The last days of Summer is approaching. And I'm tempted to have one last summer escapade before the rainy season comes. Just a quick, short and nearby summer escape is all I need to quench my thirst for a one last summer trip.
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| The undiscovered Sampaguita Beach of Bauan in Batangas province. |
It was timely when a friend of mine invited me to check out the beaches in Batangas for a summer trip. After online searches, we found Sampaguita Beach in Batangas with resorts located at the municipality of Bauan, which is just near to our province in Cavite. So we went off for a 2 hour trip to Bauan from Dasmarinas, Cavite. Upon arrival in Bauan, we took an Anilao bound jeepney and drop-off at Barangay Sampaguita which is just near the border between the municipality of Bauan and Mabini. From the drop-off, we took a tricycle that will take us to Barangay Sampaguita-Baba. There are two barangay of Sampaguita - Baba and Taas. Barangay Sampaguita-Baba is where the resorts of Sampaguita Beach are located. It is a 40-45 minute tricycle trip down to the mountainous and hilly terrain of the barangay. The end of the road is the jump point to the beach.
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| The road within a "forest" that one must past through before reaching Sampaguita Beach. 20-25 minutes from jeepney drop-off point. |
The long shoreline of Sampaguita Beach has numerous beach resorts. But we had a challenge - to reach the other resorts of Sampaguita Beach when the land entry point is block by a private resort. The second option is to cross the resort on a knee-deep water to reach the other side of the shore. Though the water is just knee-deep, our heavy things and packed food is making our cross difficult. So my friend devise a plan by pretending looking for rooms to stay and then excuse to come back when we wouldn't able to find rooms. It actually worked!
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| Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort beach front. |
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| Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort beach front area with its boats. |
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| The resort's accommodation - all-fan room nipa-hut style rooms. |
After scouting for other resorts, we settled to
Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort which offered us affordable room package. It is also a very nice resort. Plus it has a beautiful beach front of Sampaguita Beach. Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort is known for its signiture look of bamboo designed cottages and rooms and wide space grounds for music band performances. Bamboo trees also adorned every corner of the resort which invokes a feeling of tropical resort relaxation. But what I like the most about the resort is its good share of Sampaguita Beach shoreline that is gives a stunning seascape view from the front of the resort. They also offer snorkeling and island hopping activity. And unlike any other resort in Sampaguita Beach, only them offers diving activity to its guest.
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| The pristine Sampaguita Beach. |
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| Violet cowrie shells at Sampaguita Beach. |
Sampaguita Beach is a hidden charm of Bauan. It has an ivory-white sand beach with clean shoreline and pristine waters. The beach also has scenic seascapes of mountain ranges set against the blue-green waters of the beach. Also at the beach front, one can see the gorgeous seascape and its nearby islands of Anilao, Mabini and Tingloy. Those gorgeous sights added to the charming beauty of Sampaguita Beach.
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| The other side of the cove. |
I coudn't resists its clear and clean blue-green waters so I swam to it under the midday sun. I think my break was just lunch time and by 4 in the afternoon I return to the beach again to swim again. It was a relaxing and calming swim under the summer sun. But how time flies fast that its time for me to witness the sunset of Sampaguita Beach. It was a momentous event of the day for me because it is the last sunset of Summer 2013. It was a beautiful golden Bauan Sunset that I will never forget! It was simply breathaking, stunning and marvelous. I watched its golden beauty and I'm glad to watch that sunset. And as it goes down, I watched until it faded in the faraway side of the sea up to until it faded in my eyesight. Witnessing that last sunset of summer is a great way to bid goodbye to summer season.
That night we had our packed dinner and a few booze of beer over sharing of stories. Unfortunately for those who are looking for a loud sounding nightlife in Sampaguita Beach, there is none to be found except doing a drinking session of beer or alcohol liquors over sharing of stories. Nightlife in Sampaguita Beach is mostly quiet, relaxing and tranquil to the body and soul.
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| Corals just a few meters from Sampaguita Beach. Perfect for snorkeling activity. |
The following morning we did one last swimming in the morning at the beach. Though, I tempted to do snorkeling at the beach's coral garden reef or do island hopping activity since we still had enough time. I refuse to do so and instead choose to have a relaxing swim to the beach. I find it a calming and relaxing activity option to do in the morning. But in case visitors tries to do snorkeling, a coral garden is just near the beach where the resort's boat can fetch back and forth to the location of the coral reefs. For island hopping, one of the island itineraries is a visit to Sombrero Island, named after the shape of island which is a hat. Sombrero is the Tagalog term for hat.
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| Bauan Sunset - beautiful, beguiling, breathtaking... |
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| Saying goodbye to the last sunset of Summer 2013... |
Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort is a nice and affordable resort with friendly staff but the only drawback here is its location and how reach it from Bauan town proper. It's a challenge to reach it especially to commuters. But visitors can take the resort's private boat transfer arrangement service from Anilao port to Sampaguita Beach for an add-on fee on top of the room rate. But overall, its worth a try to stay in the resort and its location shouldn't let visitors refrain from visiting the resort. Plus Sampaguita Beach is truly a hidden charm in this side of Bauan.
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| Deep submerge. |
Discovering and exploring Sampaguita Beach's beauty and charm was a great way for me to end my last summertime thirst for adventure. The Bauan sunset that I witnessed that day was perfect enough for me to say goodbye to summer. Though my last summer escapade experience is just quick and my stay at the resort is just short, I think I had the most of it with just discovering the undiscovered Sampaguita Beach of Bauan. Those great summer experiences made my summer a summer to remember.
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Undiscovered Sampaguita Beach of Bauan, Batangas is my fourth and last trip of Summer 2013 that happened last May 29-30, 2013. I will soon have a separate post of photo gallery of Sampaguita Beach and Bauan seascapes that I captured during my visit last summer and an accommodation review of my stay in Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort.
Residencia de Riego Beach and Dive Resort
Baranggay Sampaguita-Baba, Bauan, Batangas
Contacts: 09065576922/09323823081/09474517974
FB Page: Residencia De Riego Beach
Email: residenciaderiegoresort@gmail.com
