First time at the Lipa Outlet
My sister and I have been eyeing to go to Lipa Outlet here in Batangas for quite some time, but we didn't have the chance until after Christmas. We dragged the fam over so we could start shopping for the New Year's celebration.
LIMA Estate, located between Lipa and Malvar, Batangas (hence the name) is an economic zone considered to be the number one selling and the largest privately-owned industrial park in the Philippines. (Aboitiz InfraCapital)
We were suprised to see how big it is, and how many establishments are present here. Based on the Aboitiz InfraCapital website, The Outlets at lipa is one of the largest outlet destinations in Luzon (one of the 3 main islands in the Philippines).
Rainy Day
Anyway, we arrived shortly after 10:00 am when the shops just opened. Since we didn't have breakfast yet, we walked around to find the best place to eat. It was raining on and off, and with kids and seniors with us, my sister and I were to careful to choose where we went.
Al fresco dining would have been nice, but since it was raining, it did not become an option. We went inside Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen, instead.
Aimless Wandering
After eating, we really didn't have anything much to do. We did not expect how vast the place was, which was actually much, much better than going to the mall.
Well, we had to walk a lot. And our mom cannot be subjected to this much walking. So when we saw the recreation area and checked out the carts area over there.
I paid Php 50 ($0.85) per cart for a 10-minute rental. Little Miss and the Little Man both had their own carts.
We were able to sit for 10 minutes while waiting for these kiddos. It was pleasantly cold since the wind flows through this area and bounces off the wall.
Shopping and more food!
Then we found this big thrift shop. We checked it out and found some items that we could buy, just to get disappointed that they only take cash for payment. LOL.
My sister accompanied our mother to the car, so we could wander about more freely without thinking that we were tiring her out.
Then we checked out H&M and lo and behold, finally found something to buy!
Food carts.
Of course, since we've been walking around, and it was raining, it felt like eating was the only thing we could do.
Kuya and Little Miss opted for corndogs, my sister, dynamite, while Little Man just wanted water.
I just shared my sister's dynamite (chilli with cheese wrapped in spring roll). It was 🥵🥵🥵.
After that, we were unsure if we would go grocery shopping here since we may take so much time and it would be hard for my father to drive at night, especially with the rain.
We finally decided to just go home, but we still passed by the fruit stalls near the diversion road here, anticipating that the fruit prices would soar high closer to the New Year.
Already planning for our return.
It was so nice here at Lipa Outlets that my sister and I are already planning on coming back. The place is a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) and we'd rather come here than to the super crowded malls.
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
