Give me a break! How many times you said that to yourself? How many times you felt like a robot at work? Doing the same thing everyday and losing energy. How many times you talked behind your boss's back because of forced overtime? You may not know the exact number but one thing is for sure. My friend, it's just a burnout. There are really days in our lives that we almost quit. There are times that we don't feel ourselves. Like a zombie? We aren't sure if we are still breathing or even existing in this world. Because we are focused and don't have a choice but to be focused on our goals. Well, that's normal. All I can say is never quit! Maybe you just need a short escape from your daily hell. Simply, you need a place fresh from your eyes and gives you peace of mind.
You know what? I just experienced burnout these past few weeks. You know what I did?
We went to Shercon Resort! Where is it? Well, social media played a big role for us to know this place. It's amazing to see how technology and innovation help us nowadays. Remember before everything was just like word of mouth but now we get to see interesting things or places on our facebook news feed or instagram. We are definitely now in millennial generation where everything that is trending on social media, that's what we do, that's where we go and eat. In short, that's what we also like!
Have you seen swimming pools like (Banaue) rice terraces? If you are looking for a unique place with unusual outdoor swimming pool designs. Shercon Resort is an answer to your question. This really intrigued me when I saw this on facebook and as a proof I went there with my colleagues last week. This resort is also a Tropical Farm, Hotel and Ecology Park. So, if you are a nature lover and want a stress buster place, you will never go wrong here.
Also known as Shercon Resort and Ecology Park, this lovely place is located in Brgy. San Sebastian, Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas. A short getaway from Manila amidst the highlands of Lipa, Batangas and picture-perfect nearby Tagaytay.
How did we get there? Sadly, I was 20 minutes late when I went to JAM Liner Buendia Terminal in Pasay City, Metro Manila. My apologies for the delay. Instead of 5am (bus first trip) our trip started 6am going to Lipa, Batangas. The fare was 124 PHP (roughly 2.50 USD) per passenger. You may check this link for more details http://www.jam.com.ph/jam_liner_bus_schedule.html
Without traffic jam, our trip took almost an hour and a half. We got off the bus in Tambo, Lipa. In commuting the rule of thumb is always ask assistance from the bus attendant for the drop-off point. There's an instance that they forget to say it during the trip. Always remember this to avoid being lost in the wilderness. I never expected that the weather in Tambo was cold that morning. It was almost 8am and we were walking along the street. We were waiting for a jeepney to stop going to the town of Mataas na Kahoy. I felt the morning breeze as if it was still December. I thought it was a perfect time to eat sweet porridge and hot coffee. In the Philippines, without a doubt jeepney is commuter's bestfriend. For only 10 PHP (roughly .20 USD) jeepney fare per commuter we were able to reach the Tricycle Terminal (there is nearby 7-Eleven store where you can buy food and toiletries) going to Shercon Resort. Tricycle is like the small version of jeepney in the country. We only paid 60 PHP (roughly 1.20 USD) for four of us. The way was like from a song "The Long and Winding Road". It took us 10-15 minutes to get to the resort but I can say one of the smoothest tricycle rides I've ever experienced.
Breakfast at Lorie's Lomi (Food House) Unfortunately, we weren't able to buy food, just 5L bottled water. We went to a "lomi" house outside the resort to take our breakfast. What is it? It's a filipino dish. So far it was the most unique "lomi" I've ever tasted. The sauce was very sticky yet it tasted great. Make sure to drop by here and eat Lorie's delicious "lomi" for only 45 PHP (roughly .90 USD). While eating, bread on the table can be a complement. You can buy it for only 5 PHP (roughly .010 USD) each.
Day Tour at Shercon Resort! We were standing in a queue to pay for the entrance fee at exactly 8am. Day Tour starts at this time and ends 5pm. The amount is 250 PHP (roughly 5 USD) per adult and 150 PHP (roughly 3 USD) per kid (4-7 years old only). Make sure you already made early reservation (like a week before) for your cottage. The "Kubo Single" cottage we used was good for four of us and we paid 800 PHP (roughly 16 USD). It is wide open and there's no special cabinet where you can put your bag inside whenever you're away although there is a power socket where you can charge your phone. To make sure, I just brought my valuables with me like wallet and phone during swimming time.
We found an area where there was a great lighting perfect to use as background for my profile picture on social media. Strike a pose!
Eureka! Now I found the small pools that are look like rice terraces. Shercon Resort is really big and we had a lot of long walks just to visit different types of swimming pools. Just so you know there are 6 swimming pool areas and 11 pocket pools in this resort that you can use exclusively.
Maybe it's time to temporarily say goodbye to Island hopping and say hello to Swimming pool hopping. These super cute pools are really epic! This area is the signature of Shercon Resort.
We still smelled the chlorine from the pool that early morning so we decided to swim roughly 11am.
There's also a lot of overnight accommodations for visitors who would like to stay longer like the Forestville cabins.
If you're staying in Forestville cabins you have a direct access to this pool.
While walking toward our cottage we just saw this giant chess board and somewhat reminded me of the "Harry Potter" movie. There's also a maze perfect for your team building activities.
Pool hopping just continued throughout the day. Most of the pools are only 3-4 feet deep.
There are a lot of high trees in Shercon Resort. That's the reason why the town's name is "Mataas na Kahoy", in english it's "High Woods". If you want to eat. You will never be hungry because SAM's Kitchen is there for you, located inside the resort.
A priceless panoramic view of Taal Volcano welcomed us when we went on the other side of the resort.
Finally! We found the best swimming pool area. It's in Club Manuel Suites. Why? Although the pool was not really deep but the majestic view was incomparable. It's not everyday that I see this and it gives you peace of mind.
Shercon Resort gave me a new experience in beating the heat this summer and killing the stress from work. That is the legit "pool hopping" with great natural views on the side. It is not only a place to relax but can also be used for wedding or team building. Our day tour ended with a big smile on our faces and happy memories. We went out of the resort late 5pm and rode tricycle again going back to the terminal with the same fare of 60 PHP (roughly 1.20 USD) for four of us. How did you go home? At the tricycle terminal there was a jeepney going to SM Lipa with the same fare of 10 PHP (roughly 0.20 USD) per commuter. We didn't get lost because the jeepney went inside the bus terminal going back to Buendia, Pasay City. We also paid 124 PHP (roughly 2.50 USD) per passenger for the bus fare. Sadly, due to traffic jam in Metro Manila. We got off the bus after three hours of travel.
Thanks for reading. I hope this is helpful. I will be posting itinerary of this on my facebook page Supermarkymacky etc. and more pictures on my instagram Supermarkymacky. Please make sure to like and follow. For more details on how you can make reservation, you may check the website of Shercon Resort http://www.sherconresort.net
