We served as travel agents for an activity. It's more fun in the Philippines!

1. Villa Escudero

2. Villa Escudero Plantations
Villa Escudero is a resort
opened in 1981, boasts its
reputation as one of the prime
tourist destinations in the
Philippines, offering a myriad of
Philippine artifacts and specimens
ranging from dresses, cuisines,
religious art to warfare artillery and
armor. The coconut plantation was
originally built in 1929 by Don
Arsenio Escudero, one of the
pioneer agro-industrialist, and was
later opened to the public after 52
years. It has developed a
worldwide reputation as a focal
point to experience Philippine
culture and history in a beautiful
rural setting.

3. Location Villa Escudero
Plantations is 800
hectares (2,000 acres) of
working coconut
plantation and hacienda,
located 10 kilometers
south of the city of San
Pablo, Laguna province,
on the border with
Quezon province in the
Philippines. The
estimated travel time
from San Pedro, Laguna
is two hours.

4. History
Villa Escudero Plantations
was founded in 1872 by Don Placido
Escudero and his wife Doña Claudia
Marasigan. It’s originally a sugar cane
plantation. The crop was converted to
coconut by their son, Don Arsenio
Escudero in the early 1900s. Don
Arsenio Escudero is a pioneering
agriculture industrialist. He built the
country’s first working hydroelectric plant
– Labasin Dam – to supply his
desiccated coconut factory and the
Escudero Plantation house, which he and
his wife Doña Rosario Adap built in 1929.
In 2008, 415 hectares (1,030 acres),
more than half of the estate, was
converted into an exclusive residential
development called, Hacienda Escudero.

5. Al fresco Labasin Waterfall Restaurant
One of the highlights of the
Villa is the Al fresco Labasin
waterfalls restaurant situated
below the spillway of the dam.
The water is very clear and
cold though there is no
guarantee if it is safe to drink.
Lunch is served on bamboo
dining tables set in a few
inches of crystalline running
water from the falls. The
experience of dining on
delicious local dishes with the
sparkling waterfalls as a
backdrop with clear spring
water running over your feet is
a truly singular and memorable
experience only Villa Escudero
can offer.

6. AERA Memorial Museum
First stop is the AERA
Memorial Museum – founded
by spouses Don Arsenio
Escudero and
Doña Rosario Escudero. The
museum is a replica of a long-
gone Franciscan church in
Intramuros highlighting
collections of colonial and
religious art. Aside from
these, the museum also have
archaeological artifacts found
within the plantation, rare
coins, clothing, weaponry,
even some of José Rizal’s
original documents such as
“Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last
Farewell) and other items of
interest collected in their
travels around the world.
Unfortunately, photography
inside the museum is strictly
prohibited.

8. Escudero Ancestral House

9. Bamboo Rafting
Guests who wish to get more exercise
or take a closer look at the scenery can
have a go at bamboo rafting in the man-
made Labasin Lake. The rafts, which
can seat two people, do not come with a
boatman, so those who are up for the
challenge are sure to work up a sweat.

10. Cultural Show

11. Carabao-cart Ride / Jeepney