Many Santorini-inspired beach resorts can be seen in our beautiful country, like in Ilocos and Batangas. But we chose to see the nearest one which is located in La Union, the Thunderbird Resorts and Casino.
It is not a membership club. Anyone can be a guest in here. I am just not sure if they accept walk-in. But I suggest that you book online ahead of time. You can book either through their website itself or through third parties like Agoda, Booking, and Hotel. It frees you from all the hassle.
After 2 months of not holding a stick shift, I definitely missed driving, so a 4 to 5-hour drive is no biggie at all. It is even easier to travel northbound now via TPLEX. I shall give thanks to Google Map for saving someone who has no sense of direction like me. Haha! We had this weekend getaway on September 3-4.
My family and I had a pullover along McArthur Highway for some rest and coffee. We saw a vendor of corncob and of roasted suman. Wow! They are very, very tasty.
It was such a beautiful weather not until we arrived at the resort. We were checking in when rain suddenly dropped. I was very disappointed, but of course, it did not stop me from adorning myself with bright yellow long dress and a floral crown. Haha!
I was not able to see the beach and pool on our first day whereas my family did. Some parts of the resort are still under construction. However, the main building itself gives you a glimpse of Santorini. It's just wow! Everything is blue and white. The lighthouse is located behind the casino. We visited but unluckily did not get in to climb up as it is only open on weekdays. There is a band playing at the open lounge in the evening. We just had chitchats over a cup of coffee and a glass of mango juice.
Sky was grey and raindrops were falling the next morning that made me sad. We had our breakfast at the buffet. The food was delish. I apologize for not uploading photo of it as I really am not into food photography.
If you cannot let the rain go away, then just go with it. We put on our swimmies and rushed to the pool. Thunderbird has 2 pools; the regular one and the infinity pool near the beach. The water is warm and with less chlorine which gave me a chance to capture an underwater video. Yay! But my father did not dip due to fever. So, he was just sitting there, watching us, and taking photos of us. Haha! We stayed there for an hour, I guess.
It was just a short stay yet we felt relaxed. The warm and comfy ambiance is just amazing in spite of bad weather.
We toured the Ma Cho Temple that is also within the vicinity afterwards.
