It was years ago since I first heard about a quaint little resort at the heart of San Pablo, Laguna.  I have pretty much forgotten about it until just about recently when having ran out of places to go to near the metro; I rediscovered the place called Casa San Pablo.

With our vacation leaves approved, cameras loaded, and bags packed, we headed out to Laguna first thing in the morning right after work.

Locating the place was a breeze as there was detailed instruction in the resort's website on to how to get there. We boarded a Lucena bound bus in Cubao and asked the driver to drop us off at San Pablo Medical. The ride took about three hours, which could have been cut down to two if not for some heavy works being done at the South Luzon Expressway. After boarding down, a five minute tricycle drive took us straight to the gates of the Casa.

The Casa is about six hectares large; sports two pools, lots of quirky rooms, a main dining hall and large grassy fields for strolling, running and stargazing.

If you are looking for kookiness and colors, this place have it in piles.  Knick knacks of every kind abound from every nooks and crannies. From old literary convention posters, life-sized wooden sculptures, postal office lockers, vintage mopeds; everything is mixed and matched to form the motif of the Casa.

Imagine Baguio’s ultra eccentric Oh My Gulay, combine it with the outdoor/indoor feel of Tagaytay’s Bag of Beans; then mix it with the ambience of your Grandma's home, and you’ve got Casa San Pablo in a nutshell.

The food was also at par with the inn. Everything we sampled was just perfect. It’s like going to your favorite Lola’s house and having a buffet of her every special dishes. I especially can never forget their super crunchy Lechon de Pugon. The name of the dish is the real deal, your dinnermates would swear you were eating chicharon instead of Lechon.  I’ll bet you have never tasted Lechon like theirs yet.  Their Bulalo was also delicious, and it complimented the drizzly weather we had during our stay quite nicely too.

And of course the man of the house is not to be outgunned by his Casa, you've just got to meet the owner of this great place, Mr. Boots Alcantara.  A laid down and relaxed guy, he was really very welcoming to his guests.  He’s very hands on too, even helping out in arranging the dining area for us.  We enjoyed having little chitchats with him during our stay.
Staying overnight will set you back at least a couple of thousand pesos, but if you want to get away from the bustle of city for little while, forget about television, turn down the noise, clear your lungs, and dilute yourself with nature; then it is worth all your saved Pesos.  Have no second thoughts, Casa San Pablo is the place to go to.

As one of the many articles on the wall of their dining hall proclaimed; this is Casa Fantastica indeed.

   

The Casa is open daily, but reservation is required
Contact their super cool owner at (0917) 812-6687