reaction paper

Antonie Merrien T. Martinez Prof. Wilmer De Mesa
BS Tourism 1 - 4 Caliraya Lumaban, Laguna Tour

Last July 26, 2013, we the BS Tourism 1-4 students of EARIST held an Educational Tour in Caliraya Resort Club Lumban, Laguna for 2 days and 1night. Our meeting place was in our school (EARIST). I had two hours slept, because I can’t sleep, I know I’m not able to get off of my bed that early, and I was so excited going to our tour in Caliraya. So when I got up in my bed, I washed immediately and then I secured to complete all the things I need to bring. I left home at around 2:30 early in the morning. I passed through my other classmates, whose going to ride with me to EARIST, and we arrived at 3:00am. We sat on the bus around 4:45 am. Our tour guide was Ate Alma, and our bus driver is Kuya Ramil, we we’re guided by Dr. Romeo Lim.
The first thing I felt before the day of tour came, I felt so excited. Excited about how we would enjoy the things we can do in Caliraya Laguna, the activities, and the things we can learn from there. It was my second time going for a tour. But our tour in Caliraya was so exciting, our Professor Sr. Wilmer De Mesa told us about the activities we can do and enjoy there.
Ate Elma gave us much information about the hotels we see while we we’re on our way to Caliraya Laguna. Our first destination is in around manila. We’ve seen various hotels. We passed the Manila Hotel, Hotel H2O known as “Manila Ocean Park”, Bay view Park Hotel, Diamond Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Traders Hotel, Grand Boulevard Hotel, Aloha Hotel, Century Park Hotel, Sofitel, Philippine Premiere Theatrical Family Hotel, etc. We also passed around Makati, Edsa, Mandaluyong, Pasig City, Ortigas Center, and Pasig River. Our tour guide left our bus around 6:17am. And we had a stopover in Petron Famy, Laguna at 7:57am. We arrive in Caliraya Lake at 8:50am.
Caliraya Resort Club is a haven nestled atop mountains along the Caliraya Lake shoreline. Given its unique location, it offers a breathtaking view of nature’s gifts.
A haven not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit. Located in Lumban, Laguna is the 7.6 hectares of lush greenery that offers fun-filled activities which surely provide fond memories for both learning institutions and family gatherings. Just two and a half hours south of Metro Manila, the resort is a short ferry boat ride from the shore of the pristine man-made Caliraya Lake. All 72 hotel rooms feature cable televisions, air-conditioning, and hot/cold showers, while the lakeside duplexes offer 12-15 people a fascinating view of the lake and a short stroll to the water sport facilities.
We we’re so amaze of the great view of the Caliraya Lake, so we all took photos when we arrive there. We took photographs in different corners of the area. At 9:00am we we’re organized in our hotel rooms. And after we we’re organized, my roommates and I found our room, all of them chose where they want to rest, we gathered our bags, and personal things. It features cable televisions, air-conditioning, and hot/cold showers. We took our breakfast around 10:00am afterwards I quickly dropped to go to different rooms of my classmates and invited them to go to the bottom of the hotel and we took a lot of pictures. At exactly 12:00pm we had our buffet lunch at Dining hall room. “NO LEFT OVER POLICY”. The Food was good and I’m so full. The service was well- done.
In afternoon we did the outdoor activities. The best part of our stay in the resort was when we did the outdoor games – the Slide Pinoy (I love this a lot), the obstacle course, the mud slide (you guess it, we were so muddy), the Earth ball (others call it the monster ball because of its size), and the zip line (yey) which is called Fly Pinoy which we paid extra cost. The zip line was not that high though, it’s just from one point to another but still it was enjoyable and gave you a good view of the resort. We had done a lot of the games but they were still so many we haven’t tried.
At exactly 6:00pm we had a dinner at dining hall room half of the lobby. Again it’s a buffet dinner. The food was awesome. We had an auction at the lobby at exactly 7pm. We had a biding. We enjoy the auction and we won. After the auction we just walk around the place and took pictures from place to one another. After that we had a midnight snack at terrace. We shared some stories like funny moments and embarrassing moments. At 12am we go to our respective rooms to have a rest and get ready for tomorrow.
And on June 27, At 6:36am we had a call time for our breakfast, and I suddenly got up out my bed. After our breakfast was done my classmates and I went to the swimming pool, we took a swim for a short time. We enjoy the allotted time to have some fun. At 10:30am we need to packed our things and go to the bus, while we we’re waiting for my other classmates for the last moment we took a lot of pictures beside the lake. At exactly 11:30am we departed at Caliraya Club Resorts. While on the bus we had a good time watching Lady Gaga’s concert on a DVD tape. At 1:30pm we had a stopover at Melgian Sweets Calamba, Laguna to buy some souvenirs. And we arrive in EARIST at exactly 3:10pm, and I straight went home to have a long rest.
I have fond memories of this place – my experience there was full of fun and at the same time, with the scenery of Caliraya, I was also able to do some soul-searching and ‘recharging’ of energies. I love its location, my stay there was just superb. Plus, it is also along Caliraya lake shoreline and I can see lots of greenery all around me.

One disadvantage of the place is its distance from Metro Manila. Even with private vehicle, it could take you 2 hours to Lumban, Laguna where the resort is located and even more depending on the traffic.
Anyway, the long ride or drive is always worth it. I say you’ll never get bored in Caliraya especially if you are in the company of friends. There are just a lot of things to do in the resort.
One thing that the resort can improve on is the rooms. They look old and the air-con of the first room we were in wasn’t working so we requested to be transferred to another. And there are no phones in the room as well and an area as big as that surely needed to provide phones for the guests.
On the lighter side, what I loved about the place is that it has its own chapel. Even with the disadvantages, I will always love this place. I specifically like the fact that we needed to ride a boat to cross Caliraya Lake and to the resort itself. And there’s a hanging bridge as well which I love.
I learned a lot of things on our tour, I learned how to socialize and communicate with other sections and other people. I learned many things in Caliraya, Laguna. And I’m assured that we all had fun. Hope this won’t be the last, because there are so many things that I what to learn.
The Educational tour started out as an escape from school for most of us students, bonding with friends, chance to unwind and of course, to learn new things and to gain knowledge at the same time that we may apply someday. 