Looking for a nice stretch of sand and a relaxing piece of the sea not far away from the Metro? Then Laiya Aplaya in Batangas might be the right destination for you. Laiya Aplaya is just four hours travel away from Manila.
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If you are residing in the Quezon City area, then the Jam Bus Transit is suitable for you. The terminal of this bus company is located along EDSA near the building of GMA Network. Ride a bus that will take you to Lipa City. The bus will travel along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
Upon reaching Lipa City, look for the public utility van terminal. Ride the van that is going to the town of San Juan. The travel time is about one and a half hours. So, while traveling, pipe in your MP3 player and enjoy the scenery of farms, mountains, and lots of cows.
The last stretch of your commuting will be a public utility jeepney in San Juan that will take you to Laiya Aplaya. Before you ride the jeepney, I recommend that you go to their public market and buy toiletries, foods, drinks that you want. Things like these will be much more expensive in Laiya Aplaya. The travel time from San Juan to Laiya Aplaya is about 30 minutes.
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The beach of Laiya Aplaya. |
How to Go to Laiya Aplaya
If you are like me who do not own a car and do not have friends good enough to take you there, then commuting is to Laiya Aplaya is your best option. Going to that beach is easy and only require at least three transfers of public transport. First is the provincial bus from Manila, a public utility van ride to San Juan then a jeepney ride to the Laiya Aplaya. So, gather all your “streetmartiness” and patience and you will be at the beach in no time.
If you are residing in the Quezon City area, then the Jam Bus Transit is suitable for you. The terminal of this bus company is located along EDSA near the building of GMA Network. Ride a bus that will take you to Lipa City. The bus will travel along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
Upon reaching Lipa City, look for the public utility van terminal. Ride the van that is going to the town of San Juan. The travel time is about one and a half hours. So, while traveling, pipe in your MP3 player and enjoy the scenery of farms, mountains, and lots of cows.
The last stretch of your commuting will be a public utility jeepney in San Juan that will take you to Laiya Aplaya. Before you ride the jeepney, I recommend that you go to their public market and buy toiletries, foods, drinks that you want. Things like these will be much more expensive in Laiya Aplaya. The travel time from San Juan to Laiya Aplaya is about 30 minutes.
Laiya Aplaya Beach and Amenities
Laiya Aplaya was developed to be a top tourist destination in Batangas. Many beach resorts could be found in the area. Our group chose the Triple G Beach Resort. Air-conditioned rooms here costs about 4,500 pesos with a bathroom, a cable TV, and an LPG stove. The room is spacious enough to accommodate up to eight people. In this resort, visitors are allowed to bring their own food and beer.
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The beach is good as any other developed beach and is shallow that you could still walk fifty meters away from the shore. The sands of the shore are coarse and better than those found in Puerto Galera, which has pebbly shore. The sea bottom is quite rocky and contains some dead sea corals.
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The area has no water skiing or banana boat rides. The sea of Laiya Aplaya is well protected to be of any value to avid water surfers. Visitors can snorkel on some of the remaining coral reefs in the open seas. The snorkeling costs for 700 to 900 pesos and lasts for an hour. The snorkeling site is alive with corals and starfishes. However, the coral reefs are no match with the ones I saw in the seas of Davao Oriental.
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All in all, the Laiya Aplaya can't match Boracay or the beautiful beaches in the Visayas. However, development is still ongoing and it seems that better things will come to Laiya Aplaya.
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Beach volley, anyone? |
The beach is good as any other developed beach and is shallow that you could still walk fifty meters away from the shore. The sands of the shore are coarse and better than those found in Puerto Galera, which has pebbly shore. The sea bottom is quite rocky and contains some dead sea corals.
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Evening is coming to Laiya Aplaya. |
The area has no water skiing or banana boat rides. The sea of Laiya Aplaya is well protected to be of any value to avid water surfers. Visitors can snorkel on some of the remaining coral reefs in the open seas. The snorkeling costs for 700 to 900 pesos and lasts for an hour. The snorkeling site is alive with corals and starfishes. However, the coral reefs are no match with the ones I saw in the seas of Davao Oriental.
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Fishing boats on the beach of Laiya Aplaya. |
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Did you came here to know more about Laiya Aplaya? Just leave a comment if you have any queries regarding this beautiful place.
Did you came here to know more about Laiya Aplaya? Just leave a comment if you have any queries regarding this beautiful place.
Hi! nice blog you have here. Would like to ask you about how much time the ride from qc to lipa would take?
ReplyDeleteWell thank you AnGol. If the "ride" you meant is using the provincial buses then its at least two hours. That is, if the road is not congested.
DeleteIt is faster if you have your own car.
I like how you described the place. It makes me want to go there now!
ReplyDeleteWe'll be commuting and we'll take the Candelaria route cause I'm pretty familiar with it. Wish me luck! :)
Thanks for the compliment. I think the place had gotten better since I visited it. Developments in the beach area are fast.
DeleteHope you enjoy your Laiya Experience. Waiting to get news from you about the place. :-)
Hi! You were right, the beach is beautiful.. Just blogged about it here. :D
ReplyDeleteReally Mariel? Wow!
DeleteI am glad that you enjoyed it. Visitng you now. :-)
Hi, i want to go there. Do you have any contacts there, or list of cheap beach houses and their rates? salamat in advance! God bless.
ReplyDeleteGood day Cesar. Pasensya na po at wala akong listahan ng cheap beach houses.
DeleteI suggest that you go to this link for more info abouy Laiya Apalaya: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1646549-d1776606-Reviews-Laiya_Beach-San_Juan_Batangas_Province_Calabarzon_Region_Luzon.html