Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort is a premiere Eco-Tourism Resort that showcases the Philippines’ cultural heritage. From the traditional carabao carts, Filipino dishes, to the traditional costumes of the staff, visitors can really appreciate the beauty of the Philippines.

My family tried to the day tour of Villa Escudero and here’s my honest review about our experience. As much as possible, I don’t really sugar-coat reviews because I want my readers to see the realities and not be disappointed.

Day Tour Review

Prior going to the resort, we reserved online and paid for a down payment in the bank. We just brought the deposit slip in the reception area. They gave us a glass of gulaman as the welcome drink. They also gave us some stubs for Carabao Cart Ride, Lunch, Museum, and Gate.

Museum Tour  (2/5)

The first stop is the museum tour. In the outside, it looks like a facade of a church painted in pink. On the first floor, it’s filled with old relics from churches, preserved insects and animals, and some portraits of indigenous people. On the second floor, there are traditional clothes, a collection of old money from different nations, some antique jars and other old objects.

Cameras are not allowed inside so let me share my observations. In my opinion, the museum is not well-maintained. The exhibits are right next to each other. The pathways are very narrow. Some of the displays are very dusty. The museum is not air-conditioned. Is it worth the visit? Not really.

Carabao Cart Ride (5/5)

Kalabaw (Carabao)  is the national animal of the Philippines. Carabaos are used in agriculture. They are also used as means of transportation. Although I’m not a fan of exploiting animals, I really had a great time at this ride. The carabaos are clean. They are not smelly and I think they are well taken care of. In addition, there’s a singer at the back playing traditional Filipino songs.

Souvenir Shop (4/5)

From the museum, we were transported by the carabao cart to the souvenir shop. I wasn’t able to take pictures inside but this ice cream cart replica is perfect for your Instagram!

Inside the souvenir shop, there are some traditional clothes, bags, and accessories which are made by some designers and indigenous people. For me, they are quite pricey. I have this habit of buying ref magnets but I didn’t buy one from Villa Escudero because it’s worth 200 pesos. Most of the time, I can buy ref magnets at 3 for 100 pesos, 50 pesos, or 100 pesos.

Waterfalls Restaurant (2/5)

Villa Escudero is well known because of their waterfalls restaurant. It’s not everyday that you can eat with your feet submerged under the cold water from the waterfalls. It’s quite a good experience.

The ambiance is good but the food is disappointing. I love how they cooked the okra and eggplant. However, their liempo and tilapia is burnt. The fish is yellowish on the inside and the beef is hard to chew. I ate the steamed vegetables instead. The Filipino dishes in Cabalen are so much better.

Swimming Pool (5/5)

They have swimming pools for the adults and for the children. What I like the most about it is that they have warm Jacuzzi pools. My sister had to sneak in because kids are not allowed in the adult pool area. LOL. By the way,  the toilets and shower rooms are very clean! Kudos to the maintenance department!

Water Rafting (5/5)

From the infinity pool, people can see this amazing lagoon. Besides the scenic view, I also felt secured because there are staff who looks over us. They even required us to use some life vests which I think is very necessary.

Cultural Show (4/5)

Since I’m a fan of traditional performances, I enjoyed watching them. From the costumes to the actual performance, all their staff work hard to make it possible. There are adult and child performers showcasing the Philippine Folk Dances from different eras. If you want to watch the show, you should be there from 2:00-3:15 pm.

Before leaving the premises, they showed us some of our pictures taken by their official photographers. They are selling them for 200 ($4). They showed around ten pictures. We only bought two because it’s quite pricey.

My family and I went there on a Thursday morning so we paid 1600 ($30) per head. Though I was not satisfied with the food, I enjoyed the other amenities. I’d say that the price we paid is worth it. On other days (Mon-Wed), they only charge 1450 ($27) but it doesn’t include the cultural shows.

In addition, they also have accommodations. They have suites for two, four, six, and even for twelve people. Some are air-conditioned, others are not. Make sure to book first before going there.

When was the last time you traveled with your family?