The Mabiliran Farm & Resort
Google led us here.
"Hey, Google. Where is the nearest 5-star pool?" I caught my son speaking to my phone.
Little Man, my youngest son, was to anxious to go swimming for the past few months. He could no longer wait for me to plan it, so he started googling to get ideas where we could go. The Malibiran Farm & Resort was not the first result (in terms of nearest), but at least Little Man's googling yielded his desired result.
It finally happened last week, and today I will talk more about the resort that we got to ourselves for the whole day! Well, that was not expected, but thanks for the good timing, we were the only visitors at the resort that day.
Booking
I contacted them through their Facebook Page. They were quite responsive. It did not take long for them to respond to my inquiry.
Location:
Brgy. San Isidro San Luis,
Batangas 🇵🇭
I asked them what their rates were, and they sent me the rates on the right. It's honestly on the higher price range for a simple family get-away, but that's the point. It's just our family, so why not?!
They asked me my preferred date, confirmed them we want to come the following day, which was fine with them. I booked a small cottage (for 8 pax) and we went for a day tour.
Payments.
A downpayment that was equivalent to the cottage rental was required to book the reservation. Payment was convenient as they offer online payments like G-cash and bank transfer. The balance, i.e. entrance fee for the guests, was settled when we checked out.
Getting there.
From Manila, you can take the bus going to Lemery, Batangas. It is about 8.4 kilometers away from the bus station. I think right now, there are no more jeepneys going to San Luis, but one can hail a tricyle and just say they will go to The Malibiran Farm & Resort in San Luis.
From the San Luis town proper, there will already be signages that will indicate the location of the resort. It is also searcheable via Waze or Google Maps.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/h71vAaJ4BuCXYzPE7
Initial Impression.
The initial impression was, "Wow, I can't believe something like this is here in this far-flung village."
This village literally leads to the mountains of San Luis and Bauan towns of Batangas. My father said that he heard that once upon a time, the father of the owner of this place used to walk many kilometers going to the next town to peddle his harvests from this land, like plantain banana, etc. He was able to send his children to school, and one became a doctor, and now runs this business.
Indeed, I agree that this place is a "hidden gem of San Luis".
Not too hidden now... I've seen some friends of mine already came here. But I thought, it was just somewhere near the town proper. LOL.
They have a nice, big pavilion, which could be rented for events like weddings and parties. The building faces the big pool, hence a pool party would definitely be a blast here! As per the price list they sent me (January 2025), pavilion rental is Php 35,000 (~$600).
Villas
They have five (5) villas in this resort, with rates ranging from Php 5,999 (for 2pax) to Php 15,999 (for 8pax) (from ($ 100 - 275) per day during low season.
These ones below are situated immediately upon entering the resort, at the left side.
This one below is one of the two villas for 8 pax.
This one is also for 8 pax. I think, I prefer the first one simply because they have a balcony at the second floor.
Come to think of it, maybe if I asked, the receptionist could have accommodated me to view how these villas look from the inside.
Cottages
There are 6 cottages in this property, 2 of them are smaller (good for 8 pax), while the rest are good for 12 pax.
Honestly, I think the cottages are small. The one rented was cramped for 8 people.
It was a good thing that, as I earlier mentioned, we were the only ones in the resort that day. We were able to "occupy" the adjacent cottages, too at no additional cost. 😉
On the other side, where the other 3 cottages were, was the barbecue area. My sister wanted some grilled food, but did not want to grill. Well, that won' work unless someone voluteers to do the job. LOL.
Pool
If you're looking for a wave pool, slides, like a water park of sorts, this is not the place for you.
They only have a big pool 5 feet on one end, and 5.5 feet at the other. It would have been great if the water temperature was regulated especially on a windy, overcast day, like when we were there. It was a struggle getting into the water! LOL.
Next to the pool, there were sun lounges and high chairs and tables if you just want to chill by the poolside while sipping some nice cocktail or whatever.
The big pool overflows to this small kids' pool at the bottom, near the cottages.
There's also a small round pool that my kids were able to convert to a strong whirlpool by walking around it, making the water swirl.
Kids should always be kept under constant supervision since these are high walls connecting the three pools. Accidents can always happen, but being vigilant and aware always gives us the advantage.
Shower Room
The shower room and toilets came as a pleasant surprise to us. Can you see this beautiful structure? Yes, this are the toilets/shower room - at the left side is the one for the ladies, and the right side is the one for the gents.
Inside, I was surprised to find a small couch in a waiting area facing the sink.
There were 2 sinks, an outlet if one wants to plug a blow dryer or whatever.
Can you even see that nice ceiling fan with lights on the reflection? Really, really fancy. Something you'd not expect in a public washroom like this.
There were six (6) doors for shower and toilets. I wasn't able to take pictures, but each shower room was adequately spaced.
Around the resort
I was wondering, "Where's the farm?"
Well, I did not find anything close to a farm apart from I know that around this place, this village, as most part of the town, are farm lands.
Down the lane from the cottages, was Cafe Stefania. We didn't go there, but judging by what I see on their social media page, it would also be a nice place to relax and chat with friends or family.
There were also additional benches, tables and chairs on the lawn where guests could sit.
There was also a full-sized basketball court.
At the side, there was this area with lots of greenery that could be set for team building activities.
That Hidden Gem.
So if you would like to have a down time, away from all the buzzing noise of the city, the Malibiran Farm & Resort is one place to consider. It is in a rural part of town, albeit not too secluded. Easy to reach with private transportation, even by public commute.
It is a nice place to rewind and just enjoy the time with family or friends. I'm glad I gave it to my Little Man's request. The whole fam had a great time.
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
