Places to Visit in Quezon, Laguna and Batangas for a day

From Bicol, a Southern Tagalog trip is feasible if you leave by night and arriving early to your first destination. Here's the catch though, take a bath at night because the moment you wake up, your off to your first tourist destination. 

Here are at least four destinations on the map (A to D) that you can reach in a day that I was able to do, shopping included, in Marikina's rival when it comes to affordable but quality fashion. Hope this itinerary works for you too.

We left Naga at 10PM and arrived in Lucena (Junction) going to Tayabas as early as 4am for breakfast. From there, we traveled to Lucban for Kamay ni Hesus as our first destination and dozed off a little and waited for 7AM for the gates to open (See photo below for grotto and mass schedule). I already wrote a blog about Tayabas, Quezon entitled 3 Things You Can Do in an Hour in Tayabas, Quezon. You can also visit Taal, Batangas for a day should you wish to continue this itinerary the following day. CLICK HERE for a possible itinerary for a day in Taal, Batangas.

1. Kamay ni Hesus Shrine. Lucban being known for Pahiyas Festival, is also now a sought-after pilgrimage destination known for its miraculous healing masses. The hill that leads to the Risen Christ statue on top paves the way for Catholics to go through the Stations of the Cross from the base. Thousands of Catholics flock here during the Holy Week and yes I have seen how big the crowd can be during those days. Been here twice, photos below was on lean months but flow of tourists / pilgrims is indeed steady.

The gate of the shrine.

A replica of Noa's Ark. There's a nice clean pond nearby the ark.

The view when you reach the top of the grotto.

Buy Lucban Longanisa, priced per dozen, plus many other local delicacies and souvenir items you can find outside the gates of the shrine. 

After Lucban Quezon, it's now a scenic, mountain side trip going to Laguna. You can actually add a quick stopover in another church in Majayjay which is equally beautiful with that of the next destination.

2. Red-Bricked Liliw Church in Laguna or St. John the Baptist Church is definitely one of my favorites. The redness of the bricks make it look elegant and rustic at the same time. It's a bit dark inside the church but the light coming from the stained glass windows will actually make it feel more peaceful. Because the church is made of bricks it actually feels a little cold inside. 

Noticed two other prayer rooms on both sides of the church. 

There's a nice museum depicting the history of the church and these volunteers will be there to assist and guide you. There's a very minimal fee. Taking pictures inside the museum is prohibited. 

Entrance to the museum

Buy shoes, sandals, bags in Liliw. Just right outside the street of Liliw Church is a long stretch of shoe stores for men, women and children. I could not even count all of them left and right. Sandals starts as low as P100. Sometimes you'll even see items which you can see in malls but unbranded just yet and way too far from the mall price. So it's a must to hoard este buy shoes when visiting Liliw. For those considering to venture into the business of reselling, you can consider Liliw and just choose among the stores here who can be your supplier. 

3. Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery - We then traveled to Nagcarlan, Laguna to visit this aesthetically beautiful final resting place. The burial site is actually located beneath a church. In history, it was built for funeral masses in 1845 by Franciscans where it paved way for the underground graveyard which is said to be 15 feet below the church. 

There was no "no photography" sign in the crypt, that's why I was able to take photos. But then my colleague told me that it's not allowed according to the caretaker. But if you will, always remember that always practice the NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY when taking pictures of old structures.

First thing that came to my mind is the movie series "Tales from the Crypt-keeper" hahaha

It's also cold inside the crypt, just don't forget to give due respect to the place. 

There's also a museum at the left side of the gate with an audio visual presentation about the history of the underground cemetery. The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

4. National Shrine of Padre Pio, Sto. Tomas Batangas - The shrine under the Archdiocese of Lipa is around 84 kilometers or an hour and half drive from Metro Manila. From Bicol, upon reaching Sto. Tomas, turn left near the over pass where there's also a signage to guide  you and you can always use Waze or Google Maps. From the main highway it's about only about a kilometer or two. Same as Kamay ni Jesus in Lucban, the Padre Pio Shrine is also flocked by Pilgrims especially during the Holy Week season.

 There are two main domes where masses are held, this one is near Mary, of Mother of Mercy Belfry and the other one on the side near the parking lot. 

 The other chapel, Divine Mercy Sanctuary for Pilgrims

 Many pilgrims get holy water from this sanctuary. 

So there, we were able to visit these places all in one day. We headed to Lipa City at stayed at Zillion Builders Pavilion and stayed for the night after the long day. Zillion Builders offers a practical alternative to staying in a hotel with basic accommodations including a clean, comfortable place to rest with it's ideal location just right beside SM City Lipa. A single room can accommodate 4 people with two double decks. There are other types of rooms available, you may just visit their website for more details. 

There are many other places in Quezon, Laguna and Batangas that you can surely visit but I can say that this itinerary is very feasible. 

Related links:

3 Things You Can Do in an Hour in Tayabas, Quezon
Places Visit in the Heritage Town of Taal, Batangas

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#NcDRoadTrip: 3 Things You Can Do in An Hour in Tayabas, Quezon

For Bicolanos like me, we consider Quezon as one of the longest roads that we pass by going to and from Manila. With the completion of new by-pass roads along Quezon, we are now becoming distant to the gastronomic fares and idyllic towns and cities along the way. While we don't really have the intention of visiting these towns, I realized that we can never rightfully pin down on the map places that we just passed by, after all, passing by is totally different from setting foot on them for a few hours.  

The first time I was able to pass by Tayabas was when we went for a pilgrimage to Kamay ni Hesus Shrine in Lucban, Quezon. Noticed old buildings and iconic churches along the way and had me hanging for quite some time not knowing when my return would be. Interestingly Tayabas also has numerous cemeteries, seriously. I'm always drawn to old places and structures, the aesthetics of the place resonates stories that the ear cannot hear but has strong feels to the heart. 

Luckily, we had a work-related trip in Manila towards the end of January and when we were Bicol-bound, we had an unplanned "along the way lang naman, daan tayo sa ___" and so it was Tayabas. We spent a little extra liters of diesel and an added forty minutes to our trip because we also had our nth palasubong stop-over in Calle Budin (read more about it below). 

Tayabas is a land-locked town which is situated at the south-eastern of “Mt. Banahaw”. It features local delicacies, UNESCO-worthy churches,  historical bridges and heritage houses. Here are the 3 things that you enjoy for an HOUR in Tayabas, Quezon.

1. Visit Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

"Built in 1585, the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Tayabas, Quezon. It is the largest Catholic church in the Province of Quezon.It is renowned for having the shape of a key. Locals often refer to the church as Susi ng Tayabas.On October 18, 1988 the title Minor Basilica was conferred by Pope John Paul II. It was proclaimed on January 21, 1989."

Minor Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel

This church is said to be have the longest aisle in the country, this will actually help the bride think about saying yes or no at the end of the alter haha. 

2. Casa Comunidad de Tayabas

Known as the biggest “Bahay na Bato” ever restored by the National Historical Institute and declared a National Historical Landmark in 1978, this house is Tayabas' most famous landmark. "This was where Apolonio de la Cruz, better known as Hermano Pule, was sentenced to death by firing squad." This house is actually a head turner, it's impossible if you will not notice this beautiful landmark.  

3. Buy and eat Budin and other local delicacies at Calle Budin "Home of Special Budin and Pasalubong".

Eat Budin and Yema Cake

Sample on local foods and delicacies or better yet bring home some as pasalubong. Buying pasalubong along national highways has its extra price and here in Calle Budin and you will save as much as 50 pesos. Budin in layman's term is a cassava cake and it's available all the time. They also have a yema cake where its sweet and salty, look for the Rodilla's brand.

Aside from the usual tikoy, sampaloc and other delicacies, you can also get a dozen of Lucban Longganisa. Then I noticed a pot, out of my curiosity I asked Ate (the vendor) if I may open it, then I saw something wrapped in banana leaves still warm and moist. This delicacy is called Tamales, grounded rice shaped into squares topped with meat (in this case, chicken) and slices of salted egg. Selling price is only P15!

I don't know if it's just me, to be honest, I didn't like much the taste of the grounded rice. But hey, perhaps you might like it, so tell me what you think when you found one of these in your trip.

For approximately an hour, these are the things I have done in Tayabas. I will make sure that the next time I visit the place, I'll go inside the church already. I only photographed the facade of the Basilica same with the "Bahay na Bato". lol

Adding to the list is an important tourist spot in Tayabas and they are the Historical  Stone Arch Bridges. Oh boy, I have to see them next! As listed in the Tayabas' government website there are about eight (8) of them. Wow!

Puente de Malagonlong Source: tayabas.gov.ph

The rest of the stone arch bridges are:

Puente de Bai

Puente de la Ese

Puente del Lakawan

Puente del Malagonlong

Puente de Francisco de Asis

Puente de Isabel II

Puente de Urbiztondo

Puente de la Prinsesa

Alitao Bridge

For just an hour I had fun in Tayabas, it was really fun and rich experience even though it was that short. I hope to visit again Tayabas next time, especially the historical bridges. Until my next #ncdroadtrip!

All photos are taken using a Canon EOS M3

Related links:

Southern Tagalog Roadtrip Itinerary from Bicol
Day 1: Places Visit in Quezon, Laguna, Batangas for a Day
Day 2: Places to Visit in Taal, Batangas

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Alternative Route to Bicol: Quezon Eco-Tourism Road

As a frequent traveler going to and fro Metro Manila, the usual route has been pain in the neck, legs and arms of drivers especially when you reach Southern Tagalog roads. While others have the luxury to travel by air, our family tradition going on a south road has been a luxury of time for us.

For decades, from being a passenger during my childhood years to earning my driver's license, I have seen different road conditions that you can ever imagine which can be tantamount to imperfection. But, it is in this sense of imperfection that we get to see the reality of our government and even politics. Beyond all these, we have the chance to enjoy the scenic view of southern Luzon. Exploring alternative routes and recently taking bypass roads like in Candelaria and Tiaong has been in the past years due to recent developments.

Please don't use image without permission. 

Most of our roadtrips are motivated by family gatherings and since we have relatives all over Luzon, it's a good excuse to travel every year. I first heard of Quezon Eco-Tourism road from Inquirer's post HERE. With a trip in queue back in April 2016, we never had second thoughts of taking this alternative route mainly because, first, we love seeing new places and secondly, easing a little bit of traffic just to get in time to our destination is a must.

Below is my recorded dashcam video, southbound. Recorded by a Transcend DrivePro DP 220 at 720p. 

Alternative route going to Bicol staying away from San Pablo, Alaminos, Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya. (Video taken last May 1 when we were homebound to Naga). This route is different from the exsiting bypass roads in Candelaria and Tiaong.

From SLEX, go straight to Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (Star) Tollway and exit to Ibaan. Take San Juan then Rosario, Batangas road then turn right to the new Quezon Ecotourism Road. (Just put "Quezon Ecotourism Road" on Waze and everything is fairly easy, yup its accurate, don't worry.) Traverse through coconut plantations (my favorite part), farmlands of vegetables with signages of numerous resorts in Sariaya. Traffic here in Batangas towns are tolerable rather than Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya and even adding up San Pablo.

Please don't use image without permission. 

If you are northbound: After Lucena, turn left to Quezon Ecotourism Road, you will see a signage anyway. Then left to Rosario, San Juan, exit to Ibaan Star Tollway, then SLEX. The route is actually longer in a few kilometers, but considering the traffic in Sariaya, Candelaria, Tiaong and San Pablo, I'd take this route instead. We have experienced for so many times being stuck in San Pablo for more than an hour at around 2 in the afternoon, imagine the heat. Remember, it's not always traffic-free like in town centers for Rosario and San Juan, but again, I'll reiterate that it's tolerable. Check out the comments thread on that video on Facebook from fellow motorists for feedback and other suggestions.

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Roadtrip: Lita's Carinderia

Born and raised by a family who loves to go on a "south road", every trip to the suburbs of Manila has always been a bumpy ride. It's either when the Bicol Road is under construction then the Quezon road is in good condition or vice versa. To avoid boredom, we usually pack up with snacks and enjoy stop overs whenever we need to. Road trips gives me a feeling of freedom, freedom to see every bit of scenery there is that undergo changes through the years. Same road but different experience each time.

Talking about food, let's admit it, at present there are very few "presentable" stop overs especially when you reach the Bicol grounds. Not unlike when you go North and travel via NLEX and now plus the SCTEX and TPLEX right? Countless complex with high end shops, restaurants and convenience stores are everywhere. Here in Bicol, most of us take the Andaya Highway (aka Quirino Highway) where all you see are trees and mountains around you. On the other hand you'll be able to buy harvested fruits or crops along the way which also offsets whatever they have in the north. Taking also the Sta. Elena - Cam Norte road will only add up to the usual long number of hours of the trip.

From Naga these are the towns you'll pass by: Milaor, San Fernando, Pamplona, Libmanan, Sipocot
Turn left to Andaya Highway, Lupi, Ragay, and Del Gallego. The first Quezon town which is still part of Andaya Highway is Tagkawayan. Then most travelers stop at Calauag with gas stations and enough stores around, after which is Lopez. If you leave Naga early in the morning, then Gumaca is the perfect stop over for your lunch or early lunch perhaps. But even if you go on a night trip you can still eat at this place, a midnight snack will always be welcome, right?

When I was a kid, this carinderia was made up of light materials like a typical kubo but with enough space inside. Over the years, I have seen this place grew and develop into this good looking restaurant. They do not need much of a posh interior because the set up matches the scenery in front, a seaside view.

Lita's carinderia is well known for their Cocido / Sinigang na isda, yellow fin to be specific (photo below). The fish I believe is always a fresh catch and is served the whole day. By this we mean anytime of the day especially for travelers. The cocido is just so worth ordering even if  it is for your merienda. I'm turning 29 this year, all I can say is, the codido has never changed its taste ever since I was a kid. I have appreciated it even more this time when I started going on a road trip with my family, simply because this time I'm no longer a passenger. Para sa isang driver, nakakawalang pagod ang cocidong ito.

They also serve other dishes which you can add to your cocido. If in case you are not much of a "fish" person, you can always opt to take the unlimited "sabaw". Same taste of goodness with that of the cocido but without the veggies and yellow fin.

I believe the 2nd floor is still a dining area or a function hall maybe, but the chairs and tables are that of the crazy-cut type.

One serving as of my last trip (December 17 and 19, 2013) costs Php 100.00 with your choice of body part of the yellow fin. 

I'm not really sure if she is Aling Lita, feeling ko lang po siya nga. hehe

The restroom (inset) has improved a lot, way way better than before because it was situated outside the carinderia.

So there, don't forget to drop by this carinderia/restaurant. The cocido is a must try! Have a safe trip!

P.S. I'll try blogging other stops that are worth featuring next time during my free time.

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