Where To Go This Dry Season? Let's Choose Canyon Woods Resort Club!

Hear ye! Hear ye! Friends, Filipinos, countrymen lend me your ears! I have something hot to announce, literally and really hot. Oops! Hold your horses people. I know you're excited to hear this. It's official! Dry season is back! This calls for a celebration!

Where would you like to go? What would you like to do? You can choose either a Bubble Party under the sun in Boracay or Strawberry Picking amid the foggy and cold weather of Benguet. Nah, Boracay will undergo rehab and Benguet is quite far from Manila. Do you have any suggestions?

Hmm, it's hard to think! Yeah, I understand it's really not easy to decide where to go because we all know that the Philippines is undoubtedly beautiful and there's a lot of breathtaking islands to visit. Right?

That's okay, I'll give you more time to think but I have one lovely suggestion for you. No more guessing, it's the Canyon Woods Resort Club in Batangas. Isn't it a lovely choice? This season you can either go to the beach if you want to embrace the sunshine and achieve perfect tan or stay in a cold weather destinations like Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines and Tagaytay City. Still undecided where to go?

Again that's okay, let me just continue this new blog post.

Address: Diokno Highway, Brgy. San Gregorio, Laurel Batangas, Laurel, 4221

The province of Batangas is indeed a popular holiday destination for many, especially those who live in Metro Manila like our family. There are several tourist spots to decide on like Taal Lake, Laiya Beach and Fortune Island. I've been to a fair amount of beaches in the country since I started blogging and I can say that it's another breath of fresh air when I went to Canyon Woods with few family members last Holy Week. There were no sound of splashing waves and summer feels but we sincerely felt the inner tranquil because of the pleasant weather and lush pine trees. It was a very right choice.

Front desk

Everyone will surely agree that our one night stay at Canyon Woods really has a good value for money when I say, "our accommodation is only worth 2,000 Pesos!". Huwatt? Yeah, it's just roughly 40 US Dollars. Affordable!

Write your comments here about your stay

To make this happen, I actually used my 50% off exhibit voucher which I bought in a Travel Fair last year. Yeah, regular price now is like 5,500 Pesos(roughly 110 US Dollars). At first I didn't have a specific plan on how and when to use it but last January of this year, I finally decided to book a room for my mom's birthday. 

Our Studio room with two beds.

I honestly had a hard time to book a room over the phone because of the insufficient signal in my place, they couldn't hear me. So, I thought the effective and efficient way was to email them.

Cable Television(but no WiFi)

Although they didn't reply right away, they still sent a great news to my email, "Sir, your preferred dates are still available". I quickly replied with a scanned copy of my voucher for them to process it and just within 24 hours I received another great news from Canyon Woods, "Sir, your booking is confirmed!". Perfect! That's why it is always better to inquire or book your room two to three months ahead especially if these are Peak Season dates because you know you'll get positive response from the Reservations Department.

Small fridge, Electric Kettle, Free Instant Coffee and Mugs

Fast forward to the week before my mom's birthday, I decided that we would commute by bus to Canyon Woods because it's way cheaper than Rent a Car. Moreover, I also texted the front desk to primarily follow up the status of Diokno Highway. They said that it wasn't passable for four-wheel drive vehicles due to soil erosion caused by heavy rainfall when I booked the room last January. Luckily, two months later it became passable for light vehicles. Yahoo!

Safe deposit box for your cash and jewelries

I felt extremely happy because I preferred that route(Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway-Diokno Highway) going to Canyon because I thought that's the easiest way for me.

Free toiletries

Staffs were really helpful amid my preparations even if I didn't meet them personally because they even sent me Canyon Woods Directional Map just in case I would need an alternate route. I believe that sharing is caring and I don't want you to get lost when you go there. So, here they are! Scroll down please.

Our bathroom

Approximately 99 kilometers from Makati via Laurel-Talisay Road

(estimated travel time 2 hours)

*expect heavy traffic on weekends and holidays

1. From Manila take SLEX all the way to Star Tollway

2. From Sambat (Tanauan Exit take Tanauan-Talisay Road)

3. Make your way up to Talisay-Laurel Road

Approximately 84 kilometers from Makati via Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road

(estimated travel time 2-5 hours)

*expect heavy traffic on weekends and holidays

1. From Manila make your way to SLEX and take Sta. Rosa Exit

2. From Sta. Rosa Exit take Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road up to Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway

3. From Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway make your way to Diokno Highway

4. From Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road make your way to Tagaytay-Calamba Road to Ligaya drive down to Tanauan-Talisay Road

Approximately 95 kilometers from Makati via Emilio Aguinaldo Highway

(estimated travel time 2-3 hours)

*expect heavy traffic on weekends and holidays

1. From Manila make your way to Emilio Aguinaldo Highway

2. From Tagaytay Rotonda make your way to Tagaytay-Talisay Road down to Tanauan-Talisay Road

*Make sure to use Google Maps or Waze app while taking your chosen route if you're not familiar with the roads and highways.

View from our room

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go. I'm standin' here outside your door". Another fast forward to the day of my mom's birthday, it was a cloudy Holy Saturday morning when we left our house and booked a Grab car to drive us to DLTB Bus Terminal in Pasay. Quite pricey but definitely much better than a regular taxicab.

The Peak Hotel

I could say, pretty much we were considerably prepared even though I had to leave some of my important clothes for the trip because they were still wet. Too bad, thank you sudden downpour!

Calming sunset from our room

There were a lot of passengers when we arrived at the bus terminal but we fortunately managed to get seats in less than 10 minutes. Are you ready backpackers?

The Peak's Infinity pool

It was a long yet pleasant bus ride going to Nasugbu Welcome Arch, due to Holiday traffic it took us more than three hours to get there but normally it's only two-hour ride. We paid a very fine fare of less than 400 Pesos(roughly 8 US Dollars) for four of us. Fares were only 87 Pesos(roughly 1.74 US Dollars) each for Senior Citizens/Students and 109 Pesos(roughly 2.18 US Dollars) each for Adults.

The Peak's Infinity pool

From Nasugbu Welcome Arch to Canyon Woods, we rode a trike and paid 100 Pesos(roughly 2 US Dollars). Outside of the resort club we had to wait for the shuttle to drive us to The Peak Hotel, after our guests verification. Make sure to prepare one valid ID when you get there. Okay? Yeah, shuttle service is free.

View of the Clubhouse

Finally! Thank goodness we were not late. We were able to check in before 3pm without hassle. It was very smooth and we just waited at the reception desk for roughly 5 minutes after giving the voucher and valid ID, to get our key cards and room number. Moreover, we were also given a photocopied Map of the whole resort, Privilege Passes and a mini folder.

Al fresco Dining area

That mini folder is important, so make sure to keep it while staying in Canyon Woods because it doesn't only houses your key cards but also there are 4 mini hard papers inside. These are for the House Rules, Facilities Operating Hours, Experience(Amenities) and Guest Appreciation Card, which will be your guide during your stay, so make sure to read it too.

Some policies that you need to know are.

1. Bringing of food is not allowed.

2. Pets are not allowed inside the resort.

3. Swimming cap is required in all pool outlets(only with long hair. You can rent for 50 pesos/1 US Dollar).

4. Cooking is not allowed inside the room(but you can boil water for your coffee or tea).

5. All rooms are non-smoking. A 2,500 Pesos(roughly 50 US Dollars) penalty is imposed to smoking violators.

6. Cancellation or amendment must be done at least 7 days prior to the booking date.

A tower viewer- it will let you see the great view of Taal Lake and overview of Canyon Woods property.

Here we go Room 603! I was a bit sleepy since I came from work that day and couldn't resist to see our beds. "Wow, this is so big!", that were the words I heard from my mother when I opened the door. "Omg! I love the view!", another group of words from her. Thank you Canyon for making my mum happy! We were honestly glad that we had a spacious Studio Room with complete beddings and entertainment systems when we stayed at The Peak Hotel. It was much better compare to some hotel rooms in Manila. Bathroom was big too and clean with toiletries. Furthermore, there were safety deposit box, mini refrigerator and coffee and tea making facilities. Room was indeed good for 4 people but could literally fit 6 people, perfect for pajama party.

Dining Hall, inside the Clubhouse

From The Peak Hotel let's go now to the Clubhouse. Yes, you can say we really are 'Rule Abiding Guests' because we didn't bring food from the outside. So, you can also predict that we were hungry when we arrived. Yes, correct! Well, traveling can really make us hungry. Hence, always bring bottled water and biscuits wherever you go.

Famous Filipino food, Sisig- 250 Pesos(roughly 5 US Dollars)

The Clubhouse is just a few walks away from the hotel, where you can see the Dining Hall(not sure but it's on the third floor). For sure you won't get lost if you will follow the Map or much better to ask the staff how to go there. We had a very late lunch and early dinner(they call it 'linner') because of the check-in time.

All time fave Filipino food in the morning, Pork Tocino- 250 Pesos(roughly 5 US Dollars)

Looking for Filipino food? Yes, they have it. There are Filipino dishes on the menu you can order like Adobo, Tocino and Sisig. The price of each meal ranges from 200 to 300 Pesos(roughly 4-6 US Dollars). It can be expensive indeed, especially if you will be paying for the whole family. But that's okay, remember sometimes it's better not to be a miser toward your family than toward yourself. As I said, sharing is caring.

Filipino food perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Adobo- 250 Pesos(roughly 5 US Dollars)

Just to share, my mom senior citizen's card was really a great help because we got a twenty percent(20%) discount on our bill for our breakfast the next day. In addition, I used my 500 Pesos off(roughly 10 US Dollars) Food & Beverage voucher which I also bought together with the exhibit voucher. It was very useful and I thought our bill was wiped out. We literally saved some of our money. Thanks Canyon!

Fun Center, inside the Clubhouse

Our first day was a combination of eagerness and restlessness. Quite paradoxical to understand because we really tried our best to visit different facilities inside Canyon and maximize our time, even if my eyes were tired due to lack of sleep. 

Getting bored? Let's play billiards!

After 'linner'(lunch and dinner), from the Dining Hall we went to the Al Fresco dining area to feel more the cold weather of Tagaytay and experience the tower viewer. It's really like Baguio City and justifiable to be the '2nd Summer Capital of the Country'. You will surely love your coffee break here.

Find your Gym buddy here!

Smell of pine trees will somehow reminds you of the yuletide. It's really therapeutic and unwilted. Canyon Woods is a real haven for nature lover and stressed-out people.

On the night of our first day, we had a chance to attend the Easter Vigil at the Chapel of the Most Holy Name of the Child Jesus. Their worship services are every Saturday. Aside from walking, shuttle can also drive you there.

Oh my! I love the Swimming Pool, inside the Clubhouse.

You can experience a lot of things in Canyon Woods. If you want to be with nature, there's a Lagoon with Fishing and Paddle Boat Facilities. If you want ultimate rest and relaxation, there are Massage Rooms, Steam & Sauna Bath and Indoor Heated Pool with Jacuzzi & Bar. 

Sunrise from the Swimming Pool. Good morning!

If you want to revel in fun and games, there are Billiards, Table Games, Video Games, Videoke & Bar and Children's Playland. There are also Function Rooms for conferences, seminars, business meetings and small group training sessions.

It's no longer warm, so the Jacuzzi is now Jacoolzzi. 

Canyon Woods also has Executive Golf Course for golf enthusiasts. Their Coffee Shops also serve fresh Tagaytay Beans.

This is the place where you can have a real peace of mind. If I could only extend my stay that time I would do it.

Our second day was mainly about swimming pools. Yes, we're addicted to 'Pool Hopping'. After breakfast, we went to the first Indoor Swimming Pool, also located inside the Clubhouse. It's not that deep and pretty much everyone can swim(not sure but it's like 4 feet). Kids can be guided by their parents or uncle. The not so good side of going to the swimming pool early is the smell of the chlorine. It wasn't that strong when we were there, so we just ignored it and started our swimming time.

Men's Locker Room

Honestly, their Indoor Swimming Pool is one of the most beautiful swimming pools I've ever seen. I like its nature-themed and the lovely Jacuzzi. I just hope that there's a heater the next time I swim because pools in Tagaytay are really cold, especially during night swimming.

Another Jacuzzi inside the Men's Room

My sister also had to rent a cap because of her long hair and to sum up our swimming experience, our one hour was fun. Not to spoil our day, after indoor pool, we went back right away to The Peak Hotel, to see and experience the second pool. Let's go!

Steam & Sauna Bath inside Men's Locker Room

The Outdoor Pool at The Peak Hotel is smaller and colder than the one inside the Clubhouse. It's an infinity pool and not also deep(roughly the same with the first pool, like 4 feet). There's also a mini pool for your cute kids. You may not fully appreciate the cold water of the pool but for sure you won't forget the fresh air of Tagaytay in this area and the lovely view of the healthy green foliage. You can freely say, "this is life!"

We left the pool like half past ten to prepare for the checkout. It was the hardest part but we had to go back to Manila. Aside from the lovely weather, smell of pine trees, cool facilities, I am also missing our room 603 where we stayed because it really has a peaceful view of Batangas. Even my mom who celebrated her birthday is truly satisfied with our whole experience in Canyon Woods. Yeah, even without the usual birthday cake with candles. Sorry mom, we forgot to buy but for sure we'll travel more. Okay? 

Staffs are nice and helpful. Simply they are indeed doing their duties well. We formally vacated our room before 12pm and shuttle drove us back to the entrance of Canyon Woods. We rode another trike going back to Nasugbu Welcome Arch and paid 80 Pesos(roughly 1.60 US Dollars). There's no bus terminal going to Pasay, just a not concrete waiting shed near the Arch. All you need to do is to wait for the bus to stop in front of you. They get passengers there daily. It was Easter Sunday when we left Canyon and it took as an hour to ride a bus. I thought there was an exodus inside because of the high volume of passengers. We were like sardines and we didn't get seats right away. Fares going back are also the same. We had to wait for more than an hour. That was the worst part of our vacation. Anyhow, let bygones be bygones. Perhaps, the good part of it was we still arrived home safe.

So, have you made your decision? Do you know now where to go this dry season? Canyon Woods is highly recommendable place to stay for me and for a good price of 2,500 Pesos(roughly 50 US Dollars) I've got an amazing vacation experience. If you're interested and there's no travel fair to buy discount vouchers, you can find Canyon Woods promos and special rates on many sites like travelbook.ph and metrodeal.com.

For bookings, you can also go on canyon.ph or email them at reservations@canyon.ph

You can also call them at these numbers, (02)5217878/(02)5218425/(63)9158537444

For updates, you can also check and like their 

FB: Canyon Woods Resort Club

IG: Canyon Woods Official

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It took me more than three weeks to write this post because I was so busy at work. I hope you got so many ideas about this place and will help you when you stay in Canyon Woods. Thanks for reading and see you again here.