My Solo Overnight Stay at Sulyap Gallery Café and Restaurant

For my San Pablo trip, I decided to have my reservations at Sulyap Gallery and Café. Although Sulyap, is not located at the town proper, one should not forget to include this place as a must go to place in San Pablo.


For accommodations, Sulyap Gallery and Café has rooms that can provide lodgings for solo travelers and big groups. During my stay, I felt being transported back to the Spanish colonization era as the houses architectures are like a big “bahay kubo”. All the furniture are made of wood and are of Filipino design.

Casa de Obando

Casa de Alitagtag

Common area of Casa de Obando

Aside from the room, other amenity of the resort is their restaurant that offers Filipino dishes, pasta, and sandwiches. The restaurant is also an attraction of Sulyap Gallery and Café as the place is full of people during lunch and dinner time as the restaurant is open to the public not just on the people staying at their rooms. The servings are big and can be shared. For my dinner I ordered the Tulingan Pasta which is one of the bestseller of their pasta menu. The pasta which is served with two slice of garlic bread is very tasty with lots of tulingan flakes. My breakfast which is included in my accommodation is their Longsilog. I like the taste of their longganisa whish is not sweet and does not have any fats. Their longganisa goes very well with the atchara and the vinegar with chili.

my longsilog breakfast

the 2nd floor of the restaurant at Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant

Sulyap Gallery also has a museum that I visited. It was a small museum that has various antiques collections from lamps and lanterns to typewriters, wine collections, toy cars and china wares. To visit the museum, you should ask assistance to the receptionist as they do not allow guests to come to the museum without the accompaniment of their staff.

the museum's entrance

wine collection

lamp collection hanging at the ceiling

Another amenity of the resort is their swimming pool. They have two pools – one for the adults and the other for the kids. The swimming pools are not big and may get crowded at some time. One thing great about the pool is that it is located at the garden of the resort which gave out a great ambiance.

the swimming pool

the pathway to the swimming pool

Sulyap Gallery also has a function room that can hosts events like wedding ceremonies and birthday parties.

the function room

Though I had just a short stay at Sulyap Gallery and Café but I can say that I have a very nice time. The staffs are friendly, nice and accommodating. They helped me get a tricycle when I checked out and even instructed the tricycle driver to drop me off at the bus stop.


Sulyap Gallery Café and Restaurant is located at Brgy. Del Remedio, Cocoland Compound in San Pablo City. You may contact them with these following details:

Tel. nos. (049) 573-2907
Mobile nos.: Smart - 0920-9519185
Smart - 0999-9953165
Globe - 0917-5968760
Email: roy@sulyap.net

The Lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna – Sampaloc Lake

Sampaloc Lake

The last lake that I visited is the Sampaloc Lake which is located near San Pablo city proper. I was decided to go to the Lake at six in the morning, hoping to catch the sunrise. From Sulyap Gallery Café I ride the tricycle for Php 30.00 to get me to the lake. The driver would ask you if you will be going to “taas” or “ibaba” of Sampaloc Lake and I decided to be dropped off at “taas” of Sampaloc Lake.

I thought that since six in the morning is still early, there will be only few people at the lake but I was wrong. The place was already full of people, mostly are locals doing their morning routines of running, taking a bike or simply just walking along the lake. 

Although it feels already late, I was still able to catch the sun just rising above the mountain. The sun rising gives a beautiful color of yellow and orange to the clouds which are also reflected at the lake. 

Aside from the scenery of the sunrise, I also witness the lives of the locals of San Pablo. I watch some bikers leisurely talking at one another, families enjoying their Saturday by walking side by side at the lake, people taking breakfast, an old man fishing by the side of the lake, and a fisherman checking the fish pens (yes, there are also fish pens at Sampaloc Lake). It’s as if the people of San Pablo City have a laid-back life as they just carefree tread along the lake.

My visit to Sampaloc Lake did not just give beautiful scenery but also a slice of life of the people of San Pablo City.

The Lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna - Calibato Lake

Calibato Lake

Calibato Lake with Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal

After my visit to Lake Pandin, my next Lake to visit is Calibato Lake. There are two ways to reach Calibato Lake – one is by riding a jeep bound to Liliw and tells the driver to drop you off at the entrance of Calibato Lake, the other way is through trekking with the help and guide of the kids at the parking space of Pandin Lake. I chose the second option of trekking as according to my kid guide it is easier and faster than taking a jeepney ride.

On the way to the lake, my kid guide would give facts and information about Calibato Lake. According to the kid a hydropower plant is currently being built using water at Calibato Lake as the main source of energy. Along the way there are streams of clear water and as my guide said the water came from Calibato Lake. There is also a small dam holding water from the lake and another trivia given to me by my guide is that Japanese used to hide at the side of the dam during World War II.

As for the trail, this one is more difficult than with the trail of Lake Pandin. There are a lot climbs and upon nearing the lake you need to hold on to a rope as you go down. Aside from that there are times that you would walk near a cliff on your left side and on your right is the knee deep river. It is like going through a forest. But my guide would encouragingly tell me that the other way is more difficult as one would need to rappel down to get a view of Calibato Lake. 

I am very exhausted the time we reach the lake. We were just in a small corner of the lake with a Nipa Hut at my right and a raft tied on a pole on my left. My guide told me that if I took the other way, I cannot get this near to the lake.

the raft on my left

the nipa hut on my right and fishpens

Just like in Lake Bunot, there are fish pens in the lake and is not a major tourist destination. My guide told me that people find the lake dirty because of the fish pens.

Although the lake is dirty, I feel certain serenity when I looked at the lake. Behind the lake are Mt. Cristobal and Mt. Banahaw. There are times that you would see white birds flying over the fish pens in search of food. There are also two kids despite of the heat of the sun, taking a raft ride in the lake. It was peaceful and it makes you want to just sit back and watch the whole scenery.

fish pens at the center of the lake

two boys taking a ride of their raft

The Lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna - Pandin Lake

Pandin Lake

The next lake that I went to is the Pandin Lake, since the tricycle driver told me that it was the nearest lake to Bunot Lake.

Since Pandin Lake is a popular destination, a parking space is provided for the tourists. This parking space is my drop-off point. From here you need to trek a very challenging trail. On my way to the lake, I get lost (even with the help of a GPS) and ended up in a village. I then returned back to the parking lot and asked for some directions.

There are tourist guides in the area and most of them are kids that you can pay as low as Php 20.00. When I returned to the parking lot, one of the local men served as my guide as he said he will be also going to the lake. Aside from myself, there were two other tourists that followed us.

The trail at the lake at first was simple, but after passing the arrays of trees, comes the challenging part as it is an uphill trail. Aside from the trail is going up, there were also no trees around to give shade or breeze of air to cool your exhaustion. And the trail is also kind of steep. But once you reach the topmost of the trail, you can already see an overlooking of the lake.

the view of Pandin Lake while at the top of the trail

At the side of the lake you will already see big rafts waiting for passengers. The women of the village serve as the guide and boatmen for the rafts. They would welcome every tourist that came and offer the services of their raft and a packed lunch that can come along with the tour of the lake. The cost of the raft ride depends if you would also order a packed lunch, but I heard it’s around Php 360 for the tour with the lunch. 

the rafts getting ready for the passengers

the women of the town

the rafts sailing at Pandin Lake

You could also reach Yambo Lake by crossing the Lake Pandin. Since I was travelling alone, I did not take anymore the raft ride, so I was not able to visit Yambo Lake.

the empty rafts

the newly arrived tourists

The Lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna – Bunot Lake

The Lakes of San Pablo City, Laguna is a series of posts that I made regarding of the details of my trip to the four lakes of San Pablo City.

You can manage to visit all the seven lakes depending on your pace. It is better if you can check a map of San Pablo City to familiarize you with the location of the lakes and their distances. Try also to read articles and blogs about the lake as they give instructions on how to reach the lake. For my trip I decided to visit first Bunot Lake next is Pandin Lake followed by Calibato Lake. I decided to visit Sampaloc Lake the next day as I wanted to watch the sunrise at the lake.

Bunot Lake

Bunot Lake 

The first lake that I visited was Bunot Lake. Bunot Lake got its name because of the coconut trees growing around the lake. I was dropped off by the tricycle driver at the entrance of the lake. You have to walk for some short distance to the drop off point to get a view of the lake. There are several trails and you could get lost and end up in the rows of houses built along the lake. Luckily, on my way to the lake, I met up two other tourists who just went to the lake and gave me the directions. 

trail to Bunot Lake lined with coconut trees

a view of the Bunot Lake from afar

When I reached the lake, voices of kids taking a dip at the water welcomed me. At the center of the lake you will see fish pens and at the side there are aquatic plants. I even saw fishermen going into the water with their nets. 

the fish pens and fishermen at the lake

There are only few people going to the lake because it is more of a fishing area than a tourist destination. The water is also murky because of the fish pens. 

the plants lining the lake

The view of the Bunot Lake has a rural setting – a lake with fish pens, house surrounding the area with a mountain as a backdrop.

another view from afar of Bunot Lake

Solo Backpacking Trip at San Pablo City, Laguna

Solo backpacking is one of the things in my to do list. This is mainly to find out if I can manage to travel alone. I decided to go to San Pablo City, Laguna because its proximity to Manila and after doing some research I found out that there are a lot of things to do in San Pablo City.

One of the things that I decided to do in San Pablo was to visit the lakes that made this city famous. San Pablo City is known for having seven lakes in which some have become a tourist attraction and others have become the main source of livelihood for the townsfolk. The seven lakes are Sampaloc Lake, Bunot Lake, Calibato Lake, Mohicap Lake, the twin lakes of Pandin and Yambo and Palakpakin Lake. In my trip I was able to visit four of the lakes in San Pablo City.

the Sampaloc Lake

The next of my things to do list is to go to Sulyap Gallery Café Bed and Breakfast to visit their antique collections. Since Sulyap also offered accommodation for solo travelers, I decided to check in also and stayed there for the night. Aside from the gallery and rooms, Sulyap amenities also include a swimming pool and a restaurant that offers delicious Filipino cuisines.

The Function Room Of Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant

One of the houses that offers accommodation at Sulyap Gallery Cafe and Restaurant

Included also in my to do list is to take a photowalk of the town. I started my photowalk at six in the morning at Sampaloc Lake. I decided to capture the sunrise or at least the colors of the morning’s reflection against the lake. But when I reached the lake I was welcome by the locals doing their morning routine of jogging, bicycling and taking breakfast along the stores lined at the lake.

an overview of the Sampaloc Lake

the townspeople takinbg a walk along the lake

My itinerary wouldn’t also be complete if I were not to visit the town’s church. So part of the itinerary is to visit the San Pablo Cathedral which is famous for its architecture. So after taking pictures of the sights and activities at Sampaloc Lake, I decided to take a walk heading to the San Pablo Cathedral. Unfortunately, the cathedral is under repair as to restore the façade of the old church, but I still tried to get a nice picture of the church.

the San Pablo Cathedral under construction

I get around the City mostly by tricycle which is kind of expensive especially when travelling alone. My tricycle fare from Sulyap Gallery Café Bed and Breakfast to Sampaloc Lake is Php 30.00. This is the reason why I decided to go to the Church from Sampaloc Lake by foot. If you will rent a tricycle to reach the lakes you need to have good negotiating skills as the driver can charge you until Php 800.00 for the whole trip.

the town plaza of San Pablo 

For food there is nothing to worry as there are lots of fastfoods and carinderias at the town plaza. Sampaloc Lake is also full of vendors. For the trip to the lakes, Pandin Lake offers lunch packages that are included in a raft cruise of the lake.


You can get to San Pablo City by riding a Lucena Bound bus and tell the conductor that drop you off at San Pablo Medical Center. You know you are near the Medical Center once you passed by SM San Pablo. Bus fare is Php 135.00. From the San Pablo Medical Center you can start your trip by riding a tricycle that can bring you to almost any part of San Pablo City.

The Noodles at Moshi Koshi

Since it was raining a lot lately, I have been craving again for noodles. When a friend of mine called for us to meet, I asked her if we can have noodles for our dinner that evening.

Moshi Koshi offers a wide variety of noodles as they have Ramen, Udon and Soba. The difference among the three noodles is the texture and the thickness of the noodles. You can read more about the menu of Moshi Koshi at the paper mat that is place on the table.

I have tried Ramen for several times already so I ordered for a Soba this time around. Aside from curiosity, I ordered Soba because I can have it with tempura, which I have been craving for lately. My friend ordered her usual Shoyu Ramen. Aside from the noodles we also ordered a plate of gyoza.

When our noodles arrived we immediately took a sip of the hot stew. My friend’s Shoyu Ramen is filled with the usual ingredients of a ramen like the beef, dried seaweed and vegetable, while my Soba is topped with two large tempuras.

I enjoyed eating the tempuras although the breading had already gotten soggy. During the middle of our meal, I already had an “umay” taste of my soba, maybe because of the noodles. I ate the gyoza to try to take the “umay” taste away. My friend on the other hand enjoyed eating her ramen. We usually take some breaks in eating our noodles as the serving is big that it takes us some time to finish the noodles.

For our dessert we ordered their coffee ice cream that my friend and I shared. I like the ice cream because it was big and it is frozen that it would not melt easily.   

When we left Moshi Koshi we were so full and satisfied. Their serving of noodles is big and the price is cheap.