Previous Trips - Laguna Lake Loop
A family-favorite Sunday drive is the Laguna Lake Loop. It is actually a considerable drive so do it on a Saturday or when the following Monday is a holiday to give yourself time to rest and recover. It is a great route to take visiting balikbayans or foreigners as it is close to Manila and shows fine examples of Philippine countryside and heritage. Besides some great views with plenty of photo-ops, there are plenty of old churches and eco-tourism sites along the route. There are also plenty of opportunities to buy plants, fruits, handicrafts and local food stuff.There are 2 approaches to the loop, one being from Ortigas Avenue in the north and the other using the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Residing in Las Pinas, we normally take the southern approach. Total road time (not counting stops) is about 6 hours depending on traffic in Antipolo and the Metro Manila portions of the route. The ideal time to leave would be 8 or 9 AM to make the lunch objective and to get back by later afternoon depending on the number and duration of the stops. From the end of the SLEX, the loop will take you through or pass by the towns and cities of Calamba, Los Banos, Bay, Pansol, Pila, Santa Cruz, Pangsanjan, Lumban, Paete, Siniloan, Pililla, Tanay, Morong, Antipolo, Taytay and back to Metro Manila. My apologies if I have missed mentioning any. Some and larger than others and a number are away from the national highway but all are charming and in different degrees of urbanization. The towns mentioned are covered by the provinces of Laguna and Rizal. The drive will actually take more time if you wanted to take in all the points of interest these places have to offer.
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