The summer season brings with it many lists: what to wear, what to eat, where to eat and what to do. If you’re plagued with a constant case of wanderlust, you’re probably wondering where to travel. Now picture this: With over 30 recreational activities, Caliraya Resort Club features only the most thrilling and fun-filled indoor and outdoor amenities plus a breathtaking view of nature’s gifts in Lumban, Laguna, Philippines.
Last weekend, I just had an amazing getaway with maternal relatives in Caliraya Resort Club. This resort in Laguna is supposed to be just two and a half hours away from Manila. However, because we somehow got lost on the way, travel time was thrice the ideal. We took off at 7AM and arrived at 1PM on the venue, late for lunch. No worries though, as official check-in time is 2PM and there were still food for us to satisfy our growling stomachs.
For stay-in guests, Caliraya Resort Club offers 72 rooms contained in villas, duplexes and the hotel. Different rate per person applies according to the type of accommodation. All rooms are equipped with double-deck beds, cable televisions, air-conditioning, and rest rooms with hot/cold showers. We stayed at Duplex 1 which was nearest to the shore of the pristine man-made Lake Caliraya.
The room ambiance was okay; it was nothing high-class but the simple, “all-you-see-is-all-you-get” kind. See the rates here.
Top 10 Activities We Did in Caliraya Resort Club (Lumban, Laguna)
1. Eating
As a foodie, I hunt for food foremost in any traveling destination. Here at Caliraya Resort Club, breakfast, lunch and dinner comes in buffet “eat-all-you-can” meals. Both quality and variety of food were not bad. Everyone dines in at the same time, given the allocated time slot for feeding. Food and drinks are clustered into sections and are dedicated in incarnations. Across the huge dining area, tables are reserved for every group of guests resulting to good organization and management.
Lunch
Dinner
Breakfast
2. Swimming
Caliraya Resort Club has three swimming pools built side by side each other: two children’s swimming pools (1-4 feet) with basketball court and the wave pool with artificial wave generator (5-6 feet). We enjoyed flow-riding at the artificial waves which made us feel like kids all over again!
3. Slide Pinoy
Slide Pinoy is like a mini zip line where you have to sit on a small wheel or chair tied to a cable and just wait until you reaching the other point. With no gears attached to the rider, the key is to hold on tightly to the rope and pray that pulley system minimizes friction well to help you accelerate. It’s interesting how it can support both kids and adults’ weight.
4. Hanging Bridge
This was my second time to pass through a hanging bridge and thank goodness, I had managed to cross it safely (slowly but surely). It was setting my teeth once again on the edge. My pulse was racing really fast as I focused on skipping the gaps in between steps and kept my balance on the swaying bridge.
5. Slip n ‘Slide
“No, thanks,” I said, seeing how dirty people looked when they were splashed with mud after they’ve slipped and slid. I just volunteered to take pictures of my family as they experienced the ride. Basically, one would have to climb all the way up and prepare to slide in a seating position while the activity facilitator splashes water with soap for a smooth slip. Riders may be in a group for increased acceleration.
If you’re thinking to give it a go, be very careful because you might get injured upon landing on rocks and mass of mud formed from loose dirt and water.
6. Volleyball
Volleyball is a good cardiovascular workout, but it’s not my thing. The volleyball court is one of the outdoor facilities in Caliraya Resort Club that has additional charge. The resort management does not care about who among the players participate, as the charge is counter per hour (PHp 200) and not per head. Anyone in the group may join in and if you feel that you don’t have enough players, welcome other guests to have fun and make friends in this sports.
7. Basketball
Just like the volleyball court, the basketball court in Caliraya Resort Club can be rented. Daytime rate is PHp 250 per hour, while nighttime rate is PHp 450 per hour. A friendly group of strangers offered us to play with them so we used the court for a short while at night for free.
8. Sky Bicycle
Caliraya Resort Club is not a circus yet we saw people riding bicycles on ropes up high. The Sky Bicycle is one of the resort’s newest attraction. “Cycling on the sky” is advised not to be done in breakneck speed.
Each rider is reminded to continue pedaling despite the fear, angst and the strength of the wind. For a two-way sky-cycling lasting in no longer than 10 minutes, the sky-rider is charged PHp 200.
9. Earthball
To display and practice teamwork, compared to playing the regular volleyball, playing the Earthball is so much more fun! The game starts with the large inflated ball positioned on the center line. Teams line up along their own end line and must be behind the end lines. Players can only retrieve balls on their side of the field. If a team is successful in knocking the earthball over the opposing tea’s orbit line, they score a point. As the earthball is quite heavy, there should be at least four people carrying it—each taking a side of the ball (north, east, south, west) to attain balance.
10. Canoe
Before leaving, we maximized our time in Caliraya Resort Club by paddling in the canoe. For an hour, we rented the canoe for PHp 300. A group of four people can take turns. We divided ourselves into three batches so we could all experience gaining control over steering the canoe and keeping the boat steady. Two people took the role of the paddler, while the other two seated as passengers, in each batch. Navigating the tricky waters of the Lake Caliraya was another unique encounter in our stay.
Wrap Up
Caliraya Resort Club Inc. is a good venue for team-building, soul-searching and arranging events with a large group. This place can accommodate up to 800 people.
The list of activities I posted above reflects only a snapshot of what you can do in Caliraya Resort Club Inc. Other exciting activities are as follows: Billiard (PHp 200/hour), Table Tennis (PHp 120/hour), KTV (PHp 250/hour), Fishing Catfish (PHo 180/kilogram), Bonfire (PHp 750/set), Horseback Riding (PHp 300/hour), Wall Climbing (PHp 250/hour/person), Rappelling (PHp 120/person/2 jumps), Bungee Fun (PHp 100/3 minutes/person), Regular Zipline (PHp 120/ride/person), Superman Single (PHp 200/ride/person), Speed Boating (PHp 3500-PHp 6000/hour), Ski Boarding (PHp 200/hour), Wakeboarding (PHp 250/hour), Windsurfing (PHp 450), Knee Boarding (PHp 200/hour), Jet Skiing (PHp 2500/30 minutes), Kayaking (PHp 250/hour) and Riding the Banana Boat (PHp 350/person/15 minutes). With all these, you will not get bored especially when in the company of friends and loved ones.
If you love sight-seeing and traveling to the countryside or just looking for a place to spend a weekend vacation, Caliraya Resort Club may be a good choice. Dissect and uncover its wild and crazy side this summer! 🙂
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