego!  SCORE!  You can get the pass discounted or for free.  Guess how I got ours?  Hehe...

You see?  That ultimate vacation is all in the meticulous researching and the insatiable hunger for value for money.  For this crafty mom anyway. :)
Summer's not over yet.  Why not give Forest Cove a try?

Secretly yours, Cala Perdida

OMIGOSH!  I am so ridiculously awesome at planning family outings, I can just hug myself.  Lol!

Introducing a new player sitting comfortably at the top of my Family Adventures file folder --the ultra-amazing Cala Perdida in Calatagan, Batangas!  *fanfare*

Our front yard

Our backyard

Uh, never heard of it?  Of course, you haven't!  THAT is where my brilliant family outing planning prowess comes into play.  I had wanted a no-technology, nature trip for the tail end of summer and so I googled 'Swanky secluded private beach house in Calatagan'.  And voila!  Cala Perdida appeared.

Our house

Ok, ok, Googling isn't really impressive.  But Cala Perdida is.  It's a finely-chiseled diamond nestled in the bosom of the pristine beach and the wild forest, with the nearest neighbor located far, far away.  It's your own nature enclave.  The authentic 'your home away from home, get away from it all' reality.

Our very own private beach

Our garden

We spent the weekend here and the experience was just beyond beautiful.  It's teeming with multi-colored birds diving into the pool every few minutes.  Interesting-looking bugs fluttering about in the foliage.  Fish flying alongside of us in the ocean.  And don't get me started on the surrealistic beauty of the rest of the marine life.  The colors in this place are just severely amped, you wouldn't believe it.

Our very own mountain

Cala at night is equally mesmerizing with the sounds of nature --whistling winds, soothing waves, interspersed with wild calls from the woods.  Having no TV and no internet gave our weekend a completely adventurous spin.  And discovery!  Like when we found 2 to 3-foot long salamanders living down the beach, and a bird's nest right in our porch.  My boys have learned so much about animals, rock formations, and the ecosystem in just a span of 2 days!

To be honest, I had wanted to be selfish and make Cala Perdida our little secret.  But, to my dismay, a secret this astounding just can't be contained.
Spend your next summer here.  It's all yours.  Just as someday, it will be all ours again.

Sabangan, Laiya Love

I'll let you in on our beach bumming secret.
We go during the off-seasons --it's cheaper that way and we avoid the hectic summer crowd.
And, we insist on Sabangan Resort at Laiya, Batangas --because of its pure awesomeness.

Sabangan is a rustic, pretty, little resort nestled between vacation spot giants, Blue Coral and Aquatico.  It's a sore thumb in comparison.  It doesn't have Blue Coral's jet ski action.  And none of Aquatico's infinity pool glory.  What Sabangan simply offers is family bonding to the serene shiznit. 

It doesn't have a hotel set-up.  It gives you your own dainty, airconditioned cottage.

With cozy, native, meticulously-designed interiors.

With your very own nature-inspired front yard.

And your very own huge sandbox backyard.

You get the same upper class kind of clear waters.

And the same luxury of fine, powdery sand.

Oh and you're given your own kitchen, too.  None of those expensive restaurant prizes.  You cook your own food in the comfort of your own 'home'.

When you're done with the beach, there's the lumberrific playground.

And the open-air game area that gives a whole new meaning to the term 'shooting the breeze'.

See?  Unprecedented, unrestricted family bonding.

That's Sabangan.  My wisest decision in family vacation relaxation yet!  And that's no secret.