Large group outings are always fun, whether they be among friends or family, but costs can become expensive. For those seeking to relax and unwind within Batangas though, the Piazza Catalina, located within the exclusive Peninsula de Punta Fuego subdivision at Nasugbu, can just be the affordable solution.

Getting There

Reaching Nasugbu, Batangas, typically takes about 2 and a half to 3 hours with moderate to good traffic conditions. Taking a private vehicle or vehicle rental is recommended, as the place is relatively remote. One must follow the South Super Highway and take the Greenfield or Santa Rosa exit; from here, head towards the road leading to Tagaytay, passing Tagaytay Rotonda, Nasugbu Arc, and Evercrest, and take a right upon reaching Matabungkay Rotonda Junction, and another right at the Shell gas station landmark, then follow the marks heading towards Jollibee Nasugbu. After passing Kawayan Cove and Terrezas de Punta Fuego, one can spot the sign leading to the Punta Fuego subdivision. Piazza Catalina is the 6th house from the main gate.

Fully Furnished

Piazza Catalina is a fancy private rest house often rented out by its owners when not in use. At three-stories high, it's a home away from home, with all the modern amenities one can ask for. The place boasts Asian-inspired furnishings from Japan to Thailand, and has basic necessities like electricity and running water to cater to one’s comfort. Numerous flower-bearing plants decorate the stairwell, and the doors are made from exquisitely carved wood. The first floor is decorated with Thai furniture and fixtures; a bust of Buddha greets visitors as they enter the living room, and the floor hosts a small TV, a karaoke machine, and two different sala sets. There's a washroom on the first floor and a doorway leading to a stairwell down to the garage.

Upon entering the house, visitors will be greeted by this Thai sala set. It’s better left as a decoration rather than a utility.

To the opposite corner of the first floor is the other english-themed sala set. This one comes with a mini TV and a karaoke machine to the left (not shown.) Outside is a small balcony that is similar to the one on the second floor.

Buddha bless you. A close up of the small statuettes of Thailand’s blessed one on the Thai sala table.

The second floor is designed to take advantage of an open air design and take in the cool sea breeze of Punta Fuego during afternoons and evenings. The dining section, kitchen, and outdoor sala with a nice GoldStar sound system are located here. There's a bedroom and connecting bathroom in this floor as well; another small bedroom is situated at the hall leading to a spacious backyard complete with a small patio and stone grill.

This is the central outdoor sala set located on the second floor. This area serves as a large veranda where sea breeze can also enter the house.

The third floor has the master bedroom and a large Japanese-inspired bedroom, complete with large tatami matting that can accommodate a large number of guests. A group bathroom and a separate toilet room are among the other facilities in this floor. All the rooms connect to a spacious terrace facing a beach down the hill. The jacuzzi tub is also located here, with a convenient doorway leading to the bathroom's wash area.

This is the main dining area with its own balcony. It’s connected directly to the kitchen, main hallway of the second floor, and the outdoor sala.

The main hallway of the second floor connects to this small passageway to the backyard, as well as one of the bed rooms. This room’s pretty small, and can accommodate up to about 4 guests at a time. It’s also airconditioned.

Kitchen and Dining Hall

The dining hall at the second floor is similar to that of the one found at the backyard. It's a long table, made of heavy wood and can seat roughly ten to twelve persons. The kitchen is equipped with a water dispenser, a refrigerator, two separate sinks with running water, cupboards, and cooking and dining utensils. The stove is also ready to use. The kitchen comes with all the necessities one will need to prepare and cook food that's brought into the house, like dishes, utensils, knives, cooking pans, and woks. The grill is also ready to use, but charcoal must be brought in.

Lacking some basic cooking tools and ingredients? One can simply walk back to the main gates and purchase what you might need from a convenient sari-sari store in the area.

This is the elegant part of the kitchen-slash-dining area. There are some utensils and cooking tools in the cupboards. There’s a microwave, a water dispenser (to the right, not shown), a fridge (to the left, also not shown), a stove, and a double sink. The goods that you see in plastic bags aren’t part of the deal.

Where the cooking actually takes place. A stove, rice cooker, toaster, fridge, and a sink are all ready to use.

The Backyard

The backyard, with its table and grill, makes for a great place to hang out on cool nights. Pots located at a separate table can be used for burning katol or insect repellent incense, to ward off mosquitoes. The stone grill at the side is ready to use. Numerous primitive sculptures and wind chimes are found throughout the area.

Just outside is the backyard, from the perspective of one coming out the backdoor of the kitchen.

The backyard’s theme is pretty much Asian as well that’s most likely a mishmash of the region’s rich culture. There’s a long and large dining table here, as well as a seat made for sitting or maybe some shuteye. The grill is further at the back.

Bed Rooms

There are four main bedrooms in the house, only three are accessible. The first bedroom is at the second floor, and can fit three to four people at the most. The bedroom is fully furnished, with two beds, an airconditioner, and two futons that can be placed on the floor. A sliding glass door leads to the veranda and the outdoor sala of the second floor. The bathroom on the second floor has two doors – one leading to the main hall and the other to the aforementioned bedroom. There's a wash basin, toilet, and showering area – it's clean as can be expected in any well maintained home. The second bedroom on this floor is outside the hall, leading to the backyard, and can house around three to four guests. It's also air-conditioned, though slightly cramped. The Japanese tea room on the floor above on the other hand, can accommodate up to 15 guests. Futons are laid side by side and the room is also air-conditioned; it also comes with a small TV set for entertainment, with many windows for ample lighting. There's a sliding glass door to access the top-level terrace and jacuzzi. The master bedroom is not open to guests. The owners of the house only allow up to 20 guests, and these include children and other accompanying house helpers.

This is the Japanese tea room. Don’t be fooled by the photo, this is a very big room. It connects to the large veranda, where one can wait for the sun to rise from east, or relax on the Jacuzzi.

The bedroom at the end of the hallway that’s connected to the second floor bathroom is this one. It has two beds, and can accommodate up to 2 more guests with mattresses laid on the floor. The room also has a glass sliding door to its own veranda, which is connected to the main sala.

Internet Access

Unfortunately, unlike hotels and some resorts, this house does not come with an active Internet connection over a networking cable or Wi-Fi. Luckily though, there's still a data signal from mobile telecommunication providers, so one can still stay connected through the use of GPRS, 3G, or HSDPA Internet access via a USB transmitter or mobile phone. If one's notebook already comes with a 3G or HSPA data transceiver, all the better.

Washrooms and Bathrooms

There are a total of three main washrooms in the house. The first floor has a small washroom with a toilet and basin for guests. The second floor has a complete washroom that is shared with the guest room adjacent to it and the rest of the house. Either door can be locked for the sake of privacy. The top floor has a separate toilet room and a bathroom that can accommodate up to three bathers and two basin users at one time. This bathroom can be accessed from the main hall or from the jacuzzi area at the terrace. Bathing areas have a shower – two of which use curtains, while another uses a glass sliding door. There are two separate mirrors for each basin, and to the left, just outside the door leading to the main hall is another full body mirror. A low-power fluorescent bulb doesn't quite illuminate the washroom as well as it should, but is suitable enough for one’s purpose.

This is the main bathroom or washroom of the second floor. It has two doors and both can be locked. The utilities are well maintained and well furnished one can expect from a luxury house. The shower is detachable. Air spray and lighter not included.

This is the tiny washroom for guests at the first floor, technically behind the main stairway of the house and just by the stairwell to the garage.

Again, one will have to bring his or her own toiletries, though those provided is as good as those in typical resorts.

The jacuzzi makes for the last bathtub for single visitors or couples. The rate per fill is P500. The house keepers cover this in plastic when not in use, and this keeps it nice and clean of foliage and dust.

The communal bathroom upstairs, which also serves as the wash area for the Jacuzzi (accessible through the rear door behind one of the curtains), can accommodate up to three bathers, or two basin users. The bath’s pretty dim and could use a little more lighting. It’s pretty clean though.

This is the showering area by the basin. As one can see, it’s pretty dark here.

The toilet is in a very small and separate room. Again, it looks as well maintained as the one downstairs. Toilet paper’s included.

Punta Fuego

Peninsula de Punta Fuego is an 88 hectare residential resort community, one of three others that share its location, and is developed by Landco Pacific – Terrazas De Punta Fuego, Amara En Terrazas, and Club Punta Fuego. Its name is derived from its fiery pointed shape, hence, “Point Of Fire.” Historically, it's where the battle between the Spanish galleon San Diego and the Dutch battleship Mauritus took place on December 14, 1600. It's hilly and has a wide view of the sea. There are a total of 12 accessible beach coves in the community, including Crescent Beach, Fuego Point, Fuego Beach, Long Beach, and Sailor's Cove. A pool near Long Beach is maintained by the community's management and charges P500 per head for its use. The subdivision also offers other activities to visitors staying in the community, such as free use of the tennis and basketball court down the hill by the main gate. There's a free shuttle offered by the subdivision, but these are only for homeowners' use. Again, due to the steep hilly terrain and size of the subdivision, it's highly recommended to bring a vehicle or take a bike when moving around, even when going to the beach. Walking may take 15 minutes to reach the basketball court or up to around 30 minutes to reach one of the beaches within the subdivision from Piazza Catalina.

Now this is a first. Peninsula de Punta Fuego has its own church. It’s located near the main entrance of this private community.

A little further inside Punta Fuego is a small spot that’s perfect for love birds, or marriage.

A spectacular 200+ degree view from a peninsula. Beyond the stone walls is more or less a cliff.

There are marinas within some parts of the community's beaches, and one can reach an island by the mouth of Long Beach with one of the boats offered there, though these are expensive to charter.

Due to the somewhat steep hills of the community, small stairways help walking visitors take the fast route.

This is the beach that overlooks and is near Piazza Catalina. Due to the brownish color of the sand and the lack of waves, it looks more like a lake.

Beyond the horizon is the sea. This is the lovely view that visitors to Piazza Catalina get to enjoy every afternoon.

At least one of the beaches (Fuego Beach) is a little too grainy, and others have crushed coral skeletons rather than sand – a common characteristic of beaches in Batangas. The bottom of the water is also filled with seaweeds and polished, moss-ladden rocks that can be slippery to walk on. Fuego Point is very scenic, but not the first choice for swimming.

One of the beaches, Fuego Point, is in this area, which is about 30 minutes to Piazza Catalina by foot or about 10 minutes by car. The view is spectacular, but we can’t really say the same for the rough sand and weedy water.

Here’s a closer look at the sand of the beach. It’s very white, and very granular as well. Large chunks of crushed coral skeleton lay among the sand.

Other Interesting Tidbits

The house caretakers can entertain visitors with a number of interesting stories about Punta Fuego. For fuller details though, it's best to ask the roving guards or head to the club house.

The closer one gets to nature, the more bugs one can expect to encounter. While we’ve had to combat relatively few insects during our stay, we’ve found a couple of tuko or large geckos, along the stairwell of the house. These are to be expected in areas outside the metropolis, and pose very little annoyance.

Insect problems? Not really, not when there’s one of these large Philippine <i>tuko</i>s or Geckos around. This one was caught hiding under the curtain after being disturbed from their usual behind-the-painting resting spots.

Another rendition of Buddha? This finely sculpted bust is among the Thai-inspired fixtures at the first floor.

Perhaps another form of the Enlightened One. This small wall fixture is hung just outside the main door.

Rates

While it may seem expensive to rent out Piazza Catalina unless you're bringing in a group of people, the rates are still quite reasonable even for singles and couples. The daily rate will depend on the number of persons staying in the house. For less than 5 guests, the charge is P6,000 a night, and only 1 room available for use. For 5 to 7 guests, the rate is P9,000 a night and 2 bedrooms will be open. For 8 to 12 persons, it's P13,000 a night, and again, 2 rooms will be open. 13 to 16 guests cost P16,000 a night with 3 rooms open for use. Additional P500 is charged per extra guest beyond 16 and up to the maximum of 20 guests. Children below a year old are free to stay. Animals are not allowed inside the house.

The owners consider March to May and October to January months to be their peak seasons, and require full payment a month before the reserved date. For non-peak months, the owners require full payment at 2 weeks before the reserved date at the most. No refunds are entertainment once payment has been made, but the owners allow the transferring of reservation dates. Another policy to note is that a reservation is closed by the party who pays first.

Piazza Catalina can also be rented out on weekends or for a full week. The rates one pays for the above only covers the rental of the house, and use of certain facilities within the house and of Punta Fuego's will involve extra expense, such as the community’s pool, which will cost P500 a person.

Overall

Piazza Catalina was designed to make best use of a group budget, though food and toiletries are left entirely up to its guests. It's a good place to stay in, a good place for bonding and offers good value for money.

It’s nice to stay at Fuego Point during sunset, where one can go back to being simple and just appreciate one of nature’s best.

Contact

For reservations and more information about Piazza Catalina, contact either Banana at +63 920 964-8136 or Cherry at +63 917 528-7027, or e-mail them at piazzacatalina@yahoo.com. One can also visit their website at  piazzacatalina.multiply.com.