Company Outing at Acuatico Resort in Laiya

Over the weekend, our company NV Besix SA Philippines held our very first team building activity and it was held at Acuatico Resort in Laiya, San Juan at the southeast border of the Batangas province.  We were all booked for an overnight stay in this posh beach resort with an exclusive beach front that faces the Tayabas Bay and a mountain range behind it.

From Makati City, by our office building we all gathered early morning for the trip but ended leaving Makati at around 8:30am.  We drove through South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) with a quick stop in Alabang to pick up 4 other guys who were waiting for us there before continuing our trip to the end of SLEX at the Sto. Tomas exit.  We followed the highway until we entered the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Expressway and exited at Ibaan Exit.  From there we took a long trip up to the town of San Juan and up to Laiya where the road ended. 

Upon arrival in Acuatico Resort, we all headed for our buffet lunch.  It was a tasty set of meals that filled us.  After lunch we were all assigned our rooms.  Most of us were booked in the resort's cabin rooms that line both sides of its infinity pool.   Our room was in their Terraza Room which is basically in one of the cabins farthest to the beach.  Our room is at the second floor where we had a terraza that faces the jacuzzi.  Our room looks like an attic where 4 people may fit.  The rooms were very nice.

Acuatico Resort's layout is very linear where from its entrance is the parking area. They also had a basketball court.   Then people are greeted at the reception hall.  Above the reception hall is the main dining area and hotel rooms at the third floor.  On the way to the dining hall, one will walk past its concave shaped jacuzzi.  In the middle of the resort is its pool area that starts from its jacuzzi to its children's pool and their infinity pool that makes you feel that it reaches straight to the sea.

On both sides of the pool is lined by five cabins each of different room types.  The largest is their Estancia Room which is basically their family room that can room 6 people.  It has a living room area, two bedrooms at the ground floor, a terraza at the second floor and the another bedroom.  

The end of the infinity pool is by the beach which is light brown in color and a tranquil sea.   Acuatico is located in the posher side of the Laiya beach front together with other beach resorts like Virgin Beach, Blue Corals, La Luz, and others.

After lunch, we had a short program where we had our team building activities that includes a relay game, a Pinoy Henyo game, and a physical Foot Structure activity.  It was fun.  Later on some of us went on a boat trip to do some snorkeling on the nearby coral garden.  Unfortunately, the under current was strong and the sea was a bit murky to see the corals that we did not really enjoyed the activity much.

After dinner we joined the open bar, where Acuatico set up some gas lamps on the beach, a bonfire, and tables for the drinking sessions.   I did not drink any but iced tea but the rest of the guys drank to their fill.  It was a fun night.  The next morning after lunch we all packed up on our back to Manila.