Wanderlust Diaries: Rizal-Laguna-Quezon Road Trip

The goal of the trip was to reach Tayabas, Quezon Province. My friend and I were invited to Graceland Estate and Country Club ... an invitation that has been standing for ages, so we made a decision to take advantage of the long weekend.




As usual, we did not take SLEX - with the construction and traffic going on there, we decided to stay away from it. Coming from Marikina, we took the Rizal-Laguna-Quezon route - which was really a GREAT decision. The road is well-paved and the scenery will not bore you. After the Antipolo mountains, the rice fields of Tanay, Baras, and Pililia, the route gets better as you reach Laguna. There will be side roads that will lead you to the known towns such as Paete and Pagsanjan. Since we were following the road along the lake, we saw the lower part of Paete and some of its wood wares. We made a mental note to make it our next project. We passed by the town of Lumban, known for its barongs and embroidery products. The highway climbs a mountain and will give you a spectacular view of Laguna Lake. The road will go down again and will lead you to Pagsanjan, a town known for its waterfalls. There's also routes that will lead to the man-made lake, Caliraya.




As a first time traveller to Quezon Province, I don't know what to expect. I heard stories that it is NPA-infested. Never got to verify it. So I made sure if I traveled in the area, it's in the day time. But one thing I can comment is that the region is beautiful in its own way. There's a prevailing mountain-forest-farm charm as you pass by the area. Reaching Lucban, you will be greeted by the town known for its longganisa - and you will be seeing a lot of these sausages hanging on the display in the stores. There are also handmade crafts on sale. It's one of those old towns, with old streets. I heard it's lovely here during Pahiyas (happens every month of May). After town, you will pass by: Kamay ni Hesus, a pilgrimage site known for its healing powers; Marouj Farms, a Japanese-owned farm - which is very pretty; Nawawalang Paraiso, a nature resort; and several roadside stalls selling lanzones, rambutan, santol, farm-grown vegetables, and lucban fruit. The road is lined with Lucban trees, and it was quite amusing to see the big, round, fat fruit dangling from it. There's also a view of the cloud-tipped Mt. Banahaw, an active volcano in the area. Finally, we reach Tayabas, known for its Lambanog the local alcoholic drink. You will be seeing stores by the road selling either Lambanog or vinegar, so its an indication you are already there.




We arrived Graceland Estate and Country Club around noon (Which by our calculation a 3-4 hour drive, depending on the speed of the vehicle in front of you and your decision if you want to overtake the vehicle in front of you - occassional trucks, frequent tricycles, buses sometimes, and a very few beat-up vehicles. There are cyclists and motorcycle groups who like to ply the mountains, so you will be seeing a number of them). The place is in an eco-tourism district, so it was developed with that in mind. The estate is Elvis-inspired (hence the name), so expect street names related to the King. Their restaurant is called Memphis Garden, and true to form it plays Elvis music with the occassional Platters, and other 50's-60's songs. Sitting on the foot of Banahaw, it offers a wonderful view of the mountain.



TAYTAY FALLS


The next day we did an unplanned tripping in the nearby areas. We visited Dalahican fish port, went around Lucena City, and went to Majayjay. The day was spent most in Taytay falls. Afterwards, lunch was at Palaisdaan - really good place to try ginataan food. It's a restaurant with floating barges on a pond full of tilapia.



PALAISDAAN RESTAURANT


It was a fun road trip 'cuz of the sites of Laguna and the cool mountain air in the Mt. Banahaw region. Hopefully, Mt. Banahaw will reopen soon for trekking.