Punta de Fabian

Just got back from Punta de Fabian in Baras, Rizal.

Punta de Fabian is a place where you can hold your business meetings or strategic planning workshops. You'll find it atop some kind of hill along the Manila-East Road (or two-lane highway), which means you'll get a rather nice view of Tanay and Laguna.

They have free WiFi access (particularly near the guest rooms), and you can take a dip in their sort-of hourglass shaped swimming pool (which wasn't too cold even at 7am). Here's a photo of that pool.

They serve wonderful breakfast buffets in their resto / dining area, and the people there are courteous and friendly.

How to get to Punta de Fabian

If you're coming from Antipolo, simply take the highway that leads to Teresa, Rizal. Drive past Morong, and if ever you see a fork in the road (and both roads have that double yellow line in the middle), take the left fork.

If you arrive at a T-junction, turn left (you'll see a sign pointing left which says: "To Lake Caliraya")

You'll also find a fork in the road. There's s statue of some horse-mounted rider. Take the left fork. This will bring you to a nice stretch of "highway" with green rice fields to the left and right. Please don't drive too quickly, though, because there's school along this highway and you will need to do a little zigzag in the middle of the road.

You can't miss the zigzag because you'll see signs that read: "Banayar"

Before you start feeling lost, just continue driving onwards. You'll go past Wells Resort. Again, resist the urge to drive too quickly because the Punta de Fabian sign is quite small (you'll find it on the left). The sign is light green and white, and contains the letter "f".

Be prepared to drive up a steep hilly ascent, which means you'll have to give your car enough room to some kind of running start. There is a parking area for those who do not wish to go up the hill. A 1992 Honda Civic was able to climb up the hill without any problems. :-)

(I did have to give the slow-moving and clutch-burning pick-up van ahead of me a headstart, because I didn't want to rush up that hill and tailgate someone who might end up sliding down into my headlights.)

If you do park at the "lower" level near the main gate, be prepared for a rather physical trek up the hill/mountain.

Punta de Fabian is owned by Teresita Fabian-Pamintuan, who converted the family vacation house and opened the resort to the public in 2003. The place helped her triumph in her long battle with cancer. When you do visit and gaze at the Sierra Madre mountains as well as Laguna de Bay, you will feel rejuvenated.

For more info, please visit http://www.puntadefabian.com

[ First posted on 06/14/2008 by Manuel Viloria ]