Before the Aga Muhlach craze of water skiing, my family and I have already discovered the beauty of Lago de Oro in Batangas. A 3 hour drive from Alabang, this resort is worth the trip! Plus, while going there, you have the chance to admire the view of Tagaytay and Batangas, so as I have said, its worth it! If you really want to have a relaxing and fun weekend, this is the place to go to. Also, if you are star- crazed, you might just be lucky to have a photo- op with Mr. Jollibee man himself, Aga Muhlach. We availed for the 2 days & 1 night stay plus a free hour of water skiing (about P4000/person). A bit pricey, I must say, but again, its worth it!
One thing I'm very picky on during my travels is the bathroom. A bathroom has to be clean and sanitized, otherwise, I'm so leaving the place! The suite not only had a sparkling clean bathroom, there was a bathtub as well. The room was big enough to accommodate my family and our luggages. Plus, the terrace in the room we stayed in gave us a clear view of the water skiing place. Not only can we watch the other water-skiers, but we get to scream our delights privately when we watch famous people passing by! There are a lot of activities you can opt to do in Lago de Oro. But of course, the most popular thing to do while you are in here is the water boarding/ skiing. This is a must experience!
The cable ski system looks pretty safe. You are secured in a cable while water boarding or skiing around the place. This assures you that you won't be flying back to Manila while doing the stunt! My advice: Try not to level yourself right away with the professionals, as I regretfully have. Watching them fly, spin and do some dangerous turns made me foolish enough to believe that I too can do the same thing. Needless to say, my belief and reality did not even come close. It took about 10 tries before I even stayed on the board longer than 15 seconds! Though it doesn't come cheap and easy, water boarding is quite fun once you get the hang of it.
If you are not up for the extra challenge of water boarding, the resort also offers other mild activities, such as swimming, golf, fishing and other indoor fun stuff. The only fun indoor stuff I had was screaming when I saw Marc Nelson take off his shirt before his turn to water ski. Food, is an entirely different story in this place. The plus side, you get to enjoy your meals near the poolside. The down side: nothing in the menu that I have seen have meals lower than P300, drinks not yet included! Their breakfast menu is pretty much the same, tapsilog and other -silog Filipino meals, Continental and other varieties I wouldn't know about since I didn't order it.
For lunch, we had ours on the sea since we rented a balsa. But I believe what the resort is most proud of is their meals that have lambs in them. They guarantee you that its fresh, and I believe them! Before entering the resort, you will see a small herd of lambs. If you are an animal-rights activist, this may make you crazy knowing the lambs outside will be devoured anytime. But if you believe in the circle of life, like me, then you must taste their lamb meals. Maybe a bit pricey, but as I have been consistently saying, its worth it!
All in all, my stay in Lago de Oro is, well you know, worth it! If you are willing to spend big time for a 2 days & 1 night vacation, Lago de Oro may just be a place for you! Not only will you enjoy the quality time bonding with your family, you get to bump elbows with celebrities as well!
