Martessem Resort

Martessem is a Bed and Breakfast Resort located in the mountain ridges of Sierra Madre. The resort boasts a magnificent sea of clouds view at sunrise.  I have seen pictures online from friends who have been there and I just got to see for myself. 

Martessem is located in Tanay and is about an hour and half drive from our place, so we woke up early to catch the famed sunrise view.

The drive at such a wee-hour is not for the faint of heart.

It was a really scary drive, the highway leading to the Tanay via Marcos Hi-way is not well lighted (actually the only light I see, while my husband drive is the one coming from our car's headlights). It was like a scene from the "Hiwaga sa Balete Drive movie" waiting for a white lady to pop-out any moment.

We reached the resort at 5:45am, about 15minutes wait time for the resort's 6am opening. Security though was nice to let us inside the resort early.

Imagine the cool mountain breeze "Tagaytay-Baguio like weather"~ heavenly right?

The resort is undeniably beautiful and view from the resort's deck quite impressive.  Unfortunately the weather was not as cooperative as expected, it was cloudy and the sun shied during our visit.  Alas, light rain also threatened what should have been "the sight to behold".

That did not dampen our spirit ~

Note: We had our breakfast here, but it was nothing special. 

The view though very well compensated for what ever is lacking.

The view that we missed ---

(taken from the Martessem facebook page)

I think this view will just have to be re-scheduled on another day.  Maybe next time our visit will be with overnight stay at the resort (to avoid another scary ride).

TIP: It was good we came early as we got to have the place all to ourselves.  Hoards of guests started to arrive at around 7am.  

For questions and inquiries, visit the resort's facebook page: Martessem Resort

Bakasyunan Resort Tanay Review

We were looking for an easy 1-2 hours get-away near Metro Manila to unwind and catch up with family friends.
As we live in Taytay, our default go to place is the hills of Tanay, Rizal.

Resorts abound in Tanay, so choosing one that fits our requirement was a bit of a challenge.  

We wanted a place with a back to nature ambiance with panoramic view, but with the comfort of a hotel. This led us to "Bakasyunan Resort".

The resort sits on a 15 hectare property with a view of the Sierra Madre mountains and Laguna de Bay.  

We booked 2 Carneros Inn.  The Carneros are private rooms located a few meters away the main pool.  The rooms have 2 Queen sized beds, perfect for a family of four (4).  

I am so sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the room interiors.  I got this picture from Bakasyunan website instead.



Our room is clean, but was in need of upgrading, especially the bathrooms (the hot and cold shower wasn't working and so is the bath tub).  


The air-condition was freezing, which was great since we were there on a humid-hot day.

There is a TV, but channels are limited. 


It is a huge resort with facilities for team building activities. 

There are also plenty of activities for families to enjoy, so you really don't ran of things to do.  My boys enjoyed playing mini-golf.  

FINAL VERDICT:

• We managed to have fun.  Our boys enjoyed the resort's outdoor activities.   
• The price is reasonable.  Our package came with Dinner and Breakfast. Food quality is good and servings hefty.   
• Since the resort is just 1.5 hours away from our place and with light traffic, we got to spend more time relaxing than travelling.
• Tanay weather gets a bit chilly at night, so expect cold pool waters for night swimmers.  

• As it is a huge resort with steep terrain, PWD and Seniors might find it difficult to navigate.  If you are travelling with those requiring special assistance remember to mention this during booking/reservations and request for a room closest to the main building.  

For booking inquiries check Bakasyunan Resort Tanay website: www.bakasyunanresorttanay.com or contact them through:

                      
Tel No.: 7064509
Mobile : 09175755116/09989942513/09178303438
Email :bakasyunanmarketing1@gmail.com