I first stumbled upon this place while I was searching around the Internet, looking for resorts in Laiya, Batangas. When I saw photos of the place, I instantly loved it and proceeded to book a room for two. The place is quite pricey compared to the other resorts in the area but upon arriving there, I knew why. The resort is very spacious, the cabanas or rooms are spaced quite far from each other, thus giving a lot of privacy to guests. When I went there with my boyfriend, the resort was actually fully booked but it didn't feel like it. The sand was white and the water was clean. It was hard to believe that this place was only 2-3 hours away from Manila. read more

What a gorgeous beach! While the sand isn't as fine as flour, it's definitely white and doesn't have too many shells that'll poke your feet as you run. Normally pretty white sand doesn't go with pretty underwater sights, but here I was pleasantly surprised to find corals and colorful fish only a short distance from shore! If you're not the type to snorkel, there are rentable kayaks available at a fairly reasonable price. The rooms are little cottages, either made of bamboo or built like a standard house with aircon. My family stayed in the former and thanks to the sea breeze, it was pleasantly cool during the night. No need to get the more expensive airconditioned room! It's nearly 3000 pesos more. But if you're just going on a day trip, you can rent one of the cabanas on the beach. They have mattresses for midday naps and curtains so no one will see the weird faces you make while asleep. The beachfront itself is beautiful, dotted with lots of coconut trees and smaller trees whose names are unknown to me but look like giant bonsais. The latter's branches are great for climbing and sitting on. Some trees have hammocks strung between them so you can sway with the wind and listen to the waves while daydreaming away that hour between eating and swimming again. Only issue I have with Virgin Beach is you can't bring in your own food. As an added snag, the already kinda expensive fees don't include food; you still have to pay for what you order at their restaurant separately. Overall, this a wonderful resort! My family's been here twice and each time was exactly the vacation we needed. read more

This is probably my favorite beach resort just outside of Manila, only 2-3 hours away in Laiya, Batangas! People generally agree that the beaches in that area are some of the best near Manila so it's become a popular weekend getaway spot for many city dwellers. There are several resorts down the stretch of that beach, and Virgin Beach is somewhere near the end. I love this place because it's a bit more quiet compared to the other resorts. It also has a nicer ambience, with a manicured beachfront, finer sand, stone steps, shaped trees and nipa huts. There's no multi-level building for rooms-- there are stand-alone cottages instead, but they're very nice mini-house type structures that are air-conditioned and have their own spacious bathroom. It's like a hotel room in itself! There are also open-air bamboo cottages which are comfortable themselves and spacious too. Curtained cabanas stand on the stretch of the beach as well, perfect for daytrippers or overnighters on a budget. There aren't a lot of cottages so you have to reserve in advance to be sure. This is nice though because it keeps the resort laidback, and not overrun with too many people. Even when it's fully occupied, you don't feel it, except perhaps during eating times when they put up a buffet in the dining area. The ambience here is super nice. You have well-made wooden tables and chairs everywhere right by a beautiful view of the sea. Food is delicious and the staff are very well-trained. The captain waiter used to be from the Manila Polo Club and some of the staff are from other 5-star hotels from the city, so they know how to handle guests. You can even ask for stuff that's not on the menu and they'll make it for you! Given all that, Virgin Beach tends to be pricier than all the other resorts in the area (except of course for Acuatico, the most high-end there) but the quality of service and facilities here make it very much worth it. There just aren't too many activities to do here, but if all you want is great R&R, this is the place to go. read more

See all