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Living in the city can take a toll on one's health. Stress from work is just one of the many factors that can affect your well-being. In addition to that, living in the city also exposes one to pollution and other environmental stresses.
What one needs is a good place to get away from it all. It doesn't need to be far, just something that can get you out of your daily routine and recharge the tired soul.
I recently discovered a place that's perfect for such a getaway. The Beachtop Resort of Agdangan, Quezon is one gem that's not well publicized (since they still don't have many available accommodations as of this writing). But it's only a matter of time before this place gets fully booked every weekend.
Despite its proximity to Manila, Agdangan offers a rural landscape reminiscent of the coasts of Batangas or Zambales back in the day. The calm of the sea, scent of fresh air and rolling coconut trees are enough perks for a weekend staycation.
There are many resorts in Agdangan but what sets The Beachtop apart is their unique accommodations and its proximity to Tayabas Bay — the beach.
What to expect at The Beachtop Resort?
The Beachtop Resort is on a small hill with the view of the ocean. They have 1 Dome Glamping room and 4 kubo or native huts. All of the rooms come with their own toilet and bath.
We stayed at the Dome, the only accommodation with airconditioning. The huts however, only have fans. The Dome is good enough for 2, while the huts can accommodate groups of 4 or more.
There are several large tables that can be used for dining. You can bring food and cook your own meals or you can pre-order from their menu. I highly recommend that you order from them! The price per serving is around 300php and each serving is good for 3 to 4 people. Everything we ordered from them were absolutely delicious!
Their Sinantolan was divine!!! Something you shouldn't miss. Order extra rice since you will definitely over eat. I am actually craving it while writing. *sigh*
Since the place is surrounded by nature, expect to encounter nature, aka bugs. There were a lot of tiny crawlies but nothing scary.
My favorite was their outdoor shower. You can bathe under the stars at night or under the clear blue sky in the morning. It's an incredible experience! However, they do not have hot water. So if the weather is cold, expect the water from the showers to be cold! I personally didn't mind. It was a refreshing experience!
The dome was spacious enough for 2 people and the AC was able to cool the whole dome. For a Glamping accommodation, there were a lot of outlets in the room! You can plug all your gadgets at the same time.
How to get there?
We were able to book our 2 nights stay via Airbnb. Just search for The Beachtop. 1 night costs about 7,500Php on a weekend and 5,500Php on weekdays. Since we booked 2 nights (Sat-Mon), we got both nights at 6,500Php.
We drove to the resort, using both Waze and Google Maps. It was an easy drive since the roads are mostly new. Up until the point of the resort entrance, we had no difficulty following Waze. When we reached the resort's entrance though, we had to drive upward an unpaved hill. It was a narrow clearing, with either side filled with overgrown grass. We managed to reach the parking with no incident, however. Once we reached the place, we realized that the short adventure was well worth it!
Travel tips and what to bring to The Beachtop Resort
Again, expect a lot of bugs! We weren't really bothered but best to bring some insect repellant with you.
They have a fridge and an electrict water kettle, which means you can bring snacks, drinks and instant coffee. You can also bring small cooking appliances, if you prefer to cook your own meals.
However, I can't stress this enough, order from them. Their food is absolutely delicious and all the payment goes directly to the cooks! A small way to help locals in that area. They don't provide towels and toiletries, so don't forget to pack your own.
As for activities, you can stay at the resort, relax and admire the view the whole day, or you can go around the area and visit the nearby Mangrove Forest called Camp Multohan. To go there, you can ask the resort to arrange a tricycle ride for you for around 150Php. We decided to visit the Mangrove Forest which is a bumpy 10-15 mins tricycle ride from the resort.
Once at the camp, we paid an entrance fee of about 20Php. We then walked into the mangrove forest via a rickety bridge. Another adventure! Inside the forest, it was very hot and humid! I didn't expect that. Again, this is a forest so expect a lot of mosquitos and other bugs. Further into the forest, we saw giant mangrove trees and heard all the sounds nature has to offer. It's a great place to meditate. They have a mangrove nursery as well, where they grow baby mangroves and plant more mangroves around the area.
At sunset, we decided to go to the beach and enjoyed looking for different types of of crabs and other sea creatures. There were unique creatures there that we haven't seen before! Even at ankle deep water, the sea is teeming with life.
After dinner, we requested for a bonfire to be setup and toasted mallows. Before sleeping, we arranged for a massage for only 350Php an hour! The most perfect way to end the day. Again the payment goes directly to the staff, which I find very generous of the resort owner.
We didn't have to worry about being short of cash or snacks since there are small stores along the road that accepts Gcash payments.
The Takeaway
The unique accommodation, immersive nature activities, and the slow, quiet environment made our stay restful and enjoyable. Apart from this, we learned about the town's social and environmental projects which made our stay more meaningful.
OVERALL RATING: 4.2 STARS
Accommodation: 4/5 stars
Food: 5/5 stars!!
Activities: 3.5/5 stars
People: 4.5/5 stars
Price: 4/5 stars
There you go, what do you think? Would you like to know more about this place or other amazing unknown destinations in the Philippines or the world? Let me know and follow me on tiktok, facebook, and instagram for more travel content!
See you in our next journey!
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