I thought we were just going for a quick summer getaway at a Beach resort in Bagac, Bataan last weekend, but we had experienced so much more than what we expected at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (Las Casas).
Las Casas is more than just a place to find temporary solace from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s also a heritage community giving a glimpse of Old Manila with its period-themed accommodations and grandiose architectural structures from 18th century Philippines.
There are 15 private casas (restored Spanish-Filipino homes) to see at Las Casas, each having its own unique character.
Las Casas was accorded the Asia Awards of Excellence for being Asia’s most excellent destination for 2017. This heritage place is a great venue for family outings, team buildings and even weddings.
WHERE WE STAYED
We stayed at an air-conditioned Deluxe Room with the following amenities: queen-sized bed, cable TV and DVD player, small refrigerator, small dining table, safety deposit box, wifi, toilet and bath and hairdryer.
WHERE WE DINED
There are six dining places inside Las Casas, namely Café Marivent (international cuisine), La Bella Teodora (Italian cuisine), Beach Bar (cocktails or drinks), Café del Rio (tapas bar), Cusina ni Nanay Maria (Filipino cuisine) and La Parilla and Pica Pica (Filipino street food and beverages).
We enjoyed our delectable dinner of Quattro Formaggi Pizza, Marinara Pasta and Carbonara at La Bella Teodora.
WHAT WE DID
We had a lot of picture-taking sessions at Las Casas because admittedly, the place was beautiful!
We went to the batis pool in the late afternoon.
We watched a cultural show at Casa Hagonoy afterwards.
We woke up early the next day to go to the beach.
Then we went to see Casa Lubao (the game room).
We also watched a pocket performance outside Casa Lubao.
We also witnessed a recreational cockfighting (sabong) match and spiderfighting (labanan ng gagamba) nearby.
We hopped on a calesa (horse carriage) next.
We also rode a tranvia, but we posed for this picture first.
OTHER ACTIVITIES AT LAS CASAS
You can do any of these activities in Las Casas:
• Heritage tour (to learn the history of the old houses in Las Casas)
• Workshop tour (where wood carvings and bricks are traditionally made)
• Hotel de Oriente tour
• Water activities (jet ski, jet pack, wake board, banana boat, boat ride, etc.)
• swimming pool and beach area
• Sunday mass at Sanctuario de San Jose
• Napiya Spa (offering traditional Filipino massages)
• Fotographia dela Escolta (have a photoshoot with them wearing baro’t saya or barong)
• Entertainment and game room at Casa Lubao (billiards, darts, table tennis, board games)
• Cultural shows (folk dances) and activities (carabao parade and race, cockfighting, Sentro ng Pamana ng Kulturang Pilipino, pocket performance)
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
• Las Casas is huge and you’ll surely get tired roaming around the place, so wear comfortable footwear.
• There’s a jeepney shuttle available for all guests to facilitate easy transport from one place to the next. This is free of charge.
• My son and I enjoyed swimming in the batis pool, but after an hour in the water, our skin felt somewhat itchy. Not sure, though, if it’s caused by overexposure to chlorine.
• We went to the beach early the next day to have longer swimming time, but there seemed to be a jellyfish nearby because after only a few minutes in the water, my son felt a stinging pain on his upper legs with matching red marks. Those were easily remedied by vinegar application on the skin, but we didn’t swim anymore after that.
• We spent the remaining hours of our last day in the beach resort taking lots of pictures.
Despite the minor mishaps in the batis pool and at the beach, I was really glad we went to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. Being there makes me appreciate our Filipino culture and heritage more and makes me proud to be a Filipino. I hope more Pinoys can visit it, too. Please visit this FB link to see more photos.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
Brgy. Ibaba, Bagac, Bataan
Manila Sales and Reservation Office
Telephone Nos.: 332-5338/332-5286/355-3032
Mobile No.: 0917-8729361
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.lascasasfilipinas.com/
