By the way, our travel time from Bulacan to La Union was more than 3 hours. I just brought some sandwich and chips so we can eat inside the car while driving. When we arrived, refreshment drinks were offered. Going inside the resort, its a beautiful place with Bali-themed villas and pathways.

Love it!

Glass window around the whole hut but there are blinds you can pull down for your privacy.



Inside, the room is not that big. It's kind of small than what I've expected. Of course, I've got the cheapest room but I've stayed at rooms bigger than this at the same price. The basic amenities are complete though.

Look at that big window in the bathroom hahaha!

Resort Premises

We went out to check the pool and the beach and saw that the whole premise was adorable:

The small pool for the kids and the bigger pool for adults but its only about 5ft deep.

About 3pm and nobody dared swim in the beach haha!

The waves are calling but the beach was scorching!

We took a little rest in our room and then at 5pm it was time to hit the beach!



I can't get enough of the sunset!

No filter!

View from the pool.

One of the things I like in this resort is their location. Their beachfront is very wide and its in the part of the beach where its not rocky. The sand is very fine and the beach, clean. I think this is also one of the best La Union beach resorts for surfing, especially for beginners, because the waves are not so high. Its also situated near restaurants and bars like:

Gefseis Greek Grill, Olas Banditos, Fatwave Surf Resort and Flotsam and Jetsam.

At night time, the Urbiztondo road can be so busy but inside the resort, the noise can't be heard. Definitely a plus for that!


Come dinner time we tried their restaurant. They have an acoustic band performing in their restaurant, The Big Kahuna Bar and Restaurant.

For me, the food was just OK. Nothing spectacular or outstanding and it was kind of expensive. The next day, we had complimentary plated breakfast and the food tasted a little bit better especially with the sea breeze blowing right on us. :)

Breakfast by the beach!

Coffee makes everything better.

Some shot I took practicing how to take good pictures.

I'm so happy with the morning beach waves!

Thanks to the hubby for capturing these photos!

At one corner of the restaurant, they do have billiards which you can use for free.




Of course, I won't leave without trying their spa. Their spa is the next thing that I really like in this resort. The spa place was cozy and the massage was very relaxing. The staff was very accommodating, too. Always smiling and ready to help. My son said he would like to go with me at the spa and I was so glad they have these lazy boy chairs in their waiting area where you can also order food and eat while waiting for your turn or waiting for someone.

Its a bit cold in their spa so they gave my little one a blanket and pillow.

Love, love, love their massage!

After the massage, one of their staff was kind enough to show me some parts of the resort that are being developed so as to accommodate more customers. Its nice to know that they are building bigger rooms and also family rooms.

New pool and bigger rooms.

Gefseis Greek Grill

I've researched about restaurants to visit when in La Union and the number one place that comes up in every list would be Gefseis Greek Grill. It was a walking distance from Kahuna's shore to the restaurant and when we arrived at the place it was very pleasant to see this Greek-themed restaurant facing the beach. I'm not a foodie but I loveee food but Greek cuisine's not my thing having tasted the menu of Cyma for 3x already, please don't get mad Cyma lovers, but my taste buds aren't made for their menu. But with Gefseis food, I appreciated Greek food instantly! We ordered 4 of their dishes and all of them are delightful.



The only flaw I can see in this restaurant is the long waiting time before the food can be served. Maybe its because of the way they cook food or maybe because a lot of people are visiting their store, it would be advisable to come in their store early so as to give you ample time for waiting for your orders. But as I've said, its worth the visit because not only their food is delicious its also not so expensive.


The next day, we had our breakfast again at Kahuna Big Restaurant and I can say it was one of the nicest mornings I've ever experienced having this view while sipping my coffee. A once in a blue moon almost perfect morning. I can almost feel the ocean breeze touching my face just by watching this video:



We will never get enough of you La Union, we will surely come back and stay at this hotel again. I highly recommend it and its one of the most accommodating hotels/resorts I've been to.

Stay positive and pass it on!

Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa contact and info:

http://www.kahunaresort.com/

Rate for 3days 2 nights at Standard Garden View Room: P 12,998.00

P.S All shots taken using Huawei Nova 3i. Am I improving? :)


If you prefer going to the south, you may want to check out this hotel in Tagaytay:
https://www.jocelynpryde.com/2017/06/review-escala-tagaytay.html

Grabbed from Gles Fuerte.

The Beach at Vitalis White Sands

The kids are already far from the shore but its still shallow part.

Pool near our room

A sofa which you can also use as a bed.

Jumping in the King bed after entering the room!

hahahaha!

Big mirror in the bathroom and a rainshower too. TV mounted in the walls but not so conveniently positioned as you can see.

Manga cover grabbed from Google

Images grabbed from Google

Some photos at the front yard of the hotel:




Sorry for the dark photo, but this family photo still deserves to be posted. The background is all about The Nativity.

The Manor at Camp John Hay Facade

Going to our room I was mesmerized by the wooden hallways all around the hotel.





And of course, a fireplace will always be charming in my eyes...

At the fireplace.

I booked their Deluxe Room with Forest view. It was nice except that I didn't know that you need to state in your booking request/preference for a room on the upper floor if you want to have a nice veranda/balcony. I was really imagining sitting on the room balcony and sipping my coffee in the morning but that didn't happen. Because we were placed on the ground floor rooms. The balcony wasn't adorable at all because there was a tall wall, almost 4 feet high, encompassing the whole balcony because the forest ground was a bit high plus the scent of the ground was not that good so better take the coffee indoor, which was my utmost dismay during our whole stay.

But the whole room was very cozy considering that there was no air conditioner in all rooms inside the hotel. They only ceiling fans. During our stay, the room was cold even during the afternoon, most especially in the evening that we even had to wrap ourselves with a blanket.

The room can accommodate four adults because the beds are big and the whole room was spacious.





I forgot to take a picture of the bathroom but the bathroom was also big. We took a little nap after lunch because we were kinda exhausted from the long drive. After nap time, we strolled around the hotel.

my cousins and their children visited us at The Manor

I love the night time.

A choir was playing at garden area because it was still Christmas season.



We went to the Technohub (just in front of Camp John Hay entrance gate) during night time to have some dinner because apparently, the food at the hotel was expensive. You can find many Camp John Hay restaurants and fastfood that could fit anyone's budget. We also discovered that one of the many Camp John Hay activities you can do is shopping. Mile Hi Center, which was just a walking distance from The Manor, is where you can find outlets of some branded shoes, clothes, cosmetics, etc. You can find out more about  it here:

 http://www.fashionrack.com.ph/outlets-camp-john-hay-mile-hi-center/

Le Chef at the Manor

In the morning, I will never miss the opportunity for a good, hearty breakfast whenever I am at a good hotel. You know why? Not only because breakfast is my favorite meal but also it is only during vacation times that I don't need to get up early and cook breakfast! That's what makes my hotel breakfast all the more special! Hahahaha! And of course, it's bufffeeeeettt!!


Here are some photos of buffet breakfast at Le Chef, The Manor's famous restaurant.

Some cold cuts.

Breads and pies!

B-R-E-A-K-F-A-S-T !!!

The Manor Hotel Baguio contact number: (074) 424-0931