A Trip to Remember in Las Casas
- Mae Lam
- Jul 28, 2018
- 5 min read
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a unique heritage filled with Filipino history located in the town of Bagac, Bataan in the Philippines. To me, it is a "Land Full of Hidden Stories" comprising of antique mansions built during the Spanish colonial period(17th - 19th century).
These houses ("casas" in Spanish; "Las casas" as Philippine houses) were brought from different parts of the Philippines. Each were delicately taken apart and rebuilt accordingly brick by brick and plank by plank. Of course, some houses have been destroyed or damaged by nature's occurrences. Those have been replicated or rebuilt but reconstructed to preserve its architecture and significance.
The project to build Las Casas took almost a decade for them to open the site to the public. It was publicly opened in 2010 and it is still continuously expanding by adding more villas and mansions as well as continuously maintaining the casas they have.
I'm not a big fan of history ever since I was in school but the guide really got a hold of my attention. I was left in awe on the beautiful architecture(I just love being starstruck by amazing interiors), the various tools used back in the days (which was hilarious to talk about now with the advancement of technology) and the hidden secrets and stories shared to us that weren't discussed in books!
Day Tour Package:
1,500 php per head. Includes the following
✔ Admission to site
✔ Refreshments upon entry ✔ Walking Tour ✔ River Cruise ✔ Kalesa Ride ✔PHP500 dining credits applicable to any available outlet ✔ Access to the Majestic Hotel de Oriente
**The Hotel de Oriente was a sad miss for us since it was under renovation, but they gave us a PHP300 extra credit to make up for it which was also great because we decided to eat there for lunch and dinner**
Our Itinerary:
Ate breakfast at our BnB > About an hour drive to Las Casas from BnB > Arriving Las Casas
Kalesa Ride The road was really bumpy and it felt sad throughout the ride knowing that in that hot weather the horse had to pull passengers + Manong(the one who tends to the horse). The kalesa ride takes you around Las Casas to get an overview of what to expect and how it looks.
The Walking Tour The Walking Tour is a guided tour of a group of 20-30 approx pax. You'll get to watch a small skit where they demonstrated a significant story behind our country's past. The main highlights are shown when you continue to head inside the five different houses. The guide will entertain you with stories from our ancestors and give a little bit of a show & tell. It was really entertaining for me because some stories were not written in books, some were scenes taken from a movie which took place inside Las Casas and there were products showcased that were used during the older times where electricity was not yet easily accessible.
Lunch We decided to eat lunch near waters at La Bella Teodora. It is an Italian Restaurant that serves a variety of pasta. Approx 300.00 php - 600.00 php per person.
River Cruise The River Cruise was one of the best part for me. You'll be riding an old Filipino boat and Manong(the captain) would also share interesting facts and insights on the three stone statues represented by three Filipino mythical creatures as well as different architectural landmarks in Las Casas. It also takes you down a small stream where Manong took a beautiful photo of us *Thank you Manong!* Take note: the afternoon sun will burn your skin but they have straw hats on the boat for you! so Yay!
Photoshoot session with my friends After the both walking and cruise tour so that we'd know where the good spots are! But of course, we snap a pic everywhere we go!
Banana Boat Not included in the package. You can book an activity at the reception area inside Las Casas. This is usually the meeting palce/pick ups of all the activities in Las Casas. We went to the activity area at the beach wearing our swim suits. Sadly, we didn't fall down.
Bummed about that. So make sure TO TELL THEM YOU WANT TO FALL INTO THE WATER.
Swimming at the Beach! Las Casas has an outdoor pool but we decided to go to the beach since we were already there after riding the Banana Boat.
The beach is a private beach so outsiders cannot swim in from the public beach side.
Built a sandcastle and buried a good ol' friend. Do what you must, they say.
Watch the Carabao Race near the beach. Awesome event because I've never seen an event like that. Scary at first because I thought the Carabaos would go straight at me but then when you get into the race, you'll get hyped up and excited.
Dinner We decided to eat at Cafe del Rio where sisig was recommended! P.S. it includes "laman loob" which I don't really eat, so I didn't appreciate it as much but my friends enjoyed it very much.
Stroll at night *Highly Recommended if you did the day tour* Watch the stars! *unlike in the cities* The lights from the houses are beautiful. I didn't want to leave the place because of the cold evening breeze and the peaceful sound. If the night could've lasted longer, I would have loved that.
Getting Around
Jeepneys roam around the vicinity which provides convenience for travelling from one place to another such as going to the reception to the main house. I'm very thankful for these jeepneys that serves as a shuttle service because on a hot sunny day, I feel like I'd melt even if I wear a hat and wear sunscreen.
Make sure to prepare your things because there aren't many stores inside to buy things. Enjoy a whole day in Las Casas. It wasn't enough for us to go on a Day tour, so we'll surely be back for more! I recommend booking a night there and stroll inside Las Casas yourself. You'll save a lot more by booking a room PLUS the night view is amazing.
To Bring List: - sunscreen/sunlotion - hats/umbrellas - camera - some cash in case - swim wear and towels - slippers - toiletries because it's an open shower *you change in the changing room*
Feel free to visit Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar for updated rates. Feel free to contact their numbers at 63 (02) 877-4501 to 02 or their mobile 0917-872-9361.
Check out MetroDeal.com for other promos as well.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
Bataan, Philippines
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