5.355
26 (Fri) December 2014
Seafood Pizza
1.0
at Eagle Point Beach & Dive Resort
-Anilao, Mabini, Batangas, Philippines-
with the Family
Winter Holiday with the Family: Day 3 of 11
- Day 1 (5.353 Lapu-Lapu Chazuke)
- Day 2 (5.354 Deep-Fried Tofu with Shrimp & Vegetables in Oyster Sauce)
- Day 3 (5.355 Seafood Pizza)
For our first extended family time since I left home to work overseas, we’ll be spending the winter holiday together. Starting with Christmas in the Philippines, ending with the New Year in Korea.
Rather than spend the entire time in the city, however, we drove down to Batangas for an overnighter in Anilao, where we could get some fresh air and splash around in the ocean.
Although I’d never been to Eagle Point Beach and Dive Resort, I booked us a room there for several reasons. It’s the only real family resort in the area, with full staff, restaurant and bar, and various amenities (other places in the area are geared solely towards divers, not families with young kids. Among the four swimming pools on the premises, there’s a shallow kiddie pool with a water slide! And a diving pool with baby sharks! And a bird zoo! They even own an island, accessible by a chartered boat for day trips, including BBQ lunch on the sandy beach! Sounded grand.
The first sign of trouble was, literally, a sign at the entrance that warned against bringing any food or drink on to the property. “Management reserves the right to search bags. Violations will result in corkage fees.” WTF?
At check-in, the receptionist saw the kids and offered us an additional mattress for an extra charge of 1,000 pesos (about $25) (the room itself cost 3,000 pesos). We declined.
As for activities, the dive shop was asking 900 pesos for a daily dive master fee (400 pesos elsewhere), on top of a separate boat fee and other bogus charges, while the chartered boat + beachside lunch would’ve cost us over 5,000 pesos. Forget it.
The food was total crap.
They charged us 33 pesos for a kettle of hot water, even when we said that we needed it for IZ’s medicine.
In our room, roaches, spiders, ants, flies, mosquitos everywhere. We discovered the additional mattress was already under the bed, but it came out encrusted with all manner of dust and hair and dead bugs. Soon enough, their living brethren joined the party. We huddled on the bed under the covers in fear of being eaten alive.
Looking at the crowd, which appeared to consist primarily of tourists, I’m guessing that the ownership isn’t concerned with cultivating customer loyalty, just gouging the one-time guests as they pass through.
Although we were entitled to breakfast and use of the facilities until 2PM, we checked out first thing in the morning and went down the street to a different resort.
This place is forever BANNED.
(See also FOODS)
(See also PHILIPPINES)