True to the photos you see on the website, Casa Ibiza really is photogenic in real life, even with the unkempt resort, everything looks good in photos. The real cause for our whole team's pledge to never go back with friends and family was really simple and could have been prevented, that is very unsatisfactory customer service.

Being from a company that provides IT services, we have been living on a standard of providing service that is nothing short of our best, which is why it was frustrating how everything has been handled--from the reservations to the logistics.


Let me also disclose that we availed a voucher from a deal-buying site. Does this entitle us to be given subpar service? No. Also, as per TripAdvisor, even without deal sites, the reviews are leaning towards bad. So it can't be just us, right?

Main swimming pool.

Wading pool, whatever the heck that is.

On the upside, you are allowed to eat the food you order from the restaurant at the poolside.

Downside of ordering is that it takes them really a long time to prepare. A 1-hour wait for cheesesticks and fruit shake? Really? We were the only ones ordering so we can't understand how it took that long. We wanted to take over the kitchen and cook for ourselves-- which brings us to the corkage fees issue.

Photo from Casa Ibiza Facebook page

We saw a photo from their Facebook page under the "Photographs taken by guests" album that people were grilling liempo so we inquired if we can do the same. We promptly received an email from Danielle Lee and as it turns out, it was Divine Lee's shots (her sister, model, celebrity, role model ko haha I love her) and she was only taking the photos to show how the food is being cooked. But we CAN avail the cook-your-own-food drama, but we'll have to pay... wait for it... 700 pesos. EACH. And that, my friends, was the discounted rate. Obviously, we opted out.

So for both lunch and dinner, we just decided to eat outside, rather than spend a ridiculous amount of money so we can grill and/or wait for their kitchen staff to bring out the ordered dished in a timely manner.

The deal came with free breakfast. It was decent but not great. Acceptable though, since it's free. There were three breakfast items to choose from: corned beef, tapa and ham. It came with orange juice.




Another pro, (that I could think of) was the free horseback riding sessions. You are not obligated to, but a tip for manong would be nice. 


More photos of the place.

Unkempt cabana, morning na to ah, makalat pa rin :'(

Where we stayed

Bar/dining area

We were frustrated. I even wished the photos didn't turn out to be this appealing, because really, it won't compensate for all the trouble, and that feeling of dissatisfaction. I don't know if they are just understaffed or the training was poor. I'd like to say though that it has a potential to be a go-to place to relax.

How to get there:
Most Baler patrons (at least those that I know of) suggest that the bus is the best way to go to Baler. Not only does it make the travel hassle-free, it is also a lot safer.


Hassle-free because all you'll need to do is drop yourselves off to the bus station and if you're lucky, get a trip via *Joybus, also the tiring 5-7hr drive will take a toll on the designated driver, making it hard to enjoy the getaway. Also, apparently. it is better to those who will be bringing their own surfboards.

Safer because the road is not for road trippers, especially less experienced drivers. There are zigzag paths, wherein even in a bus, it could be scary. What more if the driver is not used to the path.

*Joybus is Genesis Transport Service Inc.'s special bus that has routes to popular tourist destinations like Baler, Baguio, La Union, etc. The bus station is located at Cubao, beside Baliwag.


What makes the Joybus special is that for an additional Php280, you'll get a bus with wifi, snacks, pillow and blanket, a comfort room, lazy boy seats and a friggin' stewardess! Even local economy flights don't have these! If you have a choice, this is the ONLY way to travel to Baler.

Joybus ticket to Baler, Aurora. Purchased before the price hike.

And because we weren't so lucky on the way back to Metro Manila, we weren't able to catch a Joybus. Apparently, you can only book departure tickets in advance, which is possibly the only con we've encountered transpo-wise. The tickets from Baler-Manila, you have to purchase from the Baler Genesis office, which is like this nipa house at the back of the bus parking lot. It's purely on a first-come first-serve basis, so if it's a peak season, better secure those return tickets as soon as you get to Baler.

In our case, since our plan was for a 2D1N stay only, we got beaten in the Joybus ticket slots by those who planned for a 3D2N stay, who arrived on a Friday, and purchased their return tickets on the same day. Heck, we couldn't even get return tickets for a regular bus on our preferred time (which brings us on why the the title is as it is; to be written later).

As for the price hike, it conveniently occurred during the day we departed. Here are the bus ticket prices for your reference.

	Previous Price	Current Price
Regular Bus	Php400	Php429
Joybus	Php650	Php695

I have always loved the beach. It's just that growing up in Palawan, I've been really partial about beaches because I know I've seen the best. And if I were to go spend vacation in one aside from Palawan beaches, it has to be on a good deal.

This is where researching became a good weapon before venturing into Puerto Galera for the first time. I looked for other alternatives but after calculating, Angel's Travel Tours was by far the best price. And because of the good feedback I read online, I booked everyone's travel itinerary with them. It was summer so a deal like this cannot be ignored.

Tickets for MB Golden Hawk

You get to wear a sticker so the ferry crew and the staff from the resort would recognize you as their guest.

We waited for 40 minutes to board in Gate 2B because we missed the earlier ferry trip.

Their promo package included the back and forth ferry ride, environmental fees, terminal fee, shuttle service, and room accommodation. All we had to do was be at the Batangas Pier to meet and pay the travel agent, in our case, Mhae.

Balcony area outside our room

The rung behind us is where we hang our wet clothes

We stayed at Delgado's Resort. The building seems newly built. The room we got was good for the 5 of us. Sorry for not having photos without people in it. I always take pictures of the amenities of the resorts I go to. I guess I just forgot to do so this time. You can click here to see the amenities as posted on their Facebook Fan Page.

Amanpulo... (sighs) In a perfect world, my honeymoon would be booked there. Who would not want to experience luxury at its finest?







Although I've lived in Palawan for the most part of my life, I have never been to Amanpulo, even for an island day tour, because of their soaring rates. See? They are not even quoted in Philippines Pesos.   

rates

	1 Nov, 2010 to 31 May, 2011	1 June, 2010 to 31 Oct, 2010
Treetop Casita	US$ 900	US$ 750		View images >
Hillside Casita	US$ 1,100	US$ 800		View images >
Beach Casita	US$ 1,150	US$ 825		View images >
Deluxe Hillside Casita (39/40)	US$ 1,250	US$ 925		View images >
1-Bedroom Villa	US$ 2,100	US$ 1,400		View images >
2-Bedroom Villa	US$ 3,150	US$ 2,450		View images >
4-Bedroom Villa	US$ 4,300	US$ 3,500		View images >

I will forever love anyone who will make this dream come true.

Or was it our Christmas Party. I don't know. If you asked my teammates, they would all have different responses as to what we were celebrating really. So let us just use the word outing.

The call time was 6am-7am at 7Eleven in Woodridge, McKinley Hill. Why one earth would they give a 1-hour call time? It's for people like me who make it a sport to go to events late. (It's not a trait I'm proud of but but but. Okay, I'll make no excuses.) True enough , I arrived at 7am, ON THE DOT.

NLEX Stopover. I had to buy something sweet because my stomach begged for it. I get motion-sick every time I travel by land. Sometimes, even on short distances, I throw up. Eating Stork, or anything minty, and rubbing that travel oinment, which name I forgot, will only make things worse. So DQ it is!
 
Fast track to Morong, Bataan. The resort we booked was deceptive, I tell you! As we drove into the parking lot, our hearts sank because of the high hopes that we had for the place. And to avoid more of this mistake, I shall name drop. The Waterfront Beach Resort, it is.

Even their welcome sign was not appealing AT ALL.

But being the fun-loving people that we are, we  just decided to make the most of the experience. (Warning: A heavy series of photos will follow)

The sliding doors were asking for them to be used for some silhouette action.

Another one of those shots that demanded us not to show our faces.

What is more fun than simulating "fun on the beach"?

Pa-smexy photo. Sexy while smiling.

And what is a sunset without my infamous jumpshots and scorpion pose?


Other teammates decided to do their own silhouette poses as well. Posted below are some of their action shots.



And we also made our TL and his fiancee do obligatory cheesy poses.

For the final photo, I present the team silhouette shot. Hay. Ganyan ba talaga 'pag di superb ang beach view? Idaan na lang sa silhouette? Just kidding.