Having gone to Dinosaurs Island and stumbling on Zoocobia along the way, I planned my next adventure to be among living animals this time around. But after leaving the final decision to my nephew, we ended up going swimming in Aquaria instead.
No surprise there as my nephew’s been complaining about the heat since the summer sun began peeking through rainy clouds last March. And when he was asked for his opinion, he chose water over dry land.
So by six thirty on a sunny Thursday morning, my family was on its way to try out the beach, the pool, and their two-story water slide at Aquaria in Playa, Calatagan in Batangas.
Table of Contents
First Time
Aquaria Sign
This is actually my second visit to Aquaria. Well technically, I didn’t go in the first time because I found the PhP 700 a little too much for a day tour. Apart from the high entrance fee, Aquaria didn’t serve food and charged a rather large corkage fee for bringing in anything resembling food.
Given these options, my wife and I ended up staying the night at Stilts, which happened to be next door.
[And this place was forgotten, at least until last week.]
Second Time
This second trip, almost mimicked our first visit in the sense that we almost high-tailed it out of there. Unlike the first time, Aquaria was packed to the rafters.
Fortunately, the large number of people, who all happened to be part of a company outing, limited themselves to the beach.
Entrance
Then again, I doubt we could have left the place, even if we wanted to. After seeing the two-story pool slide, it would have taken six armed men to pry my nephew away from this place. So with some resignation, we walked over to the front desk and paid the entrance fee.
The good news is that adults were only charged PhP 500, even on a holiday. And since my nephew was under four feet tall, he was only charged PhP 250 as entrance.
We were then assigned access passes, which were in the form of yellow waterproof bands. Not only were they waterproof, they were tough too. Made of laminated plastic, they needed to be cut in order to be removed afterwards.
[So far, so good.]
But the best news at the time may be that the pool wasn’t packed at all. Sure, there were quite a number of adults and kids swimming, but there was enough room for everyone to enjoy.
Guest Lobby
Guests will find the lobby entrance a few meters from the guardhouse. Located along a small rotunda, it is beside a big blue Aquaria sign, so it can’t be missed.
Lobby
Designed as a large circle that is open almost all around, a slight breeze crisscrosses the shaded area to keep people cool, even under the burning summer sun.
The ceiling is made of wood and has a window at the center to allow light to stream down to a trio of potted plants. This opening works in conjunction with smaller windows at the base of the ceiling to keep the lobby sufficiently illuminated during the day.
Lobby seats and tables are scattered about and available for people to use. They made excellent rest spots for guests waiting for their remaining party to arrive.
Finally, guests are received at a small front desk opposite the entrance. It is also acts as the last stop before being greeted by the pool.
Parking
The Aquaria guest entrance is conveniently located between two small parking areas. While parking can be considered adequate on a normal day, it was full during this visit. The good news is that there is a heck of a lot of parking in a field across the lobby entrance.
Coming from the guard house, the guest entrance will be on the right; additional parking can be accessed by talking the rotunda exit on the left side leading to the Beach Club.
Parking Area
This area is basically a huge field with a few tall trees scattered about. It large enough to accommodate several buses and still have enough space for a ton of cars. It is so big that even packed with vehicles, people still have enough space to play baseball and football without running into each other.
The few trees mean that shade is always at a premium. And when we arrived, I was not surprised to see vehicles concentrated under the sparsely scattered foliage.
Seeing that I’d need to park really close to other cars just to get some shade, I opted to stay in the open area near the lot owner’s entrance at the rear.
I didn’t know it yet, but only lot owners are allowed to register here and pay the PhP 100 entrance fee in order to get in. Guests still have to fork over PhP 500, but being accompanied by lot owners, they have the option of using some of the more exclusive amenities.
The nice thing about this entrance is that it is right in front of the beach so people can see what they will be enjoying. There is also a cemented walk-way that takes people to the rear entrance of the pool.
It’s not too far a walk, being just a few meters. However, it can be hot as the trees don’t fully cover the path.
Shower and Bathrooms
As everyone knows, before diving in the pool, swimmers need to hit the showers. Apart from rinsing away all that summer sweat, showers are also supposed to condition one’s swimsuit and allow the body to adjust to the sudden change in temperature.
External Shower
External Shower
There are two ways to get that all-important shower, with the first being through a couple of obelisk-like structures near the pool.
Instead of being presented with a typical and ugly set of exposed water tubes, these shower towers are covered with off-white tiles to give them some character. And just in case you miss them, make sure to check out the faucets near the bottom as the knobs looks like starfish.
To prevent water from running all over the place, the external shower floors are composed of a central cement slab surrounded by gravel. A drain underneath these small stones help to keep the water from overflowing.
However, due to the number of guests taking a shower, they can still overflow. Fortunately, these external showers are located near bigger side drains to prevent the water from pooling elsewhere.
Internal Shower
The next option is to use the shower room that is located close to the lobby entrance. One of the more interesting things about this are the large drain holes in front of the entry doors. There are two rows with four drain each, for a total of eight. They are designed to collect some water dripping off swimmer so it doesn’t end up on the shower room floor.
[I usually waited a couple of seconds to allow most of the water to drip away.]
Upon entry, one will be greeted by a set of sinks set within marble tabletops. Each sink will have its own soap dispenser and mirror. A hand towel dispenser and blow drier will also be located on the wall closest to the entrance.
Bathroom Entrance
Walk a few meters into the next room and one will be greeted by a row of urinals facing a row of toilet closets. Each toilet closet has its own lockable door, water hose, and tissue dispenser.
To keep any pungent odors from remaining within these rooms after use, the ceiling is open. For those worried about privacy, the walls are quite high so people next door cannot just tiptoe to see over. It is so tall that guests, other than an extremely tall basketball player or Spider-man, have little chance of getting to the top.
Walk further back and guests will be presented by another corridor with facing shower stalls. Just like the toilet closets, the showers have doors that can be locked. But instead being completely composed of wood, they are made of translucent glass. This makes it easier to see if the shower stall is occupied without violating one’s privacy.
However, since a small bench is located right after entering the doors, guests may be tempted to change in this small space. It may be helpful to consider that the light is above this bench, so it may be possible for non-showering guests to see the silhouette of people inside. Given this, I would suggest either turning off the light off or to use the deeper shower for changing.
Bathroom
The water coming out of the shower seemed to be warm, but then I am not sure if the temperature was due to the sun bearing down on the water pipes or to a centralized water heater. Either way, the water was just the right temperature for a post-swim shower.
Just like the toilet closets, the ceiling is open to allow steam to escape and not get trapped in the shower stall. While this prevents any unwelcome scents brought in by the previous user, it can get noisy when you have a bunch of people trying to have a conversation.
[As to why they would do this during a shower is beyond me.]
Finally, the color scheme of the entire shower room is off-white. Together with strategically placed windows and soft lighting, it provides the eyes with respite from the bright sunlight outside.
Overall, this is one of the best shower rooms I have seen in quite a while. What makes it more interesting is that these showers are geared towards day tour guests.
Locker Rooms
Locker Room
In the event that cabañas and pool chairs are all used up, guests have the option of renting a locker for the day. Priced at PhP 150 each, they are about the size of a personal refrigerator.
Now if the shower room looked good, the locker room was done just as tastefully. With walls painted in the same off-white color, it is offset by the light brown wood of three rows of lockers.
Apart from a pair of benches in the center, there is a split-type air conditioner located near the ceiling of one wall. And just like the shower room, off-white floor tiles complete the ensemble.
Swimming Pool
Initially, Aquaria’s swimming pool didn’t look to be very big. Even from the top, it seemed much smaller than pools of places like Canyon Cove. And it also doesn’t help that the water is quite shallow throughout.
Swimming Pool
But what it may lack in volume may be offset by design. Instead of creating one huge pool where everyone congregates in, Aquaria’s swimming pool is long and winding.
Since swimmers have the tendency to keep a certain amount of open space around them at all times, this rather long pool may have the effect of distributing people more efficiently.
Another notable thing about Aquaria’s swimming pool is that it is the first one I have encountered to have a non-slip floor. Whether it is the blue tiles or the white cement, traction in the water is better than the floors of dry buildings.
[Yup, there is absolutely no way people can slip here.]
However, that doesn’t mean people can with less care than other pools. The traction that prevents people from slipping can also be a source of scratches. This is the reason why diving, running, or playing with unnecessary physical roughness is prohibited.
[Falling on it will be like sliding on a grassy field.]
Swimming Pool
Another interesting thing about the swimming pool design is the play area that near the shower room. Apart from being slightly wider, it has a lot of water structures that kids can play with. One of my favorites was the pair of water guns you need to wind in order to shoot.
Younger kids, which are basically those younger than me, may enjoy the purple whale and green frog for a little horse-back style, only in the water. Then there are the mushroom fountain and the water curtain, which flows from an arch.
Finally, it may help to note that only swimmers wearing bathing suits, trunks, board shorts, and rash guards are allowed in the pool. Those wearing t-shirts and other forms of attire will be asked to change.
Cabaña and Pool Chairs
Getting a cabaña is a good idea if one wants a place a covered to rest. They have cushioned seats at are the perfect spot to take naps in after a morning of swimming and a hearty lunch. Found around the pool, guests can rent a medium or large one for PhP 1,000 or PhP 1,500 respectively.
Pool Chairs
An option to the cabañas is to use the pairs of yellow pool chairs, with an umbrella between them, for free. Just make sure no one else is using them first as they tend to be in high demand.
Speaking of which, if you find a vacant pair of pool chairs, I suggest putting your belongings on it. Do not store them beside as there may be that one annoying guest who will try to take you seat despite seeing your stuff.
Forget about relying on the lifeguard to look after your stuff while you are swimming. He may say agree to keep an eye on them, but doing it is another thing altogether. Since his primary role is to keep swimmers safe, having a lot of swimmers mean that he may not be able to fulfil his promise to keep watch on your things.
[It’s best to keep an eye on things yourself.]
Pool Slide
While the pool is a source of joy for kids, this is not the pièce de résistance. That title goes to the two-story high slide near the rear of the swimming pool. Since kids below four feet high are not allowed to participate, it is the teenagers and adults flock to the water slide.
Pool Slide
It is an imposing site and it took me an entire afternoon to trick, er, convince my wife to try it out because it can only be used in pairs.
It starts off by getting in line at the base of stairs. Once an inflatable raft is handed over, you carry it up to the top of the slide.
[Slippers need to be left here as you cannot wear them on the slide.]
At the top, you will meet the slide master, who regulates the number of people. Other than teaching people to use the slide properly, he makes sure only a pair at a time to keep the water slide from cracking due to overweight.
Once the pair lands safely, he then helps the next ones to set the raft down correctly. After this, he instructs all sliders to sit properly and lean to the left. This prevents the centrifugal force from slamming sliders to the right wall as they go down. Once a pair has been briefed, he simply steps out of the way to let gravity take over.
While the ride is short and not as exhilarating as the zip line at Ugong Rock, it was enough to elicit screams from some people as they barreled down.
Pool Slide
[Good thing it wasn’t as scary or we’d have a lot of people peeing in fear.]
For those of you who want to go down a little faster, avoid having your bottom from touch the slide as this causes more friction. By distributing your weight on the raft, you allow it to float over the thin film of water to gain more speed.
Incidentally, the water slide sits on top of a waterfall cascading down, what looks to be, jagged rock. I would caution anyone from trying to touch or climb them as they are extremely slippery. A fall from them, especially on the shallow water below, can be quite dangerous.
Beach
Beach
Since Aquaria is right beside Stilts, their beach is just as beautiful. The sand may not be as soft as Boracay or as full of life as Palawan, but it was still creamy white. And the water was just as blue and warm as it could get.
[Yup, not much to say other than it was beautiful.]
Since the swimming pool and slide were such big draws of Aquaria’s guests, the beach tends to be neglected. Those looking for a little solace may want to hit the beach instead as they can have it all to themselves.
Restaurant
One of the biggest changes since my first visit to Aquaria is the small restaurant. Back then, there was no place to eat at, meaning we had to bring in food and pay a large corkage fee.
Today, a bar and separate restaurant exist beyond the rear fence of the swimming and facing the beach. The bar has the usual set of high stools surrounding a counter, which a slightly bigger area houses several tables and chairs.
Dining Area
Surprisingly, the prices were reasonable with the Sisig costing PhP 165, a scoop of rice at PhP 20, a one and a half liter of Coca Cola at PhP 70. We also got a Bilao for PhP 595, which was composed of a small Fried Tilapia, a Medium-sized stuffed Squid, and rice for four. This brought our total bill to PhP 1,023 for four adults and a kid who ate like an adult.
Service was rather slow, due to the company outing putting a high demand on the staff. However, the waiter was kind enough to apologetically inform us of the delay. So after almost an hour, our food finally arrived.
[In contrast to the cooking time, it didn’t last an hour before being consumed completely.]
In spite of the large number of people ordering, the waiters who attended to us were attentive and snappy. But just like the food, the bill also took a while to arrive as the place was extremely short-handed.
[Not a problem as we already had our fill.]
People who don’t want to line up at the restaurant can order drinks, specifically tea, from a small tented booth outside the pool’s rear entrance. This tends to be more convenient as there was never a line.
Incidentally, the restaurant does not take credit cards. This means that you will need to withdraw money near your home or at ATM machines in gasoline stations along the South Luzon Expressway, or SLEX.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, I had my heart set on riding camels in Zoocobia but my nephew had other plans. And since summer, just like Christmas, is really for kids, we headed out to Aquaria to get him in the water.
Before going further, the increased popularity, and subsequent traffic, of Tagatytay, has pushed back the travel time to an average of four and a half hours. This is even after leaving Metropolitan Manila at six thirty in the morning.
Guest Pass
Years ago, it may have taken a little over half that time to get to Calatagan as one could travel as a higher average speed. To avoid the early birds, you may want to leave earlier than six in the morning to avoid the Tagaytay traffic.
Given that this was my second time, it was good to finally make it Aqauaria. At PhP 500, it may turn off some guests, especially those with big groups. But with the water toys and the pool being shallow all throughout, I cannot help but feel that this place was designed specifically with children in mind.
That’s not to say those over twelve years of age will be left out of the loop here. There is that imposing two-story pool slide that is perfect for teenagers and a rather long beach with a wonderful coastline for the contemplating adults.
Lunch may have taken longer than expected due to the large number of people. However, the waiters were apologetic and helpful enough to make things bearable. Besides that, the food wasn’t bad, with both the Tilapia and Squid having just the right amount of tenderness and flavor.
Insect
Oh, and did I mention one can find different looking insects here? While waiting for lunch to arrive, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon an interesting insect hanging on the side of a Coconut Tree by the beach.
Unlike the ones I come across in Metro Manila, this one was about the length of one’s middle fingers and was covered with impressive armor.
[I decided to post the picture in the Insect Gallery at Crazy About Pictures so it doesn’t spoil your day.]
Finally, Aqua Shoes aren’t a requirement as the beach hardly had any rocks. Composed mostly of creamy white sand, it may be a good idea to get a little of it in between the toes this time around.
Do’s
- Always leave a bag or two inside a Cabana or on a chair you are using.
- Bring cash for the entrance fee and food.
- Put on a generous amount of sunblock.
- Ditch your Aqua Shoes to get some sand between your toes.
Don’ts
- Never leave you things unattended.
- Do not touch or climb the rocks around the waterfall.
Comments are closed