Laguna is an unfortunate place for my kids who enjoy swimming. This landlocked
province has no beach or access to the open sea. It only has access to Laguna
de Bay, which is a terrible place to dip in. Fortunately, Laguna has another
option and that is the hot springs of Calamba and Los Baños.
So last month, when the kids were clamoring for a swim, we brought them to
Calamba and booked an overnight stay at La Vista Pansol.
It was not our first time swimming in the hot springs of Calamba since we
already visited Laguna Hot Springs twice. What prompted me to choose La Vista
Pansol this time is their swimming pool for kids.
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Kiddie Pool of La Vista Pansol Resort
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The children’s swimming pool has a “fort” in the center that has plenty of
slides. My kids truly enjoyed it.
Aside from the kiddie slides, La Vista Pansol also has slides for adults.
These slides reminded me of
Woodside Farm and Water Park in Cabuyao.
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Giant slides! Ang paboritong slide ni Panganay.
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It was Friday when we had our overnight so there were very few guests during
our stay. Add to the fact that the swimming pools are big then we did not feel
crowded during our whole stay. Our photos clearly show na walang tao. I was
able to take photos as if there are no guest in this resort.
The kids truly enjoyed the kiddie slides and pool but my eldest son, who is a
daredevil, preferred the adult slide. I tried it twice and I might not try it
again in the future since it made me nervous.
My kids usually have irritations and itchy skin after dipping into a swimming
pool because of the high chlorine content of the water. It was not so in La
Vista Pansol since the water is sourced directly from the hot spring. I
actually saw pipes pouring hot water directly into the swimming pool. We even
used the warm water to massage our backs.
My parents’ favorite area is the hot spring pool. They spent a long time
relaxing their body in the warm waters of natural spring.
An Impromptu Visit to a Zoo
The one amenity that other resorts in Pansol don’t have is the Laguna Wildlife
Rescue and Rehabilitation Center that hosts a variety of birds and other
animals. And the good thing about it is that we didn't pay any additional fee
to enter it.
My kids’ favorite is this parrot that talked back to them.
That parrot’s favorite word is “pangit” (ugly) and it shamelessly shouted it
to us much to the laughter of our little ones. Nakakatuwa makitang tumawa ang
mga bata and it is such a good time for us.
We also saw other birds, a giant tortoise, sheep, goats, snakes, and monkeys.
It was fun seeing the kids getting excited with the animals. The side trip to
the Wildlife Rescue Center is definitely worth the time.
Some Negative Comments on La Vista Pansol Resort
I think that the current La Vista Pansol is but a shadow of its former glory.
This resort is already run down due to lack of maintenance. The room that we
had is “ok” but can be improved.
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The gate of La Vista Pansol Resort with broken signage.
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There were plenty of things that were lacking such as the water kettle. I even
had to go back and forth between the room and resort lobby just to get hot
water for our morning coffee.
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Rooms in La Vista Pansol Resort
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Another thing that was lacking was breakfast. They didn’t have complimentary
breakfast nor did they sell any decent meal. What they only have are cup
noodles and other sari-sari store items in their small store, which are
pricier than normal.
La Vista Pansol’s store also has limited items for sale so we had to go out
and walk a long distance to another store with touristy prices.
The resort is also far away from the highway and we had to hire a tricycle to
bring us there. This is so unlike Laguna Hot Springs that is just walking
distance from the highway.
How Much is Our La Vista Pansol Experience
Our group is composed of 7 persons, namely, me, My Beloved Wife, our 3 kids,
and my parents.
The resort charged us a total of 4,160. However, due to the senior citizen
discount and the Valentines Month promo for married couples, we only paid
3,320 pesos for the overnight stay. Our payment already covered our room and
the swimming pools, excluding the wave pool.
I think that the amount that we paid is reasonable since our kids enjoyed
their swim without the crowd. We are lucky that we went to La Vista Pansol
during the weekday.
Room, cottage, and other rates can be viewed in the official
FB page of La Vista Pansol Resort.
Our Overall Experience in La Vista Pansol
Despite the negative comments that I had with La Vista Pansol Resort, I still
give this place a very good rating since our kids enjoy the pool because of
their many slides and various amenities. I hope that they improve the place so
that we can have a better experience when we visit next time.
- - -
Read my other blog posts for the Experiencing Laguna series:
Experiencing Laguna (Part 1): Rizal Monument and a Peek at the History of
Biñan
Experiencing Laguna (Part 3): A Healthy and Relaxing Dip in Laguna Hot Spring Resort (Pansol, Calamba)
- - -
Summer is here! Are you looking for a place to swim? Read about my other blog
posts about resorts and beaches that I visited previously:
1.
Catadman Lodge in Danao City (Cebu)
2.
San Francisco Bay Lodge in Camotes Islands (Cebu)
3.
Camotes Islands beach resorts
(Cebu)
4.
Lake Danao
in Camotes Islands (Cebu)
5. Honda Bay (Palawan)
Part 1
-
Part 2 -
Part 3
6.
Microtel Hotel
in Puerto Princesa (Palawan)
7. Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan): Part 1 - Part 2
- Part 3
8.
Canyon Cove Resort in Nasugbu
(Batangas)
9.
Laiya Aplaya
in San Juan (Batangas)
10.
Splash Island
in Biñan (Laguna)
11. Woodside Farm and Water Park in Cabuyao (Laguna)
12. Batis Aramin Hotel and Resort in Lucban (Quezon)
13.
Punta de Fabian
in Baras (Rizal)
14.
By the Sea Resort (Olongapo City)
15. Sabang Beach Resort in Bulan
(Sorsogon)
16.
Bang Saen Beach
(Thailand)
17.
Koh Samet Island
(Thailand) -
Part 1 -
Part 2 -
Part 3
18. Laguna Hot Spring Resort in Pansol, Calamba
.
