Family Time Archives - Page 24 of 24

Normi2’s Resort, San Juan, La Union

Yes guys, I am back..but still disorganized.. I need to transfer my pics yet, need to laundry our sand invaded clothes, and still need to hang the wet swim wears (oh no I did NOT wear bathing suit.. though I wish I could LOL). And if you are wondering where we have been, we went to San Juan, La Union. We were with my sorority sister, and her hubby who is a frat bro to my hubby.. our sorority is a counterpart of their frat and we both have three kids, sweet eh? I will post some pics soon!

We stayed in Normi2’s Resort or Normi’s Resort as they are listed on their site. The Resort was located in Baranggay Taboc, San Juan, La Union. If you are like us who were confused whether to call it Normimi’s or Nornormimi’s or Normii’s (depending on where you are goin to apply the second power), the answer is simple.. they now prefer Normi’s.. just that. The history of their name is not as complicated as to the second power equation.. It is as simple as there were two owners whose name starts with NOR and another two whose name starts with MI, get it?

Kiddie pool, tropical bar, shore
view from the rooftop function hall

San Juan, La Union is the town after San Fernando City. The travel time to Manila to San Juan is about 6 to 7 hours. If by private vehicle, all you need is to exit on NLEX then to SCTEX, then Mc Arthur Highway. When you passed by San Fernando City, a good ten minutes will bring you to the gates of Normi’s Resort. You can also reach San Fernando by RORO or by plane (they have an airport and seaport) from San Fernando, there are local jeepneys that can drop you off to Normi’s.

Normi’s Resort is a very relaxed tourist destination on the north. The resort sits just in front of South China Sea shore. The resort houses two swimming pool, one semi Olympic (which runs up to 10ft deep) and a kiddie pool. The resort has a restaurant that offers Mediterranean cuisine. It also has a unique tropical bar that over looks South China Sea. They offer a lot of accommodations that can cater to each guest’s needs.

semi Olympic sized pool

Here are the list of their rates:

Aircon rooms:
Standard (capacity:3) 1400PhP (about $30)
De Luxe (capacity:2) 1575 PhP
Family (capacity:5) 1800 PhP
(capacity:6) 2000PhP
(capacity:8) 2200 PhP
(capacity:9) 2400PhP

Fan rooms:
Economy(capacity:3) 950 PhP
Cottage (capacity:2) 1100 PhP
Apartelle(capacity:6) 2800 PhP (with cooking facility)

Aside from swimming or sand burying, you can also do surfing, they offer surfing lessons for 400 PhP per hour (surfing board included).

boards for rent

Other Amenities:
Picnic sheds
Conference rooms, function area (poolside, open area)
Billiard room/ Videoke

Flipino themed reception area

The resort staffs were really friendly (and this is our second time here) and if we are heading back North, we are definitely be staying (again and again) here. The resort is not perfect though, and we do have some minor complaints, but those were already been properly addressed, so there is no need to mention it here.

And since you are already on the area, you can also try visiting these places:
Potteries, a few meters away from the resort
Luna Beach AKA Pebble Beach
Bangar (a 20 minute drive from the resort) the town that is famous for their weaved blankets
Bacnotan Steel (after Luna Beach)/Holcim Cement

Contact Details

La Union Beach

This is my favorite shot.. Chico and Dylan are still both in their respective Mom’s tummy during this time 🙂

My hubby never fails to mention La Union as one of his favorite destination, actually, it is his only destination. He talks about it as if it is his sanctuary. Some of his happy memories are encrypted in the shore of Bauang, La Union. Last 2007, as a celebration of my three siblings birthdays, we decided to visit La Union. It is mere coincidence that the place we rented was just a walk away to the place my mom stayed when she was young. Although my mother talked about her childhood (and mostly sad)and mentions La Union, we never thought that this could be the same province she and my hubby talks about. We really have no idea, but she seems happy that she is going back there. So we had a convoy, us coming here in Pasig and them from Nueva Ecija. We agreed to meet on the place. The place we rented was located in the boundary of San Juan and Bacnotan (where Holcim factory is located). It was a long trip but it was worth it.

We stayed in Normi2’s Resort (they have a website before) and since it was off peak season, they gave us a discount for our stay. The resort is big and friendly, not posh, just laid back. It has a lot of accommodation. There’s a cottage for two, fan room(which faced the adult pool), then there is a building for the air conditoned rooms. There’s also an economy cottages that can house up to three person per room but I think the bathroom and comfort room is shared. Then the one we stayed in is a two room cottage with cooking facility. It is a big advantage that you get an accommodation that allows you to cook, saves a lot on food.

The resort has two swimming pools, one for kids and the other one is for adults. Some meters away is the shore of South China Sea.

The staffs were really nice and the resort was tidy.. and they have this cool electric fan made out of big native fans (dried leaves I think). The only thing that I did not like about the place was it was too big.. I mean the pools are not side by side. If you are to swim and you have kids, there is no way that you can both enjoy it. It is either you go swim with the kids on the baby pool or the kids don’t and you enjoy a splash. The pools per se, I have no complaints. The beach.. oh well do I really have the right to complain at nature? LOL

Since we were in that area, we manage to town hop. Our first stop was in Balaoan,where my first cousin lives. On the way there, we pass by a road that seems like a scene from one of our PS2 games. The road is windy and covered with trees and my the road is so good, so tire friendly.. no holes or bumps. The off to Banggar to check out some blankets. Then on the way back, instead of going again to the windy mountain road, we checked out Luna beach. According to my sister, Luan is known for its pebbles. Unfortunately we were not able to find a good shore to collect pebbles, but we manage to see some really huge pear shells! And though the road is not as green as on the other side, the trip is just as heavenly (minus the part that we were lost)

I forgot to mention that in San Juan, potteries are all over the road. They sell really cheap pots and vases and art works.. If only I still have some of my shot.. This was taken from my friendster account.. and was shot last March 2008 (oh yeah, we came back)

And this weekend, you know where we are heading, so I better start taking some free lessons on how to maximize my cam and bring home some really good pics for your eyes..

Wish me luck! (on the focusing on lessons part)LOL

oh.. San Juan is also a surfing paradise.. if only I am as adventorous as before.. sigh..

La Mesa Ecopark

In between Christmas and New Year there were 6 days of nothingness. We already spend two spending the kid’s aguinaldos (*wink) and going back home. That leaves us 4 more, and so aside from watching movies, we think it is best to take the kids out. The choices were: La Mesa Ecopark, Manila Ocean Park, Museo Pambata or Enchanted Kingdom. This outing is on the kid’s best interest and so we asked them where they want to. Their unanimous answer was Ecopark (they like the word park and they know they can do bike riding there). Good choice kids! It was the cheapest of them all..

La Mesa Ecopark is located in Quezon City, somewhere in Commonwealth Avenue. We drove down there utilizing the C5 road. Ortigas Extension, exits to C5 in IPI, then to Commonwealth.. We were lost as I thought the entrance to the Ecopark was along the road. We have to go back and thought of entering the La Mesa compound the other way. It turns out that the road we are planning to take is the part where they house the water treatment facility. Opps! We have to go back (bad thing before the good thing) and pay attention on the road, while my eyes were fixed on the map (how did I do that? I don’t know, but I end up with my head throbbing hard). Finally we reached our destination!

The park was all green, right to be called an Ecopark. The entrance to the park was not free, but it was very cheap. We paid a dollar each, free of charge for kids less than 3 feet. Bike rentals were cheap too (see their site for the rates). The food was cheap too, a meal which consist of rice and grilled fish or pork with a salted egg side dish was priced more or less 1 dollar and fifty. And it was tasty. Tables and chairs were open for rentals.. At 3 dollar a set (good fro 4), not bad for a day use.

Kayil and Mico enjoyed the day with their rented bikes, in the playgorund in between. Mommy and Chico found some shed and watch them and play with the camera. Daddy watching over the two (praning mode..)

The trip was fun, only we did not stay long..

Another bad thing about it, some idiot slammed their car door on ours, leaving one of our doors with scratches and vent. The car color was red judging from the scratch.. Moronic people are everywhere.. even on parks.