Summer is here and many families and barkadas are looking for resorts for their out-of-town swimming trips and excursions. One of the places I can recommend relatively near the metro is Momarco Resort in Tanay, Rizal. Only 1.5 hours away from Quezon City, Momarco Resort has a large, clean and well-maintained swimming pool and an artificial lagoon with a waterfall.

Last year, we visited the place mainly to check out the Bathala Bike Park. The road going there was isolated with some rough patches, so I was surprised to find a large resort complex with a hotel, swimming pools, mini-zoo and sports center grounds. I believe the resort is popular for team-building events, youth camps and religious activities and is open for those who want to try camping.

LOCATION:

Momarco Resort is located in Sitio Bathala, Barangay Plaza Aldea, Tanay Rizal. The place is located in a relatively remote area that’s ideal for those with their own vehicles. By private vehicle, it usually takes 1.5 hours from Quezon City or Pasig, 2 hours or more from Makati. However, it’s also accessible by tricycle from the Tanay market. There’s a rough stretch of road that eventually becomes paved. The place has a large and secure parking area.

From here, you can make side trips to visit Daranak Falls, Calinawan Cave and other popular sights in Tanay.

SWIMMING POOLS:

The main draw at the resort are the two swimming pools. There’s a huge pool with a fountain for both adults and children complete with bridge and walkways.

The other pool is an artificial lagoon with a waterfall. The pool is lined with natural pebbles and rocks that makes your swimming experience feel closer to nature, but with all the amenities nearby. This is a good choice for families traveling with children who want a relatively private getaway away from the crowds (unless of course, there’s a big function). The pool is big enough to accommodate large groups for company team buildings and corporate events.

POOLSIDE HUTS, FUNCTIONS HALLS & VENUES:

For day trips, the resort has poolside huts that can accommodate groups of different sizes, fron intimate barkada outings to large corporate events. Small hut (10 persons), medium (maximum 18 persons), big (25) and extra large (35 persons). The Kubo Hall is an open session hall ideal for groups of 50 persons or more. It is located in an elevated area by the pool giving the big group their own space away from the regular crowd. The Cayabu and Cuyambay Halls are small function rooms where companies can conduct small group seminars. The Aldea Hall is the formal function hall where weddings, debuts and other occasions can be held. It can accommodate 100-180 persons depending on the set-up.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

For those who want to stay overnight, Momarco Resort has various types of accommodations to cater to different needs. They have a newly built hotel and casitas with suites good for couples. We didn’t stay overnight, but the hotel staff was nice enough to show us the rooms.

Small groups can enjoy nature and then relax afterwards in regular air-conditioned rooms. Families of 8-12 persons can choose to stay at Bahay ni Inday or the Gazebo. Groups of more than 20 persons on a budget can choose from the dormitory or barracks type accommodations or Casa Lucia. The compound is also open to campers who want to set up tents around the rolling terrain or forest trails.

BIKE PARK & PUMP TRACK:

Momarco Resort also contains Bathala Bike Park, which promised to be a challenging trail of humps, rollers, jumps, berms and other obstacles. This previously used to be a bigger pump track with dirtjumps and wooden bridges that was a venue for bike events. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been well-maintained and the entrance fee to use it is a bit steep (P250/person inclusive of use of swimming pool).

The technical trail has become overgrown with weeds and the dirtjump tracks have eroded. There’s only a small paved pump track left. Plus, the only way to bring your bicycles here is by car, since biking is not allowed on the main road leading up to the resort.

DINING:

Momarco Resort has their own in-house restaurant called Lanai Restaurant serving Filipino food. There’s also a convenience store inside where you can buy snacks and drinks. You can bring your own food and drinks for picnics, but corkage fees are charged per person.

RATES: (Complete rates here)

• Entrance fee for Day tour (3 years old & above): P250/head
• Entrance fee is required for all guests (whether they are swimming or not)
• Food corkage (3 years old & above): P70/head
• Drink corkage (beer & softdrinks) minimum 1 case: P200/case
• Hard drinks: P70 per bottle
• Small cabana (good for 8-10 pax): P1,000
• Medium cabana (good for 11-18 pax): P1,200
• Large cabana (good for 19-25 pax): P1,700
• Extra large cabana (good for 26-35 pax): P2,700
• Barracks type: P400 each (64-88 pax)
• Regular aircon room P1,500 (for 2 pax)
• Superior rooms: P3,500 to 5,000++
• Camping with own tent: P350
• Camping with Momarco tent: P1,500

TRAVEL TIPS & USEFUL INFO:

• Operating Hours for Day Tour are from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Overnight – Check-in @ 12:00nn / Check-out @ 10:00am
• Corkage fees are charged for all food and drinks brought in. No food and drinks allowed in the pool area and its surroundings (only in huts).
• Only proper swimwear is allowed. Ladies – Swim Suit / Board Shorts with Tank Top / White Shirt Men – Swimming Trunks / Cycling Shorts / Board Shorts
• Pets are not allowed in the resort. Those who bring pets will be charged with a holding fee.
• Quaint stopovers along the way include Antipolo Cathedral in Antipolo, St. Rose of Lima in Teresa, San Ildefonso de Toledo Church, Regina Rica and Daranak Falls in Tanay
• Peak Season is from January to June.
• Weekend rates (Friday-Saturday) are slightly higher than weekday rates (Sun-Thursday)
• Off-peak season is from July to December (rates are slightly lower)

LOCATION MAP:

Momarco Resort is located in Sitio Bathala, Barangay Plaza Aldea, Tanay, Rizal

HOW TO GET THERE:

By private transportation (please refer to map)

• From Quezon City, Pasig or Makati, drive to Tanay passing through Antipolo and Teresa through the Manila East Road
• When driving, always take the left fork to avoid traffic at the town proper.
• At the Tanay junction at the corner with Shell and Flying V, turn left at Shell
• After passing the road going to Daranak Falls (on the left), there will be a road on the right leading to Momarco Resort. Look out for the sign.
• Just follow this road. Parts of this is still rough roads, but it will eventually lead to a paved road going inside Momarco Resort.

By public transportation/commuting

• Take Tanay FX at EDSA Central or Star Mall
• Get off at the Tanay market
• Take a tricycle to Momarco Resort

CONTACT INFO:

• Office hours for reservations and inquiries are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
• Mobile nos: (Tanay) 0927-8229865; 0918-9429873
• QC office: Tel: 4740912, Telefax: 427-7068; Mobile: 0917-8513623; 0928-5595306
• Email: momarcoresort@yahoo.com
• Website: www.momarcoresort.com
• Facebook: Momarco Resort and Hotel