From Wikipedia:Each house was dismantled brick by brick, numbered, transported to his property in Bagac, reassembled in the same order, and then restored. Houses were chosen based on their historicaal, cultural and architectural value. Acuzar bought houses which were in a state of neglect, from the owners, and in some cases also purchased the lot where the mansions stood. The bahay na bato(Tagalog, literally meaning stone houses) which have stone foundations on the first floor and are made of wood on the second floor(constructed thus to withstand earthquakes), were transplanted from Manila (Tondo, Binondo and Quiapo, Quezon City, Bulacan, Pampanga, La Union, the Ilocos and Cagayan.)
How much would it cost you for a day trip?
Php900.00 for a day trip may be a little steep for budget travelers like we are but the day tour fee entitles one to several amenities such as access to some of the "Casas", a guided tour, access the play/recreation room, the batis-inspired pool for one whole day.
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| Facade |
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| Church still under construction |
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| One of the many beautiful casas |
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| The lights I chased in Las Casas
The "Casas" or houses were age-old mansions owned by some of the old-rich families all over the Philippines. Most of these houses were dilapidated and had seen minimal care from the time the owners passed. The technique of slowly dismantling the houses, moving all the original parts from where it came from to Bataan and painstakingly rebuilding it just the way it used to look sounds to me like one needs to have lots and lots of passion (and money) for houses.
I am not sure how much the overnight accommodations are but as far as I remember, they are at a price range of Php5,000.00 and up depending on the rooms and pax. Guided Tour
The tour is included in the day trip rate. I must tell you I am impressed by their tour guides who are always knowledgeable and accommodating. They will tour you around the casas and share interesting facts about them. They will also acknowledge and answer your questions.
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| Maranao Houses |
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| Window View |
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| Sunset in Las Casas |
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| If you've seen the Heneral Luna Movie, this place will definitely look familiar to you |
Aside from the fact that this could easily pass as an easier destination for whenever you are looking for a quick escape, one can richly benefit from learning so much culture in a day. Las Casas Filipinos de Acuzar is highly recommended (if not for the extra expensive sodas) and I will definitely go back.
The guided tour lasts for around 1 hour. This includes visiting each of the houses, picture taking, little trivia quizzes here and there and lots of sweat. I don't know but it seemed to be pretty warm the day we visited and I had my fair share of sweaty underarms. Do not fret as once the tour ends, they will give you clean, wet towels so you can freshen up and rest. If the tour happens in the afternoon, they will also inform you that a cultural show will occur at 6PM. You may be able to watch it while having early dinner as they set up their dinner (or mourned) buffet by the bridge. We opted to swim.
We arrived starved by lunchtime so we immediately looked for somewhere to eat. Las Casas has several restaurants showcasing different menus from Mexican to Italian to Filipino Cuisine. We tried out Cafe Marivent for lunch. They offer lunch buffet for a very affordable price. However, the food selection is a little common and limited. Overall, I give it a 3.5/5. I was not able to take a photo of the food here or the dinner we had at La Bella Teodora but what I can tell you is that the pizza in La Bella is superb and amongst the 2, I recommend La Bella Teodora to satisfy your hunger.
